Scott Hatteberg
A catcher turned first baseman whose improbable comeback with the Oakland A's became a symbol of undervalued talent and smart team-building.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American baseball player·Birthday: December 14·Generation X
Biography
Scott Hatteberg’s baseball career looked finished in 2001. A nerve injury in his throwing elbow ended his days as a catcher, and the Boston Red Sox, the team that drafted him, let him go. Then came a phone call from Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane, offering a chance to reinvent himself as a first baseman—a position he had never played. Hatteberg’s journey from discarded player to everyday contributor for the A’s became a central narrative in the story of Moneyball, the philosophy that prioritized on-base percentage over traditional metrics. His quiet competence and clutch hitting, including a walk-off home run to clinch a historic 20-game winning streak in 2002, made him a fan favorite. After Oakland, he provided veteran leadership for the Cincinnati Reds before retiring in 2008, leaving behind a legacy as the embodiment of adaptability and baseball intelligence.
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.
Scott was born in 1969, 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 Scott Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Scott's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
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
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
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
1990Turned 21
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
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played a key role in the Oakland Athletics' American League-record 20-game winning streak in 2002, hitting a walk-off home run to win the 20th game.
- Successfully transitioned from catcher to everyday first baseman with the Oakland A's after a career-threatening arm injury.
- Played in over 1,200 Major League games across 14 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, and Cincinnati Reds.
Did You Know?
He was portrayed by actor Chris Pratt in the 2011 film 'Moneyball'.
He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round (43rd overall) of the 1991 MLB draft.
His walk-off home run for the A's in 2002 was hit on his daughter's birthday.
“I had to learn a new position just to keep my uniform.”
