Ron Karkovice
A defensive stalwart behind the plate for the Chicago White Sox, whose powerful arm and game-calling savvy made him a pitcher's trusted partner for over a decade.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American baseball player·Birthday: August 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ron Karkovice built a 12-year major league career not with a flashy bat, but with the gritty, essential tools of defensive mastery. Drafted by the Chicago White Sox, he spent his entire career with the organization, eventually succeeding the iconic Carlton Fisk as the team's primary catcher in the early 1990s. While he was known for occasional bursts of power at the plate, his true value was measured in his rapport with pitchers and his cannon-like throwing arm. Karkovice was a relentless deterrent to the running game, consistently ranking among the league leaders in throwing out would-be base stealers. He was the defensive backbone for competitive White Sox teams, including the 1993 division winners, handling a pitching staff that included stars like Jack McDowell and Alex Fernandez. In an era increasingly focused on offense, Karkovice served as a reminder of the foundational importance of a catcher who could control the tempo of a game and shut down an opponent's aggression.
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.
Ron was born in 1963, 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 Ron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Ron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
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!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
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
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played his entire 12-season Major League Baseball career with the Chicago White Sox organization.
- Led American League catchers in fielding percentage in 1993 and frequently ranked highly in caught-stealing percentage.
- Was the starting catcher for the 1993 American League West champion Chicago White Sox.
Did You Know?
He hit two home runs in a single inning for the White Sox on July 6, 1995.
Karkovice was selected by the White Sox in the first round (14th overall) of the 1982 MLB draft.
After his playing career, he served as a minor league coach and manager within the White Sox farm system.
“The game is called from here, with the fingers and the mitt.”
