Francisco Cordero
A flame-throwing reliever who locked down over 300 games, his split-finger fastball made him one of the most reliable closers of his era.
Born 1975 (age 51)·Dominican baseball player·Birthday: May 11·Generation X
Biography
Francisco Cordero emerged from Santo Domingo with a power arm and a closer's mentality, embarking on a 14-year journey through the heart of Major League Baseball's late innings. Signed by the Detroit Tigers, he truly found his footing with the Texas Rangers, where he transformed from a setup man into a ninth-inning force. His signature weapon was a devastating split-finger fastball that dove out of the strike zone, leaving batters flailing. Cordero's consistency was remarkable; for a decade, he was a near-guarantee for 30-plus saves a season, a pillar for teams like the Brewers and Reds. Reaching the 300-save milestone placed him in an exclusive club, a testament to his durability and ice-cold nerve in high-pressure situations.
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.
Francisco 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 Francisco 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
Francisco'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
- Recorded 329 career saves, ranking him among the top 30 relievers in MLB history at the time of his retirement.
- Became the 22nd pitcher in major league history to reach 300 career saves in 2011 with the Cincinnati Reds.
- Selected to three American League All-Star teams (2004, 2007, 2008) while with the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers.
- Led the National League with 49 saves for the Cincinnati Reds in the 2010 season.
Did You Know?
He was traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Texas Rangers in 1999 as part of a deal for pitcher Juan Gonzalez.
He recorded a save in his final major league appearance for the Houston Astros in 2012.
He pitched for the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
His 49-save season in 2010 set a single-season record for the Cincinnati Reds franchise.
“My job was simple: get three outs before they score.”
