Keith Hernandez
A slick-fielding first baseman whose brilliant baseball intellect defined winning for the 1986 Mets and later the broadcast booth.
Born 1953 (age 73)·American baseball player and broadcaster·Birthday: October 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Keith Hernandez arrived in the majors with a sweet left-handed swing and a golden glove, but it was his mind that made him a cornerstone of championship teams. He won a batting title and co-MVP honors with the St. Louis Cardinals, capturing a World Series in 1982. However, his legacy was cemented after a trade to the New York Mets, where he became the heart of a famously raucous and talented squad. Hernandez was the defensive anchor at first base, winning 11 consecutive Gold Gloves, and the offensive catalyst with a keen eye at the plate. His leadership in the clubhouse was as vital as his performance on the field, helping to transform the Mets into World Series winners in 1986. After retirement, he brought that same sharp, often wry, baseball wisdom to the television booth, becoming a beloved and critical voice for a new generation of Mets fans.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Keith was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Keith Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Keith's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
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
1983Turned 30
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
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
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 70
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 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Shared the 1979 National League Most Valuable Player award with Willie Stargell after winning the batting title with a .344 average.
- Won two World Series championships, with the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals and the 1986 New York Mets.
- Earned 11 consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Awards at first base, setting a standard for defensive excellence.
- Selected as a five-time National League All-Star over his 17-season career.
- Has served as a primary color commentator for New York Mets television broadcasts since 1999, winning an Emmy for his work.
Did You Know?
He made a memorable guest appearance on the sitcom 'Seinfeld' as himself, infamously spitting on Kramer and Newman after a game.
Hernandez is a noted aficionado of fine art and has curated exhibitions.
He was the first MLB player to be awarded a $1 million salary through arbitration.
His mustache became an iconic part of his and the 1980s Mets' identity.
“The one thing I always said about playing first base is, you have to be a good listener. You hear the sound of the ball hitting the bat, and you know.”
