There’s a smile on Michael Curry’s face that wasn’t there quite as often during Georgia’s 2017 baseball campaign.
Consider the reason why.
As much as his bat has played a major role his first two years with the Bulldogs, Curry’s struggles defensively at catcher put a major crimp into what’s otherwise been a very productive career.
“One thing I was good at doing was separating my offense from my defense,” Curry said. “I’ve always told myself, if I could just take an ounce of the confidence when I’m at bat to behind the plate I’d be lights out. But I know my bat is what this team needs and I take a lot of pride in that.”
It wasn’t that Curry was necessarily a poor receiver.
For Curry, even the seemingly simple job of throwing the baseball back to the pitcher became an arduous chore, one where throwing out opposing base runners became an almost impossible task.
Frustrating? You bet.
In 111 career games, Curry’s batting .280 with 21 home runs and 80 RBI, and as the 2017 All-SEC first-team designated hitter, and figures to hear his name called when the Major League Draft rolls around in June.
There was just one problem.
Major League teams want their draftees to be able to play a position, and with his deficiencies at catcher, Curry’s pro future wasn’t looking quite as promising as perhaps it once was.
Hopefully, that’s about to change.
Although he’ll serve primarily as Georgia’s designated hitter when the Bulldogs open their season Feb. 16 against Georgia Southern, Curry’s taken up playing right field, a change that’s expected to help both the Gainesville native and the Bulldogs this spring.
“That was his worry. He wants to play professional baseball and it was like oh my, gosh I’m not going to get drafted because I can’t catch and I don’t have a position,” skipper Scott Stricklin said. “Well, he has taken it upon himself to make himself a good outfielder, and he is. You’ll see him out there if we make some switches. If Aaron Schunk comes into pitch, or Will Proctor comes into pitch and we want Will to stay in the game because he might face another couple of hitters, then you have to put your DH in the game if you don’t want to lose him.
“That was our worry in the fall, could we do that with Michael in the outfielder. Yes, we can now.”
Curry claims he’s a lot more at ease knowing he doesn’t have to carry such a defensive load behind the plate.
“Change is good, in this case, if that makes sense,” Curry said. “It’s different. It’s a lot more relaxing, I can tell you that.”
Granted, adjustments have had to be made.
Curry’s been catching ever since his freshman year at Gainesville High, having last played outfield for one game in summer league following his freshman season at UGA.
“He cares so much,” Stricklin said. “Comes out for early work and all he does is go out there and shag fly balls.”
All with a smile on his face.
“I think as I look back, especially here in my college career, there’s been some ups and downs and there’s been a lot of doubt,” Curry said. “But a lot of it I think is just God’s plan. My mom always told me that things happen for a reason, and I think this fall, me making the transition to just trust the coaches. They believe in me, I trusted everything they were telling me and they were telling me to try right field, I went out there and haven’t looked back.”
