By SHELDON LONGLEY, NG Sports Editor

sheldon@nasguard.com

Less than two years ago, a teary-eyed George Anthony 'Tony' Curry and the rest of The Bahamas mourned the passing of the Bahamian pioneer in the major leagues, Andre Rodgers, and now Curry himself has joined his former best friend, teammate, colleague and mentor among the deceased.

The entire country was in shock when Curry, who played for two professional franchises over a three-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, died early yesterday morning at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) from an apparent renal failure. He was the second Bahamian to play in the major leagues, and along with Rodgers, helped to pave the wayfor other baseball greats to follow such as: Wenty Ford and Wilfred Culmer (both deceased); Ed Armbrister; Vince Ferguson; and Henry 'Hank' Williams just to name a few.

Apparently, Curry who was in and out of the hospital for the past five years, died suddenly at 12:15 a.m. Monday morning on Male Medical Ward One of PMH. His death shocked and saddened the entire Bahamian community, but according to his family, they knew the time was near.

"He was really in a lot of pain over the past 10 days, and we knew it was getting worse," said second oldest daughter Donree Curry-Bain. "He didn't want to eat and wasn't taking his medication. Our mom just said that daddy is dying and she prepared everyone for his death. We were kind of prepared - we just wasn't sure when. We loved him and we'll miss him," she added. At 68 years of age, Curry is survived by his wife Norma, four children - Antona 42; Donree 40; Tina 35; Antoine 33; and four grandchildren. He was born on December 22, 1937, the same month as his predecessor and former best friend Rodgers.

Curry initially suffered kidney failure about five years ago and was placed on dialysis on a regular basis. Since his initial brush with death, he had frequent visits to the hospital especially this past summer when he was admitted for a blood clot in his shoulder. As a result of that blood clot, he traveled to Miami, Florida to have surgery. Upon his return to New Providence, Curry's health gradually declined. He was re-admitted to PMH on October 5, where he remained before succumbing to his sickness early Monday morning.

"He was always a good father. He loved to sing and loved the water. We spent a lot of time on the beach and together as a family," said youngest daughter Tina. "Daddy always had an open ear and wanted to talk about anything. He really loved his children," she reminisced.

Curry enjoyed a three-year MLB career with the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians organisations in which he played in 129 major league games, and had career numbers of a .246 batting average, six home runs and 40 RBIs. He eventually returned home after the 1966 season and played a vital role in the development of baseball in the country. He was one of the founding members and a former vice president of the Association of Former and Present Professional Baseball Players of The Bahamas, and was a member right up until his death.

"He was a happy guy all the time - a joyful and a good father," said daughter Donree. "He was always smiling and well loved. Only myself and my older sister were born when he played in the major leagues so I can't say much about his playing career but we have heard the stories and how good he was." Donree Curry-Bain said her father was also a God-fearing man with strong Christian values. "He always wanted us to go to church and pay our respects to God - not just on Sundays but throughout the week as well," she said. "He loved his family very much and he was extremely thankful for us all. Everything he did was centred around his family."

On the field, Curry was often described as a man with an unbelievable work ethic, who was able to excel because of his determination, and dedication to the game of baseball, and his desire to constantly improve. As a Bahamian ambassador playing professional baseball, he represented the country well. He made a distinguished contribution to baseball locally and internationally, and his legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of Bahamians everywhere.