Jason Schmidt
A power pitcher whose dominant 2003 season with the San Francisco Giants cemented his status as a National League ace.
Born 1973 (age 53)·American baseball player·Birthday: January 29·Generation X
Biography
Jason Schmidt's right arm was a weapon of mass strikeouts during a career that peaked with Cy Young contention. Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1991, he honed his craft in their famed pitching system before finding his true form with the San Francisco Giants. The 2003 season was his masterpiece: he led the National League in winning percentage and finished second in Cy Young voting, overpowering hitters with a mid-90s fastball and a devastating splitter. Schmidt became the stopper for Giants teams that relied on his brilliance, throwing a memorable one-hitter against the Boston Red Sox that year. Injuries later hampered his effectiveness, but for a several-year stretch, he was one of the most feared and consistent starters in baseball, leaving a legacy of sheer dominance on the mound.
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 1973, 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 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Jason's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
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
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
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
1991Could vote
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
1994Turned 21
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
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
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 50
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 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished second in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2003 after posting an 17-5 record and a 2.34 ERA.
- Was named a National League All-Star in 2003 and 2004.
- Pitched a complete-game one-hitter against the Boston Red Sox in June 2003.
- Led the National League in winning percentage (.773) in the 2003 season.
Did You Know?
He was originally drafted and developed by the Atlanta Braves, making his MLB debut with them in 1995.
He struck out a career-high 16 batters in a game for the Giants against the Chicago Cubs in 2006.
He signed a three-year, $47 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the 2007 season.
He underwent major shoulder surgery in 2007 that significantly impacted the remainder of his career.
“When my fastball and curveball are working, I'm going right after hitters.”
