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I Felt the Cheers: The Remarkable Silent Life of Curtis Pride
For baseball fans, readers of motivational stories, and especially those with disabilities and their parents, the powerful and inspiring story of Curtis Pride, the deaf baseball star who overcame the odds to reach the major leagues, becoming an award-winning player and advocate for inclusivity in sports.
Foreword by National Baseball Hall of Fame Member Cal Ripken, Jr.
On the night of his major league debut in Montreal in 1993, Curtis Pride made his first hit to a standing ovation from the crowd of 45,000 fans. Profoundly deaf since birth, Pride couldn’t hear their thunderous applause. But as the cheers grew louder and more insistent, he realized he was feeling those vibrations within his chest—an undeniable acknowledgement of an extraordinary achievement.
Pride went on to play in 420 more major league games over ten different seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and New York Yankees. He was then selected as baseball coach at Gaillaudet, the world’s leading university for deaf students, and has received countless national and local awards for his achievements and his service in inspiring and educating others.
With candor, warmth, and humor, Pride writes from the heart in I Felt the Cheers. From the first time he played T‑ball at age six and got a couple of hits, he dreamed of playing in the major leagues. No matter how unlikely it seemed, or how much skepticism he faced from teammates or coaches, Pride stayed resolute. Far from being a disadvantage, he came to see that his deafness could sometimes be a secret weapon, forcing him to use senses that other players take for granted.
Curtis’s personal journey is unique, but his message is a powerful, universal one, sure to resonate deeply with everyone who has faced difficult challenges. I Felt the Cheers is living proof that dreams can come true, no matter how impossible they seem.
Foreword by National Baseball Hall of Fame Member Cal Ripken, Jr.
On the night of his major league debut in Montreal in 1993, Curtis Pride made his first hit to a standing ovation from the crowd of 45,000 fans. Profoundly deaf since birth, Pride couldn’t hear their thunderous applause. But as the cheers grew louder and more insistent, he realized he was feeling those vibrations within his chest—an undeniable acknowledgement of an extraordinary achievement.
Pride went on to play in 420 more major league games over ten different seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and New York Yankees. He was then selected as baseball coach at Gaillaudet, the world’s leading university for deaf students, and has received countless national and local awards for his achievements and his service in inspiring and educating others.
With candor, warmth, and humor, Pride writes from the heart in I Felt the Cheers. From the first time he played T‑ball at age six and got a couple of hits, he dreamed of playing in the major leagues. No matter how unlikely it seemed, or how much skepticism he faced from teammates or coaches, Pride stayed resolute. Far from being a disadvantage, he came to see that his deafness could sometimes be a secret weapon, forcing him to use senses that other players take for granted.
Curtis’s personal journey is unique, but his message is a powerful, universal one, sure to resonate deeply with everyone who has faced difficult challenges. I Felt the Cheers is living proof that dreams can come true, no matter how impossible they seem.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published February 25, 2025
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April 4, 2025
Happy opening day! Ok, so opening day was officially last week, but my team’s home opener is today, and now it really feels like baseball season. Yes, it has been raining for the past two days and is just might rain for the entire weekend, but it is baseball season. Having survived the winter doldrums, I have now entered into my happy part of the year where I know that for the next six and half months that there will be a baseball game to be played. During the month of March, I only read women’s authors. Having read many books about the All American Girls Professional Baseball League over the years and the other smattering of baseball books written by women, I forewent reading baseball books last month. I am just as giddy to read about baseball as I am to watch it. One former ball player who also had to rely on emotions and heightened senses is Curtis Pride. One of my contemporaries, I vaguely remember Pride from his stints on the Expos and Tigers among other teams. What I remember reading in human interest stories in the newspaper is that Pride is deaf and that he is an outfielder where communication between teammates is vital. Noting that Pride has told his story, I knew that his new memoir would be a part of my baseball reading lineup this year. Leading off in my month of baseball reading catch-up, Curtis Pride.
Curtis Pride is the son of John and Sallie Pride of most recently Montgomery County, Maryland. When the Prides found out that their son had profound hearing loss, Sallie quit her job as a nurse so that she could be ever present for her son and older daughter Jacqui. John worked as a civil servant for the US government for over thirty years and has his own share of hair raising stories. Both parents were educationally minded and told their three children that they could achieve anything, and to more importantly, to see through whatever task was in front of them. The Prides opted that Curtis learn oral communication so that he could later adapt to the mainstream hearing world. He had an early form of hearing aide but also learned to be adept in reading lips and verbally communicating with others even if that speech is garbled. Later as an adult Curtis learned ASL but as a child his parents believed that verbally communicating was more important. It opened doors in that Curtis could attend a mainstream junior and senior high school and participate in team sports. That participation also presented its own share of obstacles, but John Pride would not take no for an answer. Curtis’ three main sports all through high school were soccer, baseball, and basketball, which indeed opened doors for him as an equal to his teammates in the hearing world.
John Pride believed in the value of a college education so when the New York Mets signed Curtis out of high school, he parlayed that contract into allowing Curtis to play basketball in college in order to obtain a degree at the same time. I can think of college educated ball players and also many who signed out of high school. I cannot think of many who did both concurrently. Curtis’ best sport was probably soccer, but in the 1980s there did not exist many opportunities to play professionally in the United States, and Europe was out of the question, only because Curtis was not adept in Spanish, French, etc in order to read lips in those countries. While enrolled at William and Mary University, Curtis also spent his summers in the Mets farm system. He got as far as AA before realizing that he did not factor into the Mets’ plans and asked to be released, joining the Expos’ system the following year. This was the early 1990s when the Expos were a powerhouse, and their minor leagues were a who’s who of future all stars. Curtis had managers who believed in his abilities, and in 1993 he finally made it to the major leagues, in a heated divisional race no less. In his first big league at bat, Pride doubled to drive in decisive runs, and the stadium erupted loud enough for Pride to feel the crowd reaction. Jerry Manuel noted that the crowd wanted him to be able to hear. His time on the Expos did not last, but that moment is still replayed in baseball history reels.
Trivia question: who is the only person to ever hit a home run in their first at bat at home for both the Red Sox and Yankees? Answer: Curtis Pride. Pride ended up playing professionally for twenty four years with stops in twenty six cities, finally retiring in 2008. He wears the term journeyman with a badge of honor because he notes that it means that he has staying power in baseball. Yes, he could have parlayed his finance degree into a high powered job like many of his friends, but it wasn’t in him Pride notes that he is a baseball lifer. His skill set is as such that to compensate for hearing loss, he had to heighten his other senses, relying on sight more so than the average player. Because he could not hear the crack of the bat, Pride relied on the angle of the infielders and their shadows. Both his own and opposing coaches noted that no one could go from first to third better than Pride. Being fundamentally sound allowed him to remain an active player for over two decades and impart his wisdom to younger players. Following his career, Pride became the manager of the Gallaudet University baseball team, which is where he finally learned ASL. After a few years, Gallaudet became a power house because, like their manager, the players compensated for hearing loss by being sound fundamentally and came to play every day. Pride notes that his time as manager at Gallaudet had been as rewarding as making the major leagues, being proud of his name and his players.
I do not read athlete memoirs for their literary prose but to discover who the athlete is off of the playing field. Thanks to the values placed on him by his parents, Curtis Pride grew up to be an all star human being. His never quit mentality imparted to him by his parents lead him to a twenty four year career in professional baseball, followed by a sixteen year stint coaching. Perhaps he can follow that up with a stint on a major league coaching staff. The Prides made a decision to prepare their son to be an active participant in the mainstream hearing world, and their choice paid off in spades. Although the numbers Curtis Pride put up in the majors would not lead him to any all star team, ask anyone around baseball, and they will say that he is an all star individual. Pride himself notes that he can respect pioneers in the game more after enduring his share of doubters throughout his career. Now he is a role model for children with (dis)abilities who see him as an example that they can achieve all that they put their mind to. So happy opening day. I am honored to include Curtis Pride in my reading lineup this year. There are not too many people like him and baseball should be proud to list him as an alumnus of the game.
4 stars
Curtis Pride is the son of John and Sallie Pride of most recently Montgomery County, Maryland. When the Prides found out that their son had profound hearing loss, Sallie quit her job as a nurse so that she could be ever present for her son and older daughter Jacqui. John worked as a civil servant for the US government for over thirty years and has his own share of hair raising stories. Both parents were educationally minded and told their three children that they could achieve anything, and to more importantly, to see through whatever task was in front of them. The Prides opted that Curtis learn oral communication so that he could later adapt to the mainstream hearing world. He had an early form of hearing aide but also learned to be adept in reading lips and verbally communicating with others even if that speech is garbled. Later as an adult Curtis learned ASL but as a child his parents believed that verbally communicating was more important. It opened doors in that Curtis could attend a mainstream junior and senior high school and participate in team sports. That participation also presented its own share of obstacles, but John Pride would not take no for an answer. Curtis’ three main sports all through high school were soccer, baseball, and basketball, which indeed opened doors for him as an equal to his teammates in the hearing world.
John Pride believed in the value of a college education so when the New York Mets signed Curtis out of high school, he parlayed that contract into allowing Curtis to play basketball in college in order to obtain a degree at the same time. I can think of college educated ball players and also many who signed out of high school. I cannot think of many who did both concurrently. Curtis’ best sport was probably soccer, but in the 1980s there did not exist many opportunities to play professionally in the United States, and Europe was out of the question, only because Curtis was not adept in Spanish, French, etc in order to read lips in those countries. While enrolled at William and Mary University, Curtis also spent his summers in the Mets farm system. He got as far as AA before realizing that he did not factor into the Mets’ plans and asked to be released, joining the Expos’ system the following year. This was the early 1990s when the Expos were a powerhouse, and their minor leagues were a who’s who of future all stars. Curtis had managers who believed in his abilities, and in 1993 he finally made it to the major leagues, in a heated divisional race no less. In his first big league at bat, Pride doubled to drive in decisive runs, and the stadium erupted loud enough for Pride to feel the crowd reaction. Jerry Manuel noted that the crowd wanted him to be able to hear. His time on the Expos did not last, but that moment is still replayed in baseball history reels.
Trivia question: who is the only person to ever hit a home run in their first at bat at home for both the Red Sox and Yankees? Answer: Curtis Pride. Pride ended up playing professionally for twenty four years with stops in twenty six cities, finally retiring in 2008. He wears the term journeyman with a badge of honor because he notes that it means that he has staying power in baseball. Yes, he could have parlayed his finance degree into a high powered job like many of his friends, but it wasn’t in him Pride notes that he is a baseball lifer. His skill set is as such that to compensate for hearing loss, he had to heighten his other senses, relying on sight more so than the average player. Because he could not hear the crack of the bat, Pride relied on the angle of the infielders and their shadows. Both his own and opposing coaches noted that no one could go from first to third better than Pride. Being fundamentally sound allowed him to remain an active player for over two decades and impart his wisdom to younger players. Following his career, Pride became the manager of the Gallaudet University baseball team, which is where he finally learned ASL. After a few years, Gallaudet became a power house because, like their manager, the players compensated for hearing loss by being sound fundamentally and came to play every day. Pride notes that his time as manager at Gallaudet had been as rewarding as making the major leagues, being proud of his name and his players.
I do not read athlete memoirs for their literary prose but to discover who the athlete is off of the playing field. Thanks to the values placed on him by his parents, Curtis Pride grew up to be an all star human being. His never quit mentality imparted to him by his parents lead him to a twenty four year career in professional baseball, followed by a sixteen year stint coaching. Perhaps he can follow that up with a stint on a major league coaching staff. The Prides made a decision to prepare their son to be an active participant in the mainstream hearing world, and their choice paid off in spades. Although the numbers Curtis Pride put up in the majors would not lead him to any all star team, ask anyone around baseball, and they will say that he is an all star individual. Pride himself notes that he can respect pioneers in the game more after enduring his share of doubters throughout his career. Now he is a role model for children with (dis)abilities who see him as an example that they can achieve all that they put their mind to. So happy opening day. I am honored to include Curtis Pride in my reading lineup this year. There are not too many people like him and baseball should be proud to list him as an alumnus of the game.
4 stars
May 21, 2025
It was SO REFRESHING to hear about the happy and healthy relationship he had with both of his parents and his sisters. The audio book I listened to after this one had a less than happy familial relationship, and to be honest, most people seem to have less than stellar parent/child relationships, so this was a HUGE plus for me. No unhappy family triggers, yay!
It was also refreshing that Mr. Pride seemed to down to earth, despite being an incredible athlete and doing things of which most people can only dream.
The only thing that surprised me was that he didn't seem to be big on a religious belief. Honestly, the whole tone was so positive, I was surprised that God didn't come up much to at all. From my slight experience with memoirs that have this positivity to them, they usually also have God mentioned in them as well. So that was a new experience for me.
All in all, this was very interesting and I did learn quite a bit about baseball and how above average Mr. Pride is with both his physical abilities and his intellect. He is an incredibly astute, yet humble, man. I respect what he has been able to achieve.
Also, the narrator did a very good job, I don't recall having to modify the volume much to be able to hear what was being said.
4, highly recommended if you enjoy memoirs, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for an ALC of this book to listen to and review.
It was also refreshing that Mr. Pride seemed to down to earth, despite being an incredible athlete and doing things of which most people can only dream.
The only thing that surprised me was that he didn't seem to be big on a religious belief. Honestly, the whole tone was so positive, I was surprised that God didn't come up much to at all. From my slight experience with memoirs that have this positivity to them, they usually also have God mentioned in them as well. So that was a new experience for me.
All in all, this was very interesting and I did learn quite a bit about baseball and how above average Mr. Pride is with both his physical abilities and his intellect. He is an incredibly astute, yet humble, man. I respect what he has been able to achieve.
Also, the narrator did a very good job, I don't recall having to modify the volume much to be able to hear what was being said.
4, highly recommended if you enjoy memoirs, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for an ALC of this book to listen to and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2025
Curtis never let deafness get in the way of his dream. He was bound and determined to play Major League Baseball. Through hard work and determination he realized his dream. Curtis is a very humble person and I enjoyed how he thanked all the people that helped him accomplish his dream. Must read for baseball fans. 4.60 ⭐️
May 4, 2025
I Felt the Cheers is Curtis Pride's story. Curtis was born profoundly deaf, but his parents wanted him to fit in and be able to communicate with anyone, so he learned to lip read, and became oral. He went to a regular school and participated in all kinds of activities, especially sports. He received a scholarship to University and was drafted by the New York Mets. Curtis spent years in the minor leagues as well as parts of 11 seasons with various big league teams. Funny enough, he never wore a Mets Uniform. His first big league team and hit was in Montreal for the Expos (now the Washington Nationals). This is a sports memoir told from a different POV, that of a deaf player. When he retired from playing, he was hired as head baseball coach at Gallaudet, the world’s leading university for deaf and hard of hearing students, and was also named Major League Baseball’s Ambassador for Inclusion.
I have always been a baseball fan and spent years rooting for the Detroit Tigers, Montreal Expos and not the Toronto BlueJays. I can't believe I had not heard of Curtis Pride. I enjoyed listening to his story and learning about this inspirational man. He was lucky to have had parents that pushed him to do his best and went to bat for him when others wouldn't let him try things. I really liked that he persevered for years, playing in the minor leagues, being traded and moving all over Canada and the US. He says that he never regretted any of the moves, they all taught him something and he enjoyed playing ball wherever he went. He is truly an ambassador for people who have special needs, and are often up against prejudice and ignorance. So, why only 4 stars? I have only positive things to say about Curtis Pride's story and memories, but I found the writing was a bit rote. It was repetitious at times and I had to take breaks to keep paying attention. This is a life story that needed to be told and shared with deaf and hard of hearing people, as well as hearing. If nothing else, you will see what it took to reach his goals, perseverance, ability of everyone, and inspiration for those who are working on reaching their goals. The narration was okay, a simple reading of the story, and I switched to reading the ebook, whenever I was not doing another task.
I have always been a baseball fan and spent years rooting for the Detroit Tigers, Montreal Expos and not the Toronto BlueJays. I can't believe I had not heard of Curtis Pride. I enjoyed listening to his story and learning about this inspirational man. He was lucky to have had parents that pushed him to do his best and went to bat for him when others wouldn't let him try things. I really liked that he persevered for years, playing in the minor leagues, being traded and moving all over Canada and the US. He says that he never regretted any of the moves, they all taught him something and he enjoyed playing ball wherever he went. He is truly an ambassador for people who have special needs, and are often up against prejudice and ignorance. So, why only 4 stars? I have only positive things to say about Curtis Pride's story and memories, but I found the writing was a bit rote. It was repetitious at times and I had to take breaks to keep paying attention. This is a life story that needed to be told and shared with deaf and hard of hearing people, as well as hearing. If nothing else, you will see what it took to reach his goals, perseverance, ability of everyone, and inspiration for those who are working on reaching their goals. The narration was okay, a simple reading of the story, and I switched to reading the ebook, whenever I was not doing another task.
July 28, 2025
As a William and Mary basketball fan and a DMV native I was aware of Curtis and the success he earned but because DC had no baseball team during his playing time I wasn’t aware of all he achieved. Excellent story of Yes you can don’t allow anyone to stop you.
July 1, 2025
Enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed Curtis Pride playing baseball. I especially appreciated his talents as I watched the Harrisburg Senators in the 1990's
July 26, 2025
This is an outstanding memoir of a very unique athlete - well written with heart warming tales from a life in baseball of someone born deaf but who never thought of himself as disabled and took that pride in himself (it was in his name of course) to heights on the field and off that were incredible.
Now, it's probably important to note - I knew Curtis. We were at William and Mary for a few years together in the late 80's/early 90's when he played as our starting point guard while he was working his way through the minor leagues in the summer. He was two years ahead of me and when I got to school, I heard about how he was doing this incredible "D1 basketball starter / pro baseball player" thing - but I also kept being told "and wildly, his best sport was soccer". This is all before the internet so we didn't have a way to go check his stats or bio or anything, and I just thought "sure, he was good at soccer as well". Turns out, as the book taught me, he wasn't good - he was world class. Played and was a star for our international youth teams and set numerous records. But he knew of the three sports, baseball was the one with the best chance at a pro career so went that direction.
In college, what I most remember isn't his basketball play or the fact he was playing for the Mets rookie teams - it was his smile. The guy was so friendly and just any time I'd see him, we'd briefly talk and he always had a quick laugh or smile. His description in the book of how he learned to speak wasn't something I knew - it's one thing to lose your hearing so have that background, but to start from scratch as he did and not be able to hear....that takes incredible dedication at a young age, but he did it. I knew with him I had to just ensure I was facing him and we'd have a normal conversation like any 20 year olds, mostly a joke, talk about sports and say 'what's up'. I played rec basketball a lot and sometimes the team members (in offseason) would hit the gym so I played with and against him a few times - and I liked the 'with' a lot better. He was so fast and quick, if he was guarding you, you just weren't getting the ball and if you did - might as well just hand it to him. What's amazing is he was a D1 starter and an amazing defensive player (his shot probably was a bit of a weakness) and this was his third best sport....
So yea, a great guy I knew in college, and then he graduated and maybe I saw him once or twice a year or so later at a homecoming, but you kinda just move on.....until I'm watching ESPN or something a few years later and "coming up, a story that everyone will love as Curtis Pride makes the majors". WAIT - I KNOW THAT GUY....
The bulk of the book goes over his wild 26 team / 20 year career in the minors/majors/independent and almost overseas playing career, touching on highs and lows and the thrill of his first hit, a few home runs and everything from bus rides to meeting Presidents and superstars. He gives so much gratitude to his family and friends and the folks that helped along the way and touches on his post-playing career where he's served in various capacities to help spread the game and been a successful head coach at Galludet. The book is told mostly chronologically with good side-tangents on themes that need exploring, then wraps up with a few more thematic chapters.
All in all, a terrific book by and about a terrific person who I'm glad to have once known. Highly recommend for anyone.
Now, it's probably important to note - I knew Curtis. We were at William and Mary for a few years together in the late 80's/early 90's when he played as our starting point guard while he was working his way through the minor leagues in the summer. He was two years ahead of me and when I got to school, I heard about how he was doing this incredible "D1 basketball starter / pro baseball player" thing - but I also kept being told "and wildly, his best sport was soccer". This is all before the internet so we didn't have a way to go check his stats or bio or anything, and I just thought "sure, he was good at soccer as well". Turns out, as the book taught me, he wasn't good - he was world class. Played and was a star for our international youth teams and set numerous records. But he knew of the three sports, baseball was the one with the best chance at a pro career so went that direction.
In college, what I most remember isn't his basketball play or the fact he was playing for the Mets rookie teams - it was his smile. The guy was so friendly and just any time I'd see him, we'd briefly talk and he always had a quick laugh or smile. His description in the book of how he learned to speak wasn't something I knew - it's one thing to lose your hearing so have that background, but to start from scratch as he did and not be able to hear....that takes incredible dedication at a young age, but he did it. I knew with him I had to just ensure I was facing him and we'd have a normal conversation like any 20 year olds, mostly a joke, talk about sports and say 'what's up'. I played rec basketball a lot and sometimes the team members (in offseason) would hit the gym so I played with and against him a few times - and I liked the 'with' a lot better. He was so fast and quick, if he was guarding you, you just weren't getting the ball and if you did - might as well just hand it to him. What's amazing is he was a D1 starter and an amazing defensive player (his shot probably was a bit of a weakness) and this was his third best sport....
So yea, a great guy I knew in college, and then he graduated and maybe I saw him once or twice a year or so later at a homecoming, but you kinda just move on.....until I'm watching ESPN or something a few years later and "coming up, a story that everyone will love as Curtis Pride makes the majors". WAIT - I KNOW THAT GUY....
The bulk of the book goes over his wild 26 team / 20 year career in the minors/majors/independent and almost overseas playing career, touching on highs and lows and the thrill of his first hit, a few home runs and everything from bus rides to meeting Presidents and superstars. He gives so much gratitude to his family and friends and the folks that helped along the way and touches on his post-playing career where he's served in various capacities to help spread the game and been a successful head coach at Galludet. The book is told mostly chronologically with good side-tangents on themes that need exploring, then wraps up with a few more thematic chapters.
All in all, a terrific book by and about a terrific person who I'm glad to have once known. Highly recommend for anyone.
May 20, 2025
I'll never forget glancing at the TV and seeing Curtis Pride in a Red Sox uniform. By the time he was with the team my interest had long waned; the team and the sport just weren't what they were when I was a young kid. It had all literally become background noise.
Yet, when the announcer said, "Now up for the Sox, Curtis Pride," I couldn't help but look. I knew his story, or at least that part of it that was available at the time. He was deaf. That fascinated me. I had played baseball and found it hard enough with all of my senses working properly. How did he do it? I'll always remember the striking impression of how intently he locked in on the pitcher as the pitch came in. Did all batters look that way and I just never noticed it, or was he focusing more than the others I'd watched for the past few decades?
Pride tells his story through this book with grace and honest perspective. From the time he was young, he knew what lay ahead for him. Life was not going to be easy, but then, he knew no other way. More than that, he had tremendous support from his parents and siblings. Both parents stood as shining examples of the loving network we all need as we grow. They supported him, defended him, listened to his calls for help and opened doors for him. He rightly thanks them with their own chapters in the latter pages on the book.
His story is delivered through this lens, of gratitude and thankfulness. Teammates, managers, coaches, friends and more are thanked for key contributions along the way as young Curtis explores sports, chooses his passion and fights his way to the major leagues. Despite the tremendous on-field success - and the success that follows as a manager of and mentor to hearing impaired athletes - we are left to wonder if there could have been more. He had the numbers to play regularly and not be a journeyman, and yet he was shuffled from team to team, up and down from the majors to the minors and back again. Had he played today, would the metrics have won out over the questions of whether a deaf player can play at the highest level?
Ultimately, I was embarrassed by the Red Sox in this book (or at least the version of them that existed at the time). I don't think he got a fair chance in Boston and wish he had stayed longer.
Nevertheless, he left a legacy. Just ask any pitcher who covers his mouth when talking to his catcher. According to Hall of Famer Greg Maddux the practice started when Curtis Pride was in the opposing dugout reading lips. Curtis wasn't the first deaf Major League Baseball player and most likely will not be the last, but he established a standard of excellence that hasn't been paralleled since his last at-bat.
Yet, when the announcer said, "Now up for the Sox, Curtis Pride," I couldn't help but look. I knew his story, or at least that part of it that was available at the time. He was deaf. That fascinated me. I had played baseball and found it hard enough with all of my senses working properly. How did he do it? I'll always remember the striking impression of how intently he locked in on the pitcher as the pitch came in. Did all batters look that way and I just never noticed it, or was he focusing more than the others I'd watched for the past few decades?
Pride tells his story through this book with grace and honest perspective. From the time he was young, he knew what lay ahead for him. Life was not going to be easy, but then, he knew no other way. More than that, he had tremendous support from his parents and siblings. Both parents stood as shining examples of the loving network we all need as we grow. They supported him, defended him, listened to his calls for help and opened doors for him. He rightly thanks them with their own chapters in the latter pages on the book.
His story is delivered through this lens, of gratitude and thankfulness. Teammates, managers, coaches, friends and more are thanked for key contributions along the way as young Curtis explores sports, chooses his passion and fights his way to the major leagues. Despite the tremendous on-field success - and the success that follows as a manager of and mentor to hearing impaired athletes - we are left to wonder if there could have been more. He had the numbers to play regularly and not be a journeyman, and yet he was shuffled from team to team, up and down from the majors to the minors and back again. Had he played today, would the metrics have won out over the questions of whether a deaf player can play at the highest level?
Ultimately, I was embarrassed by the Red Sox in this book (or at least the version of them that existed at the time). I don't think he got a fair chance in Boston and wish he had stayed longer.
Nevertheless, he left a legacy. Just ask any pitcher who covers his mouth when talking to his catcher. According to Hall of Famer Greg Maddux the practice started when Curtis Pride was in the opposing dugout reading lips. Curtis wasn't the first deaf Major League Baseball player and most likely will not be the last, but he established a standard of excellence that hasn't been paralleled since his last at-bat.
October 5, 2024
You can also see this review, along with others I have written, at my blog, Mr. Book's Book Reviews.
Thank you, Kensington Publishing, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mr. Book just finished I Felt The Cheers: The Remarkable Silent Life of Curtis Pride, by Curtis Pride.
This book will be released on February 25, 2025.
Curtis Pride was the textbook case of a journeyman baseball player. He played 11 seasons in the major leagues, with six different teams. Overall, he played 23 seasons as a professional player, across the minors, majors and independent leagues, while playing for 26 different teams. Looking at his stats in the majors, he was overall, a mediocre major leaguer.
But, what distinguished Pride from everyone else was he was born profoundly deaf and overcome that to make it to the majors. As he explained early in the book, while the rest of baseball considered that a hinderance to him, he believes it helped him become a good defensive outfielder.
I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I wasn’t expecting a journeyman mediocre player to have such an interesting life story. Braves Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox said about him, “He was the most loved guy you ever want to have on your team. He is everywhere he goes.” Reading this book makes you understand why.
I give this book an A. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews
Mr. Book finished reading this on October 4, 2024.
Thank you, Kensington Publishing, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mr. Book just finished I Felt The Cheers: The Remarkable Silent Life of Curtis Pride, by Curtis Pride.
This book will be released on February 25, 2025.
Curtis Pride was the textbook case of a journeyman baseball player. He played 11 seasons in the major leagues, with six different teams. Overall, he played 23 seasons as a professional player, across the minors, majors and independent leagues, while playing for 26 different teams. Looking at his stats in the majors, he was overall, a mediocre major leaguer.
But, what distinguished Pride from everyone else was he was born profoundly deaf and overcome that to make it to the majors. As he explained early in the book, while the rest of baseball considered that a hinderance to him, he believes it helped him become a good defensive outfielder.
I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I wasn’t expecting a journeyman mediocre player to have such an interesting life story. Braves Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox said about him, “He was the most loved guy you ever want to have on your team. He is everywhere he goes.” Reading this book makes you understand why.
I give this book an A. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews
Mr. Book finished reading this on October 4, 2024.
October 9, 2024
I Felt the Cheers: The Remarkable Silent Life of Curtis Pride – by Curtis Pride
Posted on October 8, 2024 by Mark Lieberman
I got this book from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. I was intrigued by this one as Curtis was a professional baseball player, but he was born with deafness. I have actually heard of him, and think it was when he played for the Detroit Tigers.
As a baseball player, he never let his deafness get in the way. He considered it an advantage as his other senses were increased. All of his coaches, from high school to professional, helped him be a better baseball player and he also took there knowledge with him when he become the head baseball coach at Gallaudet University in 2009, a school for the blind and deaf.
He had parents who supported him and did the best they could given his predicament. His mother who worked as a nurse gave that up to handle the well being of Curtis. Curtis learned to read lips and communicate orally with words. Later when he got to Gallaudet, he learned American Sign Language.
All the stories he told in the book were fantastic, and I enjoyed the minor league tales of roommates and host families.
He was a role model and always received a lot of fan mail from people thanking him. And, he did his best to reply to all. One was also deaf and wanted to interview him, and Curtis being Curtis, was all for it. The local television station got wind of it, and they wanted to be in the Curtis game! The reporters name was Lisa, and at that time she was engaged. Later, though, she was single and Curtis made a move. They got married, and have two kids. Both kids have some hearing loss as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book.
Posted on October 8, 2024 by Mark Lieberman
I got this book from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. I was intrigued by this one as Curtis was a professional baseball player, but he was born with deafness. I have actually heard of him, and think it was when he played for the Detroit Tigers.
As a baseball player, he never let his deafness get in the way. He considered it an advantage as his other senses were increased. All of his coaches, from high school to professional, helped him be a better baseball player and he also took there knowledge with him when he become the head baseball coach at Gallaudet University in 2009, a school for the blind and deaf.
He had parents who supported him and did the best they could given his predicament. His mother who worked as a nurse gave that up to handle the well being of Curtis. Curtis learned to read lips and communicate orally with words. Later when he got to Gallaudet, he learned American Sign Language.
All the stories he told in the book were fantastic, and I enjoyed the minor league tales of roommates and host families.
He was a role model and always received a lot of fan mail from people thanking him. And, he did his best to reply to all. One was also deaf and wanted to interview him, and Curtis being Curtis, was all for it. The local television station got wind of it, and they wanted to be in the Curtis game! The reporters name was Lisa, and at that time she was engaged. Later, though, she was single and Curtis made a move. They got married, and have two kids. Both kids have some hearing loss as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book.
January 6, 2025
I received a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I am not a big baseball fan. Honestly I never heard of Curtis Pride before I saw this book. I really like inspirational stories. I have been reading more about deaf individuals lately. I am a similar age to Curtis.
I finished this book fairly quickly. It is a pretty easy read. The writing is good. The chapters are short. The book is so interesting. Curtis had a really interesting life. There is a lot of emotions throughout the book.
The book is very positive, uplifting, and inspiring. Ofcourse, negative things happened to Curtis, but the focus is on the positive. In a world, that can be down right mean, Curtis is a force on good in the world. Curtis has a very strong work ethic.
The book is something to read to try to focus your energy on the good in your own life. The book isn't a self help book. At times, it reminded me of the blessings we all have in our lives.
There are some surprise people in the book that you wouldn't think would be in this book. I don't want to mention their names but it brought a smile to my face.
Curtis has an attitude that we should all aspire to have. The book is about counting our blessings. Teaching the next generation to count their blessings to ( and work hard). The book is about the unconventional ride that Curtis has
Thank you so MUCH to Curtis Pride and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I would love to see Curtis Pride at a book signing.
I finished this book fairly quickly. It is a pretty easy read. The writing is good. The chapters are short. The book is so interesting. Curtis had a really interesting life. There is a lot of emotions throughout the book.
The book is very positive, uplifting, and inspiring. Ofcourse, negative things happened to Curtis, but the focus is on the positive. In a world, that can be down right mean, Curtis is a force on good in the world. Curtis has a very strong work ethic.
The book is something to read to try to focus your energy on the good in your own life. The book isn't a self help book. At times, it reminded me of the blessings we all have in our lives.
There are some surprise people in the book that you wouldn't think would be in this book. I don't want to mention their names but it brought a smile to my face.
Curtis has an attitude that we should all aspire to have. The book is about counting our blessings. Teaching the next generation to count their blessings to ( and work hard). The book is about the unconventional ride that Curtis has
Thank you so MUCH to Curtis Pride and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I would love to see Curtis Pride at a book signing.
October 8, 2024
Thank you Kensington Publishing | Dafina for the copy of I Felt The Cheers by Curtis Pride. I’m not the biggest sports fan, but I enjoyed learning some of the ins and outs of being a professional player. I liked it when he listed the highlights of each place he played/lived. I loved reading about his relationships with his coaches and the other players and how positively he remembers everyone. It was also fun to recognize some familiar players! There were numerous touching moments that really added a nice touch to the story. If you are a big sports fan and love baseball, you will love this book! 4 stars.
March 20, 2025
I immensely enjoyed Curtis Pride’s memoir about his life. Pride is deaf and has a hearing aid in his left ear that detects loud noises but not speech. He “hears” via lip reading (and communicates verbally, although as an adult he has also learned ASL). Pride takes us through his childhood and his journey with baseball. I really enjoyed Pride’s story and you can tell how seriously he takes his role model status. I also really enjoyed learning more about the unpredictability of minor and Major League Baseball!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook I Felt the Cheers: The Remarkable Silent Life of Curtis Pride.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook I Felt the Cheers: The Remarkable Silent Life of Curtis Pride.
April 22, 2025
What a wonderful book for all baseball fans. We are taken inside the world of a ball player with loads of talent, but no hearing. We hear of his struggles and due to his athletic talent how easy the game was for Curtis. He lived and adapted in the only world he knew and adapted wonderfully. He had a goal of playing baseball in the Major Leagues and achieved his goal for over 10 seasons. He made me cry when telling of his trials as a child, and his first hit in the Majors. He showed us his love and admiration for his parents, coaches, and team mates. Just a great book inside the life of a deaf major league outfielder.
March 22, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. I started watching baseball during the time that Curtis Pride played, but I am an Orioles fan, so didn't know his story. The audio was well done, I enjoyed the narrator. My only concern with that is it seems like maybe the narrator didn't follow baseball during that time period, there were a couple of mispronunciations on player names.
It was a great story, and I've find myself telling people about Curtis Pride since listening.
I'm very happy to have gotten the chance to experience this book and recommended it to anyone, baseball fans in particular!
It was a great story, and I've find myself telling people about Curtis Pride since listening.
I'm very happy to have gotten the chance to experience this book and recommended it to anyone, baseball fans in particular!
March 25, 2025
Excellent read. Great story line about a determined individual who with guidance from his parents & family overcame a disability to become not only a professional baseball player, but a college graduate, a coach and an inspirational role model for others. Athletes today especially professional ones would benefit from reading this book to better understand how lucky they are with the God given gifts that they have. What better last name for Mr. Curtis than "Pride" because he certainly exemplified this trait throughout his career & afterward.
December 22, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
“Never give up, never stop believing. Anything is possible if you keep trying.” - Curtis Pride
This quote reminds me of Ray Lewis pre-game speech’s (videos) for the Ravins. It teaches us, that if there is a brick wall in the way of anyone accomplishing their dreams, you run through it.
Mr. Pride’s journey to “The Show” (MLB) was inspiring.
This book is a must read for any sports fan.
“Never give up, never stop believing. Anything is possible if you keep trying.” - Curtis Pride
This quote reminds me of Ray Lewis pre-game speech’s (videos) for the Ravins. It teaches us, that if there is a brick wall in the way of anyone accomplishing their dreams, you run through it.
Mr. Pride’s journey to “The Show” (MLB) was inspiring.
This book is a must read for any sports fan.
April 30, 2025
The remarkable life of Curtis Pride 🌟
This book was the story of Curtis Pride, who played baseball in the major leagues even though he was deaf.
As you read you will find out his struggles, his battles and his victories. Curtis has a love family and friends.
I know this book would be good for students to read in Middle School and High School.
This book was the story of Curtis Pride, who played baseball in the major leagues even though he was deaf.
As you read you will find out his struggles, his battles and his victories. Curtis has a love family and friends.
I know this book would be good for students to read in Middle School and High School.
November 23, 2025
A great read for baseball fans and those who are familiar with the hearing impaired. It feels like you’re listening to stories from an older relative with fun accounts about life as a ball player during and outside the game and post career. It’s clear he has a deep appreciation for everyone who had a role in his trailblazing career.
January 27, 2025
A great book about a remarkable person who happens to play baseball. Curtis Pride tells the fascinating story of his journey to the major leagues. The author does a great job telling the story of every obstacle Curtis overcomes and everyone that helps him along the way.
September 28, 2025
about a deaf man who was a good athlete playing baseball, soccer, and basketball. he gets drafted by mlb and is allowed to go to college. he makes it to the major leagues but bounces around from town to town having good experiences along the way. eventually goes into coaching. pix.
February 21, 2025
A great Baseball story and human story.
April 20, 2025
As a huge baseball fan, I loved the book. I learned so much about CP. Great read!
May 31, 2025
Enjoyed the recap of his baseball journey. He had such perseverance.
June 1, 2025
What a fascinating person. Might be the best book I'll read this year.
June 6, 2025
Amazing story. Makes you realize that nothing can stop someone from living their dream.
September 7, 2025
This was a truly inspirational story. I enjoyed every minute of it.
October 10, 2025
A bit slow reading also redundant. Good story
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews