Curt Ford
A speedy outfielder whose clutch hitting helped fuel the St. Louis Cardinals' run to a World Series championship in the 1980s.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American baseball player·Birthday: October 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Curt Ford's major league career was not defined by longevity, but by a potent, timely burst of production. Called up by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985, the left-handed hitter quickly became a valuable weapon off the bench and a reliable outfielder. His greatest contribution came during the Cardinals' memorable 1985 season. Ford delivered key hits throughout the National League Championship Series, helping the team secure the pennant. Though his time as a regular starter was limited, he carved out a role as a dependable pinch-hitter and defensive substitute, a player whose speed and contact-oriented bat could change the momentum of a game in a single at-bat. His career stands as a testament to the impact a focused, role-playing athlete can have on a championship-caliber team.
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.
Curt was born in 1960, 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 Curt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Curt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
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
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 60
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 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a World Series championship as a member of the 1987 St. Louis Cardinals.
- Batted .300 with a .438 on-base percentage in the 1985 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Recorded a career-high .293 batting average in 1986 for the Cardinals.
- Played parts of six seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies.
Did You Know?
He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1981 MLB draft out of Memphis State University.
In his major league debut on September 3, 1985, he got his first hit, a single, off future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton.
He was traded from the Cardinals to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1988 for pitcher Phil Bradley.
After his playing career, he served as a minor league coach and manager in the Cardinals' organization.
“I was ready when they called my name in the ninth inning of Game Six.”
