Pat Hentgen
A workhorse right-hander whose pinpoint control and fierce competitiveness delivered the Blue Jays their first Cy Young Award.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American baseball player·Birthday: November 13·Generation X
Biography
Pat Hentgen embodied the blue-collar spirit of baseball. Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays, he didn't overpower hitters with sheer velocity but dissected them with a devastating split-finger fastball and impeccable command. His ascent mirrored the team's rise to prominence in the early 1990s, and he was a vital arm in the bullpen during their 1992 World Series championship. But his masterpiece season came in 1996. As the staff ace, he logged over 260 innings with a tenacity that defined the era, capturing the American League Cy Young Award—a first for the franchise. That honor was a testament to his durability and will. Hentgen later returned to Toronto for a poignant final season, bookending a career marked by respect for the craft. His post-playing life has kept him woven into the Blue Jays' fabric as a special assistant, where his knowledge and steady demeanor guide young pitchers, passing on the lessons of a true craftsman.
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.
Pat was born in 1968, 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 Pat Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Pat's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
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
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
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
1989Turned 21
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
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
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 50
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 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 1996 American League Cy Young Award, becoming the first Toronto Blue Jays pitcher to receive the honor.
- Pitched a complete-game victory in Game 3 of the 1992 World Series, helping secure the Blue Jays' first championship.
- Was selected as an MLB All-Star three times (1993, 1994, 1997).
- Led the American League in innings pitched (265.2) and complete games (10) during his Cy Young-winning 1996 season.
Did You Know?
He was traded from the Blue Jays to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999 for pitcher Matt DeWitt and a player to be named later.
He and Chris Carpenter are the only Blue Jays pitchers to win a Cy Young Award.
He pitched for Team USA in the 1987 Pan American Games.
His uniform number 41 was not officially retired by the Blue Jays, but the team has not reissued it since his retirement.
“I won with my splitter; it was my bread and butter.”
