As such, their pop culture roots are relatively fresh.
What TV show, for instance, did Perez grow up watching? "'The Wonder Years' reruns on Nick at Nite," he said. "It's pretty much the best show ever."Given the number of key World Series contributors who were born in 1983, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and Rays skipper Joe Maddon might think it was one of the best years ever. Here are some of the headlines that made it special:
* ARPANET officially changes to use the Internet Protocal, creating the Internet.
* The first Nintendo video gaming system is launched in Japan. * Motorola Company unveils its first mobile phones. * Guion Bluford becomes the first African-American astronaut to travel into space. * Tom Brokaw becomes the lead anchor for the NBC Nightly News. * Martin Luther King Jr. Day is declared a national holiday by President Ronald Reagan. * The De Lorean Motor Company ceases production. On the pop-culture front, Americans made pit stops for their McNuggets on the way to see a hit movie such as "Return of the Jedi," "Tootsie," "Trading Places," "WarGames," "Superman III," "Flashdance" and "National Lampoon's Vacation." On the radio, the Police scored big with "Every Breath You Take," as did the Eurythmics with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." But no one was bigger than Michael Jackson, whose "Thriller" album dominated the charts en route to becoming the best-selling album of all time. The hit songs were "Beat It," "Billy Jean," and, of course, the title track with its vastly innovative music video. Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.