Alex Rodriguez’s decision to endorse the Red Sox’ castigation of his character last week had the desired effect of quieting a Boston team that apparently thought the Yankee third basemen was susceptible to high school baiting tactics. Baseball, for now, appears to be the focus in the New York and Boston camps. The important business of spring training marches forward as both teams try to turn question marks into exclamation points before the season opener.
Quiet time never lasts, though, when Curt Schilling is around.Like a gnat to a porch light on a humid summer night, the Red Sox pitcher and self-appointed spokesman for–well, most everything–moves center stage with his award-winning theatrics. Grab some popcorn and pull up a chair, folks. It’s time for The Ego and The Ankle, Part II.
If you hadn’t heard that Schilling donated the bloody sock from last year’s World Series to the Hall of Fame, the on-going saga of his bullpen sessions provides further reminder that Superman has a bad wheel. Grimacing and frowning, changing baseball cleats, acting grumpy toward the press, Schilling is in his element. With an opening day showdown with Randy Johnson hanging in the balance, Schilling speaks in soft tones about selflessness and team, but doesn’t indicate if he’ll pitch. The greater Boston area is left to worry, pray, and take online polls about whether or not he’ll rise to the ocassion. It creates a wonderful win-win-win situation for “Schill”: 1) He’s the center of attention for the next three weeks; 2) he can take the mound and beat Johnson, and the Arch Bishop of Boston will overnight his nomination for sainthood to the Vatican; 3) Lose? Run his hands through his hair, shrug at God, and limp gingerly from the field to a tearful standing ovation.
You bet Schilling will pitch. What’s he got to lose?
It’s all carefully calculated by a man who understands his consumers with razor-like focus. He sells a brand image of dogged perseverence, one that most people desperately want to see in themselves. He’s been focus-grouped and packaged perfectly.
But is Curt Schilling worthy of the hero-worship he seems to desperately crave? After 9/11, he took out an ad in a major newspaper to support the firemen who had died and the troops who were about to go into harm’s way. At best, an endearing but eyebrow-raising move; at worst, a not-too-subtle attempt to align himself with everyday heroes, the folks who risk their lives for the rest of us.
Which leaves us with this question: if heroism is about risk-taking, why, in the world of baseball, does Curt Schilling’s brand of heroism seldom come with risk?
14 replies on “The Posturing of Curt Schilling”
You couldn’t be more wrong Schilling is not in this for the publicity. What the hell does he need that for? he helped boston win its first world series in 86 years. Call me nuts, but buying up space in a paper to thank/support troops is a nice thing to do, and by no means was Schilling claiming to be a hero in doing so.
And by the way, along the lines of ‘what does he have to lose?’ JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. if he goes out there opening day and gets hurt or goes down for the season, that would kill the sox and could also hurt any chance Schilling has of racking up the needed numbers for a hall bid. He’s not going to risk his career for “attention”, that would be moronic. If he’s ready, he’s ready. If he ain’t then he ain’t.
Your comments Appreciate your comments, but I sense a bias from your comments here and your voting, which is understandable. You don’t need to agree with the point-of-view. It’s opinion.
He voted "abstain"… …so why are you complaining?
Do you not know what “abstain” means?
He did not have an opinion either way and thus he “abstained” from making a decision.
Anyway, I disagree with your point, but you also did not do a great job proving it. Your examples were a little shaky and you use his posting support to our troops as a reason he is selfish. Why is that selfish? I don’t see how it is and you did not try to prove it was. Did he say something selfish about it?
I voted “abstain” not because you did not try to change my opinion of Curt Shilling as I think positively of him but because I think someone who did not think either way about him would not be swayed to like him.
I don’t know about this abstain business but Curt Schilling is a goddamn blowhard. Always has been, always will be. Remember, I’m a phillies fan.
Abstain Perhaps I misunderstood the purpose of this whole process, then. My bad. I thought it was to comment on writing style and execution, not to debate the topic. His comments had nothing to do with the execution of my writing, but defended Schilling. That point, plus the fact that he negatively voted against two other stories of mine that had either anti-Red Sox or pro-Yankee tones to them, lead me to believe he’s using this more as a debating forum then a writing forum.
And I’ve looked high and low for writing by Trinity Grey, and I can’t seem to find any….
did not know how he voted on your other articles.. Sorry about that. I thought you were bastardizing him on how he voted for this story. I misunderstood you. Sorry again.
No problem Hey, no problem at all. I’m new at this, and feeling my way along.
there are two types of comments
Thanks …for the positive feedback. Seems I’m fighting an uphill battle here. Is this site really “Red Sox Sports Column?”
Curt Schilling Great piece on Curt Schilling. He’s a brilliant pitcher, with a rather large ego.
It’s funny how a good Christian man could take to wearing an “I hate Yankees hate” and then get involved in kicking the crap out of Tanyon Sturtze at Fenway. But there we go….he’s a good, everyday, multi-million dollar man after all….
Between innings… I loved this article, I could not agree more.
I only ever looked at schilling one way (as a ridiculously good, hard-core ball player) UNTIL the playoffs this year, and footage of that damn bloody sock was rivaling Paris’s online video. Pitchers go through like 30 balls a game, they get a new ball if the sun goes behind the clouds, and yet schilling couldnt have lobbied for a pair of clean socks between innings??? I love a resilient athlete, but its one thing to get the job done and its another thing to get the job done while letting everyone know how taxing it is.
Curt Schilling I’ve never met the man before so I will reserve judgement but I thought the story was well-written and informative.
I grew up in Worcester and I’m a die-hard Red Sox fan.
You guys must be crazy.. — Schilling is A-ok in my book.
First, someone really had to ask why he didn’t change his sock every inning? His ankle had to be really painful, and those socks are pretty tight, why would you futz around with your surgically repaired ankle every twenty minutes? This is a guy who’s whole life is superstition and routine, you think a major league pitcher would switch up his whole routine with the world series on the line? Besides, it was the cameras focusing so much on his ankle, not him. He doesn’t control the media.
As for the matter of Schilling not taking risks with his public image, you people have to be absolutely nuts. Here’s a guy who signed with the Red Sox and proclaimed that he was going to help beat the curse and finally help win one for Boston. In the world of Pre-2004 Baseball, that statement is lunacy! In the history of sport there’s few examples of someone who talked so big and then succeeding in following through on every one of his outrageous promises. Promising a win for the Red Sox?? Is there anything more risky than that? You guys fail to realize how big the stakes were, and how much of a chump he would have looked if he’d had to have left Boston without a win and with his tail between his legs.
good lord.. — Schilling is A-ok in my book.
First, someone really had to ask why he didn’t change his sock every inning? His ankle had to be really painful, and those socks are pretty tight, why would you futz around with your surgically repaired ankle every twenty minutes? This is a guy who’s whole life is superstition and routine, you think a major league pitcher would switch up his whole routine with the world series on the line? Besides, it was the cameras focusing so much on his ankle, not him. He doesn’t control the media.
As for the matter of Schilling not taking risks with his public image, you people have to be absolutely nuts. Here’s a guy who signed with the Red Sox and proclaimed that he was going to help beat the curse and finally help win one for Boston. In the world of Pre-2004 Baseball, that statement is lunacy! In the history of sport there’s few examples of someone who talked so big and then succeeding in following through on every one of his outrageous promises. Promising a win for the Red Sox?? Is there anything more risky than that? You guys fail to realize how big the stakes were, and how much of a chump he would have looked if he’d had to have left Boston without a win and with his tail between his legs.