Comments on: Congrats!

By: chickee74

chickee74 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:44:00 +0000

Hi Curt, first time poster here but long time die hard Sox fan. Congrats to our amazing 2008 Sox! I am so looking forward to meeting the “hungry” Tampa Bay Rays, and beating them, and I KNOW we will do that!

Curt, I am so proud of Jon Lester, what a warrior he has been. I was sad that he didn’t get 2 wins out of the post season so far, but all’s well that ends well, right? When I think of what his career with the Sox has been thus far, I always see the face of his mother in the stands the first time Jon pitched after his battle with cancer. When they announced his name for the first time that day, his mother just could not contain her pure joy/enthusiasm and she spontaneously stood up and began to cheer for her son, remember that day? and when he got his first out that game (I think it was a strikeout), his mom and dad stood up with unbridled happiness, cheering on their son. It was just sheer bliss to watch them; and something I will never forget. Every time Jon takes the mound now, I think of their faces that day, and can only imagine how proud they are of him at this moment. I can relate cause I am the mother of 2, and there is no joy that can compare to witnessing your own kids’ success.

We miss you on the mound Curt, you were a warrior in your own right in October.

Can you please relay my sentiments to Jon and/or his family for me Curt? I don’t know how to “contact” Jon (no blogging site that I know of). Thank you so much, and my best regards to you and your family. GO SOX!

By: tekkett

tekkett — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:06:06 +0000

Schill –
I know you are a big Josh Beckett fan…so do you think he should start game 1? What do you make of his Sunday performance and what can we expect from him in this series with the Rays?
I don’t care if you pitch half an inning next year, I think it should be in Boston. Finish it here Curt. As jasonejh said, you could become an immortal in Boston…We love you here Sir.

Take care,
Bethany

By: empirelady

empirelady — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:49:01 +0000

Curt-
In reference to what you said about the release by Sporting News,I thought that you might be interested to know what was printed here in New York City. I am in New York City and in one newspaper,they have a column called Sports Shorts;it briefly gives news updates about various things in sports. In the column for Tuesday,October 7,this is what was written and I quote it exactly: “Schilling mulls comeback: Curt Schilling is considering coming back next year-for half the season. The Red Sox right hander,who underwent season-ending surgery on June 23,said in an interview with Sporting News that he might try to pitch in 2009 under the right circumstances”. End quote. You are so absolutely right. The newspaper made it sound like you just said it this week and not that you said it a month ago. I thank you for clarifying that,for pointing out when you actually said it,and you have absolutely every right to be upset with them for their timing of the release. One thing that I would appreciate if you would clarify is to tell me if you actually said “under the right circumstances” or if that is their wording. I am very interested to know what the right circumstances would be but I am not going to ask that,as I know that it is a personal decision(if you do want to say,though,I would be interested). I do want to know,however,if that was your wording or their wording(I would much rather hear it from you than from them,as I do not believe a lot of what is written,apart from what you write-you always speak the truth). I do hope that you return in 2009 but also respect that you have to do what is best for you. In the meantime,I thought that you would want to know what was printed here in New York City and am wondering how much of that statement,particularly
the right circumstances part, was your actual words or what they just chose to print.
Donna in New York City,empirelady87@hotmail.com

By: rodfromholyoke

rodfromholyoke — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:55:48 +0000

Yes! What an exciting series it was. But then again, aren’t all the Sox playoff series exciting? Who’s more exciting in the playoffs than the Redsox?

I agree, Scioscia is a class act, he says all the right things, and I’m sure this can’t be getting any easier for the guy. Too bad some of his players didn’t get some pointers from him on how to react to losing. I guess its hard to blame them totally, but it just makes them look bad.

I am so looking forward to Friday too. I wonder what the rotation will be. Terry has a bit of a challenge here. Personally I would go Josh, John, and Dice K in that order. They all having great years, so no matter the choice I feel confident.

It would be nice to see one more last go for you. Go for it, make it your best finish

Rod

By: carms1979

carms1979 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:41:25 +0000

Go Sox! and Go McCain!!

By: thedoctorx

thedoctorx — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:22:20 +0000

GO SOX! (FAIL Obama!)

Waves to jonstaples

Had some nice fans congratulate the Sox and then relate the “Tek for Slocumb” trade.

Very good and exciting games. Fortunately the “good guys” won. I am sorry for Mike Lowell–trying to play through injury. Hope he can heal up well after surgery.

An English friend who is a Pirates fan–”Anyone can be a Yankees fan”–since theirs was the first stadium he visited, predicted that RS fans would LOVE Jason Bay.

I keep thanking him. Good for Bay. Good for Jed. Good for all of them!

Now . . . for some hard playing.

–J.D.

By: M@

M@ — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:38:54 +0000

Pls come back. We miss you. I’m having a hard time identifying with the team right now. The current players have masted the “answer the question but say nothing” technique to a degree that is beginning to disenfranchise them to me (I can’t believe I spelled that right the first time).

This is something I’ve always admired about you Mr. Shilling – real answers. I’ve told a TON of people about your “When is it okay to ask for a signature” answer you gave me a few years ago – it was perfect – I anticipate it has relieved a ton of players from awkward moments with their families or while enjoying a meal.

So here’s another question: How do players learn this “answer but don’t answer” technique? It’s been touched in a couple of baseball movies – but lately the SOX have been playing it too much I think.

The reason I ask is because there’s a debate in about 23min and I’m personally sick and tired of the candidates using the same techniques.

Go Sox! (Go Obama!)
M@

By: natefrancis

natefrancis — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:31:19 +0000

“What do you think about Lackey’s comments, saying the better team didn’t win [...]”

I know what I think, heh.

Consider:

Rundifferential is a widely accepted, and generally reliable indicator of a team’s performance, especially when taken over a full season. A team’s RD will generally correspond closely to its final W-L record. Team’s with really great RD numbers are generally playoff-quality contenders, although there has to be csome consideration of the division they play in, given the “uneven schedule” we have. That said,

The Red Sox had the best RD in the American League, at plus-151. They managed this excellent season playing in tthe toughest division in the majors, too – three other teams in the division posted very good RD’s, two of them over 100. Only one team “Orioles” could be considered a ‘pushover’, with a negative-87 RD. This made the total RD for the division plus-343.

The Angels, on the other hand, managed only a plus-68 RD (less than 4th-place Toronto) playing in a weaker division. No other team in the AL West had a positive RD, and Seattle, the West’s bottom-feeder, ended with a league-worst minus-140. The division finished with a ridiculous minus-182.

Bottom line is that even though the Angels were able to fatten up their record on some of the League’s weakest teams, they still only played their way to the 6th-best RD of the 8 October teams. Did the Angels deserve their postseason berth? Of course. Were they demonstrably better than the Sox? Obviously not.

By: jonstaples

jonstaples — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:13:38 +0000

Lester is nasty! He’s the only good thing to come out of Tacoma.

Jon in Seattle

By: 38cantpitchnemore

38cantpitchnemore — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:21:07 +0000

Hi Curt,

I heard you on D and C this morning talking about how you would like either presidential candidate to specifically spell out his economic plan as to how to get the economy out of its current doldrums. Since your boy McCain has pretty much been reduced to slinging mud and hoping something sticks, out of a sense of desperation, I suspect, since he is trailing so badly at this time. Can you email that advisor friend of yours and see if HE knows anything?