Edinson Vólquez
A Dominican fireballer whose electric arm and resilient spirit carried him from small-town dreams to a World Series championship parade.
Born 1983 (age 43)·Dominican baseball player·Birthday: July 3·Millennials
Biography
Born in the Dominican town of Barahona, Edinson Vólquez signed with the Texas Rangers as a teenager, his right arm promising a future of blistering fastballs and diving changeups. His early career was a rollercoaster of brilliant starts and command struggles, a pattern that defined his journeyman path across seven MLB teams. His peak came with the 2015 Kansas City Royals, where he became a pivotal mid-rotation piece for a club known for its tenacity. Pitching with palpable emotion, he started Game 1 of the World Series just days after his father's passing, a moment of profound personal and professional gravity. Vólquez's legacy is that of the ultimate competitor—a pitcher who never quite harnessed consistent dominance but whose talent and heart made him a beloved figure in every clubhouse he entered.
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.
Edinson 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 Edinson Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Edinson'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
- Won a World Series championship as a starting pitcher for the 2015 Kansas City Royals.
- Pitched a no-hitter for the Miami Marlins in 2017, the first in the franchise's history.
- Was named a National League All-Star in 2008 after posting a 17-6 record with the Cincinnati Reds.
- Led the National League in wild pitches in 2009, a testament to the unpredictable movement on his pitches.
Did You Know?
He was one of the players traded from Texas to Cincinnati in the 2007 deal that sent Josh Hamilton to the Rangers.
He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2009, a procedure that sidelined him for over a year.
His father passed away just before the start of the 2015 World Series, a loss he carried onto the mound for his Game 1 start.
He was known for his distinctive, high-leg-kick delivery.
“I just want to throw strikes and get outs, that's my job.”
