Dámaso García
A dynamic, slap-hitting second baseman who became the first true star and fan favorite for the fledgling Toronto Blue Jays.
1957–2020 (age 63)·Dominican Republic baseball player·Birthday: February 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dámaso García didn't just play for the Toronto Blue Jays in the early 1980s; he helped give the young franchise an identity. Acquired in a pivotal trade, the Dominican infielder brought a spark of energy and a potent bat to the top of the lineup. With a quick swing and even quicker legs, he was a constant threat, slashing singles, stealing bases, and winning a batting title in 1982. His aggressive style and evident joy on the field made him a cornerstone of the team's first contending seasons and its initial playoff appearance in 1985. While his later years were affected by injuries and a trade, his impact in Toronto was profound. He returned to the organization as a coach after his playing days, remaining a beloved figure who symbolized the exciting, scrappy era that laid the groundwork for the Blue Jays' future World Series championships.
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.
Dámaso was born in 1957, 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 Dámaso Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Dámaso's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
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
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
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
1975Could vote
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
1978Turned 21
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
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Died at 63
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
Key Achievements
- Won the American League batting title in 1982 with a .310 average for the Toronto Blue Jays.
- Was a two-time American League All-Star (1984, 1985).
- Led the American League in singles for three consecutive seasons (1982-1984).
- Recorded over 1,500 hits and stole 203 bases in his 10-year MLB career.
Did You Know?
He was one of the players traded from the New York Yankees to Toronto in 1979 for star pitcher Chris Chambliss.
He famously collected 135 singles in his 1982 batting title season, the highest total in the majors that year.
After his MLB career, he played for and later managed the Dominican Republic's Tigres del Licey.
He was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and passed away in 2020.
“You have to play hard every day, because this game can send you home fast.”
