Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
January 04, 2008
Schilling's Late Career

WasWatching too quickly jumps on Tracy Ringolsby's anti-Schilling bandwagon.

In the midst of Curt Schilling's holier-than-thou pronouncements about late-career booms, it would be interesting to have Schilling explain how he turned a lackluster career at the age of 30 into a dominating effort in the next decade.

At 30, having played with a Philadelphia Phillies team that included Lenny Dykstra and Pete Incaviglia, who were listed in the Mitchell Report, Schilling had a career record of 52-52.

Since he turned 30, Schilling is 164-94. What's more, he was 34 before he won 20 games for the first time and has done it three times in the past seven years.

Curt pretty much explained it on his blog in Novemember (originally linked here).

The trio in Delaware are pretty much solely responsible for saving my career in 1995. Dr Craig Morgan (Arguably the smartest man on the planet when it comes to throwing shoulders and 'sick shoulders'), Jeff Cooper (Over 3 decades as head trainer for the Philadelphia Phillies) and Phil Donnelly (NATA Hall of Fame and member of the 1980 US Olympic Training Staff). After being misdiagnosed with a rotator cuff tear, Coop led me to Dr Morgan. Doc took about 2 minutes of testing before telling me I did NOT have a rotator cuff tear, but instead I had a "SLAP Lesion". I believe it's Superior Laberal, Anterior, Posterior Tear. What it isn't, is a rotator cuff tear. I went from "Career ending" to "I can make you better than you've ever been if you follow the protocol for rehab" in a span of about 24 hours.

Doc fixed me, Phil rehabbed me, with Coop, and Coop kept me healthy over the next 5+ years. I came out of surgery throwing about 5-7 mph harder on a pretty consistent basis. Doc told me that he'd make my shoulder perfect, and he did, but also said that if I didn't follow the protocol religiously none of it would matter.

So, in fact, Curt does have an explanation. How much you want to believe it is up to you.


Posted by David Pinto at 12:52 PM | Cheating | TrackBack (0)
Comments

I don't believe him.

Posted by: Chet Stedman at January 4, 2008 01:25 PM

Not to mention that (a) he's played on 3 World Series teams in the last ten years, whereas (b) the Phillies of the mid-to-late 90's were horrific, and (c) only an idiot would use a team-based statistic like wins to judge the effectiveness of a pitcher.

Posted by: Brian at January 4, 2008 01:42 PM

Schilling was NOT a mediocre pitcher before he was traded to the Dbacks in 2000. In fact, he had a few 300+ strikeout seasons on his resume before that. He won 15-17 games a few times, but they were really 20+ wins seasons that were hampered by the lousy supporting cast around him. The Phils never had any good setup men and closers which cost the Great Schil 4-6 wins per season for years. I know, I never missed any of his starts. The thing that really helped him after he was traded was his near perfect command, with his walk rate falling precipitiously. That is what made him great to this day. Even this year, Boston players will say he has the worst body they've ever seen.
Sorry you have to insinuate he used drugs to get where he's at, but I don't buy it at all. Schill was also having kids at the time, and I believe he would not jeopardize an offspring's birth with steroids/HGH in his system. Your article is pure junk and has no basis to even be printed.

Posted by: Bill at January 4, 2008 01:51 PM

Unless or until there is a thorough accounting of the Steroid Era (a Truth And Reconciliation Commission for baseball, perhaps with amnesty for all concerned), everyone is potentially suspect. That's one of the sad legacies of the scandal. And that's why the clean players should have spoken up long ago and demanded testing.

Yes, there is some statistical evidence against Schilling, but (as far as I know) nothing more than that. With Clemens, we have even stronger statistical evidence, plus McNamee's testimony. It wasn't under oath, but it was given in the presence of federal prosecutors. McNamee's truthfulness has been indirectly confirmed by Pettitte's admission. It also matches very closely with Clemens' statistical history. Plus, there's Clemens' body, which has gone from slim to bulky just like Barry Bonds'. Schilling, on the other hand, has always been pretty chunky.

Posted by: jvwalt at January 4, 2008 03:09 PM

That Phillies team juiced on par with LaRussa's A's. Kruk would have tested clean, hard to say that about many other position players.

Posted by: abe at January 4, 2008 03:51 PM

Using W-L record to evaluate pitcher performance?Stop the madness!

The only thing you can claim about Shilling is that he's *maintained* his performance to an advanced (baseball) age, not that he suddenly got really good when he was old. And maybe he did use 'roids or something else to do that, but there is no evidence of it. Silly accusation, IMO.

And I'm a Yankees fan.

Posted by: Rob at January 4, 2008 04:10 PM

And Hank Aaron had his biggest home run at age 37 when he hit 47. He hit 40 at age 39, too!

Are we sure that Schilling only used marcaine in 2004 for his ankle?

Posted by: rmt at January 4, 2008 04:16 PM

There is still more for Curt to address..

Why did the Red Sox fire the team doctor who did your 2004 miracle ankle surgery only 2 months after the season - did he only give you marcaine - prove that the doctor didn't also administer other drugs (adrenaline is commonly added to marcaine injections)...unfair, but it is the same game you are playing.

As for that surgery - is risking your health at all costs to play sports a proper lesson to teach kids? There are kids and parents getting voluntary Tommy John surgery now, hoping it will add to their fastball. Think of the children!!!

As for your testimony to Congress in 2005, you softened it so much from your other public statements I thoguht that you were Frankie "Five Angels" from Godfather II. Were Rodomski and MacNamee only in the olive oil business? Did you lie to Congress?

As for your preferred candidate for President, John McCain - did you know that his wife became addicted to painkillers after an accident and forged scrips and stole from a not for profit to get them illegally? And served no real punishment for violating fedceral Schedule II drug laws?

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/10/18/drugs/

McCain's attorney (John Dowd of all people!) tried to get the whisteblower fired when he called the DEA - do you think whisteblowers on drug cases should be threatened?

Too bad the doctors didn't sew his shoulder and mouth shut at the same time!

Posted by: rmt at January 4, 2008 05:16 PM

Has anyone ever wondered about randy johnson? The guy who won four straight cyyoungs in his late 30's? the guy who set the all-time single season record for strikeouts per nine innings?

Posted by: fdffd at January 5, 2008 05:43 AM

Not to mention Warren Spahn and Gaylord Perry - what accounts for their improvement and career longevity?

Schilling posted a 2.35 ERA and WHIP

Posted by: Bandit at January 7, 2008 10:32 AM

Sorry - got cut off - and WHIP

Posted by: Bandit at January 7, 2008 10:37 AM
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