Lafayette Currence Explained

Lafayette Currence
Position:Pitcher
Birth Date:3 December 1951
Birth Place:Rock Hill, South Carolina
Bats:Both
Throws:Left
Debutleague:MLB
Debutdate:July 24
Debutyear:1975
Debutteam:Milwaukee Brewers
Finalleague:MLB
Finaldate:September 10
Finalyear:1975
Finalteam:Milwaukee Brewers
Statleague:MLB
Stat1label:Win–loss record
Stat1value:0–2
Stat2label:Earned run average
Stat2value:7.71
Stat3label:Strikeouts
Stat3value:7
Teams:

Delancey Lafayette Currence (born December 3, 1951) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.

Currence pitched for Emmett Scott High School in Rock Hill[1] and was signed as a free agent in 1970 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1973, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Greg Erardi.,[2] and he pitched in the Class A Midwest League's 1974 All-Star Game, representing the Danville Warriors, a Brewers affiliate.[3] That season, he led the Midwest League in strikeouts, fanning 184 batters in 191 innings, and racked up a 15–6 record with an ERA of 2.73.[4]

Currence pitched at the Major League level with the Brewers in 1975 in eight games, making one start, wearing #20.[5] He was called up from the Brewers' AA level Eastern League team, the Thetford Mines Miners in Thetford Mines, Quebec when pitcher Ed Sprague, Sr. was put on the 60-day disabled list in July 1975.[6] Currence started the next season with the Spokane Indians, the Brewers' AAA farm club in the Pacific Coast League,[7] and split time that season between Spokane and the Berkshire Brewers, the new Brewers' AA Eastern League farm team. His career in organized baseball ended with 4 games at the AA level in the Eastern League with the Holyoke Millers (the third Brewers-affiliated AA Eastern League location in three years) in 1977.[8] [9] The Brewers released him after he was diagnosed with tendonitis in his pitching arm. He attempted to keep in shape by playing amateur baseball in Rock Hill but was unable to return to professional baseball.[10]

Currence was named to the York County (South Carolina) Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Notes and References

  1. Bobby Rosinski, "2011 York County Sports Hall of Fame Inductees", WHRI Radio web site, January 3, 2011: http://www.wrhi.com/2011/01/2011-york-county-sports-hall-of-fame-inductees-10379 Downloaded April 7, 2013.
  2. Web site: Lafayette Currence. Baseball-Reference.com. 2011-03-24.
  3. MWLguide.com, "Midwest League 1974: All-Star Game". Posted October 27, 2009; downloaded April 7, 2013. http://www.mwlguide.com/years/1974/allstars.html
  4. SSPC, "DELANCY LAFAYETTE CURRENCE". Card #251, 1975.
  5. The Brewer Nation Blog, "Milwaukee Brewers Uniform Number History: #20". Published June 9, 2012; downloaded April 7, 2013. http://brewernation.mlblogs.com/tag/lafayette-currence/
  6. Associated Press, "Royals triumph, 4-1", The Southeast Missourian, July 24, 1975, p. 15.
  7. The Spokesman-Review (Spokane), "Howard sets Indians' lineup", Spokesman-Review, April 13, 1976, p. 13.
  8. The Baseball Cube, "Lafayette Currence". Downloaded April 7, 2013. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=Lafayette-Currence
  9. Baseball-Reference.com, "Lafayette Currence". Downloaded April 7, 2013. https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=curren001del
  10. News: Gault . Earl . A return to the 'show' . 4 December 2022 . . 23 August 1977 . 6.