MLB Hall of Fame: Curt Schilling Keeping Himself Out

Curt Schilling put together a career that made him a borderline MLB Hall of Fame candidate. However, his commentary on social media may cost him votes, and keep him out of Cooperstown.

It is easy to see why Curt Schilling would receive strong consideration for the MLB Hall of Fame. After establishing himself as an ace with the Philadelphia Phillies, he continued that strong performance with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox. Schilling posted a career 216-146 record with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.137 WHiP, striking out 3116 batters in 3261 innings. Those marks, considering he did not really establish himself until he was 30 years old, are fairly impressive.

Schilling also dominated in the postseason. In his five trips, he made the World Series four times, taking home three titles. He was 11-2 in the postseason, with a 2.23 ERA and a 0.968 WHiP. Who can forget his performance in Game Six of the 2004 American League Championship Series when, with blood seeping through his sock, allowing just one run on four hits over seven innings? That gutsy performance, as well as his being a part of the Red Sox team that broke the Curse of the Bambino, cemented his legacy.

It certainly appeared as though Schilling’s next stop would eventually be in the MLB Hall of Fame. He had increased his vote total to 52.3% last year, and with a relatively weak ballot this year, Schilling was set up for another nice gain. Instead, due to his controversial comments on social media, Schilling may well lose votes this year.

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While it may seem strange to have a player lose votes due to his beliefs and social media statements, Schilling has faced repercussions from them before. He was fired from his job at ESPN after posting a transphobic meme, and he later praised a shirt depicting the lynching of journalists.

The latter is just a continuance in his ongoing feuds with the media. He has referred to sports writers as the worst people on the planet, and butted heads with quite a few writers in his day. Those writers can have a long memory, especially when it comes to the Hall of Fame. After all, Jim Rice, another Hall of Fame caliber player who had a cantankerous relationship with the media, had to wait all 15 years he was on the ballot to be inducted.

However, with Schilling, the decision to vote for him goes beyond that relationship. The Hall of Fame does have a morality clause, that the voters seem to use whenever it suits their agenda; if noted racist Tom Yawkey, who was proud of having the last segregated team in baseball can be elected, then what does it matter? Yet, that clause has been used in regards to PED users, and when players make statements that directly offend large segments of the population, the morality clause may appear once again.

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Curt Schilling may deserve to be in the MLB Hall of Fame because of his career, but his mouth may keep him out. In a way, one has to wonder if he can help himself from saying things that could be considered controversial.