04/20/24
February 07, 2008
If it's not one thing, it's another. : Curt Schilling isn't just wrassling with Congress, he's now engaged in a dispute with his employer, the Boston Red Sox, over his readiness to start the '08 season. The issue: a bum shoulder. The disagreement: what to do about it -- and whether Schilling's condition would allow the Red Sox to void his one-year contract.
posted by lil_brown_bat to baseball at 04:48 PM - 10 comments
Amazing, the man last pitched in the World Series, which they one. Talking about going out a champ. Great. The arm should force him to stay like that in the history books, despite any resul of the contract fight.
posted by SFValley_Dude at 05:29 PM on February 07, 2008
Yeah, they did win, but he didn't have a whole lot to do with it. I hope they can void his right to communicate with the general public. Oh noes, we have to replace Schilling's 120 pitch 5+ inning slopfests with Buchholz or Lester. If nothing else, Lester can definitely replace the 120 pitch 5 inning efforts.
posted by yerfatma at 08:02 PM on February 07, 2008
Boston.com is saying he won't have surgery and he won't pitch until July.
posted by jerseygirl at 08:09 PM on February 07, 2008
Boston.com is saying he won't have surgery and he won't pitch until July. The differing medical opinions are interesting, and make me wonder if maybe the two physicians (Sox medical director Thomas Gill, and outsider Craig Morgan) don't have different goals in mind. The article says that the surgery Morgan recommends "conceivably could have ended his career". How so? Would that be because it would take him out for the whole season, and it's unlikely that Schilling has another season in him...or would it be because the repair would result in a shoulder that's functional for daily activities but not for baseball? Is it possible that Morgan is thinking, "Here's a human being who's going to have to live with that shoulder for another thirty years," and Gill thinking about how to get another season out of Schilling?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:19 AM on February 08, 2008
It wouldn't be the first time a Sox player has been put in an uncomfy position by the team's medical staff, but all the other incidents that spring to mind (John Valentin, etc.) pre-date the current ownership.
posted by yerfatma at 09:51 AM on February 08, 2008
Man, that didn't take long. Only about 72 hours after the Super Bowl, and already the Patriots are off the front pages in Boston. Speculation is that Schilling might have been pitching in the post-season with a bad shoulder. It wouldn't be the first time he has played through injury. If he can rehab, rest the arm, and make it back for the last couple of months of the season, he will be an asset to the Boston staff. In the meantime, Lester and Buchholz can pick up the slack. There may well be another arm or 2 in AAA or even AA that can come up if necessary (Buchholz began last year in AA). I don't think anyone will be crying for the Red Sox over this.
posted by Howard_T at 03:35 PM on February 08, 2008
Dr. Craig Morgan, the personal physician for Curt Schilling, says the right-hander's problems stem from a ''diseased'' biceps tendon and the chances of his pitching again without surgery are almost nil.
posted by yerfatma at 11:16 AM on February 09, 2008
"Diseased"? What the heck does that mean, that it's necrotic or infected or something? If that's the case, I'd think that pitching again isn't his most pressing problem.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 04:28 PM on February 09, 2008
Buchholz will have to step in and up for them. I was kind of surprised they picked up Schilling for another year rather than letting him sign elsewhere. Arm troubles don't generally get a hell of a lot better at his age. I'm sure he'll go quietly, though, if he can't pitch. Yeah, right.