George Reuben "Rube" Curry (October 10, 1898 – June 11, 1966) was an American

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

in Negro league baseball. Born in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, Curry made his debut for the Chicago Union Giants in 1919 before coming back to his hometown to star for the

Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 19 ...

. Newspaper references of the day often spelled his last name "Currie"; however, historians believe his name was actually spelled "Curry," citing his World War I draft registration card; he was also nicknamed "Black Snake" or "King". In 1918, 19 year-old Curry registered for the WWI draft. He lists his occupation as "Laborer" for the Armour or Armourdale Company in Kansas City, Kansas. He lists his address as 1723 Woodland Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, a location that is about two blocks from today's

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is a privately funded museum dedicated to preserving the history of Negro league baseball in America. It was founded in 1990 in Kansas City, Missouri, in the historic 18th & Vine District, the hub of Afri ...

. He also lists his nearest relative as Nelson Curry, living at the same address."WWI Draft Registration Card for Reuben Curry" Local Board Division 5, Kansas City, Missouri, September 12, 1918
/ref> Known for his curveball and control, Curry is described by James A. Riley as "one of the best pitchers of the '20s." He played in all of the first four of the Negro World Series held from 1924 to 1927. Curry managed in later years, coaching the East team in the 1936 East–West game.

References

External links

an
Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats
an
Seamheads
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curry, Rube Negro league baseball managers Baseball players from Kansas City, Missouri Baltimore Black Sox players Leopardos de Santa Clara players Kansas City Monarchs players Chicago American Giants players Detroit Stars players Hilldale Club players 1898 births 1966 deaths Baseball pitchers American expatriate baseball players in Cuba 20th-century African-American sportspeople American military personnel of World War I