Jim Corsi, ex-Red Sox pitcher and resident of Mass., dies at age 60, originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jim Corsi, a native of Newton, Massachusetts, who went to pitch for his hometown Boston Red Sox, died early Tuesday morning from late-stage liver and colon cancer.
Corsi passed away peacefully with his family by his side.
“We were saddened to hear of Jim’s passing after his courageous battle with cancer,” said Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy. “Jim’s heart was so big and full of love that his legacy extends far beyond his playing career and World Series Championship. The affection he showed to his family, this region and every fan he encountered was incomparable. For me and so many others, he was the embodiment of that childhood dream of one day playing for the home team. We were fortunate to have him as part of our Red Sox family and extend our deepest condolences to his children and everyone who knew and loved him. We lost a great one today.”
“I could always count on Jim,” said Red Sox Senior Vice President of Community, Alumni and Player Relations Pam Kenn. “His love and passion for the Red Sox, as well as his easygoing demeanor, constant willingness to help and gift of great stories, made him such a perfect representative for our organization. He brought so much to so many, with an infectious love for baseball, humor and boundless energy and heart. We lost a great player today, but more importantly, a great friend.”
After graduating from Newton North High School, Corsi pitched for Division II St. Leo University in Florida before the New York Yankees selected him in the 1982 MLB Draft.
He spent four years in the Yankees minor league system and two years in Boston before breaking into the major leagues in 1988 with the Oakland Athletics. Corsi won a World Series with Oakland in 1989 and enjoyed a 10-year professional career, spending three seasons with the Red Sox from 1997 to 1999, while racking up a 3.35 ERA for Boston over 134 relief appearances.
Born thoroughly in the Boston area, Corsi returned to Massachusetts after his playing career and ran a construction company with his brothers.
“The big thing that stands out about Jim is… he’s not just your friend, he had 24 other friends on the team, and not too many guys have that,” Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley said of his former A’s teammate, according to The Boston Globe.
“Jim was so friendly to everyone. Everyone had a relationship with him.”
Corsi is survived by his four children, Julianne, Jenna, Mitch and Joey.
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