Curt Schilling couldn’t help himself during his comments about the Baseball Hall of Fame vote.
The loquacious and controversial ex-pitcher toasted David Ortiz making the Hall on Tuesday, but didn’t miss a chance to take a dig at the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which initially holds the power to vote players in. Schilling, who played 20 years in the majors, did not reach the 75 percent voter threshold on his 10th and final year on the ballot. Neither did Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds.
“Every year the conversation revolves around who didn’t get in,” tweeted Schilling who won two World Series alongside Ortiz with the Red Sox. “Like all star voting, who got cheated. I say it every year and especially this year, focus on who did get in. @davidortiz deserves a 1st ballot induction! Congratulations my friend you earned it! #bigpapiHoF.”
Schilling, whose request to be taken off this year’s ballot was denied by the writers, did take a swipe at the group while responding to a tweet that lobbied for two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy to be in the Hall.
“Absolutely should have been in 1st ballot esp if character actually mattered to a group with none,” Schilling wrote.
Schilling, 55, received 65.2 percent of the vote this time around and now will have to wait to see if the Today’s Era committee sends him to Cooperstown. The six-time All-Star’s candidacy has been affected by hateful comments he has made about transgender people, Muslims and blacks and by supporting the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Later on Tuesday night, he partook in a bizarre 40-minute social media livestream that included him trying to build cabinets, tending to his pet ferrets and more Hall of Fame talk about Ortiz to his own future hopes.
“I’m so happy for David, proud of him, honored to have played with him,” Schilling said. “And everything you think about him in a positive sense is true. He’s genuine, the smile, the laugh all of it. It’s who he was. Much like Tom Brady. Never tested positive. Never, ever tested positive. He was not in the Mitchell report.”
Schilling stated he believes Ortiz — whom he called the greatest designated hitter ever — “didn’t belong to be lumped in” with other players from the Steroid Era and Big Papi was “the most tested player” he knew from when he played. Ortiz has denied steroid use, but was linked to an unspecified PED after allegedly coming up positive during preliminary testing by MLB in 2003. His name was in a 2009 New York Times report in connection with the positive test.
Schilling said he is still hopeful of reaching the Hall of Fame and would go in as a Diamondback if he does. He sounds even more excited about potentially doing so without the help of the writers. Schilling said if he doesn’t ultimately make it, then he “didn’t deserve it” and he’ll “sleep fine.”
Even with how much pride he has in Ortiz reaching Cooperstown, don’t expect him to be making the trip to watch him get inducted.
“I don’t go to that stuff,” Schilling said. “I played with the guy. I saw him naked in the shower. I don’t need to go to his hall of fame induction.”
