Curt Schilling Obviously A Hall Of Famer

Nobody questions that ESPN is a godsend to sports fans. Sportscenter, Monday Night Football, ESPN.com, ESPN magazine, and Kenny Mayne are all terrific.

But ESPN also does some silly things. Not only does it have a creepy obsession with Boston sports teams, but Peter Gammons’ trade rumors are notorious for almost always being erroneous, it once employed Keith Olbermann, and it seems to think that spelling is not only a sport, but one that warrants television coverage. And now this.

The top story on ESPN.com today questioned whether Schilling belongs in the hall of fame. Hall of Fame debates are fine, but Curt Schilling? Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez must not be close enough to retirement. ESPN itself notes that since 1992, among righthanders, he has 83 complete games (only Greg Maddux is within less than 25). Only Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens have more strikeouts. Only Pedro has a better K/9 ratio and Schilling’s strikeout to walk ratio is better than any pitcher in the modern era. That’s some excellent evidence for the Schilling is not a hall of famer argument.

Curt Schilling was one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation. A six-time all-star, he was instrumental in three World Series championships and starred in a 4th, pitching a complete game shutout in the 1993 World Series to force a game 6. Over 3000 strikeouts are good for 14th all-time, and had he not pitched his first two and a half years in relief, he would be top ten or higher. He also did that bloody sock thing.

The only explanation is that ESPN is still bitter that their decision to let a hockey announcer broadcast the ALCS backfired. Gary Throrne’s claim that Curt Schilling’s bloody sock was fake led to this blistering criticism from Schilling: “Gary Thorne overheard something and then misreported what he overheard. Not only did he misreport it, he misinterpreted what he misreported.” Schilling has never been a fan of the media and he made it pretty obvious back then that he was not happy with ESPN, so now they post this hilarious "story."