Luis Gonzalez (outfielder, born 1967)
A dependable slugger whose one legendary swing delivered Arizona's only World Series title in a stunning upset.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American baseball player·Birthday: September 3·Generation X
Biography
Luis Gonzalez floated a perfect, looping single over the drawn-in infield in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, scoring the winning run against Mariano Rivera and the New York Yankees. That hit transformed him from a consistent, professional hitter into a civic immortal in Phoenix. For most of his long career, Gonzalez could be counted on for 30 doubles, 20 homers, and a reliable at-bat. He played for seven teams, including an All-Star season in Houston. With the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, he powered a young expansion team to an improbable championship. The single against the most unhittable pitcher of his generation delivered the miracle.
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.
Luis was born in 1967, 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 Luis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Luis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
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
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
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
1997Turned 30
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
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#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
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Delivered the walk-off, series-winning hit in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.
- Was selected as a five-time Major League Baseball All-Star.
- Recorded a 30-game hitting streak in 1999, one of the longest in National League history.
- Won a Silver Slugger Award in 2001 after a season with 57 home runs and 142 RBIs.
Did You Know?
He hit over 350 career home runs but is best remembered for a soft single.
Gonzalez's number 20 was retired by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He was known for using a uniquely large and heavy bat.
After retirement, he returned to the Diamondbacks front office as a special advisor.
“I was just trying to put the ball in play. I didn't want to be the guy who made the last out of the World Series.”
