Curt Schilling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Curt Schilling |
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Schilling with the Boston Red Sox in 2007
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: November 14, 1966 Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 7, 1988, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 25, 2007, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 216–146 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.46 | ||
| Strikeouts | 3,116 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Curtis Montague Schilling (born November 14, 1966) is a former American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. He was known for his powerful right-handed throws. Schilling helped his teams win three World Series championships. He won with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 and with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and 2007. In 2001, he was named a co-winner of the World Series MVP.
Schilling had an impressive record in postseason games, winning 11 games and losing only 2. His winning percentage of .846 is a record for pitchers with at least ten postseason decisions. He is also a member of the 3,000 strikeout club, meaning he struck out over 3,000 batters in his career.
After his baseball career, Schilling started a video game company called 38 Studios. He also worked as a sports commentator.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Schilling was born in Alaska. His father was a master sergeant in the military. Curt was the middle of three children. He grew up and went to high school in Phoenix, Arizona.
Amateur Baseball Career
Schilling played baseball for Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix. After high school, he attended Yavapai College in Arizona in 1985.
Starting in the Major Leagues
Schilling began his professional baseball journey with the Boston Red Sox farm system. He was a second-round pick in the MLB draft. He started playing for the Elmira Pioneers, a minor-league team.
In 1988, Schilling was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. He made his MLB debut on September 7, 1988, as a starting pitcher. He earned his first save and win in 1990 while playing for the Orioles.
In 1991, Schilling was traded to the Houston Astros. He played there for a short time before being traded again.
Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies
In 1992, Schilling joined the Philadelphia Phillies. This is where he truly shined as a pitcher. He became the team's top pitcher, leading them in wins, ERA, strikeouts, and shutouts in his first season.
In 1993, Schilling helped the Phillies reach the World Series. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the National League Championship Series. In the World Series, he pitched a five-hit shutout in a crucial game.
Schilling was chosen for the National League All-Star team three times with the Phillies. In 1997, he set a Phillies record with 319 strikeouts in one season. He was a consistent leader for the team, even when they didn't have winning records. He spent eight and a half years with the Phillies, which was his longest time with any team.
Success with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Schilling was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in July 2000. In 2001, he had an amazing season, winning 22 games. He also had a fantastic postseason, winning 4 games with a very low ERA.
In the 2001 World Series, the Diamondbacks played against the New York Yankees. Schilling and his teammate Randy Johnson led the team to victory in seven games. Schilling shared the 2001 World Series MVP Award with Johnson. They were also named Sports Illustrated "Sportsmen of the Year" together.
In 2002, Schilling continued his strong performance, winning 23 games and striking out 316 batters. He finished second in the Cy Young Award voting both years to Randy Johnson. In November 2003, Schilling was traded to the Boston Red Sox.
Championships with the Boston Red Sox
Joining the Red Sox reunited Schilling with his former manager, Terry Francona. In 2004, Schilling won 21 games for the Red Sox.
During the 2004 playoffs, Schilling pitched with an injured ankle. In Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series, his sock became visibly bloody from the injury. This game became famous as "the bloody sock" game. He helped the Red Sox win that game, forcing a Game 7, which they also won. The Red Sox then went on to win the 2004 World Series, ending a long championship drought. His second "bloody sock" from the World Series is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 2006, Schilling achieved his 200th career win. On August 30, he recorded his 3,000th career strikeout. He is one of only four pitchers to reach 3,000 strikeouts before 1,000 walks.
Schilling continued his postseason success in 2007. He helped the Red Sox win another 2007 World Series championship. He became one of the oldest pitchers to start and win a World Series game.
Schilling signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox for the 2008 season. However, he missed the entire season due to a shoulder injury. He had surgery in June 2008.
Retirement and Honors
On March 23, 2009, Curt Schilling officially announced his retirement from baseball. He finished his career with 216 wins, 146 losses, a 3.46 ERA, and 3,116 strikeouts. His strikeout total ranks 15th in MLB history.
He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2013, he was also inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.
National Baseball Hall of Fame Consideration
Schilling became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013. He received a good number of votes but not enough for induction. His support grew over the years, coming very close to the 75% needed. He was on the ballot for ten years, with his final year being 2022. He was not selected by the writers. He has since been considered by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee but has not yet been inducted.
Pitching Style
In his best years, Schilling could throw his four-seam fastball very fast, often between 94 and 98 miles per hour. He was known for pitching deep into games, often going past the sixth or seventh innings. He had excellent control, especially with his fastball.
Schilling's main "out" pitch was a split-finger fastball. He also used a good changeup and a slider. Even as he got older and his fastball speed dropped a bit, his control remained excellent. He ranks fifth all-time in career strikeout to walk ratio.
Awards and Accomplishments
- Babe Ruth Award (2001)
- 2× Baseball Digest Pitcher of the Year (2001, 2004)
- Branch Rickey Award (2001)
- Hutch Award (2001)
- Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (1995)
- 6× MLB All-Star (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004)
- 4× MLB Pitcher of the Month (May 1999, May 2001, May 2002, July 2002)
- 3× MLB Player of the Week (May 27, 2001; August 5, 2001; August 17, 2003)
- National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award (1993)
- Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame inductee (2013)
- Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame inductee (2014)
- 2× Players Choice Award for NL Outstanding Pitcher (2001, 2002)
- Roberto Clemente Award (2001)
- 2× Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year (2001, 2002)
- Sporting News Sportsman of the Year (2001)
- 2× Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2001, 2004)
- 3× World Series champion (2001, 2004, 2007)
- World Series Most Valuable Player Award (2001)
- 3× 300 strikeouts in one season (1996, 1997, 2002)
- 3,000 strikeout club (2006)
- 4× NL complete games leader (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001)
- MLB hits per nine innings pitched leader (1992)
- 3× NL games started leader (1997, 1998, 2001)
- 2× NL innings pitched leader (1998, 2001)
- 2× NL strikeout leader (1998, 2001)
- 5× AL/NL strikeout-to-walk ratio leader (2001–04, 2006)
- 2× AL/NL walks per nine innings pitched leader (2002, 2006)
- 2× NL walks plus hits per inning pitched leader (1992, 2002)
- 2× MLB wins leader (2001, 2004)
After Baseball: New Ventures
Sports Commentator
After retiring from baseball, Schilling became a baseball color analyst for ESPN in 2010. He also wrote for various sports websites. In 2014, he became an analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.
Video Game Company
In 2006, Schilling started a video game company called Green Monster Games, later renamed 38 Studios. He wanted to focus on creating a large online role-playing game. Famous comic book creator Todd McFarlane and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore worked with him.
The company released a single-player game called Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning in February 2012. However, the company faced financial difficulties and laid off its entire staff a few months later. The state of Rhode Island had given the company a large loan, and when the company failed, Schilling and others involved agreed to repay a significant amount of money to the state.
Political Interests
Schilling has shown interest in politics. He supported President George W. Bush in 2004. He also supported Senator John McCain in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. He has spoken about his views on various topics.
Personal Life
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Schilling considers the Pittsburgh area, where his family is from, to be his home. He is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team.
He is married to Shonda Schilling, and they have four children.
Schilling has been a strong supporter of charities that help people with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). His charity, "Curt's Pitch for ALS," raised over five million dollars for treatment and research. During his famous "bloody sock" game in 2004, he wrote "K ALS" on his cleat to bring attention to the cause.
Schilling is a born-again Christian. He also has a collection of World War II memorabilia.
He used to write a blog called 38pitches.com where he answered fan questions and shared his thoughts.
Health Update
In 2014, Schilling was treated for throat cancer. He announced later that year that his cancer was in remission. He believes his cancer was caused by using smokeless tobacco for many years. He has since warned other baseball players about the risks.
Gaming Hobby
Schilling enjoys playing board wargames, especially Advanced Squad Leader. He even helped create his own convention for the game. He also joined a gaming company called Multi-Man Publishing that continued to support his favorite game.
Schilling has played popular online games like EverQuest, EverQuest II, and World of Warcraft. The creators of EverQuest II even made a special online character based on him.
See also
In Spanish: Curt Schilling para niños
- 100 Inning Game – an annual event to raise funds for Curt's Pitch for ALS
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
