Steve Lombardozzi
A steady defensive force at second base, he delivered clutch World Series hits to help secure the Minnesota Twins' first championship.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American baseball player·Birthday: April 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
Steve Lombardozzi's baseball career is a testament to the impact a role player can have on a championship team. Drafted by the Minnesota Twins, he wasn't a headline-grabbing slugger but a reliable, slick-fielding second baseman known for his defensive partnership with shortstop Greg Gagne. His moment arrived in the 1987 postseason. After a modest regular season, he caught fire in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, batting an astonishing .412 and launching a crucial home run in Game 1. That performance was a vital, unexpected spark in the Twins' seven-game triumph, their first World Series title. While his overall major league tenure lasted six seasons, his legacy is permanently etched in Twins lore as the steady glove and surprise bat that helped deliver a ring.
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.
Steve was born in 1960, 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 Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
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
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
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
1981Turned 21
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
1990Turned 30
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
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was the starting second baseman for the Minnesota Twins team that won the 1987 World Series.
- Batted .412 (7-for-17) in the 1987 World Series, providing critical offensive production from the bottom of the lineup.
- Hit a home run in Game 1 of the 1987 World Series, contributing to the Twins' victory.
- Played six seasons in Major League Baseball with the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros.
Did You Know?
His son, Steve Lombardozzi Jr., also played in the Major Leagues as an infielder.
He was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in 1981 but did not sign.
In the 1987 American League Championship Series, he made a key defensive play, starting a double play to help the Twins advance.
After his playing career, he worked as a minor league coach and manager in the Baltimore Orioles organization.
“My job was to turn the double play and help the pitcher sleep at night.”
