Bob Bailey (baseball)
A versatile and powerful-hitting third baseman whose long career spanned the rise of the Montreal Expos as a National League force.
1942–2018 (age 76)·American baseball player·Birthday: October 13·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bob Bailey entered the majors burdened with a 'can't-miss' label and a record bonus from the Pittsburgh Pirates. While he never became a perennial All-Star, he forged a remarkably durable 17-year career as a dependable corner infielder with a dangerous bat. His journey took him from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles, but it was in Montreal where he found his most significant role. As a middle-of-the-order hitter for the Expos in their formative years, Bailey provided consistent power, twice hitting over 20 home runs. He was a student of the game, adapting to play first base and the outfield, and his professional approach made him a valued veteran on contenders like Cincinnati's 'Big Red Machine' in his final seasons.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bob was born in 1942, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1942
#1 Movie
Bambi
Best Picture
Mrs. Miniver
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1942Born
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1947Started school
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1955Became a teenager
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Could drive
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1960Could vote
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Turned 21
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1972Turned 30
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 40
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 50
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 60
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 70
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2018Died at 76
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball for five different franchises from 1962 to 1978.
- Hit a career-high 28 home runs for the Montreal Expos in the 1970 season.
- Was a member of the 1976 Cincinnati Reds team that won the World Series, appearing in 77 games that season.
- Signed for a then-record $135,000 bonus with the Pittsburgh Pirates out of high school in 1961.
Did You Know?
He was the first-ever draft pick of the expansion Montreal Expos in 1968.
Bailey hit two home runs in a single game on three separate occasions during his career.
He was traded from the Dodgers to the Expos for outfielder Maury Wills in 1968.
After baseball, he worked as a minor league hitting instructor for the San Diego Padres organization.
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