Goodbye Mr. Schilling

Want to know the best thing about being a Red Sox fan?  I mean besides the fact that we finally won a World Series…twice in four years…

Curt Schilling isn’t on the team anymore.

I know he could feasibly come back and haunt me for another season with his blog about anything that will get him press, but I’m holding out for the free agency deal that could send him anywhere else.

Over the past two seasons, his injuries and blog (www.38pitches.weei.com) have driven many a Red Sox fan up a wall. From talking about Barry Bonds to Manny Ramirez, Schilling has never been at a loss for words about a controversial issue.

It’s not like I don’t want him pitching at Fenway next year, but I just can’t take all the talking. I want a player who isn’t going to say or do stupid things. Like Josh Beckett, Kevin Youkilis, or David Ortiz (I actually like when Dustin Pedroia says stupid things, because he’s amazing and hilarious).

Along with his mouth, he is seemingly past his prime.  While there remains doubt about the action he can get out of his arm, this writer feels he still has what it takes to get guys out. I’m not crazy about him, but I still think he can make the pitches necessary, but I still want to see him wearing Dodger blue, Kansas City blue, St. Louis red… Whatever.

It’s different when I say things about players too, in large part because nobody cares.  But when you are an athlete in Major League Baseball, and you openly criticize other MLB athletes, the set up for a backlash increases exponentially.

If Schilling ends up in Milwaukee or in Houston, I wish him the best, but here’s one Red Sox fan who doesn’t want to see him singing “Sweet Caroline” in the 7^th inning.