Posted on 03/23/2009 12:17:37 PM PDT by big'ol_freeper
Curt Schilling retired from baseball today, ending a career in which he won World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox [team stats] and Arizona Diamondbacks and was one of the game’s most dominant pitchers and grittiest competitors.
The 42-year-old right-hander said on his blog he’s leaving after 23 years with "zero regrets." Schilling missed all of last season with a shoulder injury after signing a one-year, $8 million contract.
"The things I was allowed to experience, the people I was able to call friends, teammates, mentors, coaches and opponents, the travel, all of it, are far more than anything I ever thought possible in my lifetime," he wrote.
(Excerpt) Read more at bostonherald.com ...
Well I geuss he’ll be remembered for his blood sox game in 2004. He probably could be Hall Of Fame material. 3000 strike out 216 wins. He won’t be a first ballot hall of famer but he should get there someday.
Rice didn’t cheat with roids though. He was a dominating guy and an MVP for a stretch. I agree that his “#s” are borderline but when you think about the guys who cheated throughout the 90’s he looks a lot better.
His lack of liberalism will hurt him though with the baseball writers.
I understand what you are saying. One of my first baseball cards was a 1980 Jim Rice. He was a really, really good player, but certainly his stats don’t merit HoF consideration. I think people remember him being a lot better than he actually was. I saw comments like “the most feared hitter of his generation.” I think that is simply not true. Just my opinion, but I am a huge fan of the game and have been since I can remember. He just doesn’t seem to fit in there with the guys that are already in there. Oh well, it doesn’t matter too much to me anyway, you have to expect a few errors when sampling the best players of the game over the past 150 years.
Good point...or to put it another way, his outspoken support of Dubya and McCain will work against him with the liberal sports media.
Rice was a feared guy for a stretch in 1977-1979. Even had 15 triples a few of those years but overall a career .854 OPS (+120 OPS) guy. 11/12 years with 20 plus HRs with 1981 strike year the reason his missed. He revived a bit in the mid-1980s then fizzled out.
Who’s the next guy to do this? Randy Johnson is the only one I can think of and Musina just retired. 240 wins is going to have to do it. Bigger issue is the WHIP, K/BB, .OPS against over a longer period of time. A guy can pitch for 5 years in his career with a gas can for a bullpen or team with no run support of defense. No one will remmebr that if they care about why he never won 20 games a year or if his W/L total was less than. You have to measure what best defines his talent.
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