John Curtis was a professional baseball player who played as a pitcher for several teams during his career. He was born on March 9, 1948, in Newton, Massachusetts, and attended high school in nearby Natick. He went on to attend Boston College, where he played college baseball and was eventually drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 14th round of the 1969 Major League Baseball draft.
Curtis made his major league debut with the Red Sox in 1970, appearing in 10 games and posting a 1-1 record with a 3.86 ERA. He spent the next few seasons bouncing between the major leagues and the minor leagues, playing for the Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants.
In 1973, Curtis was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he had his best season as a professional. He appeared in 51 games, starting 20 of them, and posted a 13-6 record with a 3.28 ERA. He also recorded three shutouts and two saves, and was named to the National League All-Star team.
Curtis continued to pitch for the Cardinals for the next few seasons, but his performance declined and he was eventually traded to the New York Yankees in 1977. He spent two seasons with the Yankees, but was released in 1979 and signed with the California Angels.
Curtis spent the next few seasons with the Angels, but his performance continued to decline and he was eventually released in 1983. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1984, but appeared in just two games before being released again.
Overall, Curtis played in 10 major league seasons, appearing in 383 games and posting a 62-55 record with a 3.96 ERA. He recorded 22 complete games, 10 shutouts, and 11 saves, and struck out 605 batters in 1,082 innings pitched.
After his playing career ended, Curtis worked as a pitching coach for several minor league teams, including the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also worked as a scout for the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Curtis passed away on November 17, 2020, at the age of 72. He is remembered as a hard-working and dedicated player who gave his all on the field and was respected by his teammates and opponents alike.
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