Recommended Reading: Curt Schilling's 38 Pitches...

No matter what you think of Curt Schilling as an athlete or a person, he's brought a unique perspective to the blogosphere and baseball fans everywhere.

In his recent entry on his blog, 38 Pitches, he talks about how it is for a player to ponder a trade, especially when it is one of his teammates or peers who may go through it.

As a fan, no matter who you root for, it's a must read.

An excerpt: As fans you have your perspective. There are large contingents of fans in both markets, NY and Boston, that lean towards the Bill James approach to players and their teams, and probably an equal amount of ‘old schoolers’ that believe their eyes tell them all they need to know, even when not backed up by stats or facts.

As players we have the advantage, and disadvantage of a very unique and different perspective. There is a human element at work for us that not even the most ardent fan can understand. On one hand there is “My God, we might add the most talented pitcher in the world to an already established World Champion roster”. On the other hand, the hand you either can’t understand or don’t care about is the fact that these deals usually involve one or more people that have literally become family members.

Read More at 38 Pitches...

The Bloody Sock: Selling the Drama; MLB Stuffage

Selling the Drama - Schilling and More on the Sock: Well, Curt Schilling is now out to prove that his sick was indeed bloody with crimson red. He offered $1 million to anyone who could prove it was not blood that blotted his famous sock in the 2004 playoffs, and criticized members of the media in his blog, 38 Pitches, on Friday.

from his entry, 'Ignorance Has It's Privledges'

"When I walked into the room for the post game interviews and offered up my first response to the questions about the game I basically said that the night was a revelation for me. That my faith in God that evening showed me things I’d never believed. As I uttered those words I could see pretty much every person in that room roll their eyes and smirk. That’s not what any of them wanted to hear, truth or not. That was not good copy. They needed more and what I didn’t give them, they got themselves."

and...

Take Gary Thorne, John, Jack Joe or whatever his first name is, Heyman, Karen Vescey, Woody Paige, CHB, Jay Marriotti, Bill Plaschke, and a host of other people that litter the media landscape, and put them all on an island somewhere.

Does anyone stop reading their newspapers? Watching the shows they appear on? The answer to that is no. Instead of using the forums they participate in to do something truly different, change lives, inspire people, you have an entire subset of media whose sole purpose in life is to actually be the news, instead of report it. They have little to no talent at what they do and other than a mastery of the English language their skill sets are non-existent.

also...

It was blood. You can choose to believe whatever you need to, but facts are facts. The 25 guys that were in that locker room, the coaches, they all know it. In the end nothing else really matters. The people that need to believe otherwise are people with their own insecurities and issues.


Wow. I knew it was blood...

I'm siding with Curt on this one, but there has to be a time where you have to forgive and forget rather than extend a story, you know?

I feel bad for Gary Throne and I’m sure it was an embarrassment to have attention brought onto him for a comment he made during a slow point of the game; however, Throne was a little silly in saying what he did.

Throne, as a long time commentator should have known better, especially the importance of the ’sock’ to Red Sox Nation.

***

John Smoltz and his Contract Extension: It looks like John Smoltz will be a Brave for even longer. According to the AP, he agreed to a contract extension yesterday that could be worth $39 million.

In the report, it says that the new contract also includes a $12 million option for 2009 that becomes guaranteed if Smoltz pitches 200 innings the previous season. The club has an option for 2010, at a cost of $13 million if he pitches 200 innings in '09 or $12 million if he falls short of that total.

Sammy Slams Two: Sammy Sosa's two homers set a major league record as he homered in his 44th ballpark at Cleveland's Jacobs Field. He had been tied with Ken Griffey Jr., and Fred McGriff with homers in 43 ballparks. He’s now got 594 career homers, 6 short of 600.

Gregg Zaun on the Shelf: Blue Jays’ catcher Gregg Zaun had surgery on his broken right thumb and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

Torii Hunter Hit in the Mouth: Twins centerfielder Torii Hunter needed three stitches to close a cut on the inside of his mouth after he was hit by a pitch from Kansas City's Zack Greinke, and is okay. He should play today.

Quick Hits - Fast O's News & the Rundown, the Aftermath of Thorne's Comments...

Sorry about the lateness of the roundup post from last night. I’m not going to into the game summary, well, because we know what happened last night.

The Orioles lost 5-2 to the Red Sox last night.

We were up 2-1 in the 8^th, and Willy Mo Pena came up.

Willy Mo, who could not even hit his own weight as of last night, had two hits including a monster grand slam homer than went 430 feet to put the nail in the coffin for the Orioles last night in the 8^th inning.

Of course, Chris Ray served up the Grand Slam (his second given up of the year) and took the loss.

Adam Loewen did fine, as he pitched nearly 6 innings and gave up a run but he once again was inconsistent and walked five guys – just something you cannot do period, especially against the Red Sox.

At this point, the offense is flat and needs to wake up.

The good news is Ramon Hernandez is back, and he had 2 hits last night; however, Alberto Castillo was designated for assignment.

Next, we have the Indians in Cleveland, and they are no push-overs, as they are on top of the AL Central. Right now, the Orioles offense needs to get in gear and the bullpen needs to right the ship, as the Indians have very few easy outs in their lineup.

We had a rough week, so let’s look ahead.

***

Roch Kubatko of the Baltimore Sun has a recap of last night’s game, and as well has his thoughts of the team on his blog, Roch Around the Clock.

Jeff Zrebiec has more on Ramon’s return to the Baltimore Orioles lineup as does Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

Heathir Irvin of Oriole Magic has a preview of the series with the Cleveland Indians.

***

I was in meeting yesterday from mid-morning to late afternoon on Thursday and I posted on Throne’s comments early that morning – well, it was crazy how much the story blew up .

I feel bad for Gary Throne and I’m sure it was an embarrassment to have attention brought onto him for a comment you made during a slow point of the game; however, he was a little silly in saying what he did.

Throne, a long-time commentator should have known the significance of the 'bloody sock' to Sox fans.

Hopefully, this story has run it’s course and everyone can move on…

Yesterday, Gary Throne was accosted by the media, local and national, and it was a circus right before the Red Sox batting practice as there was an impromptu press conference held on the field.

Rick Maese of the Baltimore Sun has more on Gary Throne, so does Spencer Fordin of the Orioles and the Washington Post.

Sigh – I really like Curt Schilling’s openness, but he’s now gone a little too far with this story. You have to check out his blog, 38 Pitches for his latest stunt. We could forgive and forget, but this story is just, wow – wild.

Live From the Yard: Red Sox vs. O's Tonight -- Thorne, Schilling, Millar and the Meeting of the Minds...

Hey all,

I am here at the Yard and I'll try to blog from the game tonight. Well, if you all have not been to a Red Sox/O's game at the Yard, there are not many of us.

There's a sea of red and blue here, and that's the way it always is.

Anyhow, Gary Throne and Terry Francona met during batting practice, and it was a media circus.

As well, Curt Schilling, Kevin Millar, Doug Mirabelli and Francona met and conferenced as well.

Pictures below.

Game time in about 1/2 a hour so.

It's Beckett versus Loewen tonight...

Gary Throne, A Bloody Mess: The Bloody Sock Revisited, Curt Schilling & MASN's Gary Throne...

Well, most baseball fans know of the 'bloody sock' game that Curt Schilling pitched in the '04 ALCS (game 6) to tie the series for the Boston Red Sox.

Now, someone is questioning the validity of that game.

However, it's none other than MASN's own Gary Thorne.

From boston.com:

Thorne said on the air, while the Orioles were batting in the fifth, that he'd been told by Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli that was not blood, but paint, on the sock Schilling wore during Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series against the Yankees. It was done for the public relations effect, Thorne said.

"The great story we were talking about the other night was that famous red stocking that he wore when they finally won, the blood on his stocking," Thorne said to broadcast partner Jim Palmer, the Hall of Fame pitcher, in a conversation that had begun with a discussion of Schilling's blog.

"Nah," Thorne said. "It was painted. Doug Mirabelli confessed up to it after. It was all for PR. Two-ball, two-strike count."

Palmer: "Yeah, that was the 2004 World Series [sic]." Thorne: "Yeah."
During a break two innings later, Thorne confirmed that's what he said, and that Mirabelli had told him so in a conversation "a couple of years ago."

"Go ask him [Mirabelli]," Thorne said.

Mirabelli was shocked, then angry, when relayed Thorne's comments.
"What? Are you kidding me? He's [expletive] lying. A straight lie," Mirabelli said. "I never said that. I know it was blood. Everybody knows it was blood."

Wow. Okay.

Well, I can only imagine the coverage this is getting in Boston. Well, here are some quotes from the higher-ups on the Red Sox, and from Curt ’38 Pitches’ Schilling himself.

What Schilling says:

"It gets stupider," Schilling said with a tone of resignation in his voice. "I got the 9-inch scar for you. You can see it.

"There are some bad people in your line of work, man."

Here’s what Terry “Tito” Francona says about the situation:

"I am just floored. Schill takes his share of shots, and this one is so far below the belt that I'm embarrassed and I wish somebody would have had the good conscience to ask me. I saw the leg. If that had been painted, I wouldn't have had my knuckles so white, and having so much anxiety."

Larry Lucchino:

"I have never heard any such thing internally, and I refuse to believe it now," Lucchino wrote. "It was a courageous moment for Curt Schilling and a glorious moment for the Red Sox, and it shouldn't be sullied with such speculation now."

My favorite of them all – Theo Epstein:

"You're kidding me, right?" Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein wrote in an e-mail last night. "I'm the GM of the team, not Jerry Springer. I couldn't give two [expletives] about what was on his sock, I care that we won the game. The rest, and Gary Thorne, is just noise."


Now, I am no fan of the Red Sox – but one of my best friends in Marblehead, Mass., is and I can only imagine what is going through his mind at this moment.

I’ll say watching the 2004 ALCS myself – there is no way the bloody sock story is fake. I believe Schilling did indeed pitch with a bloody sock, and what transpired with that game and the 2004 World Series was special.

Schilling, for that game, no matter what I have said about, you have my respect for life. It takes a real ballplayer and a man of grit to pitch through all of that.

However, I need to take Gary Throne (a MASN guy – a basically an employee of the Orioles to task) and Jim Palmer too for not even refuting the assertion Throne made.

It’s been proven time and time again that Schilling did indeed pitch with sutures in him, and they did break, thus blood leaked out.

Do we need a freaking DNA test for this now?

What’s especially shocking to me was that Gary Throne, not only a veteran of baseball play-by-play, but hockey, would even say such a thing – especially something that is pretty much fact. I don’t know if he was trying to make conversation with Jim Palmer, or perhaps was just bored but needed to talk about something, but his thoughts were just way off base.

What Throne was thinking, I don’t know; therefore, he’s going to have a hell of a lot of people mad at him, even myself…