Chris Colabello
His path to the majors was a seven-year odyssey through independent baseball, making his eventual big-league success a story of pure perseverance.
Born 1983 (age 43)·American baseball player·Birthday: October 24·Millennials
Biography
Chris Colabello's baseball narrative is one of the sport's great modern underdog tales. After going undrafted out of college, he didn't give up on his dream, spending seven full seasons with the Worcester Tornadoes and later the Can-Am League's New Jersey Jackals. These were not glamorous years; they were defined by long bus rides and modest pay. His breakthrough came when the Minnesota Twins, impressed by his consistent independent league production, signed him to a minor league deal in 2012. At age 29, an age when many players are considered veterans, Colabello finally made his MLB debut. His 2013 season with the Twins was a feel-good story, but he found greater team success with the Toronto Blue Jays, contributing to their 2015 AL East championship team. His journey is a powerful reminder that talent can be found far off the beaten scouting path.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Chris was born in 1983, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1983Born
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1988Started school
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1996Became a teenager
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Could drive
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Could vote
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Turned 21
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2013Turned 30
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 40
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 43 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played in the MLB after seven full seasons in independent baseball leagues, debuting at age 29.
- Finished 12th in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2013 with the Minnesota Twins.
- Was a member of the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays team that won the American League East and reached the ALCS.
- Hit .321 with 15 home runs in 101 games for the Blue Jays' minor league affiliate in Buffalo in 2014.
Did You Know?
His father, Lou Colabello, was a pitcher who played one season in MLB for the Minnesota Twins in 1975.
He was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, but holds Italian citizenship and played for the Italian national team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
During his independent league years, he worked as a substitute teacher and a baseball instructor to make ends meet.
He won the Independent League Player of the Year award in 2011 while with the Worcester Tornadoes.
“I spent seven years in independent ball just for a chance to step into a big-league box.”
