Curt Schilling is a Hall of Famer
Why the Red Sox Pitcher Will Have a Plaque in Cooperstown Someday
May 25, 2007
Baseball fans seem to be split on whether Curt Schilling of the Boson Red Sox has put together a career that is worthy of induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. While Schilling is not a 300 game winner, and has never won a Cy Young award, a close look at his statistics and a comparative analysis of his achievements against many pitchers who are already in the Hall leads to only one conclusion: Curt Schilling is a Hall of Famer.
The Case against Schilling is not very strong
Those who are against inducting Curt Schilling into the Hall of Fame point to the following facts:
- he has never won a Cy Young Award,
- he has never won an MVP,
- he probably won't come close to winning 250 games, and
- in 20 seasons, he has only won 20 or more games 3 times while he has won 11 or less games on 10 occasions.
- Others criticize the big righty's lack of durability and penchant for injury, pointing out that in half of his Major League seasons, Schilling has failed to make 30 starts, and in six of those years, he failed to make even 20 starts.
All of these are valid arguments, and it is true that Schilling has not reached some of the milestones, nor has he won some of the awards, that are often associated with Hall of Fame pitchers. However, while Cy Young Awards and 300 career wins are factors to be considered in the election analysis, they are not prerequisites for admission to Cooperstown. There are many other factors that must be taken into account, and many of these additonal factors weigh heavily in favor of giving Schilling a plaque in the Hall of Fame.
The Case for Schilling
He Has Plenty of Wins to Make the Hall of Fame
Schilling already has 216 wins. Moreover, he has said that he will pitch until the end of the 2008 season. Therefore, assuming he doesn't suffer any major injuries, Schilling should win approximately 230-235 games. That is as many as, or more than, the following Hall of Fame pitchers: Whitey Ford (236), Jim Bunning (224), Catfish Hunter (224), Don Drysdale (209), Bob Lemon (207), Dazzy Vance (197), Rube Waddell (193), Lefty Gomez (189) and Sandy Koufax (165).
Moreover, Schilling has a career winning percentage of .601. There are countless pitchers in the Hall of Fame with less wins and a lower winning percentage than Schilling. Those pitchers include Hal Newhouser, Rube Marquard, Dazzy Vance, Rube Waddell, and Jesse Haines.
Clealry, Schilling has enough wins and a good enough winning percentage to make it to Cooperstown.
Schilling is a Strikeout Machine with Great Control
Schilling currently has 3,116 strikeouts, which ranks 14th in baseball history. If he does indeed pitch threw the end of the 2008 season, it is conceivable that he could strike out another 278 batters, which would raise him to 10th place on the all-time list. Schilling has not reached this lofty total based solely on longevity, either. Rather, he has always been a top strikeout pitcher, leading the National League in that category twice and finishing in second place twice. Finally, his three seasons with 300 or more strikeouts has only been matched or exceeded by Nolan Ryan (6 times), Randy Johnson (6) and Sandy Koufax (3).
Furthermore, unlike many power pitchers, Schilling has excellent control. He ranks second all-time in strikeout to walk ratio (4.30 to 1), and he led the league in that statistic six years in a row (2001-2006).
Other Impressive Statistics
Schilling has ranked in the top 10 in ERA and WHIP in 10 different seasons. Furthermore, he has led the league in wins twice, in strikeouts three times, in fewest walks per nine innings twice, in complete games five times and in innings pitched three times.
Finally, Schilling is one of the Best Postseason Pitchers in Baseball History
One of the key factors that determine whether a player is a Hall of Famer is that player's record in playoff and World Series games. Throughout his entire career, Schilling has been one of the best pichers in the postseason. In 15 postseason starts, Schilling has an 11-2 record with a 2.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 122 innings. He has thrown four complete games, two shutouts, and has a WHIP of 0.99.
Buried in those statistics are several of the most memorable postseason pitching performances of the past twenty-five years. For example:
- in the 1993 Fall Classic, the Phillies were down three games to one to the Toronto Blue Jays. In the hopes of getting back into the Series, the Phils sent Schilling to the hill for Game 5. He delivered big time for Philadelphia, throwing a complete game, 5-hit shutout and pulling his team to within a game of Toronto.
- In the 2001 World Series against the New York Yankees, Schilling made three starts, posted a 1-0 record, an ERA of 1.69, a WHIP of 0.62, and struck out 26 batters in 21 innings. He was voted the co-MVP of the Series with fellow starter Randy Johnson.
- In 2004, Schilling delivered the most dramatic and historically important performance of his career. Suffering from a tear in his achilles heel, Red Sox doctors literally stitched Schilling's achilles tendon to his skin to allow him to pitch, albeit with severe pain. Once again, he came through for his team, pitching 7 innings and surrendering only one run. The Red Sox and their bloody-socked pitcher won the game and went on to win the Series, four games to three. The team then went on to win the first World Series for the city of Boston since 1918.
Conclusion
Based on Schilling's total wins, his winning percentage, his high strikeout and extremely low walk numbers, and most of all, his postseason heroics, Curt Schilling deserves to someday have a plaque dedicated in his honor at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
