Thanks For The Memories, Curt by Jared Carrabis
Curt Schilling hangs up the spikes after 20 seasons


I'm going to ask the SoxSpace audience for a moment of silence to honor the official ending to the career of a Boston legend, Curt Schilling.

"This party has officially ended," wrote Schilling. "After being blessed to experience 23 years of playing professional baseball in front of the world's best fans in so many different places, it is with zero regrets that I am making my retirement official.

"To say I've been blessed would be like calling Refrigerator Perry 'a bit overweight.' 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."

On September 7, 1988, Curtis Montague Schilling made his Major League debut with the Baltimore Orioles. Schilling would pitch three seasons in Baltimore, a lone season in Houston, nine seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, which included being named the 1993 NLCS MVP en route to a World Series appearance, before requesting a trade to a team that had a shot at getting to a World Series when the Phillies were not heading in that direction in the eyes of the right-handed pitcher.

Schilling was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to the trade deadline on July 26, 2000 in exchange for four players (Travis Lee, Vicente Padilla, Omar Daal and Nelson Figueroa). In his second season with the D-Backs, Schill went 22-6 with a 2.98 ERA to finish second in the Cy Young voting to his teammate, Randy Johnson. In that year of 2001, Schilling helped lead the Diamondbacks to a World Series Championship over the New York Yankees. His postseason heroics earned him co-MVP honors with co-D-Backs ace, Randy Johnson.

In November of 2003, coming off a devastating loss to the New York Yankees in Gaem 7 of the American League Championship Series, the Boston Red Sox sent Brandon Lyon, Casey Fossum, Michael Goss and Jorge de la Ro to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for the big game pitcher, Curt Schilling. In his first season with Boston, the big righty proclaimed that he would be the man to help the Red Sox overcome an 86-year "curse". The 2004 season saw Schilling rack up a total 21 victories to lead Boston into October.

While pitching on a surgically repaired ankle held together by a couple paper clips and some duct tape, the mighty Curt Schilling defeated the Yankees in Game 6 of the ALCS to force a Game 7 in which the Red Sox became the first team to come back and win a best of seven series after being down three games to none. Schilling took the ball at Fenway Park in Game 2 of the World Series and continued his October resume by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals to put the Red Sox just two wins away from World Series glory. As we all know, the Red Sox became World Series Champions and the "curse" would never have been lifted in 2004 if it were not for the legendary performance of Curt Schilling in October of 2004.

In 2007, Schilling picked up a victory in the third game of the ALDS against the Angels, he once again forced a Game 7 by defeating the Cleveland Indians in Game 6 of the ALCS, and in his final appearance on a Major League diamond, Curt Schilling defeated the Colorado Rockies in Game 2 of the World Series. Schilling exited the game to a standing ovation, as he tipped his cap to the Fenway Faithful, while the fans returned all the love that they could give for one of the greatest careers that a pitcher has ever had.

It's been 20 great seasons, Curt. 216 victories, 3,116 strikeouts, 3 World Series rings, 6 All Star selections and an 11-2 record with a 2.23 ERA in 133.1 innings when the lights shined the brightest in October.

Thanks for the memories Curt, you will never be forgotten here in Boston, or anywhere else you have donned a uniform for that matter. Boston fans will be forever in debt to your four seasons of service here with the Red Sox. We enjoyed watching you, we admire you and above all, we thank you.

-Jared Carrabis

Published on March 23, 2009

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