Jason Marquis
A durable innings-eater and two-way threat who carved out a 15-year MLB career and later pitched for Team Israel.
Born 1978 (age 48)·American baseball pitcher·Birthday: August 21·Generation X
Biography
Jason Marquis never fit the mold of the flashy ace; he was baseball's reliable craftsman. For 15 major league seasons, he took the ball every fifth day with a sinker that induced ground balls and a competitive fire that kept him in games. His career was a journey through nine different clubs, a testament to his valued stability. Marquis had a knack for timely performance, earning an All-Star selection with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009 and playing a key role in their 2004 National League pennant-winning season. He was also a legitimate threat at the plate, hitting .310 with a home run in 2005 and winning a Silver Slugger Award as the best-hitting pitcher in the National League. After his MLB tenure, he found a late-career highlight representing Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, serving as their ace and helping the team to a surprising and memorable first-round victory.
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.
Jason was born in 1978, 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 Jason Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Jason's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
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
1983Started school
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
1991Became a teenager
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
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Pitched for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball with nine different teams.
- Was selected as a National League All-Star in 2009 while with the Colorado Rockies.
- Won the National League Silver Slugger Award for pitchers in 2005 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Started Game 4 of the 2004 World Series for the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals.
- Served as the starting pitcher for Team Israel in its historic first game of the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Did You Know?
He hit .310 with a home run and 11 RBIs in 70 at-bats during the 2005 season.
Marquis was drafted out of high school in Staten Island, New York, by the Atlanta Braves.
He and his wife have twins.
He is of Jewish descent and was eligible to play for Israel in the WBC.
“I pitched to contact and trusted my defense to make the plays.”
