Curt Schilling Finished?

[bedir than average]

The Sports Network - Major League Baseball

Report: Schilling's career in jeopardy - UPI.com


and tons of other sources


Some say just the season, others say he's done for good.

[Zen653]

The statement issued by the Red Sox sounds rather ominous: "Curt has started a program of rest, rehabilitation and shoulder strengthening in an attempt to return to pitching." An attempt? So this won't be a standard rehabilitation program where Schilling rests for a couple months, goes on a minor league rehabilitation assignment, and then comes back mid to late season? How bad is the injury, and why won't anyone say?

Here's Schilling's statement:

At the time we negotiated the 2008 contract I passed all physical exams and testing, as well as the MRI the club required me to take. I knew in my heart of hearts that the extra time I was giving my arm to rest this winter would in fact be the cure for what I went through the entire 2007 season. I had a strong desire to not have to go through multiple cortisone injections in my shoulder for another year. There was absolutely no reason for anyone involved to believe I would be anything other than completely healthy and ready for the 2008 baseball season.

Things have changed since then and I contacted the team early last month with concerns and we’ve been working diligently to resolve them. There have been disagreements these past few weeks in an effort to provide me with a solution that would allow me to pitch as much as possible during the 2008 season. At no time did I ever consider taking a course of action against the clubs wishes. In the end, regardless of who agreed with whom, I have chosen the clubs course of action and will vigorously pursue any and every option I can to be able to help this team to another World Series title in 2008.

Please understand that a lot of what has been reported is not true. When the club feels it’s appropriate to further discuss the details of this issue publicly I will elaborate but I need to make it clear that Dr Morgan did NOT diagnose me with a tear of the rotator cuff at any time during this process, nor did he recommend rotator cuff surgery.

Dr Craig Morgan is inarguably one of the most highly respected shoulder experts in the world. I’m here because 13 years ago he was the only person on the planet to actually get what was wrong with me and correctly diagnose, and then treat me. He’s been on the cutting edge of treating throwing shoulders for over a decade. Much of the stuff that’s now seen as cutting edge treatment and therapy he was doing 10 years ago. I trusted him with my career then, and always will.

After being diagnosed by the Red Sox medical staff I sought a second opinion, as anyone would, and when it became clear there was disagreement (which is not uncommon by the way), I agreed to see an independent Doctor from a list the Red Sox provided me, for the third opinion. At this time I have agreed to abide with the clubs wishes in hopes that will provide the results they believe it will.

My shoulder « 38 Pitches

The Boston Globe doesn't foreclose the possibility of Schilling pitching in 2008. Gordon Edes speculates that Schilling could be back after the All-Star break:

Boston Red Sox - Red Sox' Schilling out until All-Star break - The Boston Globe

Rotoworld says that the Red Sox could be looking into signing Freddy Garcia or Bartolo Colon as extra insurance for the rotation. The Red Sox don't want to go into the season with two rookies in the rotation; they're worried that Lester and Buchholz are not yet ready to carry a full 200 inning load, and they're not enthusiastic about putting Julian Tavarez back in the rotation. Then there's the matter of Tim Wakefield's chronic back injury, and whether he'll be able to start the season in the rotation.

Even so, I'm not worried about the team's chances. I'm excited to see what Buchholz and Lester can do this year, and I think Boston can get by with a 5th starter by committee. I'd never want to see Tavarez or Snyder start a playoff game, but a playoff-caliber team can get away with using them for a few months in the rotation. The Red Sox had Tavarez as the No. 5 starter for most of 2007.

[AutomatedTeller]

Schilling's shoulder is apparently a mess. I think I'm not counting on Schilling being here at all this season.

[Zen653]

Schilling is not happy with the Red Sox:

Schilling left little doubt that he feels the Red Sox have him embarked on the wrong course of medical treatment. He also disputed any questions about the appropriateness of him collecting on the $8 million contract he signed with the Sox last November, noting that he had passed a physical and MRI.

"Something happened,'' said Schilling, who said he began throwing in mid-December, felt some discomfort, shut down for a couple of weeks, then felt "intense" pain when he resumed throwing in January, far worse than anything he experienced last season, when he was on the disabled list for seven weeks with what was described as biceps tendinitis. "If some people want to believe this was me taking advantage of the situation financially, I wouldn't be doing it here. I would have done it for $14 million in at least two other places, if I was going to sit on my ass on the DL and collect a paycheck.

"So I know that for a fact. People are going to believe what they want to believe. I was healthy at the time.''

Schilling likened the situation to the first time he had shoulder surgery in 1995, when he said he was misdiagnosed by the Phillies and that a team trainer recommended him to shoulder specialist Dr. Craig Morgan, who performed surgery on Schilling at that time.

"Here I am, 14 years later, and he (Morgan) was right every time,'' Schilling said. "This guy has been cutting edge forever. He's always been way ahead of the bell curve. He's an orthopedic surgeon, but that's like saying he's a major league player. He's Papelbon, a specialist, a shoulder specialist, that's what he does. "But they (the Red Sox) disagreed. And at the end of the day, I hear one doctor say one thing, another doctor say something different, and a third doctor say something completely different. I'm probably as lost as anybody.''

Extra Bases - Red Sox blog

Schilling does raise a good point about his integrity here. If he were truly interested in hoodwinking a team into giving him a contract when he knew he couldn't play, then why would he re-sign with the Red Sox for one year and $8 million? He easily could have signed with some other team for 2 years/$30 million and collected even more money while he sits comfortably at home.

What I don't understand is why he seems upset about the Red Sox preferring rehab to surgery. Sure it might not work (his doctor gives it a "zero percent chance" of success), but it's his only remote hope of pitching this season and not being a total waste of team payroll. Surgery would potentially end his career, and at the very least, shut him down for the entire season. If this is truly his last year, why would he want to foreclose the possibility of ever pitching again?

The Red Sox have a decent chance of winning the World Series. His best shot at another ring is to somehow make it back by September so that he can toss an inning or two and pick one up Royce Clayton-style.

If I were the Red Sox, I'd find a way to get him into a game regardless as to his shoulder. He's meant a lot to this franchise and it would be nice to make him a part of this year's team, even if just nominally. He could pinch-hit for David Ortiz in the final game of the regular season. It would be a neat way to go out.