Come home Curt!
I remember the exact moment it happened like it was yesterday. I was in Cooperstown New York as a camper on a Lake Owego sleep over camp field trip. My friends and I walked up and down the streets ga
wking at the different pieces of baseball memorabilia. I had just come back from the Hall of Fame and was walking into one last collectable shop before we climbed back onto the buses to go back to camp. My friend was eyeing a Curt Schilling baseball card and the owner of the store told us the horrible news. “Hey kid did you hear that the Phils traded Schilling to the D-Backs, ” the shopkeeper exclaimed. My jaw just hung in my mouth. Having spent the last month away from home I hadn’t heard the rumors. I couldn’t believe it. The Phillies had traded away the hero of the 1993 World Series Team.
Later I would learn about the bickering between former Phils GM Ed Wade and Curt Schilling. Schilling eventually became so upset with management that he demanded a trade. He felt that since their success in 1993 the Phillies were no longer committed to winning. In fairness to Wade I don’t think the Phillies low win tallies were for lack of trying. The Phillies couldn’t win because Ed Wade was a terrible General Manager. If he was any good he never would have gotten into a public war of words with Schilling or allow the same thing to happen to Scott Rolen a few seasons later.
When Schilling left Philadelphia he had nothing but good things to say. "I will leave here with nothing but the best memories on and off the field," said Schilling during the news conference when the trade was announced. Since the trade he has often commented that would look favorably upon returning to Philadelphia.
Curt is still under contract with the Red Sox, but will be a free agent after this season. He also recently announced that he plans to play baseball in 2008. So let this blog post be the beginning of the official courtship of Curt Schilling. The 2008 season may seem it’s far away but dare to dream for a moment. Imagine a Phillies starting rotation headed by Schilling and followed by Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Adam Eaton, and Jamie Moyer. Imagine the ticker tape parade on Broad Street when the conquering hero Schilling brings home a World Series title to Philadelphia. Come home Curt, we miss you!
Sources:
Schilling ‘I will play in 2008’
By ESPN.com news services
D-Backs acquire Schilling form Phillies
By Associate Press
First picture of Curt Schilling from sportsline.com
2 comments:
First off, thanks for the link.
Second, as great of pitcher that Schilling was and can still be at times, I don't really like him. He's a pompous self-righteous a-hole, but if he pitches well, then I guess I don't care.
Don't sell this seasons Phillies down the river yet, we may just have a celebratory parade in '07.
Thank you for writing the first comment on my blog.
Schilling does have a bit of an ego complex but he can still pitch.
Your also right about this '07 squad. I think they have a real shot this year.
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