Dave LaPoint
A crafty left-handed pitcher who carved out a 12-year major league career with his savvy and control for seven different teams.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American baseball player·Birthday: July 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dave LaPoint's baseball journey was defined by resilience and adaptability. Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1977, the New York native made his big-league debut in 1980 and soon became known as a thinking man's pitcher, relying on guile more than overpowering stuff. His best season came in 1984 with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he won 13 games and posted a sharp 3.59 ERA. LaPoint became a journeyman, contributing to playoff teams in San Francisco and Detroit, and even throwing a memorable complete-game victory for the Chicago White Sox in the 1993 ALCS. After his playing days, he stayed in the game, managing in the independent Can-Am League and serving as a pitching coach, proving his deep, lasting connection to the sport.
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.
Dave was born in 1959, 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 Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
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
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
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
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Pitched a complete game victory for the Chicago White Sox in Game 3 of the 1993 American League Championship Series.
- Won a career-high 13 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984, finishing with a 3.59 ERA.
- Played for 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, pitching for seven different franchises.
Did You Know?
He was traded from the Brewers to the Cardinals in a deal that involved Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers.
He managed the Rockland Boulders of the independent Can-Am League.
He was a teammate of both Ozzie Smith and Jack Morris during his career.
“You learn to pitch with your head when your arm isn't what it was.”
