DATE: Saturday, July 19, 1997               TAG: 9707190656

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   43 lines

GREAT BRIDGE'S CURTICE SIGNS WITH THE RED SOX THE PITCHER WAS SELECTED 17TH IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE JUNE DRAFT.

Great Bridge lefthander John Curtice capped a memorable week in which he was named a first-team high school All-American by agreeing to terms with the Boston Red Sox on Friday.

Curtice, the Red Sox's No. 1 pick and the 17th overall in the June amateur draft, will sign the contract next week in Boston. Terms weren't announced but it was believed he was seeking a bonus between $900,000 and $1 million based on the reported signing figures of those drafted around him.

Asked if the family got the amount it was seeking, Betty Curtice, John's mother, said, ``Oh, sure.''

Mike Cuddyer, the other Great Bridge player selected in the first round, is in Joplin, Mo., for the U.S Junior National team trials. Marcia Cuddyer, Mike's mother and chief negotiator, said she expects to talk with Minnesota Twins officials again either in Joplin or next week after she returns home.

Cuddyer, an infielder, was drafted by Minnesota ninth overall.

Curtice, unavailable for comment, was 9-1 with a 0.72 ERA and 104 strikeouts for the Wildcats last spring.

Negotiations between Curtice and Boston appeared to bog down last week when Red Sox scouting director Wayne Britton said he had made his final offer and then had doubts as to whether a deal could be reached.

``I think that helped a little bit,'' Betty Curtice said. ``It made us think, OK, are we ready?''

One holdup was Curtice's request to receive money for college in advance.

``That wasn't unreasonable,'' Betty Curtice said. ``But they knew from the beginning John was signable.''

Curtice did not meet NCAA freshman eligibility standards and his only alternative to signing with Boston was to attend a junior college. Curtice was the youngest player drafted in the first round.

The Curtices will fly to Boston next Tuesday where they will be guests of the team at a Red Sox game. John will work out at Fenway Park and meet the Red Sox media.

He will leave next Saturday for Ft. Myers, Fla., where the Red Sox have a team in the Gulf Coast Rookie League.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu