Curtis Pride

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Curtis John Pride (born December 17, 1968 in Washington, D.C.) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder currently playing for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League. Pride stands at 6'0" tall and weighs 210 pounds. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.

Deaf at birth from rubella, Pride developed oral skills early in his life and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. He excelled in baseball, basketball and soccer in high school. After high school, Pride attended the College of William and Mary. He did not play baseball in college, but was the starting point guard on the basketball team. He also was an excellent soccer player who played for the United States at the Under 17 World Championships in China (1985), scored two goals in the tournament, including the match winner against Bolivia, and was named one of the top 15 youth prospects in the world for that year. At the same time, he has been extraordinarily active in community service.

Because he is only 95% deaf he has enough hearing to still be able to talk, albeit with a strained voice. He is fluent in lip-reading.

Pride was originally signed by the New York Mets, but reached the major leagues with Montreal. A left-handed hitter, with good plate discipline, some power, and considerable speed, he never played regularly in the majors. Instead, he pinch hit or played in the outfield, usually left or right, as an injury replacement, and is regarded as an excellent fielder with a strong arm.

Pride became a free agent before the 1996 season and signed with Detroit, where he played well in a part-time outfield role. With fewer than 300 plate appearances in 95 games, he compiled career-high numbers in batting average (.300), home runs (10), RBI (31), runs (52), hits (80), doubles (17) triples (5) and stolen bases (11), and expected to gain more at bats in future seasons as a result. But 1997 found him on the disabled list, and he was released and signed by the Red Sox. After that, he played with the Braves, returned to Boston and Montreal, and saw a little action with the Yankees. He was signed by the Angels in the 2004 season and was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake. In 2005, he was signed to a minor league contract with the Angels, and was called up after an injury to Vladimir Guerrero. He was returned to the minors after Guerrero recovered from the injury. After spending 2007, spring training as a non-roster invitee for the Angels, he was assigned to start the 2007 season as a member of the Salt Lake Bees.

Pride signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League on April 15, 2008.

In an eleven-season major league career, Pride batted .250 (199-for-796) with 20 home runs and 82 RBI in 421 Major League games.

When he is not playing baseball, Pride and with his wife Lisa are actively involved in the Together With Pride foundation, which aids hearing impaired children through a hearing aid bank, according to the foundation's website. There are several activities the foundation supports or hopes to support, such as a scholarship program, literacy, and mentoring. He also enjoys listening to music.

In 1996, Pride received the Tony Conigliaro Award, given annually to an MLB player who best overcomes adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage.

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Together with Pride website
• Minor League Splits and Situational Stats