Matt Williams (third baseman)
A power-hitting third baseman whose golden glove and prodigious home run totals defined an era of National League baseball.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American baseball player, manager, and coach·Birthday: November 28·Generation X
Biography
Matt Williams arrived in the majors with a reputation for defensive brilliance at the hot corner, but it was his thunderous bat that made him a star. For over a decade, primarily with the San Francisco Giants, he was one of the most feared right-handed hitters in the game, combining raw power with a consistent ability to drive in runs. His 1994 season was on a historic pace, halted only by a players' strike. Williams later became a key veteran presence for the Arizona Diamondbacks, earning a World Series ring in 2001. After retirement, he transitioned to coaching and managing, leading the Washington Nationals to a division title in his first year at the helm, proving his deep baseball intellect matched his on-field prowess.
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.
Matt was born in 1965, 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 Matt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Matt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
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
1983Could vote
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
1986Turned 21
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
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hit 43 home runs in the strike-shortened 1994 season, a pace that projected to challenge Roger Maris's single-season record.
- Won four Gold Glove Awards for his defensive excellence at third base.
- Was a five-time All-Star and finished in the top ten in MVP voting three times.
- Hit .346 with two home runs in the 2001 World Series, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks win the championship.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'The Big Marine' came from his father's career in the Marine Corps.
He was drafted second overall in the 1986 MLB draft, directly behind pitcher Jeff King.
In 1999, he hit a home run in four consecutive at-bats over two games.
“See the ball, hit the ball hard, and play solid defense.”
