Wes Curry

Infobox MLB retired
name = Wes Curry


position = Umpire/Pitcher
bats = Unknown
throws = Unknown
birthdate = birth date|1860|4|1
Wilmington, Delaware
deathdate = death date and age|1933|5|19|1860|4|1
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
debutdate = August 6
debutyear = by|1884
debutteam = Richmond Virginians
finaldate = August 8
finalyear = by|1884
finalteam = Richmond Virginians
stat1label = Pitching record
stat1value = 0-2
stat2label = Games
stat2value = 2
stat3label = E.R.A.
stat3value = 5.06
teams =
* Richmond Virginians (by|1884)
highlights =

Wesley Curry (April 1 1860 – May 19 1933) was an American pitcher and umpire in Major League Baseball who played one season for the Richmond Virginians of the American Association before officiating for six seasons between by|1885 and by|1898.

Playing career

Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Curry joined the Virginians during the by|1884 season, and pitched in just two games, both of which were complete game losses.cite web| title = Wes Curry's Stats | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/Pcurrw101.htm | accessdate = 2008-06-14 ] The first game was a 4-5 loss to the Philadelphia Athletics on August 6, and the other game was a 2-9 loss to the Brooklyn Grays on August 8.cite web| title = 1884 Richmond Virginias Regular Season Game Log | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1884/VRIC01884.htm | accessdate = 2008-06-14 ] He never pitched in the major leagues again, and his spot in the pitching rotation was occupied by Pete Meegan for the remainder of the season.

Umpire career

Curry began his major league umpiring career in by|1885, a year after his paying career had ended, when he signed with the National League. He umpired 39 games that first season, and 51 games the following season, also with the National League. For the by|1887 season, he umpired in the American Association, also a major league at the time, and umpired 61 games, all of which, as were his first two seasons, were as the sole umpire on the field, as was the practice.

That season in the Association saw Curry make a controverial call, yet it led to the institution of an official rule which still lasts to this day.cite web| title = Baseball and Philosophy: Thinking Outside the Batter's Box, Pgs 98-99 | work = by Eric Bronson | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Zc11bf7iopcC&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=%22Wes+Curry%22+baseball&source=web&ots=hMgAtUNlQf&sig=2NEAG3A0vsMtykgkBgXLt7uiBkU&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result | accessdate = 2008-06-14 ] The play in question happened in a game that pitted the Louisville Colonels against the Brooklyn Grays, when during the game, Louisville's Reddy Mack crossed home plate after a fellow teammate had hit safely. After Mack had crossed the plate, he deliberately interfered with Brooklyn's catcher long enough so that two other Colonels had also crossed the plate. Since Mack had prevented the catcher from making any further plays, Curry ruled that the first baserunner after Mack to scored was out, and the disallowed the other run that followed. The rules stated, at the time, that a baserunner could not interfere with a fielder, but Mack argued that since he had scored, he was no longer a baserunner, therefore he was not in violation of any rules. Curry's decision, although not in the rules, demonstrated that the evolution of the games rules sometimes have to be made at the moment to protect the game's integrity. The rule that came from this decision is now Rule 7.09(e).

The next season Curry umpired at the major league level was in by|1889 in the National League, calling a career-high 110 games, 16 as the field umpire when both major leagues began to experiment with a two-umpire system, one behind the catcher, and one behind the pitcher. In by|1890, Curry returned the Association and umpired 56 games. After this season, he did not return to majors again until by|1898 when he umpired 62 games in the National League, 52 of them in the field. His six-year career totals include 382 games, with 72 in the field, and he was behind the plate for a no-hitter on August 29, by|1885, when Charlie Ferguson of the Philadelphia Quakers threw his gem against the Providence Grays.cite web| title = List of No-Hitters and Perfect Games | work = hickoksports.com | url=http://www.hickoksports.com/history/nohitter.shtml | accessdate = 2008-06-14 ] cite web| title = No-Hitters Chronologically | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/nohit_chrono.htm | accessdate = 2008-06-14 ]

Post-career

Wes died at the age of 73 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is interred at Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.

References

External links

*baseball-reference|id=c/currywe01
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/Pcurrw101.htm Retrosheet] - career umpiring record
*findagrave|13385199

Persondata
NAME = Curry, Wes
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Curry, Wesly
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Major League Baseball player, Umpire
DATE OF BIRTH = April 1 1860
PLACE OF BIRTH = Wilmington, Delaware
DATE OF DEATH = May 19 1933
PLACE OF DEATH = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania