There's an almost boring precision to all this goodness. It's enough to dim the ratings of sports talk radio.
Fortunately, Curt Schilling still pitches for the Red Sox and Schill is never boring. In fact, Schill may be the only man who can be story-worthy on a day when he gets a no-decision in a four-hour, 13-4 victory over what's left of the once-great Orioles.
"This is a phenomenal 25-man roster of guys that know how to win," Schilling said.
The big lug had an interesting week. Last Sunday, he beat the Twins with 6 2/3 innings of typically professional work. After that game, he was asked about the Yankees' acquisition of Roger Clemens and he delivered a lengthy response in which he said it would have been nice to have Clemens and acknowledged the Rocket's greatness, but he could not resist adding, "We don't need him."
A day later, he went on his weekly radio show and ripped into Barry Bonds. The diatribe went national and Francona called Schill into his office and told the big guy to tone it down a little. A chagrined Schilling went back to the keyboard and blogged an apology to Barry.
It was a stunning reversal. Patriots defensive backs don't do this much backpedaling during two-a-days in August. It was Curt Schilling as Larry Summers. The next day in Toronto, fireballer Jonathan Papelbon characterized Schilling's anti-Bonds riff as "unprofessional" -- a somewhat stunning rebuke from the kid closer.
All this was followed by yesterday's uneven performance by Schilling. The big guy lasted only 5 1/3 innings, surrendering four runs on nine hits and a pair of walks. Worse, he coughed up three runs in the sixth after the Sox had staked him to a 4-1 lead in the fifth. It was his briefest outing since his Opening Day dog in Kansas City. Very unCurtlike.
