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Deaf pro baseball player Curtis Pride inspires Mountain Lakes students | - NJ.com
Former baseball outfielder Curtis Pride was the first deaf player to reach the major leagues in about 30 years and went on to play 11 seasons there.
Friday, he visited students at a school for the deaf in Mountain Lakes to serve as an example of someone who never let anything, including his disability, stand in his way.
“You have to believe anything is possible,” he told the 10- to 13-year-old students at the Lake Drive School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Through an interpreter, the students learned about how he was the only deaf child in his school, how he never learned sign language but relied on lip reading as a child because his parents didn’t want him to stand out. And how he focused on his athletic ability, landing an sports scholarship from the College of William and Mary and then a contract with the Mets in 1986.
But what the kids really wanted to know was _ what was it really like to wear Yankees pinstripes? That’s where Pride spent the 2003 season, hitting a home run in his first game.
“Were you really good friends with any Yankees players?” asked 13-year-old Yaseniy Gomez.
Pride said he was close with Derek Jeter.
“No A-Rod?” Gomez replied, referring to third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was not on the team at the time, but Pride played with plenty of other baseball greats while on five major baseball teams.
It wasn’t only baseball at which he excelled. Pride was once one of the top youth soccer players in the world. He was also an accomplished basketball player, and his scholarship to college was for basketball. He earned a finance degree from William and Mary.
He broke into Major League Baseball in 1993 with the Montreal Expos.
“Don’t let a disability stop you,” said Pride, who is without 95 percent of his hearing. His mother contracted rubella during her pregnancy.
For nearly two years now, Pride, 41, has been serving as head baseball coach at Gallaudet University for the deaf and hard of hearing in Washington, D.C. He last played for a major league team in 2006, when he was an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Pride said he attended public school as a youth, but took special classes for children who were deaf. It wasn’t until 7th grade that the Silver Spring, Md., native joined the other students in class.
“I was the only deaf kid in school,” he said. “It was very challenging.”
Pride never learned sign language as a youth and honed his speech, which now only has a slight impediment, by practicing in front of a mirror.
“I’d spend a lot of time practicing,” he said.
He also spoke of how he almost decided to abandon his dream of playing professional baseball, fearing he would languish in the Mets’ farm system. He was persuaded by his parents to work even harder to finally land in the major leagues.
“It was amazing for the children,” Lake Drive School principal Trish Filiaci said. “They really need positive role models.”
Jake Williamson, 13, said he too wanted to reach the major leagues someday. The student plays first base in little league baseball.
“It takes a lot of hard work,” Pride said. “I wish you luck.”
Sounds like his folks were ashamed of his disability.
Former baseball outfielder Curtis Pride was the first deaf player to reach the major leagues in about 30 years and went on to play 11 seasons there.
Friday, he visited students at a school for the deaf in Mountain Lakes to serve as an example of someone who never let anything, including his disability, stand in his way.
“You have to believe anything is possible,” he told the 10- to 13-year-old students at the Lake Drive School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Through an interpreter, the students learned about how he was the only deaf child in his school, how he never learned sign language but relied on lip reading as a child because his parents didn’t want him to stand out. And how he focused on his athletic ability, landing an sports scholarship from the College of William and Mary and then a contract with the Mets in 1986.
But what the kids really wanted to know was _ what was it really like to wear Yankees pinstripes? That’s where Pride spent the 2003 season, hitting a home run in his first game.
“Were you really good friends with any Yankees players?” asked 13-year-old Yaseniy Gomez.
Pride said he was close with Derek Jeter.
“No A-Rod?” Gomez replied, referring to third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was not on the team at the time, but Pride played with plenty of other baseball greats while on five major baseball teams.
It wasn’t only baseball at which he excelled. Pride was once one of the top youth soccer players in the world. He was also an accomplished basketball player, and his scholarship to college was for basketball. He earned a finance degree from William and Mary.
He broke into Major League Baseball in 1993 with the Montreal Expos.
“Don’t let a disability stop you,” said Pride, who is without 95 percent of his hearing. His mother contracted rubella during her pregnancy.
For nearly two years now, Pride, 41, has been serving as head baseball coach at Gallaudet University for the deaf and hard of hearing in Washington, D.C. He last played for a major league team in 2006, when he was an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Pride said he attended public school as a youth, but took special classes for children who were deaf. It wasn’t until 7th grade that the Silver Spring, Md., native joined the other students in class.
“I was the only deaf kid in school,” he said. “It was very challenging.”
Pride never learned sign language as a youth and honed his speech, which now only has a slight impediment, by practicing in front of a mirror.
“I’d spend a lot of time practicing,” he said.
He also spoke of how he almost decided to abandon his dream of playing professional baseball, fearing he would languish in the Mets’ farm system. He was persuaded by his parents to work even harder to finally land in the major leagues.
“It was amazing for the children,” Lake Drive School principal Trish Filiaci said. “They really need positive role models.”
Jake Williamson, 13, said he too wanted to reach the major leagues someday. The student plays first base in little league baseball.
“It takes a lot of hard work,” Pride said. “I wish you luck.”
Sounds like his folks were ashamed of his disability.