Deafness doesn’t hinder Tiger’s Pride

Tim Graham

Friday, April 5, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Curtis Pride will never hear the crack of the bat, the call of the umpire, the roar of the crowd.

And that's OK.

Curtis Pride is deaf, and he enjoys the challenge.

"I do not consider my deafness a handicap," said Pride, a reserve outfielder for the Detroit Tigers. "I've achieved my goals and I don't let other people tell me what I can't do. I am capable of accomplishing anything. Just because I'm deaf doesn't make a difference."

While a hearing aid helps Pride decipher sound vibrations, he communicates by reading lips, but does not use sign language. In the field, any time he calls for the ball, his teammates must concede.

"I've always had to be two-times better than other people," said Pride, known for his speed and left-handed bat. "I have to make a lot of noise, especially with my bat. I've always been like that my whole life. I've always overcome."

Pride, 27, has been deaf since birth, but it could have worse. His mother had rubella during pregnancy, and one-third of babies born under such circumstances die within four months.

Pride became a three-sport star in high school, playing soccer, basketball and baseball. All three would take him wherever he wanted to go.

His soccer career took him around the world, playing for the American national junior soccer team in the 1985 world championships in China. His basketball career took him to college, playing point guard at the College of William & Mary on a full scholarship and graduating with a degree in finance.

But it was his beloved baseball that took him to his dream.

Originally drafted by the New York Mets, basketball limited Pride's early development because it kept him from attending spring training. As a result, he spent six seasons at the rookie and single-A levels.

Finally, in 1993, during his eighth professional season, he was called up by the Montreal Expos, becoming the first deaf player to reach the majors since 1945.

Pride hit .444, including his only big-league homer, in nine at-bats for Montreal that year, but numerous injuries prevented him from maintaining a permanent spot on the roster in '94 and '95.

Then, after signing over the winter as a free agent with the Tigers, Pride did something he had never done before: He made his first opening-day roster.

"I've worked hard to make the major-league roster," he said. "I've had trouble making the team. The last couple years I was sent down in the last few days before the end of spring training. But this time I made it."

He was asked if he would trade playing major-league baseball for a chance to hear. His answer was immediate.

"No, not at all," he said. "It's always been my dream to play in the major leagues. My deafness made me stronger as a person. I always have to be strong.

"I overcame my deafness because they always told me (making the major leagues) was never going to happen. I always knew I had the ability to play.

"People try to discourage me and I cannot worry what people think. That's what got me to this point. I'm self-motivating, and I want to be the best at whatever I do."

And that motivation spills over to those around him.

"It's very inspirational," Tigers manager Buddy Bell said. "I only wish he could hear the crowd."