John Rheinecker
A left-handed pitcher whose major league dream was realized in a brief but memorable stint with the Texas Rangers.
1979–2017 (age 38)·American baseball player·Birthday: May 29·Generation X
Biography
John Rheinecker's baseball story is one of perseverance and a fleeting moment at the summit. A product of Midwest Illinois University, he was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2001 and slowly climbed through their farm system, known for his control as a left-handed starter. His path to the majors was blocked in Oakland, but a trade to the Texas Rangers before the 2006 season opened the door. That year, he made his big-league debut and started 13 games for the Rangers, logging his first and only MLB win against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Arm injuries, however, curtailed his career, and after attempts at a comeback, he retired from professional baseball. His time in the show was short, but it represented the culmination of a lifelong pursuit of a dream that few ever achieve.
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.
John was born in 1979, 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 John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
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
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2017Died at 38
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
Key Achievements
- Pitched in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers during the 2006 season.
- Recorded his sole major league win on July 26, 2006, against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
- Was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the first round (37th overall) of the 2001 MLB draft.
Did You Know?
In his MLB debut on May 3, 2006, he pitched 5.2 innings against the New York Yankees, allowing just two earned runs.
He played college baseball at Midwest Illinois University (now Truman State University).
After baseball, he worked in financial services and tragically passed away in 2017 at the age of 37.
“You work your whole life for one shot at that mound.”
