Yovani Gallardo
A durable Mexican-American workhorse who anchored the Brewers' rotation for nearly a decade with his sharp slider and potent bat.
Born 1986 (age 40)·Mexican baseball player·Birthday: February 27·Millennials
Biography
Yovani Gallardo arrived in Milwaukee as a second-round draft pick and left as the embodiment of pitching reliability. For the better part of eight seasons, he was the steady hand at the front of the Brewers' rotation, taking the ball every fifth day and logging over 180 innings year after year. His 2010 season was a masterpiece of two-way play: he was named an All-Star on the strength of his pitching and won a Silver Slugger Award, hitting four home runs as a pitcher, a feat that highlighted his athleticism. Gallardo's signature was a biting slider that baffled hitters and helped him consistently rank among the National League strikeout leaders. While he never captured a Cy Young Award, his value was immeasurable to a Brewers team that regularly contended, and he started the first playoff game for Milwaukee in over a quarter-century in 2008. His later career saw him journey through the American League, but his identity was forged as the stoic, dependable ace in Wisconsin.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Yovani was born in 1986, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Yovani Was Born
The biggest hits of 1986
#1 Movie
Top Gun
Best Picture
Platoon
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Yovani's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1986Born
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
1991Started school
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1999Became a teenager
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Could drive
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2004Could vote
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
2007Turned 21
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2016Turned 30
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 40
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected as a National League All-Star in 2010 with the Milwaukee Brewers.
- Won the Silver Slugger Award for pitchers in 2010 after hitting four home runs.
- Pitched over 180 innings in six consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2014.
- Started Game 1 of the 2008 NLDS for the Brewers, their first postseason series in 26 years.
Did You Know?
He was born in Penjamillo, Michoacán, Mexico, but grew up in Fort Worth, Texas.
He hit a home run in his first career start at Miller Park in 2007.
He and CC Sabathia are the only Brewers pitchers to hit home runs in postseason games.
“My job is to take the ball and give the team a chance to win.”
