Pride of the Expos

The remarkable Curtis Pride makes his major league debut 31 years ago today, becoming the majors’ first deaf player since Cincinnati Reds outfielder Dick Sipek in 1945.

Pride, being congratulated here by manager Jim Tracy after hitting a home run for the Class AA Harrisburg Senators early in the 1993 season, officially becomes a major leaguer in the bottom of the eighth inning when he takes over in left field for the Montreal Expos in their 12-9 victory at St. Louis.

Pride gets his first at-bat in the top of the ninth off reliever Todd Burns, and flies out to Cardinals center fielder Mark Whiten.

Pride, though, picks up four hits in next eight at-bats to finish the season with a nice .444 batting average.

He ends up playing 11 years in the majors and spending 15 seasons as the head coach at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.