Curt Schilling congratulates Hall of Famers, promises more on falling short again
Curt Schilling fell short of the Hall of Fame again.
Rather than sulk over his eighth straight year of missing the cut, Schilling took the high road, congratulating the two inductees announced on Tuesday, Derek Jeter and Larry Walker.
He also promised more to come.
Schilling’s Hall of Fame response
Schilling was active on Twitter Tuesday, interacting with supportive fans touting his Hall credentials.
He thanked his fans while turning his attention to Jeter and Walker who “deserve their due in Cooperstown!”
Thank you. The tweets, DM's, Emails have been both staggering and overwhelming. That you took the time is appreciated. But these are fights for another day, Congratulations to Derek and Larry, two good men who deserve their due in Cooperstown! #Rolen4HOF2021
— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) January 22, 2020
Promises to ‘talk about the other stuff’
But he did promise to “talk about the other stuff” in the coming days while giving a nod to Jeter, one of his biggest rivals during his days with the Boston Red Sox and in the classic 2001 World Series matchup between the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Today is about the two men who were voted into the MLB HOF. Talk about the other stuff outside the next few days. Derek Jeter was as fun to compete against as any player I faced in 22 years. The wink/smirk we exchanged prior to pitch 1 Gm 7 2001 will be something I never forget.
— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) January 22, 2020
Schilling’s complicated Hall case
Schilling’s Hall case is an interesting one. He has good, but not great regular-season numbers (3.46 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) next to one of the all-time great postseason résumés that includes three World Series championships, an 11-2 record, 2.23 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in 19 starts.
He was named the co-MVP of the 2001 World Series alongside Randy Johnson, and his performances during Boston’s World Series runs are iconic.
His supporters argue that his playoff résumé is more than enough to push him over the edge and into the Hall.
And they may be right. He was the leading vote getter among non-inductees, garnering yes votes on 70 percent of ballots, falling short of the 75-percent threshold and holding a significant edge over other controversial candidates like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and their associations with the steroid era.
With no sure first-ballot inductees like Jeter on next year’s ballot, 2021 could be Schilling’s year.
The controversy
Some believe that it’s “the other stuff” that Schilling teased in his congratulatory tweet that’s kept him out up until now. Schilling, an avid supporter of President Donald Trump, has spent much of his retirement endorsing controversial social and political views that have made him a pariah in some circles while potentially harming his support among Hall voters.
With two more years of eligibility remaining, next year appears his best chance as the clock ticks.
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