Luis Polonia
A speedy, contact-hitting outfielder who carved out a 13-year MLB career as a pesky table-setter for six different teams.
Born 1963 (age 63)·Dominican baseball player·Birthday: October 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Luis Polonia was the archetypal sparkplug, a diminutive left-handed hitter whose game was built on slapping the ball, stealing bases, and causing havoc. Emerging from the Dominican Republic, he broke into the majors with the Oakland Athletics, quickly establishing himself as a leadoff man who could hit for average. His career was a journey through the American League, with notable stops on the New York Yankees and California Angels. Polonia wasn't a power threat, but he was a consistent batting average presence, twice hitting over .300 in full seasons. Defensively, he covered ground in the outfield with his speed. While never an All-Star, he was a valuable role player who contributed to playoff teams, including the 1995 Seattle Mariners (acquired late season) and the 1999 Atlanta Braves, proving that a player could have a long, successful career by mastering the fundamentals of getting on base and running.
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.
Luis was born in 1963, 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 Luis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Luis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
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
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 60
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 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Recorded a career batting average of .293 over 13 Major League seasons.
- Stole 321 bases in his career, including a career-high 55 with the Yankees in 1990.
- Led the American League in singles in 1989 with 139 while playing for the Oakland Athletics.
- Was a member of the Atlanta Braves team that won the National League pennant in 1999.
Did You Know?
He was listed at 5'8", often making him one of the smallest players on the field.
He played for both New York teams, the Yankees and the Mets (minor league contract).
In 1993, he hit an inside-the-park grand slam for the California Angels.
His older brother, Jorge Polonia, also played in the major leagues.
“I get on base, I steal a bag, I make things happen for my team.”
