Marquis Grissom
A blur of speed in center field, his glove helped secure a World Series title and his legs stole over 400 bases.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American baseball player·Birthday: April 17·Generation X
Biography
Marquis Grissom played baseball with his feet. For 17 major league seasons, his defining tool was elite, game-changing speed that manifested on both sides of the ball. Drafted by the Montreal Expos out of college, he quickly became a fixture at Olympic Stadium, winning Gold Gloves for his breathtaking range in center field. At the plate, he was a catalyst, using his quickness to leg out hits and pressure pitchers, twice leading the National League in stolen bases. His career peaked in 1995 after a trade to the Atlanta Braves. Paired with fellow speedster Kenny Lofton, Grissom's defense was instrumental in the Braves' World Series championship that fall. He continued to be a valuable veteran for several clubs, amassing over 2,000 hits and 400 steals. After retiring, he dedicated himself to coaching and founding a youth baseball academy, ensuring his knowledge of the game's fundamentals passed to a new generation.
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.
Marquis 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 Marquis 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
Marquis'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
- Won four Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for his defensive excellence as a center fielder.
- Stole 429 bases over his MLB career, leading the National League in steals in 1991 and 1992.
- Was a key member of the 1995 Atlanta Braves team that won the World Series.
- Recorded over 2,000 career hits (2,251) and scored over 1,200 runs.
Did You Know?
He and his brother, Rayshan Grissom, were both drafted by MLB teams in 1988.
Grissom hit a home run in his first major league at-bat on August 20, 1989.
He founded the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association in Atlanta to provide instruction and opportunities for young players.
After his playing career, he served as a minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator for the Washington Nationals.
“If you can't run, you can't play this game.”
