Terry Puhl
A Houston Astros stalwart with a cannon for an arm and a .280 lifetime average, he remains one of Canada's greatest baseball exports.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Canadian baseball player·Birthday: July 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Terry Puhl's path to the majors was unconventional, hailing from Melville, Saskatchewan, a town not known as a baseball hotbed. Signed by the Houston Astros, he quickly proved his mettle with a smooth left-handed swing and exceptional defensive skills in right field. Puhl became a fan favorite at the Astrodome, a consistent and reliable presence during the team's competitive years in the late 70s and early 80s. His career highlight came in 1980, when he batted .526 in the National League Championship Series, a record that stood for decades, even as the Astros fell just short of the World Series. Though injuries later slowed him, Puhl's career is a testament to precision and longevity, and he retired holding the record for highest fielding percentage by an outfielder.
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.
Terry was born in 1956, 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 Terry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Terry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
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
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
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
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Held the MLB record for highest career fielding percentage by an outfielder (.993) at the time of his retirement.
- Batted a record .526 (10-for-19) in the 1980 NLCS for the Houston Astros.
- Was a key contributor to the Astros' first-ever playoff appearance and NL West title in 1980.
- Represented Canada in international play, including as a coach for the national team.
Did You Know?
He is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Despite being known for his bat, he never hit more than 8 home runs in a single season.
He was drafted as a pitcher but was converted to an outfielder in the minors.
After his playing career, he coached the University of Houston-Victoria baseball team.
“I hit the ball where they weren't and ran like hell when I did.”
