Tom Glavine
A master of precision and poise, his left arm anchored the Atlanta Braves dynasty and delivered a World Series crown in 1995.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American baseball pitcher·Birthday: March 25·Generation X
Biography
Tom Glavine’s path to the mound was almost derailed by a promising hockey career, but baseball won out, and the sport was forever changed. Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1984, the lanky left-hander from Massachusetts evolved from a hard-throwing prospect into an artist of the outside corner. His transformation coincided with the Braves' rise from perennial losers to National League powerhouses. Alongside Greg Maddux and John Smoltz, Glavine formed one of the most formidable pitching rotations in history, a key engine of the team's record 14 consecutive division titles. His legacy was cemented on a cold October night in 1995, when he pitched eight shutout innings of one-hit ball to clinch the World Series for Atlanta, earning Series MVP honors. After 17 seasons with the Braves, he spent five final years with the New York Mets, reaching the 300-win milestone—a testament to his durability and genius. Glavine’s career was a masterclass in intellect over power, proving that changing speeds and hitting spots could dominate an era of booming bats.
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.
Tom was born in 1966, 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 Tom Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Tom's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
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
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
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
1996Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the National League Cy Young Award in 1991 and 1998.
- Pitched a legendary one-hit, eight-inning shutout to win Game 6 and the 1995 World Series for the Atlanta Braves, earning Series MVP.
- Recorded 305 career wins, becoming one of only 24 pitchers in MLB history to reach the 300-win milestone.
- Selected to ten Major League All-Star teams over his 22-season career.
Did You Know?
He was drafted in the 4th round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, ahead of his MLB selection.
He was a standout hockey player in high school in Massachusetts, often considered a better prospect in that sport.
He and fellow Braves pitcher John Smoltz were traded for each other in 1987, though the trade was voided and later reworked.
“I’m not a strikeout pitcher. I’m a pitcher who tries to get outs.”
