BALLPLAYERS | TEAMS | CHRONOLOGY | TODAY | BOOKS | NEWSLETTER | ERRATA | FAQ
Jump to:
Recent jumps
» John Clarkson
» whitey ford
» gary carter
» 1897
» 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers

What's New?
Current Totals
Free Newsletter

Report An Error
Fixed Bugs

Browser Button
Jump from anywhere!
Link Your Site

Get Published!
Reader Submissions

Team Pages
All Teams
Greatest Teams

The Ballplayers
Historical Matchups
Negro Leaguers
Hall of Famers
MVPs

Bookshelf
New Excerpts
Photo Collections

The Chronology
Flashbacks
Baseball Eras
Today in BB History
Anyday in BB History
Rules: 1845-1899
Rules: 1900-present

FAQ
Authors

BaseballLibrary.com
Copyright © 2002
by The Idea Logical
Company, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Curt Schilling
Born: 1966

RHP 1988- Orioles, Astros, Phillies, Diamondbacks

Curt Schilling's Teammates

  • All-Star in 1997-99, 2001

IPW-LERA
Career 1902110--953.43
League CS 160-01.69
World Series 15.11-13.52

Stats through the 2000 season

Books and articles about Curt Schilling

SHOPPING
» Look for Curt Schilling books at BN.com
» Look for Curt Schilling books at Amazon.com
Your purchases keep BaseballLibrary.com online. Thank you!
RELATED LINKS
» 1998: McGwire 70, Sosa 66

Submissions
» Today's Pitchers are the Best Ever by Harold Friend

Around the Web
» Bonderman is man of the hour from boston.com (8/16/06)
» Curt Schilling from baseball-reference.com

Jump directly to Library content from any website!
Schilling was known for throwing laser-like fastballs and nasty splitters and sliders, for sending more than 300 hitters home to mama over two consecutive seasons in 1997-98, and for going the distance more often than any other pitcher three times in his career (1996, 98, and 2000). Driven by a fierce competitiveness, Schilling found ways to dominate hitters in spite of three potentially career-ending shoulder surgeries. He was also an outspoken advocate for young pitchers, whom he felt were often overworked by their mangers.

Schilling never hesitated to publicly air his beliefs. He lambasted Chicago Cubs' general manger Jerry Riggelman for his overuse of Kerry Wood when the rookie phenom injured his arm late in the 1998 season and then, at the behest of management, pitched in a single game tie-breaker. The extra game led to a more severe injury that required surgery, forcing Wood to miss the 1999 season. Although correct, Schilling's public criticism of Cubs management was frowned upon around the league.

Schilling's unstinting claim that the Phillies' commitment to winning had disappeared after their 1993 NL championship season ultimately precipitated his trade to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the middle of the 2000 campaign. At times, he was so outspoken that general manger Ed Wade felt comelled to respond in the press. "Much of what Curt says is irresponsible and his comments often are not based upon facts," Wade told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Every fifth day, Curt has the opportunity to go out and be a horse on the mound. Unfortunately, on the other four days, he tends to say things which are detrimental to the club and clearly self-serving."

No one doubted Schilling's desire to win, a drive that sometimes needed to be held in check. on August 4, 1999 his pregnant wife, Shonda, was hospitalized to treat a life-threatening blood clot. Scheduled to make his first start since shoulder surgery, Schilling prepared to go into the game until manager Terry Francona sent him home. "As much as I would have liked to have him pitch," said Francona, "I told him I thought he might regret that later." Luckily, the emergency turned out to be just a scare, and Schilling's wife gave birth to their third child a few days later.

Schilling didn't truly achieve new perspective on his life until two years later in 2001, when Shonda was diagnosed with melanoma, a skin cancer. She required four months of surgery and treatment to send the disease into remission, and its effect on Schilling off the field was telling. "Her battle hasn't made me a better pitcher," he said, "but it's made me a better person, I hope, and a better husband and father." On the field, he continued to excel, posting his first-ever 20-win season while amassing over 250 strikeouts.

The irony of Shonda's diagnosis is that Schilling, by all the laws of probability, was the one who should have contracted cancer. He suffered from an addiction to chewing tobacco, and his father, an inveterate smoker, died of lung cancer when Schilling was ten. After the birth of Schilling's first child, he decided he didn't want to repeat family history and attempted to quit chewing tobacco before spring training in 1995.

He later described the experience to Baseball Weekly: "I quit cold turkey one time and for two weeks. I couldn't believe I had done it. I was feeling OK and then one night I got violently ill. I threw up all night, headaches, sweating –- everything." Another failed attempt to quit followed in 1998, after he had a white lesion removed from his jaw, and he was foiled for a third time in 2000, when he accepted a golf buddy's offer of just one "dip".

Schilling's finest moment may not have been on the mound. After terrorists attacked New York City on September 11, 2001, he wrote an open letter to baseball fans, offering what solace he could: "Please know that athletes in this country look to your husbands and wives as they may have looked at the men of our profession when they were young, as heroes, as idols, for they are everything every man should strive to be in life and they died in a way reserved only for those who would make the ultimate sacrifice for this nation, and for the freedom we oftentimes take for granted."

In recent times, pitchers have gotten in the habit of covering their faces to prevent the opposition from reading their lips when their catchers visit the mound. Schilling was credited with starting this tradition of the "coverup," a practice which began during the 1993 World Series when catcher Darren Daulton suggested it. The next season he continued using the tactic to keep all his mound meetings classified, his glove gradually creeping over his face from just under his nose until all one could see were two eyes glowing under the brim of his cap. While many hitters claimed their lip-reading skills didn't extend beyond cuss-words, pitchers' paranoia ruled the day, and, under Schilling's influence, it became a baseball fixture. (EPW)


Contribute your recollections of Curt Schilling by clicking here.
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
» July 29, 1988: Baltimore trades veteran pitcher Mike Boddicker to the Red Sox for minor leaguers Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling.

» January 10, 1991: The Orioles obtain slugging 1B Glenn Davis from the Astros but give up the farm sending OF Steve Finley, P Pete Harnisch, and P Curt Schilling to Houston.

» April 24, 1991: Houston rookie P Darryl Kile hurls six hitless innings against Cincinnati in his 1st big league start. Manager Art Howe removes him with the no-hitter intact rather than risk an injury to his arm. The Reds finally manage a single off Curt Schilling in the 9th as Houston wins, 1-0.

» April 2, 1992: The Phillies trade P Jason Grimsley (1-7 in 1991) to the Astros in exchange for P Curt Schilling.

» July 3, 1992: Dodgers P Pedro Astacio makes an impressive major league debut with a 3–hit, 2–0 shutout over the Phillies in the 2nd game of a DH. Astacio fans 10 Phils while walking 4. The Dodgers also take the opener, 5–1, with Bob Ojeda topping Curt Schilling.

» September 9, 1992: Philadelphia P Curt Schilling tosses a 1-hit, 2–1 victory over the Mets. The lone hit is a home run by Bobby Bonilla in the 5th inning.

» October 13, 1993: The combined pitching of Tommy Greene and Mitch Williams give the Phillies a 6-3 win over the Braves and the NL pennant. Dave Hollins hits a 2-run homer for the winners, while Mickey Morandini and Darren Daulton also drive in 2 runs each. Curt Schilling is named the NLCS MVP despite no victories: he gave up just 3 earned runs and struck out 19 in 16 innings.

» October 21, 1993: In sharp contrast to Game 4, the pitchers are in control of Game Five of the Series, with Curt Schilling holding Toronto to five hits in shutting them down by a count of 2-0. Kevin Stocker's double in the 2nd inning proves to be decisive.

» July 11, 1996: After 14 straight road losses—a club record—the Phils finally win, beating the Expos, 3–2, behind Curt Schilling.

» August 15, 1996: The 1st-place Braves top Curt Schilling and the Phils, 85. Terrel Wade wins his 4th against no losses and collects his 1st ML hit. Marquis Grissom extends his hit streak to 20 games with a single and double.

» August 21, 1996: Phils ace Curt Schilling faces 28 batters in a 2-hit, 6–0 win over the Dodgers. Schilling strikes out 12. Rookie Scott Rolen hits his 1st two ML homers, both off Hideo Nomo.

» August 26, 1996: The Giants' William Van Landingham allows two hits over eight innings and defeats the visiting Phils, 1–0. At one point, Van Landingham retires 17 straight hitters. Curt Schilling allows a run in the 1st, and strikes out 11, in taking the loss.

» May 27, 1997: Barry Larkin's streak of consecutively reaching base at 13—one shy of the N.L. record—is stopped by Curt Schilling, who goes all the way to beat Cincinnati, 2–1. Larkin singles in the first inning, but flies out in the 3rd to end his streak one shy of Pedro Guerrero's N.L. record set in 1985.

» July 21, 1997: Phillies ace Curt Schilling fans 15 in eight innings, the most in the National League this season, but loses 3–2 to the visiting Pirates. Home runs by Al Martin and Kevin Polcovich are the difference. Polcovich homers in the seventh after he missing a suicide-squeeze bunt, resulting in a Buc' runner being tagged out. Before the game, the Phillies trade veteran Darren Daulton to Florida for outfielder Billy McMillon.

» September 1, 1997: Before 50,869 at the Vet, the Phillies defeat the Yankees, 5-1, behind Curt Schilling, who fans 16 batters in eight innings of action, and does not walk a man. The Phils will win the next to sweep the series with the defending World champs.

» September 16, 1997: In Philadelphia, Curt Schilling retires the first 22 Mets batters to lead the Phils to a 3–2 win. He also passes the 300-strikeout mark when he strikes out Edgardo Alfonzo in the 4th inning, just the 13th pitcher to reach it and the first in the National League since Mike Scott in 1986. Pinch-hitter Luis Lopez breaks up Schilling's bid for a no hitter with a one-out, single to center in the eighth.

» September 21, 1997: The Cubs beat the Phils, 11–3, but Curt Schilling racks up eight K's to match J.R. Richard for the most strikeouts by a National League righty (313). He'll finish with 319 strikeouts. Ryne Sandberg, in his final game at Wrigley, is 2-for-3 before leaving for a pinch runner in the 5th. He makes a curtain call in the 7th when Harry Caray sings. Kevin Tapani wins his 6th straight start.

» March 31, 1998: The Mets and Phillies tie the National League mark for the longest opening day game, with NY coming out on top with a 1–0 win in 14 innings on pinch-hitter Alberto Castillo's single. Curt Schilling shuts out the Mets for the first eight innings on only two hits, while fanning 9.

» April 5, 1998: In a duel of aces, Philadelphia's Curt Schilling strikes out 15 to beat Greg Maddux, 2–1.

» August 30, 1998: Curt Schilling throws his ML-leading 13th CG, stopping the Giabnts, 5–4. Schilling is helped by a triple play as he raises his strikeout total to an National League-high 258. Bonds hits homers #29 and #30, the 7th straight year he's had 30 homers and the 8th year he's reached 100 RBIs.

» September 26, 1998: Phillies P Curt Schilling strikes out seven batter s to reach the 300 mark in the season. He thus becomes the 5th pitcher in major league history to fan 300 or more in consecutive seasons. Florida wins in the 10th, 4–3 on Dave Berg's 2–out double. The Phillies also lose the nightcap, 1–0, in 13 innings.

» May 7, 1999: The Rockies defeat the Phillies, 8-1. In the process, they tie an NL record by extending their scoring streak to 14 straight innings before Curt Schilling stops them in the 2nd frame.

» May 23, 1999: The Mets rally for five runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the Phillies and Curt Schilling, 5-4.

» July 26, 2000: The Phillies deal ace Curt Schilling, sending him to the Diamondbacks for 1B Travis Lee, and pitchers Omar Daal, Vicente Padilla, and Nelson Figueroa.

» September 12, 2000: The Diamondbacks edge the Dodgers, 5-4, despite Dave Hansen's ML record-breaking 7th pinch-hit home run of the season. Hansen's blast, off Curt Schilling, breaks the mark set in 1932 by Brooklyn's Johnny Frederick.

» May 26, 2001: Arizona's Curt Schilling takes a no-hitter into the 8th inning against the Padres before catcher Ben Davis breaks it up with a bunt single. The bunt in a no-no is controversial. Schilling allows a run in the 9th and finishes with a 3-hitter and a win, 3–1.

» July 18, 2001: The Padres–Diamondbacks game is suspended after two innings because of an explosion in a LF light tower. Curt Schilling throws two perfect innings allwing no hits.

» September 18, 2001: The Rockies came back from a 6-0 deficit in the first inning deficit, in which they make five errors, and pound Curt Schilling to defeat the Diamondbacks 10-9. The Rocks win it on dramatic back-to-back homers by Todd Helton and Jeff Cirillo off Byung-Hyun Kim in the bottom of the 9th. The DBacks lead over SF is now just one 1/2 games.

» October 9, 2001: The Diamondbacks take the 1st game of their Divisional Series as Curt Schilling outpitches Matt Morris in hurling a 3-hit, 1-0 shutout. Steve Finley gets three hits for Arizona and drives home the game's only run.

» October 14, 2001: The Diamondbacks advance to the NLCS with a 2-1 victory over the Cardinals. Tony Womack's 2-out single in the bottom half of the 9th plates the winning run and makes a winner out of Curt Schilling.

» October 19, 2001: Curt Schilling's 4-hitter gives the Diamondbacks the lead in the NLCS as Arizona defeats Atlanta, 5-1. Schilling fans 12 for Atlanta as Craig Counsell gets three hits and Steve Finley drives home three runs.

» October 27, 2001: The Diamondbacks pound the Yankees in the opener of the World Series by a score of 9-1 behind Curt Schilling. Schilling hurls seven innings to win his 4th game of the postseason. Craig Counsell and Luis Gonzalez homer for Arizona as Mike Mussina takes the loss.

» October 28, 2001: Arizona's Curt Schilling is announced as the winner of the annual Roberto Clemente Award for his contributions to the game both on and off the field.

» October 31, 2001: In a thrilling contest, the Yankees defeat the Diamondbacks, 4-3 in 10 innings, to tie the Series at two games apiece. Tino Martinez's 2-out, 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th ties the game, and Derek Jeter's blast in the bottom of the 10th wins it for New York. Both homers come off Byung-Hyun Kim who relieved Curt Schilling in the 8th inning. Mariano Rivera gets the win in relief for the Yankees.

» November 4, 2001: The Arizona Diamondbacks win the first World Series of their 4-year existence with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Yankees. Alfonso Soriano breaks a 1-1 tie with a home run in the 8th inning to give NY the lead, but Arizona comes back with two runs in the bottom half of the 9th off Mariano Rivera to get the win. Luis Gonzalez drives home the winning run while Randy Johnson gets the win in relief. Johnson and Curt Schilling share the World Series MVP award.

» November 30, 2001: Arizona P Curt Schilling wins the 2001 Hutch Award, given each year by Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to a player who displays "honor, courage & dedication to baseball while overcoming adversity in their personal or professional lives."

» April 2, 2002: In beating the Padres, 9–0, the Diamondbacks became the first defending World Champions to open the season with back-to-back shutouts since the 1919 Red Sox. The Red Sox shutouts were thrown by Carl Mays and Sad Sam Jones. The last team to start the year with consecutive shutouts was the 1994 Giants. Schilling is the winner today, following Randy Johnson's 2–0 two–hitter yesterday over the Padres. The D'backs get all nine runs off Brian Tollberg, who leaves after two 2/3 innings. Damian Miller has a grand slam. Before the game the Diamondbacks receive their World Series rings: Curt Schilling's son, Gehrig, accepts for him.

» April 7, 2002: The Diamondbacks defeat the Brewers, 2–0, as Curt Schilling strikes out 17 batters in hurling a one–hitter. Raul Casanova's 2nd–inning single is the only Milwaukee hit.

» June 8, 2002: In a heralded match of aces at Fenway, Curt Schilling (12-1) and the Diamondbacks beat the Red Sox' Pedro Martinez, 3–2. Pedro, complaining of a sore arm, pitches six innings, gives up three runs on seven hits, and strikes out 10. Schilling allows a solo home run to Carlos Baerga in the 1st, and a run in the 8th in winning his 9th straight.

» September 15, 2002: The Diamondbacks beat the Brewers, 6–5, as Curt Schilling fans eight batters to give him 300 on the season. He and Randy Johnson become the 1st teammates to record 300 strikeouts in the same season.

» September 29, 2002: The D'Backs clinch the home field advantage with an 11—8 thumping of the Rockies. John Patterson is the winner over fellow rookie Stark (11–4). In the 2nd, Patterson is thrown out at 1B by RF Gabe Kapler 9–3, on an apparent hit, and serves up a home run to Juan Pierre, his first homer in 590 at bats. Pierre avoids matching Harold Reynolds, who went homerless in 1989. Curt Schilling, in his first relief appearance since 1992, tees up a 3–run home run to Brant Butler in the 8th. Chad Moeller leads the Snakes with a 4–for–4 effort, including two homers and six RBIs.