Jack Curtis, who passed away last week at age 88, had a brief but memorable MLB career, sharing the field with some of the sport’s greatest legends.
Debuting as a starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs on April 22, 1961, Curtis pitched alongside future Hall of Famers like Billy Williams, Ron Santo, and Ernie Banks, and later played with stars such as Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, and Joe Torre during his time with the Milwaukee Braves and Cleveland Indians.
Although Curtis didn’t achieve Hall of Fame status himself, he made 69 major league appearances (35 starts), finishing with a 14-19 record and a 4.84 ERA.
He signed with the Cubs in 1956 after high school and earned a spot in the major league rotation following a standout 1960 minor league season. He finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 1961 and briefly continued in the minors after his MLB career ended in 1963.
After retiring from baseball, Curtis worked as a production manager and was active in his local community, coaching youth sports. He was inducted into the Caldwell County Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and is survived by his two sons, five grandchildren, and his sister.