Chris Speier
A slick-fielding shortstop with a cannon arm who became a fixture for the Giants and a respected baseball lifer as a coach.
Born 1950 (age 76)·American baseball player and coach·Birthday: June 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris Speier arrived in San Francisco as a rookie in 1971 and immediately established himself as one of the National League's premier defensive shortstops. With a quick first step and a throwing arm so strong it earned him the nickname 'The Alameda Rifle,' he turned the left side of the infield into a no-fly zone. He was an All-Star in his first three seasons, a feat that announced his arrival as a cornerstone player. After a decade with the Giants, he brought his steady presence to the Montreal Expos, where he was part of the team's first playoff run in 1981. His playing career spanned 19 seasons, defined by consistency and glovework. He then seamlessly transitioned into a long career as a coach and manager, serving on major league staffs for decades and mentoring a new generation of infielders, completing a full-circle life in the game.
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.
Chris 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 Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Chris'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
2020Turned 70
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 76 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected as a National League All-Star in three consecutive seasons (1972, 1973, 1974).
- Played a key role for the San Francisco Giants as their starting shortstop for nearly a decade.
- Was the starting shortstop for the Montreal Expos in their first-ever playoff appearance in 1981.
- Enjoyed a long post-playing career as a major league coach, including roles with the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals.
Did You Know?
His nickname, 'The Alameda Rifle,' referenced both his strong throwing arm and his hometown of Alameda, California.
He was the sixth overall pick in the 1970 MLB draft by the Washington Senators, who soon became the Texas Rangers.
He hit two home runs in the same inning during a game in 1971, a rare feat for any player.
His son, Justin Speier, also played in Major League Baseball as a pitcher.
“You field the ball clean, you make the throw sharp—that's the job.”
