Mike DiFelice
A baseball journeyman catcher who carved out a 12-year MLB career through defensive grit, playing for nine different teams.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American baseball player·Birthday: May 28·Generation X
Biography
Mike DiFelice embodied the definition of a baseball lifer. Drafted in the 11th round, he wasn't a heralded prospect, but he built a major league career on the strength of his defense, game-calling, and a relentless work ethic. As a catcher, he became a valued backup and occasional starter, known for handling pitching staffs and blocking balls in the dirt. His journey saw him wear the uniforms of the Cardinals, Rays, Mets, Diamondbacks, Tigers, Royals, Cubs, and Phillies, often serving as a steadying veteran presence. DiFelice's career is a testament to the players who form the backbone of the sport, providing essential depth and clubhouse leadership without ever becoming household names.
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.
Mike was born in 1969, 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 Mike Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Mike's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
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
1974Started school
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
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
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
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher for nine different franchises.
- Recorded a rare stolen base of home plate in 1997 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Appeared in 408 major league games, amassing over 1,000 innings behind the plate.
Did You Know?
He stole home plate for his first and only career stolen base, against pitcher Kevin Brown.
He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals out of the University of Tennessee.
After his playing career, he served as a minor league manager in the New York Mets organization.
“A catcher's job is to handle the staff and block the dirt.”
