Mario Soto (baseball)
A fiery ace for the Cincinnati Reds, his devastating changeup baffled hitters throughout the 1980s, making him one of the most dominant and entertaining pitchers of his era.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Dominican baseball player·Birthday: July 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mario Soto took the mound with the intensity of a street fighter, and his signature pitch—a forkball that tumbled off the table—was his knockout punch. For over a decade with the Cincinnati Reds, the Dominican right-hander was a constant in a rotating cast of teams, a workhorse who regularly topped 200 innings and struck out batters by the hundreds. His competitive fire sometimes spilled over, leading to memorable on-field confrontations, but it was that same passion that fueled his excellence. Soto finished in the top five of Cy Young Award voting three times, a testament to his standing among the league's elite. After his arm finally gave out, he remained with the Reds organization, mentoring young pitchers and serving as a bridge to the club's storied past.
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.
Mario was born in 1956, 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 Mario Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Mario's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
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
1972Could drive
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
1974Could vote
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
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished in the top five in National League Cy Young Award voting three consecutive years (1982-1984).
- Led the National League in strikeouts in 1982 with 274.
- Was selected as a National League All-Star three times (1982, 1983, 1984).
- Pitched over 200 innings in a season six times during his career with the Cincinnati Reds.
Did You Know?
He was known for a highly publicized brawl with Atlanta Braves outfielder Claudell Washington in 1984, which started when Soto hit him with a pitch.
His number 36 was temporarily unretired by the Reds' AAA affiliate, the Louisville Bats, so his son, Mario Soto Jr., could wear it while pitching for the team.
He works as a special assistant to the general manager for the Cincinnati Reds, focusing on player development.
“My forkball is my best friend; it never asks for a day off.”
