At the age of 68, early Monday morning, George Anthony Curry passed out of this life. Having suffered from kidney ailment in years ,Curry succumbed around 2 a.m.
The second Bahamian to play in the Major Leagues, he made his debut on April 12, 1960 with the Philadelphia Phillies in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. On that occasion, he had two official at bats, finishing the day with a hit and an RBI.
When he burst on the pro scene, he joined Andre Rodgers who predeceased him two Decembers ago.
Curry was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1957 and stayed in the organization until 1962. He would be a part of three other baseball organizations during his career, namely the Cleveland Indians, California Angels and the Houston Astros.. Curry played in the National leagues for two seasons (1960/1961) with the Phillies and one season in the American League (1966) with the Cleveland Indians.
In all he played 129 games, had 297 at bats and compiled a .246 batting average. In 1960 at the age of 21, he seemed a lock on hall of fame status or something close when he was one of the top rookies in all of baseball.
That season, he played in 95 games, scored 26 runs, collected 64 hits, six of them homers, 14 doubles and two triples. Curry also drove home 34 runs. He batted .261 with a .408 slugging percentage and was named to the prestigious Topps All-Star Rookie Team. He joined Frank Howard and Tommy Davis of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the outfield selections.
Picked for first base on that 1960 rookie team, was Jim Gentile of the Baltimore Orioles, Ron Santo of the Chicago Cubs was at third, Ron Hansen of the Orioles at short stop, Julian Javier of the St. Louis Cardinals at second base, and teammate Jimmie Coker behind the plate. The Orioles’ Chuck Estrada was selected the right hand pitcher and Cleveland’s Dick Stigman was the lefty.
Curry played left field and centre field during his stints in the Majors, compiling a .978 fielding average.
Upon retiring in 1966, Curry returned home and remained a noted figure.
In 2003, the Government of the Bahamas, through the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture dedicated a park at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre in Curry’s honour. On Monday, Sports Minister Hon. Neville Wisdom spoke about the occasion.
"We were happy to be able to bestow that honour on Tony and were pleased when he expressed happiness that such a facility was connected to his name. You know his passion was always baseball and the development of the youth. He was a personal friend of mine and a fine role model for the youth.
"The park was dedicated at the very same time as the Henry Crawford Fitness Centre and on that occasion, Andre Rodgers was there also. It was just great to have both of them there. As I reflect on that, I think of how much he will be missed.
There are those though who lament Curry "not getting his due."
Fellow Bahamian professional player Vince Ferguson who was a part of the Atlanta Braves system, called his passing "Too bad and sad."
"The baseball world has lost a hero who didn’t get his full due. Now, all kinds of accolades will be heaped upon him. It’s seems that’s the way things are done here," said Ferguson
He recalled fondly an occasion when he visited with Curry in 1960. He remembered interacting also with Curry’s teammates Pancho Herrera and Tony Taylor.
Curry through the years although sometimes far removed from the sports scene, was always happy to talk baseball and about other disciplines. His funeral service will take place on Saturday, October 21st beginning 11 a.m. at St. Matthew’s Church.
- Austin DWI - New York DWI