04/25/24
March 23, 2009
Schilling Announces Retirement: "This party has officially ended," Curt Schilling wrote today on his blog 38 Pitches. "After being blessed to experience 23 years of playing professional baseball in front of the world’s best fans in so many different places, it is with zero regrets that I am making my retirement official." The 42-year-old, who has 216 wins and two Red Sox World Series champion rings, missed all of last season with a shoulder injury and had been working towards a mid-season return this year.
I sincerely hope he continues blogging about baseball. The guy can be a windbag, but I always enjoy reading his entries.
Also, staged or no, I (like Drood) will never forget the bloody sock drama. One of my last memories of my late grandfather was talking on the phone after that game. Yeah, in retrospect, it could very well have been staged, but on the night it happened, it was a bit of baseball magic, you know?
posted by Joey Michaels at 03:16 PM on March 23, 2009
I can't stand the guy, but I hate the fact people feel the need to say things like "staged or no" when speaking about 2004. The guy had a ridiculous temporary surgery so he could potentially come back and pitch in a Game 6 if his team made it that far. I've never seen any reputable claim the blood on the sock was fake. It's just Internet Age hatery and I refuse to accept it.
posted by yerfatma at 04:03 PM on March 23, 2009
You never get Satanists saying "And I'd like to thank my lord and saviour Satan..."
Well, that's not really what Satan is to Satanists. Not at all.
It makes total sense for someone who believes his gifts were given to him to thank those he feels is responsible. Would you feel the same way if, for example, he thanked his parents for making him the pitcher he is even though they don't throw the baseballs for him or make the personal decisions necessary to get to his level?
I'm an atheist and think that religion is certainly a pretty farcical thing but I can't blame a believer for thanking a fantasy man if they think the fantasy man helped them out.
posted by dfleming at 04:13 PM on March 23, 2009
yerfatma: For the record, I'm a sock believer, despite what it might sound like from my last reply. I've been accused of being naive for believing this and am a little gun shy about talking about it without a disclaimer. Heh.
posted by Joey Michaels at 05:44 PM on March 23, 2009
I agree with yerfatmas sentiment. I don't really care for Schilling and his big-mouth personality, but as far as a player on the field, he's one hell of a competitor. Other than that, all I can say is "red sox, schmed sox." The year involving Schilling I thought was most impressive was the 2001 World Series win with the Diamondbacks. He and Randy Johnson were one of the toughest starting pitcher combinations in baseball history.
posted by dyams at 06:23 PM on March 23, 2009
I'm an atheist and think that religion is certainly a pretty farcical thing but I can't blame a believer for thanking a fantasy man if they think the fantasy man helped them out.
Fantasy man? To quote Billy Joe Shaver, "If you don't love Jesus, go to Hell."
And thanks for being gracious, Curt.
posted by mjkredliner at 06:27 PM on March 23, 2009
I love Schilling and the game he brought when it was his time on the bump. But I can't help but laugh when I see so much attention given to a bloody sock. He had a tiny incision, was stitched and one or two tore while he was pitching. Just enough blood to contrast on a white sock. The game he brought that day had nothing to do with his ankle. He was in no pain, in his own words. But man, you would think he shot Liberty Valance or something. When the legend becomes fact ...
posted by smithnyiu at 07:34 PM on March 23, 2009
Always remember him for 2004. Gutsy.
He'll have more time for his software company now.
I follow Curt Schilling on twitter.
posted by jerseygirl at 07:40 PM on March 23, 2009
I agree, what he did in the 2001 Series was awe-inspiring. Schill and Randy Johnson made Bob Brenly look like a genius with 20 years of managerial experience.
If you admire Schilling, you have to take the bad with the good. I love him for fighting ALS, but his insistence on keeping his right wing politics front and center drove me nuts.
Maybe the best thing about him is that he didn't sign with the Yankees when he left Arizona. He sure could have if he wanted to - they would have killed to have him.
By going to the Sox, he made baseball much more interesting and somewhat more broadly competitive.
posted by beaverboard at 10:07 PM on March 23, 2009
Joey: "I like Drood" Quoted completely out of context and modified just because I can. I'll miss Curt. And I don't believe for a second the sock was fake. That's just asinine. Curt is a legend. HOF'er? I am so unqualified to judge it's not even funny.
When he signed for the Sox didn't he say "I guess I hate the Yankees now"? Loved that line.
posted by Drood at 10:50 PM on March 23, 2009
Joe Morgan and Orel Hershiser just called their lawyers to see how secure their ESPN contracts are.
posted by etagloh at 11:27 PM on March 23, 2009
Joe Morgan is a douche and the last I heard he may be being booted from Sunday nights.
posted by Drood at 12:57 AM on March 24, 2009
For the record, I'm a sock believer, despite what it might sound like from my last reply
Joey, I know you're a Sox fan, I just couldn't find a better way to phrase things. Even on a stats-minded site like Fangraphs, a statistical examination of Schilling's career gets a first comment about "doctoring" a sock.
posted by yerfatma at 08:28 AM on March 24, 2009
Outspoken and opinionated he is, but he's also one of the best clutch pitchers the game has ever seen, and everything he comes up with has some validity.
Too bad there aren't more like him in the game.
posted by cixelsyd at 09:53 AM on March 24, 2009
C'mon! The blood on his sock was fake!
He also shot JFK, was a conspirator in 9/11 and works with Big Pharma to cover up diseases caused by vaccines.
I love the internet.
posted by cjets at 12:52 PM on March 24, 2009
I hate Curt Schilling with a passion. He's such a blowhard and hasn't had it for a couple years, during which he seemed get louder.
However I do think he might be a HoFer. He had some stunning numbers in an era when pitchers just didn't and was a helluva big game pitcher. I still remember his game 5 start against the Jays in the 1993 WS. Masterful.
And the sock is legit, if much ballyhooed by supporters.
Great ballpayer even if I haven't agreed with 99% of what he spouts.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 04:30 PM on March 27, 2009
For the record, I'm a sock believer
I am too...and proud of it!!
I believe in crew cut socks. Ankle socks in the summer when I'm rocking my kicks (AF-1's preferably). Hell, I'll even rock some wig wam's if the weather calls for it. I just dislike the thin, church socks. Just something about them that always irked me.
posted by BornIcon at 02:03 PM on March 30, 2009
I know Curt is religious and I'm happy for him, but thanking Jesus is awfully cliche.
You never get Satanists saying "And I'd like to thank my lord and saviour Satan..."
Curt is a gamer, so he's alright in my book. Still remember the bloody sock.