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| FEATURES |
Dean To Mr. Baseball Hall Of Fame Vote Caster: A Schilling For Your Thoughts
By Dean Christopher
Date: 07-14-2005 |
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| Bush man and future Hall of Famer Curt Schilling knows exactly how many games it takes to win the World Series. |
His apparent political aspirations aside, Curt Schilling has long been an ambassador for the game of baseball. The man who bled Red to lift his Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years is resting comfortably in the "twilight" of a storybook career, a tale that has assumed an epic, even mythical aura in recent years. Even if he never throws another big-league pitch, Schilling - the preeminent clutch pitcher of his era - belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Let's start with the numbers, which, in Schilling's case, only tell part of the story.
An 18-year veteran, Schilling has been a 15-game winner eight times and a 20-game winner three times - in 2001, 2002 and 2004.
Indeed, the man ages well.
Schilling's career 3.36 ERA ranks eighth among active starters with a minimum of 100 decisions, trailing only Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Kevin Brown, John Smoltz and Tim Hudson.
Pretty good company.
But the 38-year-old gunslinger is about far more than a theoretical projection of fading significance. From start to start and from season to season, Schilling, a three-time Cy Young Award runner-up, has been as durable as he's been dominant.
He's thrown 200-plus innings in a season eight times, tossing 82 complete games with 19 shutouts - which rank fourth and sixth, respectively, on the active list - in an age of pampered starters and specialized bullpens.
As he closes in on 3,000 strikeouts, Schilling (2,765) trails only Clemens, Johnson, Maddux and Martinez - all surefire first-balloters - on the active list. He ranks 19th all-time. And his 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings is eighth-best in the game's 135-year history.
While Schilling's 185 victories ranks just 11th on the active list, he's still just a healthy season away from the 200-win plateau.
But on to the good stuff - the heroics.
Like many greats before him, Schilling staked his claim and made his name in October. Deservedly, he's come to be known as baseball's quintessential gamer, as clutch a player as you'll find in any era of professional sports.
We all remember how Schilling teamed up with Johnson to slay the Yankee juggernaut with Arizona in the fall of 2001, surrendering just four runs in three starts over 21 1/3 innings of 26-strikeout ball en route to World Series co-MVP honors.
And who could forget the superhuman feats of last October? The boot, the blood, the sock, the suture - these are mementos of courage, tokens of greatness, etched forever in the psyche of Boston sports, memories of the greatest days to be a Red Sox fan.
As soon as Schilling stepped on the Yankee Stadium mound in Game 6 of the ALCS, it was over - the series and "the Series," as Boston reversed the Curse with a playoff-record seven-game winning streak.
But does anyone recall when Schilling was the MVP of the 1993 NLCS? He started two of Philly's four wins over the heavily favored Braves, allowing only three runs and fanning 19 over 16 dominating innings.
Not too shabby.
Just like his 7-2 record in 15 postseason starts. Just like his 2.06 lifetime October ERA. And just like his 104 strikeouts in 109 1/3 career playoff innings.
Believe it: Come fall, Curt Schilling rises to the occasion.
As for the man himself, Schilling is a renowned "clubhouse guy" with hardly a trait to question - except to the jealous few who've grown tired of the stream of good publicity that follows him (like said piece). Of course, Schilling's charity work - most notably "Curt's Pitch for ALS" - makes it nearly impossible to hate the guy, even if he's a Bush man.
So, listen up, Mr. Baseball Hall of Fame Vote Caster: A Schilling for your thoughts, please. Because Curt is money in the bank for Cooperstown. |
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