Mike Pelfrey
A durable right-handed pitcher who logged heavy innings for the Mets, known for his sinkerball and workhorse mentality.
Born 1984 (age 42)·American baseball player·Birthday: January 14·Millennials
Biography
Mike Pelfrey's career was a study in Midwestern fortitude, a tall, hard-throwing Kansan drafted high by the New York Mets and thrust into the glare of a demanding market. His signature pitch was a heavy, diving sinker that induced ground balls, and his approach was straightforward: attack the zone and eat innings. 'Big Pelf' became a rotation fixture during his tenure in Queens, often taking the ball every fifth day with a stoic consistency. While he never evolved into the perennial All-Star some projected, he provided value through sheer volume, twice topping 200 innings in a season. After his playing days, he returned to his roots, joining the coaching staff at his alma mater, Wichita State University, to impart the lessons of a long professional grind to a new generation of pitchers.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Mike was born in 1984, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mike Was Born
The biggest hits of 1984
#1 Movie
Beverly Hills Cop
Best Picture
Amadeus
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Mike's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1984Born
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1989Started school
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1997Became a teenager
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
2000Could drive
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2002Could vote
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2005Turned 21
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
2014Turned 30
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 40
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 42 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Pitched over 200 innings in two separate seasons (2008 and 2010) for the New York Mets.
- Finished fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2007.
- Recorded a career-high 15 wins for the Mets during the 2010 season.
- Started 31 or more games in four different major league seasons, demonstrating durability.
- Served as the pitching coach for Wichita State University from 2019 to 2023.
Did You Know?
He was the ninth overall pick in the 2005 MLB draft, selected by the New York Mets.
Pelfrey played college baseball at Wichita State University under coaching legend Gene Stephenson.
He was known for being exceptionally quick-working on the mound, often pacing his games rapidly.
Pelfrey did not allow a single home run to the first 222 left-handed batters he faced in the majors.
“I'm just going to go right at them with my best stuff and see what happens.”
