Clayton Richard
A durable left-handed pitcher who logged over a thousand major league innings, mastering the craft of inducing ground balls and eating up frames.
Born 1983 (age 43)·American baseball player·Birthday: September 12·Millennials
Biography
Clayton Richard's baseball career was built on reliability and a specific, valuable skill: getting batters to hit the ball into the dirt. The tall left-hander broke in with the Chicago White Sox but truly found his footing with the San Diego Padres, where for several seasons he was a rotation fixture at Petco Park. His sinker was his signature, a pitch that dove toward the ground, leading to countless double plays and quick outs. Richard wasn't a flashy strikeout artist; he was a workhorse who took the ball every fifth day and competed deep into games. This consistency allowed him to navigate a 10-year MLB career, pitching effectively for four different clubs and providing steady innings long after many of his contemporaries had retired.
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.
Clayton 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 Clayton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Clayton'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
- Pitched over 1,100 innings in Major League Baseball across 10 seasons.
- Led the National League in games started (33) and complete games (3) during the 2012 season with San Diego.
- Recorded a career-high 14 wins for the Padres in 2010.
Did You Know?
He was a standout quarterback at McCutcheon High School in Indiana and was recruited to play college football.
He played both baseball and football at the University of Michigan before focusing solely on baseball.
He was part of the trade that sent Jake Peavy from the Padres to the White Sox in 2009.
“I just tried to keep the ball down and get ground balls.”
