Jerry Blevins
A left-handed specialist who carved out a 13-year MLB career with a deceptive delivery and became a sharp media analyst for the Mets.
Born 1983 (age 43)·American baseball player·Birthday: September 6·Millennials
Biography
Jerry Blevins, a lanky left-hander from Tennessee, didn't arrive in the majors with fanfare. Drafted in the 17th round, he turned a low-profile start into a remarkably durable career defined by a specific, valuable skill: getting left-handed hitters out. His journey took him from Oakland to Washington, where he was part of a division-winning club, and then to New York, where he became a beloved and reliable fixture in the Mets' bullpen for five seasons. Blevins mastered the art of the matchup, using a sidearm angle and sharp breaking ball to frustrate some of the game's best lefty sluggers. After retiring, he seamlessly transitioned to television, where his dry wit and insider's perspective made him a natural analyst for SNY, dissecting the very game he so recently played.
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.
Jerry was born in 1983, 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 Jerry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Jerry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1983Born
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
1988Started school
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
1996Became a teenager
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Could drive
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Could vote
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Turned 21
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2013Turned 30
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 40
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 43 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Pitched in 593 major league games over 13 seasons for four different teams.
- Recorded a career 3.54 ERA, excelling as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen.
- Appeared in the postseason with the Washington Nationals in 2014 and the New York Mets in 2015 and 2016.
- Held left-handed batters to a .221 career batting average across his MLB tenure.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Gordo' was given to him by a Spanish-speaking teammate in the minors, meaning 'fatty,' despite his slender frame.
He was traded twice in a span of three days in December 2013.
He is an avid comic book collector and reader.
He earned a reputation as one of the best-dressed players in baseball during his career.
“My job is simple: get that lefty out, one slider at a time.”
