Dominant pitching ace and living hemorrhoid Curt Schilling retired Monday after 20 decorated seasons playing Major League Baseball.
Schilling, 42, who was awarded the 2001 World Series co-MVP with former Arizona Diamondbacks teammate Randy Johnson and is only the second person in history to have twice won or shared Sports Illustrated magazine’s “Sportsmen of the Year” honor, said he departed the game with “zero regrets.”
“The things I was able to experience, the people I was able to call friends, teammates, mentors, coaches and opponents, the travel, all of it, are far more than anything I ever thought possible in my lifetime,” said Schilling, who went 216-146 with a 3.46 ERA while playing for five professional organizations.
The six-time All-Star and owner of the highest strikeout-to-walk ratio of all-time, will live in lore as one of the greatest October performers in the annals of baseball. In 19 career postseason starts, the overbearing Republican went 11-2 and flaunted an impressive 2.33 ERA.
The passionate Pittsburgh Steelers fan and resident of Medfield, Mass., will be particularly recalled for his heroic pitching performance for the Boston Red Sox versus the New York Yankees in Game Six of the 2004 American League Championship Series.
Throwing with a dislocated ankle tendon, and wearing a sock that was soaked with blood from the sutures used in this medical procedure, Schilling valiantly pitched seven strong innings, surrendering only one run, while helping the Red Sox even the ALCS with the Bombers.
Schilling's rugged will and amazing competitiveness helped propel the Sox over the Yankees and on to capturing their first championship since 1918. Three years later, Schilling yet again thrived in autumn play and the Sox continued to drain their sacks on the Curse of the Bambino as they won their second Fall Classic in four years in 2007.
The opinionated loudmouth, a man Commissioner Rawls from The Wire would undoubtedly refer to as a "gaping asshole," is certainly not a lock to gain entry into the Hall of Fame. But, despite his relatively modest regular season statistics, he should receive a first-class ticket to Cooperstown.
Schilling was simply one of the most overpowering arms in the sport of baseball and, despite his unyielding trap, obnoxious blogging and insatiable lust for fame and attention, it is not a coincidence that he was an intricate aspect of three championship winning squads (the 2001 Diamondbacks and the 2004 & 2007 Red Sox).
"To say I've been blessed would be like calling Refrigerator Perry a ‘bit overweight,’" said one of seven players born in the state of Alaska to play Major League Baseball.
Schilling, a superstitious born-again Christian who was selected the 1993 NLCS MVP, is unquestionably a polarizing figure and his abrasive personality may hider his chances to get nominated to Cooperstown.
Not solely supporters of the Sox and Snakes, but fans of the sport of baseball should feel “blessed” for having had the opportunity to watch Schilling achieve.
He was a tremendous hurler and he deserves a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
The Hall's motto is: "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations.”
More often than not, and especially when the air got crisp and the games mattered, Schilling consistently provided “excellence” on the mound.
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