Schilling revisited.

[Beckett95]

What happened to Tampa?

 

he realized the DRays suck

 

http://38pitches.com/2007/10/30/free-agency-weird/

[CrespoBlows]

If this team is willing to pay Clemens $18 mil for half a season, they can spend $13 mil on Schilling.

 

Gordon Edes thinks he's gone:

 

 

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/10/31/schilling_seems_headed_for_exit/

 

I'm very skeptical of unnamed sources.

 

In this case, I'm not. I don't think that the source wants to be identified.

[TheKilo]

In this case' date=' I'm not. I don't think that the source wants to be identified.[/quote']

 

Well yeah. But it'd be nice to have a name to this source.

[rician blast]

From Schilling's blog (38Pitches) on the 1st day of FA:

 

"So the first day of Free Agency begins. I cannot divulge names because the teams involved asked that I not do so at this point, but the first day resulted in initial contact with 3 teams. Kind of weird to be doing this with no agent but at the same time pretty cool. All three discussions were very informal, with the clubs expressing interest in potentially working together next year. Two of the teams were on the list of teams mentioned earlier, one was not."

 

Love the guy, but sometimes he is too much. I'm not sure whether to file this under smart business man or self-promoting wind-bag. At any rate he isn't going to get the Sox FO to blink, they already know what they're willing to do in terms of Schilling and what goes past the line...it's we fans who have to wait and see.

 

What he CAN influence is public perception, which irks me...I don't like when people buy into one side or the others take on the negotiations and then blame either the team or the player for the aftermath.

[jacksonianmarch]

Here is the deal. Schilling put it out there.

 

1yr 13 mil gets the job done. He said it, we have the soundbite, it is no BS. He drew the line in the sand. If Schilling goes his merry way and signs a 3 yr deal or something when the sox offered the 1 yr 13 mil, then he looks like a sleezebag and the PR dept can spin this to their delight.

 

BUT, if Schilling signs elsewhere, regardless of the terms and then discloses that the sox didnt offer him the 1yr 13mil deal, then the owness is on the sox for losing/letting him go. The ownership from the sox havent gone either way in whether they want him or not. I am sure we'll find out soon what it is.

[BoSox21]

I don't think the FO really gives a s*** about the public perception with how this ordeal turns out. They never cared much about what people thought about the Pedro thing or the Damon thing.

 

Add to the fact that I think RSN has more and more faith in this FO as the years go by that they trust them to make the decisions that turn out best for this team. I know I do

[TheKilo]

I don't think the FO really gives a s*** about the public perception with how this ordeal turns out. They never cared much about what people thought about the Pedro thing or the Damon thing.

 

The fundamental difference is both Pedro and Damon were looking for four year deals.

[Beckett95]

i got this from Curts blog, i thought it was an interesting read.

 

This is the letter written by Larry Lucchino and Theo Epstein to Curt Schilling in 2003, right before they went out to Arizona to meet with him.

 

Dear Curt and Shonda:

 

Usually the day before Thanksgiving is reserved for family and friends, for cleaning and cooking, for preparation and relaxation. I’m sure you both see enough of general managers and club presidents from February through October to last an entire year, and we know front office executives are not exactly the people anyone wants to see on their doorsteps the day before Thanksgiving. So we want to thank you both for graciously inviting us into your home today. We realize that this opportunity has not come at the most convenient time and we truly appreciate your hospitality and your willingness to meet with us.

 

It is clear that the Schillings and the Diamondbacks have formed a partnership. From afar, we have admired Curt’s accomplishments in an Arizona uniform and the incredible impact the whole family has had in the Phoenix community. We have the utmost respect for your roots here, and also for the full no-trade clause you negotiated into your current contract. In short, we know you don’t have to do this.

 

Why, then, did we leave our own families behind and fly here today? Well, we think that the Schillings and the Red Sox might just be another great fit – a perfect marriage – and we hope that we can demonstrate why. We are here to tell you all about the Red Sox: who we are, where we are going, and how we’re going to get there. We want to share our thoughts on everything from advance scouting to the way we set up our family room at the ballpark. We’ll discuss the neighborhoods where you might live and every inch of the old neighborhood ballpark you would call home. We’ll be honest about the small weight room and crowded clubhouse, but we’ll also tell you about Ted Williams’ old locker and the feeling you get walking up the ancient tunnel to greet 35,000 of the best fans in baseball. We want to tell you about the type of person and player we want to represent the Red Sox, and how we’re filling our clubhouse with them. We want to tell you all about the unparalleled passion of Red Sox Nation, and about how hard we are working to bring a World Championship to Boston. We’re sure you have hundreds of questions for us, and we’re here to do our best at providing answers.

 

Imagine how different Red Sox history might have been had you not been included in that fateful deadline deal with the Orioles in 1989. Even three years after the trade, when you were with Houston, our scouts were convinced they were right: “Still a thrower. Has arm strength but hasn’t learned a thing.” Now, 15 tears later, after 163 wins, a 3.33 lifetime ERA, two 20-win seasons, five All-Star Games, a World Championship, and a World Series MVP award, we have a chance to rewrite history. At 37 tears old, with a great resume and an even greater reputation, it’s clear to us that the next step in your career is baseball immortality. Baseball immortality –an enshrinement speech in Cooperstown, a plaque on the wall, a place alongside legends – is one of the reasons why the Schillings and the Red Sox are such a perfect fit. There is no other place in baseball where you can have as great of an impact on a franchise, as great an impact on a region, as great an impact on baseball history, as you can in Boston. It is hard to describe what the Red Sox mean to New England. The players who help deliver a title to Red Sox Nation will never be forgotten, they’re place in baseball history forever secure.

 

We are so close to the goal that has eluded us for 86 years. We would not have traded four talented young players or intruded upon your holiday if we did not sincerely believe that our time is coming very soon. The 2003 Red Sox were a talented and exciting team that came within five outs of reaching the World Series. As an ownership group and management team, we are committed to putting an even better team on the field in 2004 and beyond.

 

We assure you, the 2004 Red Sox will be an excellent team. We return eight of the nine regulars responsible for one of the best offenses in the history of baseball. The 2003 team had a .289 team batting average, scored 961 runs (nearly 6 per game), and broke the 1927 Yankees’ record for all-time slugging percentage (.491). To give you some personal context for this production, the terrific 1993 Phillies’ offense had a .274 team batting average, scored 877 runs, and had a team slugging percentage of .426.

 

Last winter, our goal was to create a lineup that would be relentless one through nine. This winter, our goal is to create a relentless pitching staff to match our offense. You are the key to this plan; in fact, you are the plan. The rotation, should you accept this trade, will be among the very best in baseball: Schilling, Martinez, Lowe, Wakefield, Kim (with Bronson Arroyo as the 6th Starter). The bullpen will also be strong. Williamson, Embree, and Timlin are all poised to have excellent seasons in 2004. In addition, we are close to signing Keith Foulke to become our closer and to lead this talented bullpen. With the pitching staff and a defensive upgrade at second base, Red Sox run prevention will match our run scoring.

 

Your place on the team and your potential place in history has been the focus of this letter. Your place in our community is of equal importance. The Red Sox organization is committed to using its prominence in Boston to promote charitable endeavors. Through The Jimmy Fund, the Red Sox are active supporters of cancer research at Boston’s Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Last season, for all 81 games, the Red Sox used the most sacred place in Fenway Park – the Green Monster – to celebrate its 50 years of partnership with The Jimmy Fund.

 

The altruism and the generosity you and Shonda have shown in fighting ALS and skin cancer is phenomenal. What better place to further research and understanding of these diseases than Boston, the medical capital of the world? The Boston Red Sox look forward to giving you the support and the forum necessary to help take these foundations to even higher levels. We are eager to discuss creative and effective ways to use our organization and our ballpark to raise money and awareness for these great causes.

 

Curt and Shonda, quite simply, we think this is a great match. The timing and the purpose are perfect for both of us. We hope you feel the same way and we look forward to discussing anything that can help make you and your family more comfortable with Boston. See you this afternoon…

 

Curt's comments on the letter--

 

The letter was signed by Larry and Theo. As a player here I can tell you that from the first day I was officially a member of this family, through the parade on Tuesday, they owned up to every letter of the contract. This ownership group has put together something special here, and their commitment to players and players families is a pretty big thing. They have been true to the word, which anyone that knows Mr Henry would not be surpised at, but more importantly you pretty much never question where you stand.

[Thumper]

Best of luck to wherever he goes. Sure am gonna miss him.

[jacksonianmarch]

I don't think the FO really gives a s*** about the public perception with how this ordeal turns out. They never cared much about what people thought about the Pedro thing or the Damon thing.

 

Add to the fact that I think RSN has more and more faith in this FO as the years go by that they trust them to make the decisions that turn out best for this team. I know I do

 

thats not true. They ALWAYS have a spin and most of the nation will eat it up. This time, it is fairly cut and dry.

[TheKilo]

thats not true. They ALWAYS have a spin and most of the nation will eat it up. This time' date=' it is fairly cut and dry.[/quote']

 

What's there to spin? If he doesn't come back it means the FO feels they have solid pitching in place and will spend the $13 million elsewhere.

 

I don't necessarily agree with it but that's what it is.

[jacksonianmarch]

What's there to spin? If he doesn't come back it means the FO feels they have solid pitching in place and will spend the $13 million elsewhere.

 

I don't necessarily agree with it but that's what it is.

 

but they can spin it in their favor by saying they met his demands and he scoffed at them and signed elsewhere. It makes them out to look better seeing as (I assume) the majority of RSN wants the guy back.

[TheKilo]

but they can spin it in their favor by saying they met his demands and he scoffed at them and signed elsewhere. It makes them out to look better seeing as (I assume) the majority of RSN wants the guy back.

 

I think the majority of FSN is confident that the FO will make the right decisions after two titles in four years.

[example1]

but they can spin it in their favor by saying they met his demands and he scoffed at them and signed elsewhere. It makes them out to look better seeing as (I assume) the majority of RSN wants the guy back.

 

 

 

but they can spin it in their favor by saying they met Torre's demands and he scoffed at them and signed elsewheresolely because he wanted more money. It makes the Yankees look better seeing as (I assume) the majority of Yankee fans want the guy back.

 

 

It really applies to the Torre situation much more than Schilling...

 

You assume that the Sox wouldn't be truthful about the situation (i.e., needing to 'spin' it), but they don't need a PR lift like the Yankees did with Joe. Many fans realize that Schilling isn't worth what he was in 07, and many fans also understand that it is in Big 'Schill's best interest to test the market and it MAY be in the best interest of a team like St. Louis or the Cubs or someone to acquire him for a year of tutoring and classroom demonstration. We've seen what we have waiting in the wings, and most of us feel pretty comfortable giving a full-time slot to Lester and Buchholz and moving forward. Schilling is a champ, a true Red Sox all-time great despite his short time with them. But anything over 11m would be a real stretch for me--most of that would be used to help the younger kids and hold him for the playoff stretch anyway.

[BoSox21]

I think the majority of FSN is confident that the FO will make the right decisions after two titles in four years.

 

exactly my point. The FO has earned blind faith in their decisions from the fanbase

[riverside sluggers]

I'll weight in now. I think the sox did the prudent thing. Yeah, I'm a yankee fan, whatever. But Schilling showed serious signs of breakdown this yr and his arsenal now hardly reaches 90mph. Sure, he is adapting to it now mostly because he has always been around the plate and he is smarter than most any other pitcher in the game. But at some point, the stuff slips and no matter where you put it, the balls get crushed. This happened with Mussina and it will eventually happen with Schilling. He gave you everything he possibly could this season and it was enough to win a world series. But do you think he has enough to get through another season of AL East baseball? Where he'd have to face the yankees at least 3-4 times, where they just dismemeber him? Can his shoulder last?

 

I think the answer is in his stuff and the example is right down I-90 to I-84 into NYC. We held onto Moose because he showed poise in the face of declining stuff. But the stuff declined further over the offseason and he came back useless for multiple yrs at a high price tag. The sox face the same dilemma here. If Schillings 88mph FB right now becomes an 85mph FB in April, is he worth having around? I dont think so. So let him walk, offer him arbitration with the agreement that he doesnt accept it and watch him decline slower in the NL. Take the picks and thank him for all he gave to you.

 

Now us losing him until at least the all-star break is very bad news, Mitt Romney supporter are we?

[jacksonianmarch]

Looks like I may have been right. In terms of who I support, unsure at this point. Just trying to live the dream. No time to vote. I leave in 10 mins for work and dont get to come home until noon tomorrow. 29 hours of pain.