Bob Forsch
A workhorse pitcher who anchored the Cardinals' rotation for over a decade, delivering crucial wins in their 1982 World Series championship run.
1950–2011 (age 61)·American baseball player·Birthday: January 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bob Forsch spent the bulk of his career as a stalwart for the St. Louis Cardinals, a durable right-hander whose consistency defined an era of Cardinals baseball. Born in Sacramento, he debuted in 1974 and quickly became a rotation fixture, known for his sinkerball and competitive grit. While not a flashy strikeout artist, he mastered the art of pitching to contact, trusting his defense and logging innings. His defining moment came in 1982, when he was a central figure in the Cardinals' march to a World Series title, winning a career-high 15 games that season and starting three games in the postseason. Forsch also etched his name in history as one of the few pitchers to throw two no-hitters for the same franchise, accomplishing the feat in 1978 and 1983. After 15 seasons in St. Louis, he finished his career with a brief stint in Houston, leaving behind a legacy of reliability and clutch performance that made him a fan favorite.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bob was born in 1950, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
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
1963Became a teenager
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
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2011Died at 61
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Pitched two no-hitters for the St. Louis Cardinals, in 1978 and 1983.
- Was a key starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals team that won the 1982 World Series.
- Won over 160 games in his 16-season Major League Baseball career.
- Pitched a complete game victory in Game 5 of the 1982 World Series.
Did You Know?
He and his brother, Ken Forsch, are the only siblings in MLB history to each throw a no-hitter.
He was an accomplished hitter for a pitcher, hitting 12 home runs in his career.
His uniform number (31) was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014, three years after his death.
He authored a book about pitching titled 'Tales from the Cardinals Dugout'.
“I just wanted the ball every fourth day and to keep my team in the game.”
