By Theodore N. Beitchman
Curt Schilling says bizarre, embarrassing things almost every time he opens his mouth.
Just last week the former Phillies hurler questioned the basic science of evolution — wondering why if it were true humans haven’t evolved even more, such as growing extra arms.
It seemed to have passed Schilling’s ability to understand that evolution doesn’t happen overnight.
But, as they say, even a broken watch is right twice a day, and his recent comments to Philadelphia Baseball Review were right on the money:
“I look at [the Phillies] right now and I see a huge mess,” Schilling said last week while in town for induction into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. “I think they are in a huge, huge mess that I don’t think they can get out of.”
Of the nine seasons Schilling spent in Philadelphia, the Phillies finished above .500 once.
“I’ve been there, I know exactly what it’s like to be in a spot where you really have little chance to win,” Schilling said. “That’s Philadelphia right now, the team is far away from again being able to compete.”
Like nearly every other writer and baseball pundit, Schilling believes long and costly contracts have been the biggest contributor to the Phillies’ decline.
“They kept giving out these long deals with a ton of money attached,” Schilling said. “You have some star talent that’s just crushed by some really, really bad contracts. Truthfully, I think the organization signed some players for too long and too much money.”
According to Schilling, the organization’s lone bargaining chip is Cole Hamels.
“Face it, you are not just a player or two away from winning here,” Schilling said. “Hamels is built for October and that’s not happening here any time soon, so moving him makes sense because you’ll get a ton of young talent back in return. It just makes sense.”
As for placing the blame for the Phillies struggles, Schilling has no problem pointing directly at general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.
“The record speaks for itself right now,” Schilling said. “He’s made some moves that have not panned out and made some decisions that just don’t lend themselves to putting together a strong competing club. Philadelphia is a great place to win in, it’s just a shame the recent run was so short lived.”
