Bob Tewksbury
A cerebral pitcher who mastered the mental game, becoming a sports psychologist after a 13-year MLB career to help others navigate pressure.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American baseball player·Birthday: November 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bob Tewksbury’s journey in baseball was defined by finesse over firepower. The right-hander from New Hampshire didn’t overpower hitters; he outthought them, using pinpoint control and a deep understanding of pitching mechanics to carve out a 13-season career with six different teams. His peak came with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was an All-Star in 1992, finishing third in Cy Young voting by winning 16 games with a microscopic walk rate. After retiring, Tewksbury transformed his on-field intellect into a second act, earning a master's degree in sports psychology and returning to the game as a mental skills coach for the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants, guiding a new generation through the game's psychological trenches.
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 1960, 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 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
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
1965Started school
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
1973Became a teenager
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
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected as a National League All-Star in 1992 while with the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting in 1992 after posting a 16-5 record.
- Pitched 13 seasons in MLB for six different franchises, logging over 1,700 innings.
- Authored the book 'Ninety Percent Mental: An All-Star Player Turned Mental Skills Coach Reveals the Hidden Game of Baseball.'
Did You Know?
He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 19th round of the 1981 MLB draft.
Tewksbury allowed only 1.5 walks per nine innings in 1992, one of the best rates in modern history.
He worked as a sports psychologist for the Boston Red Sox after his playing career ended.
He is a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame for his work as a player development consultant.
“I won with my head, by knowing the hitter better than he knew himself.”
