AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > October > 26 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USA special pitcher, yet again
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Boston — For as much as Curt Schilling has been labeled at various times in his career as pompous, egomaniacal, disingenuous, long-winded and just to the right of Goldwater — not quite going with the political flow in Massachusetts — universal adoration is seldom a problem in October.
Great athletes excel in the regular season. Special athletes are born in the playoffs.
The Braves have had John Smoltz, possibly the best postseason pitcher of all-time. Philadelphia, Arizona and Boston have had Schilling. But it’s with the Red Sox that his October legend has been cemented. That legend grew more Thursday night.
After a mediocre regular season in which he was plagued by tendinitis in his shoulder — Old Pitcher’s Disease — Schilling has again flashed brilliance in this postseason. He is three weeks short of his 41st birthday. But he squeezed a little more fall magic out of his aging and ailing body in Game 2 of the World Series, allowing Colorado one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings, jump-starting the Red Sox to a 2-1 win over the Rockies.
The win lifted the Red Sox to a 2-0 Series lead. It elevated their starting pitcher another notch in history.
Schilling is now 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 19 postseason starts. He is 4-1 with a 2.06 ERA in seven World Series games. He is 3-0 in four starts in these playoffs (with one rough no decision in Game 2 of the ALCS).
Sorry. No bloody sock this time.
Manager Terry Francona watched Schilling help will the Red Sox to a title in 2004. He has learned to trust him, especially in October. Asked what separates Schilling from others, Francona responded: “His will to make sure the score ends up in our favor. I’ve been around him so long that I probably expect unfair things out of him. It’s a good feeling when he pitches.”
The Rockies drilled Schilling in June for six runs (five earned) and nine hits in five innings. But he was a different pitcher Thursday. “He got the ball where he wanted to, probably with more consistency,” Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said.
Boston fans may want to embrace Thursday’s game for a while. It may have been Schilling’s final start with the team. He took the mound at Fenway Park cognizant he doesn’t have a contract beyond this season. Red Sox management felt uneasy in the winter about his age and his health, and frankly, the way the season unfolded, their concerns were justified.
Schilling admitted on the eve of the game that the thought of this being his Fenway farewell was on his mind. But after the game, he said: “I guarantee everyone is sick of hearing me asked about that. I am. Whatever happens happens. We’re just trying to win two more games in the World Series. That makes it very easy not to think about.”
This would be Schilling’s third ring, two with Boston, which hadn’t won a Series in 86 years before his arrival in 2004. He went 21-6 that year. Then he made the regular season an afterthought.
You know the story. The ALCS. The Yankees. Game 6. The right ankle injury. The experimental medical procedure in which a tendon was sutured to a bone for stability. The bloody sock. The win. The comeback. The Sox, down 3-0 in the series, rally to dump the Yankees in seven. Then they sweep St. Louis in the Series. Euphoria.
Now, Schilling is near the end of his career, like a handful of other top pitchers in this era: Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson. For most of this season, there were doubts Schilling would be back with the Sox next season. Now you wonder.
He considered retiring after this season but announced in January that he would return in 2008. He asked Boston for a contract extension. Management’s response: We’ll get back to you. He went 9-8 and missed seven weeks with shoulder problems.
Then came October. He blanked the Angels in the divisional playoffs. Cleveland dented him for five runs in Game 2 of the ALCS, but he rebounded to win Game 6. The Sox rebounded to win the ALCS. Again.
Now the Series. Now this. It’s October. After a while, you expect this.
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