Brant Alyea
A power-hitting journeyman who blasted into the record books by homering on the very first pitch he ever saw.
1940–2024 (age 84)·American baseball player·Birthday: December 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Brant Alyea’s major league story is one of a spectacular entrance followed by a search for consistency. The tall, powerful outfielder made perhaps the most memorable debut possible in 1965: facing the Kansas City Athletics' Diego Segui, he swung at the first major league pitch he ever saw and sent it over the fence. He was only the ninth player in history to accomplish the feat. That raw power defined his career. After a trade to the Washington Senators, he had a breakout 1970 season, hitting .291 with 16 home runs in just 98 games. His most famous performance came that April, when he drove in 13 runs in two games, including a three-homer, seven-RBI outburst. But Alyea struggled with strikeouts and injuries, becoming a well-traveled bench bat for the Twins, Athletics, and Cardinals. His career was brief, but it was punctuated by unforgettable flashes of sheer, awe-inspiring force at the plate.
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.
Brant was born in 1940, 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 Brant Was Born
The biggest hits of 1940
#1 Movie
Fantasia
Best Picture
Rebecca
Brant's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1940Born
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1945Started school
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1953Became a teenager
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Could drive
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1958Could vote
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Turned 21
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1970Turned 30
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
1980Turned 40
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 50
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 60
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 70
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 80
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
2024Died at 84
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
Key Achievements
- Hit a home run on the first major league pitch he ever saw in 1965, becoming the ninth player to do so.
- Drove in 13 runs over two consecutive games for the Washington Senators in April 1970.
- Hit three home runs and collected seven RBI in a single game on April 12, 1970.
- Posted a .291 batting average with a .927 OPS in 98 games during the 1970 season.
Did You Know?
His full name was Garrabrant Ryerson Alyea.
He was originally signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1958.
After baseball, he worked for many years as a sales representative for a beer distributor in New Jersey.
He was a standout basketball player at Montclair State University before focusing on baseball.
“The first pitch told me I belonged; the rest were a fight to stay.”
