Sad news from ESPN

BOSTON—Curt Schilling said Friday he’s out for the season, and his career might be over, too.

The 41-year-old Boston Red Sox right-hander said Friday on radio station WEEI-AM he will have shoulder surgery next week.

“My season is over and there is a pretty decent chance I have thrown my last pitch forever,” he said.

Schilling’s physician, Dr. Craig Morgan, confirmed to The Associated Press the surgery will be done Monday in Wilmington, Del.

“If you use a scale of 1-10 and 10 is pitching in the big leagues, I’m at about 3 right now,” Schilling said. “I’m going in to make it not hurt anymore.”

Schilling was drafted by the Red Sox in the second round in 1986, but was traded with Brady Anderson to the Orioles for Mike Boddicker before the had a chance to make the major league club. Ironically, he debuted against the Red Sox in 1988, going seven innings with a line of 6 H, 2 SO, 5 BB, 3 ER. Schilling finishes his career – if it is finished – with 216 wins, 83 complete games, 20 shut outs, 3116 strikeouts, a 3.46 ERA, and a career WHIP of 1.137. He was also one Jason Varitek shake-off away from a no-hitter.

Obviously, Schilling’s playoff performance during his career was even better, going 11-2 with 4 complete games, 120 strikeouts, an ERA of 2.23 and a WHIP of approximately 0.97. His final game was – of course – against the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series, a game he won, going 5-and-a-third with a line of 4 H, 4 SO, 2 BB, 1 ER.

Schilling played for the Orioles, the Astros, the Phillies, the Diamondbacks, and the Sox. He was a six-time All-Star, and competed in 4 World Series, losing one to Toronto with the Phillies, and beating New York, St. Louis and Colorado, with the Diamonbacks and the Red Sox. To my knowledge, Schilling was regarded as one of the most thoroughly prepared pitchers in the game, and cemented his reputation as a “warrior” with is performances in the 2004 playoffs, pitching effectively against the Yankees in Game 6 and the Cardinals with a sutured tendon.

I wasn’t abundantly confident that we would be seeing Schilling take the hill again when the news came out that he had shoulder issues this spring. I don’t think – from a run-prevention standpoint – this really hurts the Sox, but I will miss seeing him on the mound. I get the sense that he and I would disagree on a great deal about non-baseball related topics, but he seems to say what he thinks, and to often – although not always – admit when he thinks he’s wrong. Not all athletes (and certainly not all journalists) can claim to do as much. He was an All-Star pitcher who played even bigger than he was when it mattered, and he sacrificed not only his health and comfort, but a year of his career to make the Red Sox World Series Champions. While Yankees’ fans no longer need to worry about pissing themselves at the thought of facing him in the playoffs, I – for one – will miss Curt Schilling.

I’ll miss him too. He seems like a great guy. Lots of people really hate him, but lots of people are more often than not wrong.

Now, when will Timlin retire?

If he came back, we could have traded away Colon for prospects.