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There’s a lot about Curt Schilling that I really like. He was a member of my absolute favorite team, the 1993 Phillies (Team Fat Guy).  He was a key contributor to the demise of the last Yankee dynasty. And when he joined the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2004 season, he brought a culture change with him that led to the best sports story of this decade .

There’s a lot about Schilling that I don’t really care for. The guy loves to hear himself speak. And speak. And speak. And speak. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the center of attention, trust me, but this guy takes self-importance to another level.

The best example, of course (and one I’ve referenced before), is St. Patrick’s Day 2005, when Congress called a rogues gallery of (alleged) steroid using ballplayers to testify before them. Schilling was not subpoenaed, but that was a spotlight he couldn’t miss, so he invited himself along.

I have great respect for candor, but quite often Schilling would give his opinions to the press at the expense of his teammates. His first week at Red Sox spring training, he made a point of lecturing Manny Ramirez about dependability right in front of a couple Red Sox beat writers.

My overwhelming memory of Schilling in the ’93 playoffs is him writhing in agony – perfectly positioned in front of the CBS dugout camera – as he watched Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams struggle through another ugly but successful save. Yeah, we all wondered if this was going to be the night that Mitch would blow it for the Phillies, and truth be told he eventually did, but Schilling showed himself to be the greatest drama queen since Jerry Tarkanian, covering his head with a towel, biting his finger nails, and staring daggers at the mound every time Williams went to a three ball count.

It’s not that he was a diva, or that the things he said weren’t true. Or that they weren’t necessary. You just got the feeling that he thought of himself as Baseball’s B.S. police and its moral compass. Please. You aren’t the pope. You’re a pitcher.

But, man, what a great pitcher he was.

So, I have to take real exception to Andy’s assertion that he’s not a Hall Of Famer. It seems that the arguments against him are this – 216 wins, no Cy Young awards, and his numbers aren’t as good as Bert Blyleven’s.

Let’s work backwards on these arguments. No, his numbers aren’t as good as Bert’s. Fewer wins, fewer strikeouts and nowhere close on complete games and shutouts.

So?

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Curt Schilling announced his retirement this week ending a solid career that included three World Series championships, six All Star games and 216 wins in 20 seasons.

All week he’s been hailed as a gritty leader and a big-game pitcher and that is evident in his 11-2 postseason record and the game he is most known for – willing the Boston Red Sox to a championship in 2004 through his bloody ankle injury. There’s also been a tremendous amount of debate about his worthiness as a candidate for the Hall of Fame.

Really?

I have great respect for Schilling. He’s outspoken and opinionated, but he keeps himself out of trouble and as the old cliche goes, when the bell rings he answers it. But his numbers don’t scream Hall of Fame. His 217 wins are 70 behind Bert Blyleven, another gamer who has been inexplicably denied entry to the Hall for several seasons now.

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