Curt Schilling

At 57 years old, Curt Schilling has this physical status:

Schilling played for Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona before attending Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona in 1985.

Schilling began his professional career in the Boston Red Sox farm system as a second-round pick in what would be MLB's final January draft. He began his professional career with the Elmira Pioneers, then a Red Sox minor-league affiliate.

After beginning 1988 with an 8–4 record and a 2.97 earned run average in 21 games with the New Britain Red Sox, he was traded along with Brady Anderson to the Baltimore Orioles for Mike Boddicker on July 29, two days prior to the trade deadline. Schilling allowed three runs in seven innings as the starter in a 4–3 win over the Red Sox in his MLB debut at Memorial Stadium on September 7, 1988. Orioles manager Frank Robinson said of Schilling's performance, "He showed he doesn't get rattled out there." He was the losing pitcher in each of his remaining three starts of 1988, including a season-ending 9–3 defeat to the Toronto Blue Jays at Exhibition Stadium on October 2.

Schilling earned both his first save and win in 1990. The save was the result of not allowing a run in the last 2+1⁄3 innings of a 6–2 victory over the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome which was his first Orioles appearance of the year on June 29. The win came two weeks later when he pitched two shutout innings in relief in a 7–5 home triumph over the Kansas City Royals on July 11. Working exclusively out of the bullpen, he finished the season with a 1–2 record and a 2.54 ERA.

In a transaction considered by Orioles fans as the worst in team history according to Thom Loverro, Schilling was dealt along with Steve Finley and Pete Harnisch to the Houston Astros for Glenn Davis on January 10, 1991. He joined an Astros organization that was for sale and lightening its payroll by going with younger, inexpensive players.

Schilling was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Jason Grimsley on April 2, 1992.

After having struggled with the Orioles and Astros, Schilling was given the chance to pitch and start with the Philadelphia Phillies on a regular basis and flourished as the ace of the Phillies staff, leading the team in wins (14), ERA (2.35), strikeouts (147) and shutouts (4) in his first season with them in 1992. During the Phillies' pennant run in 1993, Schilling went 16–7 with a 4.02 ERA and 186 strikeouts. Schilling led the Phillies to an upset against the two-time defending National League champion Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series. Although he received no decisions during his two appearances in the six-game series, Schilling's 1.69 ERA and 19 strikeouts (including the first 5 Braves hitters of Game 1, an NLCS record) were enough to earn him the 1993 NLCS Most Valuable Player Award. The Phillies went on to face the defending world champion Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. After losing Game 1, he pitched brilliantly in his next start. With the Phillies facing elimination the day after losing a bizarre 15–14 contest at home in Veterans Stadium, Schilling pitched a five-hit shutout that the Phillies won, 2–0.

Schilling was named to the NL All-Star team in 1997, 1998, and 1999 and started the 1999 game. In 1997, he finished 14th in NL MVP voting and fourth in NL Cy Young voting. During this season he set the Phillies single-season strikeout record with 319, surpassing the previous record of 310 strikeouts set by Steve Carlton who had held the record since 1972. Schilling either led or tied for the Phillies leader in wins, complete games, shutouts, and ERA among starters each season from 1997 to 1999, averaging 16 wins per season over those three years despite the team never finishing the season with a winning record. Unhappy with the team's performance, he requested a trade to a more competitive team in 2000 and was subsequently dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks. His 101 career victories ranks sixth all-time for Phillies pitchers, 20th in ERA (3.35), 23rd in games appeared in (242), sixth in games started (226), 34th in complete games (61), 13th in shutouts (14), fourth in strikeouts (1554), and eighth in innings pitched (1659.1).

Schilling was traded to the Diamondbacks on July 26, 2000, for first baseman Travis Lee and pitchers Vicente Padilla, Omar Daal, and Nelson Figueroa. With Arizona, he went 22–6 with a 2.98 ERA in 2001, leading the majors in wins and innings pitched. He also went 4–0 with a 1.12 ERA in the playoffs. In the 2001 World Series, the Diamondbacks beat the New York Yankees in seven games. Schilling was 1–0 in that World Series with a 1.69 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 21 innings, though he also allowed a go-ahead home run in the 8th inning of Game Seven. He shared the 2001 World Series MVP Award with teammate Randy Johnson (who relieved Schilling in Game Seven and got the win after the Diamondbacks' dramatic ninth-inning comeback). Schilling and Johnson also shared Sports Illustrated magazine's 2001 "Sportsmen of the Year" award. During the World Series Schilling received two other honors, as he was presented that year's Roberto Clemente and Branch Rickey Awards, the first Arizona Diamondback so honored for either award.

In 2002, he went 23–7 with a 3.23 ERA. He struck out 316 batters while walking 33 in 259.1 innings. On April 7, 2002, Schilling threw a one-hit shutout striking out 17 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Both years he finished second in the Cy Young Award voting to Johnson. Schilling finished the 2003 season with an 8–9 record and a 2.95 ERA in 168 innings while striking out 194 batters. In November 2003, the Diamondbacks traded Schilling to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Jorge de la Rosa, Casey Fossum, Mike Goss, and Brandon Lyon.

The trade to Boston reunited Schilling with Terry Francona, his manager during his final four years with the Philadelphia Phillies. On September 16, 2004, Schilling won his 20th game of 2004 for the Red Sox, becoming the fifth Boston pitcher to win 20 or more games in his first season with the team, and the first since Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley in 1978. Schilling ended his regular season with a 21–6 record.

On October 19, 2004, Schilling won Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. Notably, he won this game playing on an injured ankle—the same injuries that contributed to his disastrous outing in Game 1 of the ALCS. These injuries were so acute that by the end of his Game 6 performance, blood visibly soaked part of his white sock, which is now referred to as "the bloody sock". The victory forced a Game 7, which the Red Sox would go on to win to capture the pennant and make their first World Series appearance since 1986. Schilling pitched (and won) Game 2 of the 2004 World Series for the Red Sox against the St. Louis Cardinals. In both series, he had to have the tendon in his right ankle stabilized repeatedly, in what has become known as the Schilling tendon procedure, after the tendon sheath was torn during his Game 1 ALDS appearance against the Anaheim Angels. As in Game 6 of the ALCS, Schilling's sock was soaked with blood from the sutures used in this medical procedure, but he still managed to pitch seven strong innings, giving up one run on four hits and striking out four. This second bloody sock was placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame after Boston's victory over St. Louis in the World Series. A four-game sweep of the World Series erased the Curse of the Bambino. On February 23, 2013, the first bloody sock was sold at a live auction at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion for $92,613 to an anonymous bidder.

Schilling was once again runner-up in Cy Young voting in 2004, this time to Minnesota Twins hurler Johan Santana, who was a unanimous selection, receiving all 28 first-place votes. Schilling received 27 of the 28 second-place votes. Later, the entire Red Sox team was named Sports Illustrated's 2004 Sportsmen of the Year, making Schilling only the second person to have won or shared that award twice.

Schilling began 2005 on the disabled list due to recurrent ankle injuries. He returned in July as Boston's closer. He eventually returned to the starting rotation and continued to struggle. The Red Sox made it to the playoffs, but were swept by the Chicago White Sox in three games.

For the 2006 season, Schilling was said to be healthy. He began the season 4–0 with a 1.61 ERA. He finished the year with a 15–7 record and 198 strikeouts, with a respectable 3.97 ERA. On May 27, he earned his 200th career win, the 104th major league pitcher to accomplish the feat. On August 30, Schilling collected his 3,000th strikeout. Schilling has the highest ratio of strikeouts to walks of any pitcher with at least 3,000 strikeouts, and is one of four pitchers to reach the 3,000-K milestone before reaching 1,000 career walks. The other three who accomplished this feat are Fergie Jenkins, Greg Maddux, and former Boston Red Sox ace and teammate Pedro Martínez.

In January 2007, Schilling announced on the Dennis and Callahan show that after talking with his family, he had changed his mind and did not want to retire at the conclusion of the 2007 season. He sought to negotiate an extension to his current contract, but Red Sox executives announced that they would not negotiate with him until after the season citing Schilling's age and physical condition as factors in their decision. Schilling went on to say he would become a free agent at the end of the season, for the first time in his career, and would not negotiate with the Red Sox during the 15 days after the end of the World Series when the team has exclusive negotiating rights with potential free agents. On a June appearance on the Dennis and Callahan Show, Schilling stated he would accept a one-year extension to his contract at his current salary if the Red Sox offered it to him. Questioned on his statement, Schilling said, "I said I wouldn't negotiate a deal during the season, and I'm saying that now. But I would accept that offer."

On June 7, 2007, Schilling came within one out of his first career no-hitter. Schilling gave up a two-out single to Oakland's Shannon Stewart, who lined a 95-mph fastball to right field for the A's only hit. Schilling followed up his one-hitter with two poor starts and was sent back to Boston on June 20 for an MRI on his shoulder and was placed on the disabled list. He returned from the disabled list on August 6, pitching at least six innings in each of his nine starts following the All-Star break.

Schilling continued his career postseason success in 2007, throwing seven shutout innings in a 9–1 victory over the Angels in the ALDS, wrapping up a three-game sweep for Boston. However, he did not fare as well pitching in Game 2 of the ALCS against Cleveland, surrendering nine hits—two of them home runs—and five earned runs in just 4+2⁄3 innings. He did start again in the sixth game of the series, pitching seven complete innings during which he recorded five strikeouts, surrendering no walks with only two earned runs to gain the victory and force a Game 7. He earned his third win of the 2007 playoffs in Game 2 of the 2007 World Series leaving after 5+1⁄3 innings, striking out four while allowing only four hits. With this win, he became only the second pitcher over the age of 40 to start and win a World Series game (Kenny Rogers became the first just one year prior). As Schilling departed in the 6th inning, fans at Fenway Park gave Schilling a standing ovation.

Schilling filed for free agency on October 30, 2007. He said he would seek a one-year deal, and according to ESPN First Take and his own blog page 38 Pitches. Schilling later signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox for the 2008 season. Schilling missed all of the 2008 season because of a shoulder injury. The injury was first revealed in February 2008 and the treatment options became a point of contention between Schilling and the Red Sox management. On March 13, 2008, the Red Sox placed Schilling on the 60-day disabled list as he continued to rehabilitate his right shoulder. On June 18, 2008, Curt Schilling left the team to be reevaluated after suffering pain when throwing off the mound. On June 20, 2008 Schilling stated on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan show that he would undergo season-ending surgery and that he had possibly thrown the last pitch of his career. On June 23, 2008, Schilling underwent biceps surgery, during which a small undersurface tear on the rotator cuff was discovered and stitched, and a separation of the labrum was repaired. According to his surgeon, he could begin throwing in four months.

On March 23, 2009, Schilling officially announced his retirement from professional baseball after 20 seasons. Schilling ended his career with a 216–146 record, 3.46 ERA and 3116 strikeouts, 15th-most in MLB history. He was selected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2012. On August 2, 2013, Schilling was inducted into the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame.

Having last pitched in 2007, Schilling became eligible for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame with the 2013 ballot, when he received 38.8% of the vote, well short of the 75% required for induction, but well above the 5% required to remain on the ballot. His support ramped in subsequent elections; in 2020 balloting he appeared on 278 of the 397 ballots cast (70.0%), just 20 votes short. In 2021 balloting, announced on January 26, 2021, Schilling appeared on 71.1% of the ballots cast, again falling short of the 75% election threshold. The degree to which Schilling's "propensity for divisive statements" may have influenced voters has been discussed by media. Schilling has now appeared on the BBWAA ballot nine times; players may appear a maximum of 10 times. Following the announcement of 2021 balloting results, Schilling announced on Facebook that he would be asking the Hall of Fame to remove his name from the 2022 ballot and that he would defer to the Veterans Committee to judge his career. The BBWAA enjoined the Hall of Fame to ignore his request and leave him on the ballot for 2022. He was not selected on the 2022 ballot, receiving 58.6% of the vote in his 10th and final year on the BBWAA ballot. He will be eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Today's Game Committee in December 2022.

During the prime of his career, Schilling was capable of reaching and sustaining speeds of 94–98 mph on his four-seam fastball. Throughout his career, he was characterized by a determination to go deep into ballgames, routinely pitching past the sixth and seventh innings. He combined his endurance with pinpoint control, especially on his fastball. Schilling's "out" pitch was a split-finger fastball, which he generally located beneath the strike zone (resulting in many swinging strikeouts). He also possessed an above-average changeup, an effective slider, and mixed in an occasional curveball, though he mainly alternated between his fastball and splitter. Though his velocity decreased in later years (to the 89–93 range on his fastball), his control remained excellent, and he is currently fifth in career strikeout to walk ratio.

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