Bloody Sock and all, Curt Schilling announced his retirement today. He should be a first ballot Hall of Famer. This would be the case for me if he didn't do anything except pitch and win those two games in the 2004 playoffs against the Yankees and the Cardinals to bring Boston their first World Series in 86 years. The guy made two starts, each with about 55 stitches in his ankle, and proceeded to only allow eight hits and one run in 13 innings.
A much better pitcher than public relations manager, Curt never missed an opportunity to speak his mind. Most of the time he held his own, but some of the time his passions got the better of him, usually when he just spoke his mind. He at times alienated teammates, but much more often than not the guy was dead on right. He took on many subjects which most people shied away from discussing.
For me it was refreshing. Agree with him or not at least you know where he stands. As people in general go he was much more well spoken than average; as a baseball player it makes him the "Grand Puba" of the Toast Masters. I mean let's face it, the combination of speaking ability and athletic prowess are not often matched together. Guys like Johnny Damon have difficulty discussing the weather let alone some of the issues that Curt tackled.
Originaly posted at THE HOME OF THE DOODLE