September 24, 2007
The Grind
Curt Schilling discusses how the 162 game schedule wears down players:
Contrary to some local beliefs, we didn't fold and we didn't screw it up. We made the post season. Not to belittle any of the other major sports, more because I never played hockey or basketball seriously, but I can't imagine a more grinding schedule than the MLB schedule. Not really for pitchers, though I certainly feel a lot different in September than I did in February, but more the position players.
If you get to the dance and play all the way through you pretty much play close to 200 games in about 225 days. Most of those off days are spent traveling or at the park receiving treatment or working on your swing or something. Deion Sanders and Brian Jordan, both All Pro NFL players and damn good major leaguers said that the ML season and the NFL season weren't even close. The MLB schedule was 10 times the grind of the NFL schedule. It's not any one thing, but the fact is, aches, pains and bruises aside, you suit up every single day and compete against the best players in the world once every twenty four hours.
Don't take that as a whine, it's not life or death, but for the guys suiting up every day it has to be incredibly tough physically, to be good.
He also lists his choices for the Sport News Player Choice awards. He makes good picks (you're not allowed to vote for teammates). Here's Curt on Sabathia:
A few guys, along with Josh, certainly had great seasons, but CC's numbers, when you dive into them even a little bit, are awesome. Hopefully he'll begin to get the recognition he aptly deserves as an ace and one of the 3-4 best pitchers in baseball. The little bit I got to know him at the 2002 AS game made me think the world of him. Great kid who has an immense amount of respect for his craft and the sport.
Posted by David Pinto at
07:47 AM
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CC's respect for the game doesn't, apprarently, include looking trim in his uni. He looks like Ralph Kramden out there.