Dámaso Marte
A Dominican left-hander whose deceptive slider made him a trusted late-inning weapon, most famously for the 2009 World Series champion Yankees.
Born 1975 (age 51)·Dominican baseball player·Birthday: February 14·Generation X
Biography
Born in Santo Domingo, Dámaso Marte's journey to the major leagues was a testament to persistence. He signed with the Seattle Mariners in 1992 but didn't make his big-league debut until seven years later, a delay that forged a steely demeanor on the mound. His career found its stride with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox, where his combination of a mid-90s fastball and a sharp, sweeping slider proved lethal against left-handed hitters. Marte's defining chapter came after a trade to the New York Yankees in 2008. There, he became a crucial part of the bullpen for a team built to win, and win they did. In the 2009 postseason, he was nearly untouchable, most memorably striking out the Philadelphia Phillies' Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in critical World Series moments to help secure the championship. His playing days ended after the 2011 season, leaving behind a legacy of clutch performances when the lights were brightest.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Dámaso was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dámaso Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Dámaso's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
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
1980Started school
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
1988Became a teenager
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
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a World Series championship with the New York Yankees in 2009.
- Pitched 5.1 scoreless innings across 8 appearances in the 2009 postseason, striking out 9 batters.
- Recorded a career 3.45 ERA over 13 major league seasons with 22 saves and 457 strikeouts.
- Led the American League in games finished (67) while with the Chicago White Sox in 2003.
Did You Know?
He was originally signed by the Seattle Mariners as an outfielder before converting to pitching.
In the 2009 World Series, he faced two batters in Game 6 and struck them both out to preserve a lead.
He shares a surname with the more famous Yankees outfielder, but they are not related.
He pitched for the Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League for several seasons.
“You don't get here by luck; you get here by throwing strikes when it counts.”
