On June 20th,2008 Curt Schilling announced his season was over due to shoulder surgery. Curt also said he may have thrown the last pitch of his career. His career may be over but is he a Hall of Famer? In my mind Curt Schilling should be in the Hall of Fame. I however do not think he will be inducted on the first ballot because in all honesty he does not have the stats to be. That being said he may not be first ballot but Curt Schilling is a Hall of Famer. When you look at Curt Schilling's career stats he is overall above average. He has over 200 career victories, 3000 strikeouts and a ERA under 3.50. These are all very respectable statistics, especially the strikeouts. They unfortunately do not warrant him the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

Over Curt's long career he has had a lot of very good seasons. He has a few great seasons. Even with his few great seasons Curt never once won the Cy Young award and never lead the league in ERA. Leading a league in some type of category shows a pitcher's pure dominance. Curt never did this even if he was a dominate pitcher. There was always someone better than him that year. With a above average career in the regular season you move onto the post season where Curt more than just shined. Curt rises above almost every pitcher the history of the game when it comes to the post season. He has the best winning percentage in the playoffs of any pitcher in the history of the game which includes a 11-2 record and a ERA below 2.50. That truly shows greatness when your team needs you the most.

Curt was a crucial part of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks championship team. Curt started 3 games in the World Series including game 7 and was World Series co MVP with Randy Johnson. He pitched 21+ innings alone in that World Series. That sounds like a big game pitcher to me. We can now move on to the 2004 World Series champion Red Sox. I think we can safely say without Curt that team would not of made the playoffs at all let alone win the World Series. In 2004 Curt went 21-4, I would say he was pretty important. That wasn't even the highlight of that year.

Most fans of baseball can recall the "bloody sock". Curt started game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees while having a torn tendon sheath in his right ankle which had been sutured by Red Sox doctors before the game. Blood was visible on his sock throughout the game while he pitched. Most pitchers would not even think about playing in the condition he was in. This act was in the eyes of Red Sox fans "heroic" and gave the team the lift needed to banish their biggest rivals the Yankees in 7 games and go on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

Curt may not have the best regular season career stats. He may not have 300 wins or have a career ERA under 3.00. He may not be a first ballot Hall of Famer, but I believe with his post season performances he deserves to be one day enshrined in Cooperstown next to his bloody sock.

Learn more about this author, Ben Burrows.
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