Boston Red Sox Pitcher Curt Schilling Retires

Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling has announced his retirement from major league baseball. Unfortunately, it's a few years too late. As a Yankee fan, I've witnessed Curt Schilling help ruin many seasons for the New York Yankees. Schilling and Randy Johnson were co-MVPs in 2001, when the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Yankees 4 games to 3 in the World Series. Then, Schilling committed the ultimate sin, he signed with the Boston Red Sox and promptly declared, "I guess I hate the Yankees now."

In his first year with the Red Sox, 2004, Schilling went 21-6. After an incredible regular season, Schilling continued his excellent pitching in the postseason. Schilling would help the Red Sox comeback from an 0-3 deficit to win the AL Division Series against the Yankees. Schilling will be remembered for pitching the Red Sox to victory in game six, with an injured ankle. The image of Schilling on the mound, with his blood soaked sock, was etched in our minds. The lucky, bloody sock is now in the Hall of Fame . The Red Sox would go on to win the World Series that year (2004), the first of two (2007), during Schilling's tenure.

It's fitting that Schilling is ending his career with the team that drafted him. The Red Sox drafted Schilling in 1986, then traded him to Baltimore in 1998. Schilling would also play for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks in his career.

Curt Schilling was a great pitcher, you can see that by his numbers, but his toughness is something they don't keep stats for. The measurable stats will read, three-time World Series winner, 216-146 record, 3.46 ERA, and over 3,000 strikeouts for his career. Schilling leaves baseball after an incredible run, which could have been even better had it not been for injuries. Schilling says he has no regrets, my only regret, Schilling never wore the pinstripes.

Happy retirement, Mr. Schilling. Feel free to take some of the current Red Sox players with you, like Beckett, Papelbon, Ortiz, Pedroia, Youkilis.

Sources:

http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/worldseries/2001.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/baseball/mlb/specials/postseason/2004/10/21/bc.bba.alcs.ap/index.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=2112
http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/schilcu01.shtml
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/team/player_jsp?player_id=121811&y=2004
http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/schilcu01.php