Chuck Finley
A durable left-handed workhorse who anchored the Angels' rotation for 14 seasons, reaching the coveted 200-win milestone.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American baseball player·Birthday: November 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chuck Finley emerged from Louisiana to become the California Angels' most reliable pitcher for over a decade. Standing 6'6", the left-hander used a deceptive delivery and a sharp forkball to baffle hitters, becoming the franchise's all-time leader in wins and strikeouts. His consistency was his hallmark; he was less about flashy no-hitters and more about taking the ball every fifth day and eating innings with quiet competence. After his long tenure in Anaheim, he had stints with Cleveland and St. Louis, finally securing his 200th career win in 2002, a testament to his longevity and skill. Finley's career is a blueprint for the value of a steady, dominant starter in an era increasingly focused on bullpens.
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.
Chuck was born in 1962, 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 Chuck Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Chuck's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
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
1980Could vote
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
1983Turned 21
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
1992Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 60
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 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Recorded 200 career wins, a benchmark of pitching longevity and success.
- Became the California/Anaheim Angels' all-time leader in strikeouts (2,610) and wins.
- Was selected as an American League All-Star four times (1989, 1990, 1995, 1996).
- Pitched a complete-game one-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1990.
Did You Know?
He was known for using a forkball as his primary strikeout pitch.
Finley was married to actress Tawny Kitaen, who appeared in several of the Angels' "California Girls" music videos.
He once struck out 13 batters in a single game on two separate occasions in the 1990 season.
His uniform number 31 was retired by the Los Angeles Angels in 2023.
“I just wanted to be the guy they could count on every fifth day.”
