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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Curt Schilling (born November 14, 1966) is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was known for his powerful right-handed throws. Schilling helped the Philadelphia Phillies reach the World Series in 1993. He also won championships with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. Later, he won two more championships with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and 2007.
In 2001, he was named a co-winner of the World Series MVP award. Schilling had an amazing 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 decisions. He is also one of the few pitchers to record over 3,000 strikeouts in his career. After retiring from baseball, he started a video game company called 38 Studios.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Schilling was born in Anchorage, Alaska. He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where he went to Shadow Mountain High School. After high school, he played baseball at Yavapai College in Arizona.
Playing Career Highlights
Starting with the Orioles and Astros (1988–1992)
Curt Schilling began his professional baseball journey with the Boston Red Sox organization. He was picked in the second round of the MLB draft. His first team was the Elmira Pioneers, a minor-league team.
In 1988, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. Schilling made his first MLB game start on September 7, 1988. He pitched well, helping the Orioles win. In 1990, he earned his first save and his first win. He mostly pitched from the bullpen that year.
In 1991, Schilling was traded to the Houston Astros. He joined a team that was looking for younger players. After a year with the Astros, he was traded again.
Becoming a Star with the Philadelphia Phillies (1992–2000)
In 1992, Schilling joined the Philadelphia Phillies. This was a big change for him. He became a top pitcher for the Phillies. In his first season, he led the team in wins, strikeouts, and shutouts.
In 1993, Schilling helped the Phillies make it to the World Series. He pitched very well in the playoffs. He was even 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 while with the Phillies. In 1997, he set a Phillies team record with 319 strikeouts in one season. He was a consistent pitcher, winning many games for the team. He stayed with the Phillies for eight and a half years, which was the longest time he spent with any team.
Winning Championships with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2000–2003)
In 2000, Schilling was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had an amazing season in 2001. He won 22 games and led all of MLB in wins. In the playoffs, he was nearly perfect, winning 4 games with a very low earned run average.
In the 2001 World Series, the Diamondbacks played against the New York Yankees. Schilling and his teammate Randy Johnson were a powerful pitching duo. They helped the Diamondbacks win the World Series in seven exciting games. Schilling and Johnson even shared the World Series MVP award. They were also named Sports Illustrated "Sportsmen of the Year".
In 2002, Schilling continued to pitch strongly. He won 23 games and struck out 316 batters. He finished second in the Cy Young Award voting both in 2001 and 2002. In 2003, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox.
The "Bloody Sock" and Red Sox Glory (2004–2007)
Joining the Red Sox in 2004, Schilling quickly became a key player. He won 20 games that season, helping the team reach the playoffs. The Red Sox faced their rivals, the New York Yankees, in the 2004 American League Championship Series.
In Game 6 of that series, Schilling pitched with an injured ankle. Blood soaked through his sock, which became known as "the bloody sock." Despite the injury, he pitched well, helping the Red Sox win and force a Game 7. The Red Sox then won Game 7, making it to the World Series.
Schilling also pitched in the 2004 World Series, again with his ankle injury. He helped the Red Sox sweep the St. Louis Cardinals and win their first World Series in 86 years. This ended the famous "Curse of the Bambino." His second "bloody sock" was placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 2006, Schilling reached two major milestones. He earned his 200th career win. He also recorded his 3,000th career strikeout, becoming one of the few pitchers to achieve this. He has one of the best strikeout-to-walk ratios in baseball history.
Schilling continued to pitch for the Red Sox in 2007. He helped them win another World Series championship. He pitched well in the playoffs, showing his experience. He became one of the oldest pitchers to win a World Series game.
Retirement and Honors
Curt Schilling officially retired from baseball on March 23, 2009. He finished his career with 216 wins, 3.46 earned run average, and 3,116 strikeouts. His strikeout total ranks 15th all-time in MLB history.
He has been honored by his former teams. In 2012, he was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was added to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.
Hall of Fame Consideration
After his retirement, Schilling became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Players need 75% of the votes to be inducted. While he received many votes, he has not yet been elected to the Hall of Fame.
Pitching Style
In his best years, Curt 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 inning. He had excellent control over his pitches, especially his fastball.
His main "out" pitch was a split-finger fastball, which he used to get batters to swing and miss. He also had 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
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Post-Baseball Career
Broadcast Analyst
After retiring from playing, Schilling became a baseball commentator for ESPN. He shared his knowledge and opinions about baseball on TV shows. He also wrote articles for sports websites. In 2014, he was named an analyst for Sunday Night Baseball.
38 Studios
In 2006, Schilling started a video game company called Green Monster Games. The company's name later changed to 38 Studios. He wanted to create a big online role-playing game. Famous comic book artist Todd McFarlane and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore worked with him.
In 2012, 38 Studios released a single-player game called Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. However, the company soon faced financial difficulties. They had to lay off all their employees. Schilling and others involved with the company later agreed to repay money to the state of Rhode Island.
Personal Life
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Curt Schilling considers the Pittsburgh area, where his family is from, to be his home. He is a big 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 (Lou Gehrig's disease). His charity, "Curt's Pitch for ALS," raised millions of dollars for research and treatment. During his famous "bloody sock" game, he even wrote "K ALS" on his cleat to raise awareness.
Schilling is a born-again Christian. He also has a large collection of World War II items. Before he retired, he started a blog called 38pitches.com. On his blog, he answered fan questions and shared his thoughts.
Health
In 2014, Schilling was treated for throat cancer. He later announced that his cancer was in remission, meaning it was under control. He believes his cancer was caused by using smokeless tobacco for many years. He has warned other baseball players about the risks of using it.
Gaming Hobby
Schilling is a big fan of board games and video games. He plays a complex board wargame called Advanced Squad Leader. He even helped create his own gaming convention for it. He also joined a gaming company that makes these types of games.
Schilling has also played popular online video games like EverQuest and World of Warcraft. He even had a special character made for him in EverQuest II. For a short time, players could battle a virtual Curt Schilling in the game, and money was donated to ALS research for every win.
Images for kids
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Pitchers Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Éric Gagné, pitching coach John Farrell, and Schilling prior to a 2007 Red Sox game at Safeco Field
See also
In Spanish: Curt Schilling para niños
- 100 Inning Game – 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
