José Vidro
A smooth-swinging switch-hitter who became the heart of the Montreal Expos lineup and one of the most consistent hitters of his era.
Born 1974 (age 52)·Puerto Rican baseball player·Birthday: August 27·Generation X
Biography
In an era often defined by power, José Vidro carved out a reputation as a pure, elegant hitter. The Puerto Rican infielder made his mark with the Montreal Expos, where for nearly a decade he was a model of consistency at second base. With a compact swing from both sides of the plate, Vidro specialized in spraying line drives to all fields, regularly finishing among the league leaders in doubles and batting average. He was a three-time All-Star and a Silver Slugger winner, providing a rare bright spot for Expos fans during the franchise's uncertain final years in Montreal. When the team moved to Washington, Vidro was there for the transition, later finishing his career with the Seattle Mariners. While his name isn't always among the first recalled from his generation, for those who watched him daily, Vidro represented the quiet artistry of a professional hitter at the top of his craft.
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.
José was born in 1974, 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 José Was Born
The biggest hits of 1974
#1 Movie
The Towering Inferno
Best Picture
The Godfather Part II
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
José's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1974Born
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1979Started school
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
1987Became a teenager
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Could drive
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1992Could vote
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
1995Turned 21
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2004Turned 30
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
2014Turned 40
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 50
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 52 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected as a National League All-Star three times (2000, 2002, 2003) while with the Montreal Expos.
- Won the Silver Slugger Award as the best-hitting second baseman in the National League in 2003.
- Recorded a career .301 batting average over his first nine full seasons in the major leagues.
- Hit over 40 doubles in a season twice during his peak years with the Expos.
Did You Know?
He was a switch-hitter but threw right-handed.
Vidro was known for his exceptional ability to make contact, striking out fewer than 70 times in seven different seasons.
He represented Puerto Rico in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.
After retirement, he served as a hitting coach in the Washington Nationals' minor league system.
“A line drive up the middle is the most satisfying sound in baseball.”
