Curtis John Pride
Disabled baseball player

As a disabled child in Burlington City, we played sports like anybody else. Sometimes the rules would change to accommodate our disability. I personally love the end of September and early October. The fall of the year leaves turn bright colors, and there is crisp, cool mornings. The average daytime temperature drops about ten to fifteen degrees and the sun seems to start its annual migration south. The shadows grew longer in the early afternoon. It was autumn; it was the Disabled World Series of New Jersey. The younger class would play the older class in a best of five series. The young class seemed to always pick the Philadelphia Phillies, while the older class picked the World Champion New York Yankees. In my seven years at Cooper School, the older class seemed to always beat the younger class. But in 1967 the young guns beat the old folks three games to two. That was a thrilling series.

Sometimes we would play other schools from South Jersey and Newark. It was fun to see our wheelchairs flying around this small makeshift baseball diamond. It was fun trying to catch the whiffle ball in a tiny glove. I got the nickname GROUND BALL GRAY because most of my hits went through the middle of the diamond on the ground. With that level swing, the ball would only travel in the air three feet. I can only attest to one home run in seven years and that was wind aided. Everybody on the diamond fainted that day. Old friends still talk about that home run. When I got to home plate nobody shook my hands. Just like in the majors, they were giving me the old silent treatment for my first home run. The guys were turning their backs, rolling away from home plate. Then they all broke out in loud laughter and joy. That was the pure joy of playing the game of baseball. It did not matter that we were disabled. We just were having fun.

One sunny, warm, fall afternoon all of the guys started talking about the major leagues and what player they liked. Each student had his own favorite team (Phillies back then, my favorite team) and player (Ritchie Allen and Willie MacCovey both first baseman, my favorite players) but the discussion this day centered on if a disabled player would ever step across the white lines. Tom Dempsey did it in football with the New Orleans Saints and in the 90's a wonderful young man went to Notre Dame and played basketball with one leg. Most of us believe that it would never happen in the major leagues because baseball required so many different skills. We all asked, "How could the run fast enough? How could they field the ball? How could they pitch? If they were deaf, how could they hear the crack of the bat? How could they hear the coaches when they are screaming instructions?" We all would find out 30 years later in Yankee Stadium and Olympic Stadium.

First of all, most disabled African American males in America would like to thank Curtis John Pride for putting on that New York Mets Minor League baseball uniform. Second this fine young gentleman took on every sport in high school and succeeded in most.

A young gentleman named Curtis John Pride changed the history of baseball. Curtis Pride was born December 17, 1968. At the age of two Pride's parents knew that their child would be deaf with the many audiological tests in his young life. He went to school the in metropolitan area of our nation's capitol Washington D.C. His parents enrolled him in the Montgomery County Public School System Auditory Services infant program. Somehow African American parents of disabled children start their schooling just a little sooner then others. My parents did the same with me. Call it parents of disabled child-HEAD START. But I have found that most gifted disabled children have started school at age 2 ½ to three years old. Parents must think that their children must get a head start on able-bodied children to make up for their disability.

Pride was then fully mainstreamed in his neighborhood school in the D.C. area from grade seven until graduation at John F. Kennedy High School in 1986. He had an outstanding athletic career his whole life, playing soccer, basketball, and baseball. He seemed to excel in everything that the game gave him at Kennedy High School. He went to Beijing, China with the United States National Soccer Team in the Junior World Cup. He played so well that Kick Magazine named him one of the top 15 players in the world. An astounding feat for a young disabled brother.

Pride was drafted by my favorite team, the New York Mets, in his senior year of high school; He also signed a letter of intent to the College of William and Mary for a full four year scholarship in basketball. His parents wanted him to attend college and get that coveted education before baseball. Through a very unique arrangement, the Mets and the college signed a contract that let him be a part-time baseball player while he studied at William and Mary.

Pride played point guard and started all of his four years at William and Mary. He graduated in 1990 with a degree in finance with a wonderful grade point average of 3.6.

He was not the first disabled player in baseball; that honor goes to Jim Abbott who pitched for the California Angels and New York Yankees. Abbott was the first disabled person to attain a no-hitter. Mr. Abbott was born with one hand. So when he pitched, he had to put on his glove right after he threw the ball with his stub hand. That just amazed me at the speed that Abbott did this. He was a very good fielding pitcher too.

In 1992 Curtis Pride signed with the Montreal Expos as a minor league free agent, my New York Mets did not resign his contract. He performed well in the minors, with a 324 batting average with 21 home runs and 50 stolen bases. Ending his minor league career with a 425 batting average and 40 home runs and 75 stolen bases.

His first major league at bat in Montreal's Olympic Stadium he got a run scoring double. The crowd went crazy, giving Pride a five-minute standing ovation. Pride had made it to the major leagues in style. In 1996 Pride was invited to try out in the Detroit Tiger organization. He played the entire year with the Tigers officially making him the first deaf player to play in the Major Leagues.

Pride liked the standing ovations. In 1997 Pride hit a home run his first time at bat for the Boston Red Sox. Only seven other Red Sox players in history have ever done that. Once again, the crowd gave him the five-minute standing ovation. Once again, he had proven that he could play this very difficult game without hearing a sound.

Curtis Pride was the first African American with a disability to play in a World Series with the Atlanta Braves. The team that claimed to be "America's Team," the most successful and widely followed team in the majors. Ted Turner's Super Station made sure of that. Everybody could watch Pride and the Atlanta Braves.

Curtis Pride has won so many awards for his accomplishments and he has created pride in the disabled community. Here are some of the awards that this fine athlete has coveted over the past ten years. He has also created a fund for other disabled children in America, together with Pride. This organization has an annual whiffle ball game in Atlanta, Georgia. Every disabled child can play in this game, no matter what his/her disability may be.

Mr. Pride has received many other awards:
The Alexander Graham Bell Association Award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement. The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce: One of Ten Outstanding Young Americans of 1995 The New York League for the Hard of Hearing: Personal Achievement Award The Massachusetts Eyes and Ear infirmary: Reynolds Society Lifetime Achievement Award. The Major League Baseball: Roberto Clemente Award for Outstanding Community Service Boston Baseball Writers Association: Tony Conigliaro Award (presented to a major league player who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage).

I would like to thank Sports Star USA, Together with Pride, and Barber and Associates for a lot of this information that made this article possible.

Curtis John Pride is another star in Black History month.

Most of this report is compiled from Barber Associates

THAT IS THE GRAY LINE!!!! []

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