Says Jay Mariotti on Barrett Media:
MLB’s worst nightmare is a Curt Schilling induction speech this July, after he spewed hatred in supporting the pro-Trump mob, but if we’re basing his induction solely on baseball merit, he deserves enshrinement.
Schilling was the warrior who wouldn’t quit, even as blood seeped through his sock.
I suppose the same observation could be made about the extremists who stormed the Capitol, if one subscribes to that sickening bent.
But again, we’re not discussing the Humanity Hall of Fame.
On a baseball field, Schilling was the pitcher you’d covet in a critical moment, without any ethical soil on his uniform.
If that isn’t a Hall of Fame distinction, what is?
I stopped voting for Halls of Fame and other honors years ago. Writers should be reporting the news and commenting on the news but never, ever making the news, especially when it involves a responsibility as monumental as a career legacy. Among those questioning our purpose in the process is the prominent Ken Rosenthal, he of Fox Sports and The Athletic, who says his 2021 ballot might be his last. “When I ponder a candidate for Cooperstown, I ask myself, ‘How will I feel watching that person on the podium, making a speech, accepting baseball’s honor?’ ” he wrote. “That moment, in my view, is not one that should make some people cringe.”
Yet he voted for Bonds and Clemens.
And Curt Schilling.
