Curt Schilling Inducted into Phillies Wall of Fame.
On Friday night, August 2, 2013, in Philadelphia, many of us SABR 43 Convention attendees went railing south from the Marriott Downtown on the subway to Citizens Bank Park for a game between the soaring Atlanta Braves and the plunging Philadelphia Phillies. As expected, the Braves soared – and the Phillies plunged. Atlanta won, 6-4.
Curt Schilling & Friends
Prior to the game, however, it was all devotion to Philly’s fairly recent glorious past. As shown in the lead photo here, a slew of former Phillie Greats showed up to help honor one of their own as Curt Schilling (also shown above) was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame. We cannot name them all from facial recognition in the picture, but the assembly includes Philadelphia Hall of Fame icons like Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and Jim Bunning – along with lesser light good ones like Dick Allen, Larry Bowa, Darren Daulton, Tony Taylor, Garry Maddux, Sr., and John Kruk.
It’s hard to say if the local induction move was designed in some way to help boost Schilling’s chances for the Cooperstown Hall next year when his name comes up again, but no matter. Curt was good enough for the Phillies Wall in 2013, even if he did leave the club amidst a cloud of acrimony for Arizona a few years ago. As a character trait, it was the Schilling way: Never leave your baseball home for some place else without pissing off the people you are departing.
Well, let’s be fair. Acrimony wasn’t always the answer. Sometimes Curt’s early clubs failed to recognize what they were dumping:
After three years with Baltimore (1988-90), the 1 win, 6 loss Schilling slid to Houston as a throw-in player in an Orioles trade with Houston. The Astros kept Schilling for the 1991 season, using him exclusively as a reliever in 56 games. He finished with a 3-5, 3.81 ERA record and 8 saves before getting traded to Philadelphia and 8 seasons (1992-2000) in which he established himself as one the game’s top starters and a 16-7, 4.02 guy for the 1993 NL champion Phils.
Here it comes. …
Philadelphia
August 2, 2013
Schilling provoked a deal to Arizona from the languishing 2000 Phillies, alienating both the club and local fans. At Arizona for 4 seasons (2000-03), Schilling jumped into the 20-game winner club, taking 22 for the 2001 D’Back World Series Champions and 23 for their 2002 club. After 2003, he was off to the Boston Red Sox and 4 final seasons (2004-07) with two more World Series champion Red Sox clubs in 2004 and 2007. As a member of the Sox team that broke “The Bambino Curse” in 2004, Curt won 21 games in 2004 and another 15 in 2006. He suffered injuries that ultimately led to some unhappiness and retirement, but he hung in there, bloody sock and all, and helped 2007 Boston to their 2nd WS title in four years after a skein of zero titles in eighty-seven years.
Curt Schilling finished his 20-year MLB career with a record of 216-146, 3.46 ERA, 3 World Series titles in 4 tries with 3 teams, and enough charisma left over to heal old wounds with words and charm. Last Friday, if you listened in person to Schilling’s speech, you easily could have concluded that everything he did on the field, he did for the City of Philadelphia.
Cooperstown is another road altogether from the Phillies Wall of Fame. Curt Schilling only drew 38.8% approval among the voting HOF writers in 2013 and he would need 75% for induction in 2014. It’s not probable that he will get the nod.
The Pecan Park Eagle 
August 7, 2013 at 2:02 pm |
Great experience for you. Being a huge Red Sox fan, he will always have a place in our hearts, regardless of his flaws. His “bloody sock” game enabled me to attend a halloween party as “Curt Schilling”, Red Sox pictcher, bloody sock included in my costume.
August 7, 2013 at 2:22 pm |
Have 2 comments on this experience. By far the largest hand of the evening for the Phillies stars was for former catcher Darren Daulton. I remember thinking I didn’t realize he was so popular. Then later that evening I found out that this was his first public appearance since having surgery last month for brain cancer, and he is scheduled to start chemo treatments later this month. I think I would have clapped a little harder had I known that.
Also,I believe it is current Phillies first base coach Tony Taylor, not Gonzalez who was in attendance. Its a little hard to remember as I may still be suffering from the after effects of oxygen deprivation from those 4th level seats we occupied.
August 9, 2013 at 1:59 pm |
You are right, Mike. It was Tony Taylor and I have made the correction. Thanks.