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
For most of his long career, Luis Gonzalez was the model of consistent, professional hitting—a player who could be counted on for 30 doubles, 20 homers, and a reliable at-bat. He played for seven teams, a journey that included an All-Star season in Houston. But his legacy was forged in the desert with the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was there, in 2001, that 'Gonzo' had a career year, powering a young expansion team to an improbable championship series against the mighty New York Yankees. In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, with the bases loaded and the game tied, Gonzalez faced the most unhittable pitcher of his generation, Mariano Rivera. He didn't crush it; he floated a perfect, looping single over the drawn-in infield. That single, one of the most iconic hits in baseball history, transformed him from a very good player into a civic immortal in Phoenix, the man who 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.”
