Mike Jorgensen
A versatile and smooth-swinging first baseman whose defensive brilliance redefined the position and earned him a Gold Glove during a long, valued career.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American baseball player and manager·Birthday: August 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mike Jorgensen’s baseball story is one of adaptability and mastery of a single, crucial skill: defense. Breaking in with the New York Mets, the left-handed hitter showed promise but found his true calling after a trade to the Montreal Expos in 1972. It was there that he transformed into one of the finest defensive first basemen of his generation, winning a Gold Glove in 1973 with a .998 fielding percentage. Jorgensen wasn't a slugger; his value was in his slick glovework, sharp eye at the plate, and professional approach. His 17-year journey saw him play for six teams, often as a platoon player or late-inning defensive specialist, a role he embraced. After his playing days, he transitioned seamlessly into a decades-long front office career with the St. Louis Cardinals, where his keen eye for talent and deep understanding of the game’s fundamentals made him a trusted advisor and scout, proving his baseball intellect was as sharp as his fielding.
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.
Mike was born in 1948, 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 Mike Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Mike's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
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
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
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
1978Turned 30
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
1988Turned 40
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
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the National League Gold Glove Award for first base in 1973 while with the Montreal Expos.
- Played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball for six different teams, appearing in over 1,500 games.
- Had a career .990 fielding percentage at first base, among the best of his era.
- Served as a coach, scout, and special assistant in the St. Louis Cardinals front office for over 30 years after his playing career.
Did You Know?
He is the only Major League Baseball player to have been born on the date that Israel became a state (May 14, 1948).
He was traded from the Mets to the Expos in the deal that sent future Hall of Famer Rusty Staub to New York.
He hit a pinch-hit, inside-the-park home run in 1974.
“The key to first base is to catch the ball before it hits the ground.”
