Peter Moylan
An Australian sidearm reliever who beat incredible odds, coming back from a shattered back to pitch over a decade in the majors.
Born 1978 (age 48)·Australian baseball player·Birthday: December 2·Generation X
Biography
Peter Moylan's path to the big leagues reads like a baseball tall tale. A former pharmaceutical salesman from Perth, he was a sidearm-throwing rookie in the Minnesota Twins system whose career was derailed by two spinal stress fractures. Doctors told him he might never walk properly again, let alone pitch. After a grueling recovery and a stint in Taiwan, he caught on with the Atlanta Braves in 2006, not as a prospect but as a 27-year-old miracle. His whipping, low-slot fastball became a nightmare for right-handed hitters, and his infectious, gritty demeanor made him a fan and clubhouse favorite. Moylan pitched 12 seasons in MLB, primarily for the Braves, becoming one of the most successful Australian pitchers in history. His second act as a broadcaster for the Braves allows him to share his unique perspective, colored by a career that was almost lost before it began.
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.
Peter was born in 1978, 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 Peter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Peter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
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
1983Started school
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
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
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 40
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 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Appeared in 484 Major League games, all in relief, posting a 3.10 ERA over his first seven seasons with Atlanta.
- Pitched for the Australian national team in the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
- Led all MLB relievers in games pitched in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Did You Know?
He worked as a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company before his second chance in baseball.
Moylan underwent a revolutionary back surgery called a lumbar laminectomy to save his career.
He is known for having one of the lowest arm angles in baseball history, often releasing the ball near his knee.
“They told me I might not walk right, but I came back throwing.”
