In death, reliever has message for fans
Jim Corsi, who spent five of his 10 major-league seasons with the A’s, has died in Bellingham, Mass., after a bout with cancer. He was 60.
Corsi, a 25th-round draft pick by the Yankees in 1982, made his major-league debut with the A’s in 1988.
His best season was 1992, when he went 4-2 with a 1.43 ERA in 32 games as the A’s won the AL West. He appeared in three games in the ALCS that year, tossing two scoreless innings in a series the eventual champion Blue Jays won in six games.
“We are saddened by the passing of former A’s pitcher, Jim Corsi,” the A’s tweeted. “We send our deepest condolences to the Corsi family.”
In a wrenching interview recorded in November with Boston WBZ-TV reporter Steve Burton, Corsi said he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer that spread to his colon. And he had a message for viewers.
“I made a mistake when I was younger ... not getting a colonoscopy,” Corsi said. “I should have done it. If you’re out there, don’t wait. Don’t be stupid. I was a professional athlete, I thought I was invincible.
“Cancer is not prejudiced to anybody. Don’t wait, you don’t want to end up like this. If you get it soon enough, you’ll be all right.”
The interview also dealt with the wedding of one of his daughters — a ceremony that had been scheduled for October 2022 but was held last fall instead.
“We’re here today,” Corsi told guests, “because October next year, I don’t know if I’ll be here.”
In his career, Corsi — with Boston for three seasons and Houston, Florida and Baltimore for one apiece — made 368 appearances, all but one in relief, going 22-24 with a 3.25 ERA.