Jeff Francis
A towering left-handed pitcher from Canada who coolly steered the Colorado Rockies on an improbable, magical run to their first-ever World Series.
Born 1981 (age 45)·Canadian baseball player·Birthday: January 8·Millennials
Biography
Jeff Francis represented a quiet anomaly: a star pitcher from Vancouver who chose baseball over hockey. Drafted by the Colorado Rockies, the 6'5" left-hander with a deceptive delivery quickly became the steady anchor of a young rotation. His 2007 season was the stuff of Canadian baseball lore, as he won 17 games and, with unflappable poise, led the Rockies on a historic 21-1 late-season surge that catapulted them into the World Series. While injuries later tempered his dominance, Francis carved out a respected 11-year career marked by adaptability and intelligence, pitching for seven different clubs. His legacy is cemented not by gaudy lifetime stats, but by that one perfect autumn where he was the composed engineer of 'Rocktober', earning his place in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
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.
Jeff was born in 1981, 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 Jeff Was Born
The biggest hits of 1981
#1 Movie
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Best Picture
Chariots of Fire
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Jeff's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1981Born
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1986Started school
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
1994Became a teenager
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
1997Could drive
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
1999Could vote
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Turned 21
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2011Turned 30
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 40
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 45 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished 7th in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2007 after posting a 17-9 record and a 4.22 ERA.
- Started and won the NLDS-clinching Game 3 and the NLCS-clinching Game 4 during the Rockies' 2007 pennant run.
- Inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022 for his contributions to the sport in Canada.
- Pitched for Team Canada in the 2006, 2009, and 2013 World Baseball Classic tournaments.
Did You Know?
He was the first Canadian ever to be selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies (9th overall in 2002).
He studied engineering at the University of British Columbia before committing to baseball professionally.
He pitched a complete-game shutout for the Kansas City Royals against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2014 'I-70 Series'.
He and his wife are both avid birdwatchers.
“Pitching in Denver means you can't be afraid of contact.”
