Jeff Kent
A second baseman who shattered the mold, becoming the most powerful home run hitter ever to play his position.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American baseball player·Birthday: March 7·Generation X
Biography
Jeff Kent carved out a reputation as one of baseball's most intense and productive competitors. Emerging in the early 1990s, he was a classic late bloomer whose bat truly came alive after a trade to the San Francisco Giants. There, forming a formidable middle-of-the-order duo with Barry Bonds, Kent evolved from a solid infielder into an offensive force. His hard-nosed, often surly demeanor played against the typical clubhouse grain, but his performance was undeniable. He retired holding the record for most career home runs by a second baseman, a testament to his unique blend of positional skill and raw power that redefined what was possible for a middle infielder.
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.
Jeff was born in 1968, 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 Jeff Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Jeff's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
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
1981Became a teenager
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
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
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
1989Turned 21
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
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
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 50
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 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Holds the MLB record for most career home runs (377) hit by a primary second baseman.
- Won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 2000 while with the San Francisco Giants.
- Earned five All-Star selections over his 17-year career.
- Drove in over 100 runs in eight different seasons, showcasing remarkable consistency.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished rodeo bulldogger in his youth before focusing solely on baseball.
Kent famously had a well-publicized clubhouse fight with teammate Barry Bonds in 2002.
He owns and operates a motorcycle shop in Austin, Texas, since his retirement.
He played college baseball at the University of California, Berkeley.
“I played hard. I played to win. I wasn't there to make friends.”
