Jack Curtis may not have had a Hall of Fame-worthy baseball career, but during his three seasons in the major leagues, he shared the field with some of the sport’s most legendary players. Curtis, who passed away last week at the age of 88, made his MLB debut as a starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs on April 22, 1961. He earned a win that day with help from a powerhouse lineup that included future Hall of Famers Billy Williams, Ron Santo, and Ernie Banks.
His final MLB appearance came on May 1, 1963, in relief for the Cleveland Indians. He was succeeded on the mound by two All-Stars—Mudcat Grant and Jim Perry. In between his time with the Cubs and Indians, Curtis spent the 1962 season with the Milwaukee Braves, playing alongside icons like Warren Spahn, Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Joe Torre, and Bob Uecker.
Throughout his major league career, Curtis appeared in 69 games—35 as a starter—posting a 14-19 record with a 4.84 ERA. A North Carolina native, he signed with the Cubs after graduating from Granite Falls High School in 1956. He spent five years in the minors before a standout 1960 season at Double-A San Antonio, where he went 19-8 with a 3.57 ERA and completed 19 games. That performance earned him Texas League All-Star honors, the title of pitcher of the year, and a spot in the Cubs’ starting rotation the following year.
In 1961, he recorded a 10-13 record and a 4.89 ERA, placing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He also served as a batting practice pitcher for the NL All-Star team. Curtis saw limited action in 1962, pitching just four games for the Cubs before being traded to the Braves for veteran Bob Buhl. That season in Milwaukee, he went 4-4 with a 4.16 ERA over 30 games. After a trade to Cleveland, Curtis played only four games for the Indians in 1963, finishing with an 18.00 ERA before being released.
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