Russ Ortiz
A workhorse right-hander who anchored rotations for pennant-winning teams with his fierce competitiveness and sharp sinker.
Born 1974 (age 52)·American baseball player·Birthday: June 5·Generation X
Biography
Russ Ortiz built a solid 12-year MLB career on grit and a heavy sinkerball that induced groundouts. He broke in with the San Francisco Giants, where he developed into a reliable starter, but his peak came after a trade to the Atlanta Braves. In Atlanta, he thrived under pitching coach Leo Mazzone, winning 21 games in 2003 and finishing as the Cy Young Award runner-up. Ortiz was a key piece of the Braves' dominant rotation, a pitcher known for working deep into games and battling with intensity on the mound. While later years saw him move between teams, his tenure with the Giants and Braves cemented his reputation as a durable and effective starter during the heart of his career.
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.
Russ was born in 1974, 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 Russ Was Born
The biggest hits of 1974
#1 Movie
The Towering Inferno
Best Picture
The Godfather Part II
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Russ's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1974Born
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1979Started school
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
1987Became a teenager
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Could drive
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1992Could vote
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Turned 21
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2004Turned 30
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 40
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 50
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 52 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished as the National League Cy Young Award runner-up in 2003 after posting a 21-7 record for the Atlanta Braves.
- Started Game 1 of the 2002 World Series for the San Francisco Giants.
- Won 15 or more games in four consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2004.
- Was named to the National League All-Star team in 2003.
Did You Know?
He was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 4th round of the 1995 draft but did not sign.
He hit a home run in his first major league at-bat in 1999.
He led the National League in walks allowed in three different seasons.
He pitched a complete-game shutout in Game 2 of the 2002 NLCS for the Giants.
“You have to trust your sinker and let the defense work behind you.”
