Everyone always bemoans the lack of anything interesting coming out of the mouths of modern athletes. Schilling says what he wants when he wants, is reasonably honest, and is a lot more interesting to listen to than the average “we just take it one game at a time and the good lord willing everything will work out” athlete is, and yet somehow when he opens his mouth people hammer him for it. I’ve never understood that.
I love his honesty but feel he’s a little too forthcoming with opinions about things that don’t concern him. He has a right to say what he wants, and sometimes it’s hilarious, but sometimes it’s like, why are you talking? Overall, I like him more than I dislike him.
It's actually a perfectly reasonable component of an overall case for Schilling.
Don’t overcompensate the other direction by dismissing the value and importance of postseason performance altogether. This is the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Merit. Schilling has IMHO earned his spot there, though not on the first ballot.
Blyleven should have been inducted long ago. It’s a travesty that he’s not there yet.
I’ve always wondered about this. Schilling didn’t strike out all that many people at all, in the minors or majors, until his late 20s (his career minor league K/9 innings is 7.4). From 1992-1994, when he was age 25-27 and with the Phillies, his K/9 was 5.85, 7.11, and 6.34, respectively. Then it gets close to 1 K per inning in 1995 and 1996, then in 1997, his age 30 year, he goes NUTS becomes something like a ten-win pitcher when he’s healthy. He strikes out 11 guys per nine innings for 5 years. What happened? did his velocity go up? Did the movement on his pitches go up? Did his command get ridiculously better as he got older? His control got better, as his BB/9 was in the low 2s for most of the nineties, then was in the mid to low ones for most of this decade. But he seems like a freak outlier for getting so good as he got older.
See, it’s a well known fact that a good player needs protection. Batters knowing Randy is pitching right behind Curt are much more likely to attack Schilling’s pitches. So they just started getting themselves out, Schilling never changed anything.
It’s the exact same thought process as Jeff Kemp hitting behind Barry Bonds in the order, only in reverse since we’re talking about pitchers instead of hitters.
You know, I'm not sure if batting order protection is an LL meme.
The mere mention of steroids makes me wince, prolonged contact causes nausea, but the batting order protection I’m not so sure about. When it comes up in the media my eyes often roll uncontrollably, so there is that.
A-My velocity increase had very little to do with my age and a lot more to do with my health. I was a 90-92 guy through the 1995 season. After I tore my labrum and Dr Craig Morgan repaired it, Phil Donnelly and Jeff Cooper gave me religion on the arm, shoulder and body as it relates to throwing. I gained 4-6mph from the 96 season through today. That was the one major factor in gaining velocity for me, learning about the arm and how it truly works.
My general undying hatred for the Red Sox has a blanket Curt Schilling exception.
Put quite simply, he is my favorite baseball personality of the last several years. I find the attacks on him for having a “big mouth” to be perversely off-key: I can’t think of anybody in the game that I’m MORE interested in hearing/reading than Schilling. He’s thoughtful, articulate, speaks his mind, says stupid shit every now and then as he steps in it, but overall he just vibrates with true enthusiasm and love for the game.
Riding the pine not getting MLB ABs (either at DH or at C) is probably worse than a fourth year in Tacoma donning the catcher’s gear or familiarizing himself with a first baseman’s glove but in the lineup regularly. Not that he has anything to work on, hitting-wise, in AAA. While the ideal situation is for him to start at C in the bigs and DH in days he’s not catching, it’s entirely possible that he hasn’t shown them enough to start in the bigs regularly behind the dish and since there’s really no room at DH for him, he needs to still get into game action and keep hitting, even if it is against waaaay inferior pitching…
"Miguel Cairo hit his third spring homer Monday against the Yankees. Cairo has gone nearly 900 regular-season at-bats since hitting his last major league homer in 2005. "
If this were last year opening day would be a week away
JI - March 23, 2009
Schilling doesn't talk, he orates
Graham MacAree - March 23, 2009
Schilling doesn't talk,
he
oratesbloviates.Eyebrows - March 23, 2009
I heart Curt Schilling
Everyone always bemoans the lack of anything interesting coming out of the mouths of modern athletes. Schilling says what he wants when he wants, is reasonably honest, and is a lot more interesting to listen to than the average “we just take it one game at a time and the good lord willing everything will work out” athlete is, and yet somehow when he opens his mouth people hammer him for it. I’ve never understood that.
pdb - March 23, 2009
It's because he says stupid things
I don’t hate him because he speaks his mind, I’m annoyed that he’s an idiot.
JI - March 23, 2009
But then everyone would have to shut up,
because I have yet to meet anyone who has never said anything stupid.
Sec 108 - March 23, 2009
He can keep talking and I'll keep thinking he's a moron.
Aaron Campeau - March 23, 2009
At your service
JeffS - March 23, 2009
We have never met since you do not exist.
Sec 108 - March 23, 2009
Just because I appreciate the fact that he exists doesn't mean I have to like him
Jeff Sullivan - March 23, 2009
Kinda how I feel.
I love his honesty but feel he’s a little too forthcoming with opinions about things that don’t concern him. He has a right to say what he wants, and sometimes it’s hilarious, but sometimes it’s like, why are you talking? Overall, I like him more than I dislike him.
And since I’m here, some fun Schilling stories:
Report: Curt Schilling Has An Opinion On A-Rod
Curt Schilling To Start LiveBlogging From Mound
Teej - March 23, 2009
Most people don't do the former or the latter though
they just jump straight to HE SUCKS SHUT UP which is irritating.
pdb - March 23, 2009
Most people see the world in black and white.
Matthew - March 23, 2009
which is why most people irritate the crap out of me.
Present company excepted, you’re all unique special snowflakes.
pdb - March 23, 2009
SNOWFLAKES SUCK SHUT UP
Teej - March 23, 2009
now you've hurt the snow's feelings
pdb - March 23, 2009
I've never hated spring training more than I do this year.
Teej - March 23, 2009
The extra week is painfully unnecessary
JI - March 23, 2009
Why the fuck can I not watch any Mariners games on MLB.tv?
Aaron Campeau - March 23, 2009
I gave up trying. Gave them my money and just gave up trying.
royalcurve - March 23, 2009
Because it's not televised?
JI - March 23, 2009
That's stupid.
Aaron Campeau - March 23, 2009
Appearently it is, but the link isn't on the daily link page
(which is super annoying)
My guess is that the link won’t be hot until about 1.00.
JI - March 23, 2009
On second thought, it's an exclusive *radio* webcast
gay
JI - March 23, 2009
Listening to spring training baseball on the radio is about as exciting as listening to James Joyce books on tape.
Aaron Campeau - March 23, 2009
Incredible
JI - March 23, 2009
Marvelous.
royalcurve - March 23, 2009
It's a fucking crime against humanity this fucker only has 3 recs
JI - March 23, 2009
This is good for Curt Schilling - he needs to come out of his shell
seattlebruin - March 23, 2009
Now he can finally get his Night Elf Hunter all that tier8 gear he's been wanting
OlSalty - March 23, 2009
fuck yeah
Bearskin Rugburn - March 23, 2009
Actually I think he has an Orc Shaman.
Holy crap I feel bad that I know that.
Eyebrows - March 23, 2009
Yeah, I heard his Guild was PO'd..
Because he wasn’t spending enough time Raiding.
He’s in Elitist Jerks, right?
Kunkoh - March 23, 2009
ESPN debating his HOF candidacy
Ugh, they are comparing him to Blyleven. If Schilling gets in before Bert, then I will officially be done caring.
Until Ichiro is inducted in 10-12 years.
hcoguy - March 23, 2009
This morning it seemed like their whole argument was
“He was 11-2 in post season games! Most post season wins EVAR!”
bluemax - March 23, 2009
It's actually a perfectly reasonable component of an overall case for Schilling.
Don’t overcompensate the other direction by dismissing the value and importance of postseason performance altogether. This is the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Merit. Schilling has IMHO earned his spot there, though not on the first ballot.
Blyleven should have been inducted long ago. It’s a travesty that he’s not there yet.
esoteric - March 23, 2009
I'm not saying it's a bad piece of an overall puzzle
but they were making it seem like that was all you needed to know about him.
bluemax - March 23, 2009
But Blyleven isn't famous!
Or at least he wasn’t until the “Circle Me, Bert!” thing became popular…
.
.
.
.
I got nothin’
There’s NO reason Bly shouldn’t be in already. Grrrrr.
PositivePaul - March 23, 2009
Where did Schilling's strikeout power come from?
I’ve always wondered about this. Schilling didn’t strike out all that many people at all, in the minors or majors, until his late 20s (his career minor league K/9 innings is 7.4). From 1992-1994, when he was age 25-27 and with the Phillies, his K/9 was 5.85, 7.11, and 6.34, respectively. Then it gets close to 1 K per inning in 1995 and 1996, then in 1997, his age 30 year, he goes NUTS becomes something like a ten-win pitcher when he’s healthy. He strikes out 11 guys per nine innings for 5 years. What happened? did his velocity go up? Did the movement on his pitches go up? Did his command get ridiculously better as he got older? His control got better, as his BB/9 was in the low 2s for most of the nineties, then was in the mid to low ones for most of this decade. But he seems like a freak outlier for getting so good as he got older.
Decatur - March 23, 2009
Randy Johnson
See, it’s a well known fact that a good player needs protection. Batters knowing Randy is pitching right behind Curt are much more likely to attack Schilling’s pitches. So they just started getting themselves out, Schilling never changed anything.
It’s the exact same thought process as Jeff Kemp hitting behind Barry Bonds in the order, only in reverse since we’re talking about pitchers instead of hitters.
Kermit. - March 23, 2009
His giant spike in K/9 was in 1997, though, three years before he went to Arizona
seattlebruin - March 23, 2009
Though I suppose your theory is fairly plausible given that his K/9 dropped off when he went to Boston
but in Boston, he was pitching with Pedro… though he was behind Pedro in the rotation
seattlebruin - March 23, 2009
Plus the Phils' pitching was terrible in 97 and 98
And that’s when Schilling’s K rate went through the roof.
Decatur - March 23, 2009
It's a joke, fellas
Matthew - March 23, 2009
Randy Johnson more like steroids amirite
OlSalty - March 23, 2009
Randy Johnson is steroids!?!?!
seattlebruin - March 23, 2009
I said nothing about steroids
And I don’t feel like going down that road.
Decatur - March 23, 2009
Didn't mean to suggest you did
It’s kind of a meme around here
OlSalty - March 23, 2009
It's a joke
LL meme – any time someone suddenly gets good, STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS!!!!!
seattlebruin - March 23, 2009
No disrespect to your post intended decatur, once you pointed that out it was pretty eye popping.
I was just messing about, I hope you didn’t think that was at your expense.
Kermit. - March 23, 2009
No worries, Kermit
I’m still getting a handle on the LL memes. Thanks for walking me through the joke.
Decatur - March 23, 2009
You know, I'm not sure if batting order protection is an LL meme.
The mere mention of steroids makes me wince, prolonged contact causes nausea, but the batting order protection I’m not so sure about. When it comes up in the media my eyes often roll uncontrollably, so there is that.
Kermit. - March 23, 2009
Ask the bird.
waldo rojas - March 23, 2009
So the bird was a metaphor for steroids! It all makes sense now
Kermit. - March 23, 2009
Speaking of RJ & Schilling
here
msb - March 23, 2009
Weren't strikeouts up across the league during that time?
Chicks digging the long ball and all that, plus age 30 for the peak of a pitcher is more normal than for a hitter.
hcoguy - March 23, 2009
My guess would be that his control improved and his splitter got sharper.
JI - March 23, 2009
Mike Lieberthal became the Phillies starting catcher in 97
maybe he was just a really good game caller for Schilling and helped him figure out what worked for a strikeout pitch
Malcontent1 - March 23, 2009
We should bring Mike Lieberthal to Seattle and see what he can do for Carlos Silva =(
seattlebruin - March 23, 2009
So Schilling apparently invented the fad of pitchers covering their mouth with the glove. Who knew.
At least according to this very informative article, found while looking for anything about him learning a new pitch. No joy.
Kermit. - March 23, 2009
If you take his word for it:
Jeff Sullivan - March 23, 2009
Awesome
Thanks Jeff. That’s exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.
Decatur - March 23, 2009
Curacao'd
ThundaPC - March 23, 2009
Yeah Wlad!
marc w - March 23, 2009
I liked Curt Schilling
Robert - March 23, 2009
Same, I loved the bloody sock game.
That was the first postseason I truly remember, and it was so awesome…
EnglishMariner - March 23, 2009
I have come to regret enjoying that game as it happened
Jeff Sullivan - March 23, 2009
Yes.
I still kick myself for not foreseeing just how insufferable things were going to get.
marc w - March 23, 2009
Not me because when the Red Sox I won I was allowed to say "told ya so" to many a whiny Red Sox fan
JI - March 23, 2009
It seems to me that you just like to annoy people in as many ways as possible.
Robert - March 23, 2009
Yeah, pretty much.
JI - March 23, 2009
I'm still glad it happened because there are plenty of Red Sox fans who never thought they'd live to see the day.
I’m increasingly convinced that the annoying Red Sox Fan syndrome is less about the World Series win and more about generational douchebaggery.
Aaron Campeau - March 23, 2009
There is a reason people from Massachusettes are known as Massholes.
Jed MC - March 23, 2009
I hated seeing the Red Sox in Seattle after their World Series win.
Brand-spankin’-new Red Sox jerseys outnumbered Mariner fans 2:1 that game. It made me want to puke.
d0nkey - March 23, 2009
My general undying hatred for the Red Sox has a blanket Curt Schilling exception.
Put quite simply, he is my favorite baseball personality of the last several years. I find the attacks on him for having a “big mouth” to be perversely off-key: I can’t think of anybody in the game that I’m MORE interested in hearing/reading than Schilling. He’s thoughtful, articulate, speaks his mind, says stupid shit every now and then as he steps in it, but overall he just vibrates with true enthusiasm and love for the game.
esoteric - March 23, 2009
M's winning against the Big Unit and Lincecum!?
World Series here we come!
hcoguy - March 23, 2009
Jaku-fucking-bauskas.
marc w - March 23, 2009
4 Cy Young.
ThundaPC - March 23, 2009
I'm going to have to create a totally non-ironic sockpuppet with that name.
marc w - March 23, 2009
Or...
…you could post something at Morsels…
(look especially closely at the home page)
PositivePaul - March 23, 2009
NICE!
I really should do that. I’ve been a bad co-blogger.
marc w - March 23, 2009
You've had a leader that leads by example...
PositivePaul - March 23, 2009
2009 SPRING TRAINING WORLD CHAMPIONS BITCHES
pdb - March 23, 2009
Spring Training is like pre-pubescence
You have to wait seemingly forever through hellish, embarrassing days to get to the awesomeness you see approaching,
lemonverbena - March 23, 2009
I'm looking forward to that.
kevin_ess - March 23, 2009
Soo Rob Johnson continues to hit
we are kind of jammed at catcher.
bluemax - March 23, 2009
One good thing about ST?
Drayer’s blog.
Ranging from Felix to nutrition the last two days ….
msb - March 23, 2009
A well established fastball
bleh.
bluemax - March 23, 2009
"He told me you have to get ahead, and if you throw the fastball for strikes the breaking ball will be better."
No sh*t. What a genius. If you throw strikes you’ll be better off… how insightful
Rudy4three - March 23, 2009
Randy Johnson/Tim Lincecum
8.1IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, 1BB, 1SO
ThundaPC - March 23, 2009
9.0IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, 1BB, 1SO
ThundaPC - March 23, 2009
Jose Lopez owned you today Timmy
Rudy4three - March 23, 2009
And Robby Johnson owned both Timmy and RJ.
marc w - March 23, 2009
Clement better get his act together, or he's heading back to Tacoma
Rudy4three - March 23, 2009
For Rob Johnson?
That seems absurd
Graham MacAree - March 23, 2009
Baker insinuated that the M's were thinking that the other day
Rudy4three - March 23, 2009
It could make sense, I guess...
Riding the pine not getting MLB ABs (either at DH or at C) is probably worse than a fourth year in Tacoma donning the catcher’s gear or familiarizing himself with a first baseman’s glove but in the lineup regularly. Not that he has anything to work on, hitting-wise, in AAA. While the ideal situation is for him to start at C in the bigs and DH in days he’s not catching, it’s entirely possible that he hasn’t shown them enough to start in the bigs regularly behind the dish and since there’s really no room at DH for him, he needs to still get into game action and keep hitting, even if it is against waaaay inferior pitching…
PositivePaul - March 23, 2009
Factoid of the day
"Miguel Cairo hit his third spring homer Monday against the Yankees. Cairo has gone nearly 900 regular-season at-bats since hitting his last major league homer in 2005. "
msb - March 23, 2009
What a jerk
abender20 - March 23, 2009
Safeco did steal one from him last year.
I was so disappointed seeing that bang off the top of the LCF wall.
BrettJMiller - March 23, 2009
Steroids
Tony S - March 23, 2009
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Lookout Landing to post a comment.