Barney Pelty (September 10, 1880 – May 24, 1939), was a major league baseball pitcher known as "the Yiddish Curver" because he was one of the first Jewish baseball players in the American League. His career ERA is 2.63, 60th-best of all pitchers in major league baseball. Through 2006 he ranks 71st in hits per 9 innings, and 48th in batters plunked.

He was one of the best Jewish pitchers in major league history, ranking first through 2010 in career ERA (ahead of # 2 Sandy Koufax), 6th in wins (92), and 7th in strikeouts (693).

He was born and died in Farmington, Missouri.

Pelty was offered free tuition at the now-defunct Carlton Institute in Farmington, Missouri to pitch for them. While attending Carlton, he met Eva Warsing, whom he married. After two years at Carlton, Pelty transferred to Blees Military Academy in Macon, Missouri and pitched for the Academy team in the 1899 and 1900 spring seasons.

Pelty began his professional career with the 1902 Nashville Volunteers, but an arm injury cut his season short.

After playing semipro ball, he was signed by the Cedar Rapids Rabbits for 1903.

The Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Browns got into a bidding war for him in 1903, and the Browns won with an offer of $850 ($23,000 today). He became a coach when not pitching.

He was a workhorse for the St. Louis Browns, a member of their starting rotation from 1904, when he pitched 31 complete games and 301 innings, through 1911.

In 1904 he led the league in hit batsmen (20), and was 6th in wild pitches (9).

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