Bob McClure
A crafty left-handed reliever who helped pitch the Milwaukee Brewers to their first World Series and later shaped pitchers as a trusted coach.
Born 1952 (age 74)·American baseball player and coach·Birthday: April 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bob McClure spent nearly five decades in professional baseball, first as a sly left-handed specialist and then as a sage for those who followed. Drafted by the Kansas City Royals, his playing career truly found its home with the Milwaukee Brewers, where from 1977 to 1986 he became a bullpen fixture. His finest hour came in 1982, when his steady relief work was crucial in securing the American League pennant for the 'Brew Crew,' sending them to their only World Series appearance. McClure pitched for 19 seasons with a reputation for durability and a sharp curveball. After retiring, he seamlessly transitioned to coaching, serving as a pitching coach for multiple MLB teams and even as a bullpen coach for the World Series-winning Philadelphia Phillies in 2008, proving his baseball intellect was as valuable as his arm.
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 1952, 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 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
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!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
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 50
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 60
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
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the American League pennant with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1982, appearing in the World Series.
- Pitched in 698 major league games over a 19-year career as a reliever.
- Served as a major league pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals, Florida Marlins, and Boston Red Sox.
- Was part of the coaching staff for the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies as bullpen coach.
Did You Know?
He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 3rd round of the 1973 draft.
McClure threw a complete game shutout in his first major league start in 1975.
He and Don Money were the last active players from the 1970 Seattle Pilots franchise (which became the Brewers).
“The game is in the details, the spin, the grip, the situation.”
