Tony Curry

George Anthony Curry (December 22, 1937 – October 16, 2006) was a Bahamian professional baseball player, an outfielder who appeared in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies (1960–61) and Cleveland Indians (1966). The second Bahamian to reach the major leagues^[1] (after André Rodgers), Curry played cricket and association football in his native country before turning to baseball. He was listed as 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 185 pounds (84 kg) (13 stone, 3 pounds), and threw and batted left-handed.

Curry's 12-year (1957–68) professional career got off to a promising start. He batted .333, .293 and .313 during his first three minor league seasons, with extra-base power. In 1959, in the Class A Eastern League, Curry belted 49 doubles, nine triples and 23 home runs, with 90 runs batted in. He led the Eastern League in runs scored and hits, and was named Most Valuable Player.^[1]

The following year, 1960, Curry spent the entire season on the Phillies' MLB roster and appeared in 95 games played, starting 55 games in the Phillies' outfield. Benefitting from a torrid start, he batted .336 in his first 42 games, through June 23. He was still hitting above .300 on July 6, but slumped at the plate and ended the season batting .261 with 64 hits, six home runs and 34 runs batted in. It would be his only full season in the majors. During spring training in 1961 he briefly walked out of the Phillies' camp in a contract dispute.^[1] Then, when the regular season began, he collected only seven hits in 36 at bats before being demoted to Triple-A. As events turned out, his Philadelphia career was over. Curry was traded to the Cleveland Indians' organization in March 1962, and he spent much of the rest of his pro career in Triple-A. A strong performance for the Portland Beavers in 1966 earned Curry a six-week call-up to Cleveland in June, but he collected only two hits and three bases on balls in 19 plate appearances as a pinch hitter in his last appearance in the majors.

In all or parts of three big-league seasons, Curry played in 129 games and had 297 at bats, 33 runs, 73 hits, 16 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs, 40 RBI, 20 walks, .246 batting average, .295 on-base percentage, .374 slugging percentage, 111 total bases, 1 sacrifice hit, 1 sacrifice fly and 2 intentional walks.

He died in his home city of Nassau at the age of 68.

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Retrosheet
• Venezuelan Professional Baseball League