Would anyone mind if Schilling left Boston?
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by MegECass110
I will always have a great amount of respect and admiration for what Curt Schilling did in 2004, for helping to bring a championship to Boston and putting on one of the greatest feats of athletic courage I've ever seen. I will always appreciate Schilling stepping out of the box and actually giving a strong opinion, instead of being a walking cliche (even though I may or may not agree with his opinions). His charity work with his wife has been fantastic. He's been an innings eater for Boston in his three years here. He is a free agent following this season.
It begs the question, do the Red Sox need Curt Schilling to be successful? Does Curt Schilling need the Red Sox, to be in a city where local athletes are revered and scrutinized?
First of all, I don't think the Red Sox need Curt Schilling. If Schilling leaves Boston via free agency, they could have a five man rotation in 2008 that goes like this:
Good grief.
Of course, there are a lot of ifs involved. Gabbard may be traded, the health of Lester (and everyone else, for that matter) is a primary concern, and Buchholz may or may not be ready for the bigs. Any five of those guys could be supplanted with Tim Wakefield. As it is, that is a very solid rotation. And you know what's flippin' sweet? Beckett is the oldest guy on this list. He's 27 years old. The Sox rotation could be very scary for years to come as it is constituted above.
In 2007, right now, the Sox have gone without Schilling for more than a month, and although they've played .500 ball, pitching isn't the reason why. The timely offense is the main reason they're scuffled a bit. They are now tops in the American League in ERA. Gabbard has been a pleasant surprise in his spot in the rotation. So, in sum, the Red Sox don't need Curt Schilling.
But does Curt Schilling need the Red Sox?
I'll preface this by saying I'm not a psychologist, I don't claim to be, these are just my observations. He thrived in 2004, taking the ace status away from Pedro and being the number one guy. He eats up every newspaper article written about him, doesn't shy away from criticism and takes on all comers. Schilling, with his big-game ability and big-time mouth, was made for the spotlight.
He's a competitor more than anything else. Although it may seem at times all he wants to do is make headlines, deep down, I think all he wants to do is win, more than anything else. He could care less about what people think of him. He exudes a confidence and an ego that is completely self-assured and self-aware of everything he does, every pitch that he makes.
That said, he needs to be in the right situation to be successful. Going to a team without a die-hard fan base, though it would create excitement among fans, wouldn't provide the big stage that Schilling craves. If he went to a place like Minnesota or Atlanta, he'd probably be second-fiddle to Johan Santana or John Smoltz, established guys who have helped to make the franchise what it is. Now if he went to a place like Chicago or ::gulps:: New York, they'd be handing him the key to the city in a heartbeat. And I don't think he'd have it any other way.
As I write, Gabbard is being his typical beastly self, given a 9-1 lead in the 5th. And Kei Igawful has surrendered 4 runs to the Royals to give the Yankees a 4-0 hole to climb out of. Life is good.
So, if Curt Schilling decides he wants to leave Boston, that will be okay with me. I tip my cap, say thank you for all he's done for the organization, and send him on his way. Take your opinions on Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, and whatever else you want to wax poetic about elsewhere. Boston has plenty of other things to talk about other than what you talk about.
God, I hope that isn't it! Bucholz just moved up to AAA. Lester has 1 post cancer spot and already he's our #3? And Gabbard, well he just collapsed in Cleveland and has been pitching way over his head. I imagine we will add a veteran in there, or possibly shift Papelbon into the rotation.
As far as Schilling goes, we don't need him. We can spend the money on a better/younger pitcher. He can go try to find another team and be their #1, or become a Massachusetts Senator as a Republican (good luck either way, cuz neither will ever happen).