Curt Schilling Says Being A Republican Cost Him HOF Votes

[alp227]

In a radio interview on WEEI today—you can listen for yourself here; the discussion begins at about the 6:45 mark—Schilling, who was not elected to the baseball Hall of Fame yesterday, proposed a theory explaining why he did not get as many votes as former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz:

(Smoltz) is a Hall-of-Famer. And I think the other big thing is that I think he's a Democrat, and so... I know that as a Republican, that there's some people who really don't like that.

"If you'd just said, 'vote Kerry,' you might be in the Hall of Fame right now," added one of the hosts. "Absolutely," Schilling replied.

full: http://deadspin.com/curt-schilling-says-being-a-republican-cost-him-hof-vot-1678064839

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

1. LOL

Dennis and Callahan are noted right wing racist assholes, by the way.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/10/07/hosts_off_air_for_two_weeks/

Faced with searing criticism from parents and political officials, WEEI yesterday suspended prominent radio hosts John Dennis and Gerry Callahan for two weeks for comparing an escaped gorilla to a Metco student waiting for a bus.

The suspensions were announced on the same day that one of the station's advertisers, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, announced that it would pull $27,000 in advertising from the station and donate the money to Metco, the voluntary desegregation program that places Boston children in suburban schools.

The two-week suspensions significantly increase the previous punishments for the hosts. Dennis had been given a two-day suspension, and Callahan, who was not originally thought to be involved in the remarks, faced no punishment at all.

The radio station called the remarks "insensitive and inappropriate" and said in a statement yesterday that it hopes Metco students and parents will begin to heal. The two unpaid suspensions take effect immediately.

[NuclearDem]

2. There's just no end to the tyranny of History of Feminism!

[Dr. Strange]

9. In their defense...

I don't see Schilling on their banned list:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=about&forum=1255

[hughee99]

3. I'd be a little surprised if it didn't cost him one or two.

But not nearly enough to make the difference.

[BeyondGeography]

4. He's an ass, but he deserves to be in the Hall

Four guys got in this round; he just needs to wait his turn. Instead, he throws this irrelevancy into the mix. You could always count on Schilling to say something stupid.

[Freddie]

17. Agree he deserves to be there but...

As the late great Jim Fregosi, longtime Phillies manager, said of Schilling during his Phillies tenure: "Every five days he's a real horse on the mound. And the other four days, he's just a horse's a**."

[BeyondGeography]

18. lol...gotta love those old-timey-style baseball quotes

Casey Stengel when asked about a prospect: "He's 20 years old and, in ten years, he has a great chance to be 30."

[ProfessorGAC]

46. Not Me

I think he's overrated. In his biggest season, he wasn't even the best pitcfher on his own team.

And, if we're using suspicion as a cause to block, why did he pick up 3mph on his fastball after he turned 30 and 6 inches of break on his slider over that period.

I think he cheated. Just an opinion, no proof. But, either way i think he's overrated.

[FSogol]

53. He does, but he's only in the 3rd year of elibigibility out of 15 possible years. He'll get in, but

it will take another 4-5 years. He should take the high road rather than mouth off his idiotic RW victim-hood theories. Baseball has always tried to keep politics out of the game and there are plenty of other Repubs in the Hall of Fame.

In 2013 he got 38.8% of the vote.
In 2014 he got 29.2% of the vote.
In 2015 he got 39.2% of the vote.

He needs 75% to get in, but as long as he gets at least 5%, he stays on the ballot for up to 15 years. He is partially indicted as a user in the steroid era and that will need to play out before the writers allow him in.

[MohRokTah]

6. Official Seal of the Republican Party

[FSogol]

7. LOL, All of Schilling's big republican ideals went in the trash can when he griftted a $75 million

loan from Delaware and then defaulted on it. Wonder if his former employees got a Hall of Fame vote?

Maybe he'd be in the HOF is he wasn't such an ass to his teammates.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

10. It was Rhode Island....

....and as a Rhode Islander who fucking hates the Red Sox, fuck him and his family, I want them to pay up!!!!

[MADem]

28. Rhode Island--and they could ill afford it. He was an asshole about it, too.

Acted all personally aggrieved and irritated that people were upset because he ripped off the taxpayers of that state.

[alarimer]

42. He's a crook.

Although I guess it has nothing to do with baseball, other than the fact that he would not have had the opportunity to grift, if he wasn't a famous, rich baseball player.

[FSogol]

43. Yup, a common grifter*, except he did disprove evolution...

http://deadspin.com/curt-schilling-has-disproved-evolution-1658184048


* Calling a typical Republican, a common grifter is redundant.

[LondonReign2]

50. Dont forget, after getting a $75M loan guarentee

Schilling then blamed the state for his bloated company going belly up

http://www.wcvb.com/money/Schilling-blames-company-problems-on-RI/14247572

[msanthrope]

8. Fuck him and his fake bloody sock. nt

[nichomachus]

51. Yup -- even his own teammates were onto that scam n/t

[underpants]

11. Smoltz is a Republican you dumbass whiney victim merchant

Ralph Reed direct connection

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Smoltz

[MANative]

12. Their persecution complex knows no bounds.

Everything is an infringement on their rights and liberties. Get the fuck over yourself, Curt, from this lifelong Sox fan who couldn't stand you even when you helped us win that World Series ring in 2004.

[Scuba]

14. They love playing the victim card.

[Initech]

54. Those who do the bullying are extremely quick to play the victim card when they don't get their way.

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. Who cares, Curt?

He's turned into a real jerk. I wish to Hell he'd just go away.

[lpbk2713]

15. Will someone please pass the cheese?

      "WAAAH!! No fair!!"

[davidpdx]

23. +1

I'll agree with that because anything else I might say would be pretty nasty.

[jmowreader]

16. I think it's all the pissing matches he's had with writers

Being the Hall of Fame is run by the Baseball Writers Association of America...

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

19. He could easily pull himself up by his jockstrap and achieve this goal. nt

[spanone]

20. pffffft

[VScott]

21. HOF?

Damn!

I knew that the 'History of Feminism' group was a tough crowd and carried some weight
here, but I never would have guessed that...

Oh... wait... never mind.

[dmr]

22. Such a victim.

What is it with these t'bagging men (and women)?

I just read the thread where a demoted Cardinal from St Louis blames the nuns for priest pedophilia and the general demise of the Catholic Church. :sigh:

Always blaming others is a failing virtue. While it may make them feel better by blaming others, it's poor self-reflection shows a total lack of self respect.

Sadly their emotional 'condition' ends up hurting other people.

[blue neen]

24. Well said.

+1.

[kwassa]

25. Schilling needed those History of Feminism votes.

He really fucked up.

[Recursion]

26. Smoltz is also a Republican

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/07/curt-schilling-believes-he-didnt-make-the-hall-of-fame-because-hes-a-republican/

[MADem]

27. Who knew the HOF had such power?

I think ripping off the great state of Rhode Island with his skeevy business scheme didn't hurt when it came to developing a distate for the pompous asshole, either.

And his "shilling" for George Bush votes on election day in NH....

He's an asshole. Fuck him. And I say that as a Red Sox fan.

The HOF did well to pick PEDRO!!! Now there was a hard working, no drama guy.

Curt was paid well to do his job. He had no loyalty to the organization and he didn't know how to keep his mouth shut. Plus, he ripped off a state that is a vibrant member of Red Sox nation, so ... yeah. Screw him.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

29. See, before I only thought Curt was a whiner

now I KNOW it!

[Demit]

30. Forget his WHIP. His WATB is off the charts.

[Renew Deal]

31. Setting aside politics, I think Schilling is comparable to Smoltz.

Smoltz played more games, slightly lower ERA, was a better hitter, won a Cy Young, and had more All Star games, but Schilling has a better overall record and much better WAR. Smoltz played on better teams, so he had a lot of exposure.

Based on the numbers, I think it should be closer. http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof_2015.shtml

[Fearless]

62. It was definitely Smoltz versatility as Starter and Closer as well as playing for good Atlanta teams

That got him in.

[Initech]

32. And lying to Congress about PED abuse didn't?

How else do you think that sock got bloody in the first place?

[BillZBubb]

33. That and the fact that the stats don't support him for the HOF.

I didn't know Smoltz was a Democrat, I thought he was a republican, but he still earned a spot in the HOF. If he is a Democrat, so much the better!

Schilling is the typical right wing whiner. I suppose being a republican made him go bankrupt too? (Actually, in that case it probably contributed).

[StevieM]

35. Smoltz is a Republican. He supported Ralph Reed. Schilling got it wrong. (eom)

[BillZBubb]

38. That doesn't surprise me.

Schilling gets everything wrong.

[Princess Turandot]

34. He must be right! After all, he thinks that he's disproved the theory of evolution...

Keith Law, an ESPN writer, tweeted this to Schilling:

Seriously, if someone says evolution is wrong because there aren't fossils between monkeys and men, find a monkey and hit him with it.

http://deadspin.com/curt-schilling-has-disproved-evolution-1658184048

[Jamaal510]

36. Right...

because the pro baseball establishment is such a liberal bastion.

There's a future FOX gig with his name on it.

[MFrohike]

37. He's so full of shit

He said that everybody who played during the steroid era was guilty and that included him. As I recall, he also suggested nobody from that era, with exceptions like Greg Maddox, should go in the hall because of their guilt. Too bad the chickens have come home to roost on his overhyped ass.

[LordGlenconner]

39. He doesn't have the numbers

It really is that simple.

[FSogol]

56. Actually he does.

Black ink test: For Pitching Schilling gets a score of 42,the Average HOFer ≈ 40
Gray Ink test: For Pitching Schilling gets a score of 205, the Average HOFer ≈ 185
Hall of Fame Monitor Schilling 171, Likely HOFer ≈ 100
Hall of Fame Standards Schilling 46, Average HOFer ≈ 50
JAWS Starting Pitcher (27th), 79.9 career WAR/49.0 7yr-peak WAR/64.5 JAWS
Average HOF P (out of 59) = 73.4 career WAR/50.2 7yr-peak WAR/61.8 JAWS

The #s come from here:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schilcu01.shtml
Explanations of how they are calculated are here:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/about/leader_glossary.shtml#black_ink

That said, Schilling was always a bit of an ass even to teammates. Even without steroid allegations, no one is in a hurry to vote him in. He needs to bid his time. We can probably look forward to his temper tantrums each year for the next 3-5 years.

[LordGlenconner]

60. Dick Allen was an asshole too

And he didn't get in this year either, falling just one vote shy.

But I've never been impressed by Schilling at all. Maybe it's the fake blood.

[deaniac21]

40. What???

He is a lefty.

[Orsino]

41. Excuses don't count as strikes. n/t

[Calista241]

44. He deserves to be in the HOF

And he'll get in. I suspect him not getting in this year had more to do with shilling would be 4th on the list of potential pitchers behind Randy Johnson, Smoltz and Martinez.

[Johonny]

45. He needs the $$ the HOF would have brought him

I agree. I think 2-5 years he goes in. But he needs it now. He pissed all his money away, screwed a state out of huge backing money, and now has medical problems. Curt could really use the money being a HOF brings you.

[Calista241]

48. Yeah, but I don't think antagonizing the writers

Is the best HOF campaign he could come up with.

Shit, just auction off the bloody sock, and he'll have enough money to Last for a few years.

[sabbat hunter]

47. Many BB players

are conservatives or GOPers. They got in. Smoltz is a conservative republican for example.

[LondonReign2]

49. I've lost count of the number of time Schilling has played the victim card

[nichomachus]

52. What really used to get me about him

Was his phony religiosity -- as soon as he knew the cameras were on him, he'd be kneeling on the ground grasping a cross bigger than the real one, looking up to heaven like a Renaissance painting of a martyr.

If these assholes have to pray, they should do it in the clubhouse like bullfighters and some soccer players do -- the Barcelona soccer club even has a chapel in the clubhouse for those who feel the need to pray. Don't wait until the cameras are on you.

[Initech]

57. That's exactly why I can't stand the Duck Dynasty assholes.

They don't give two shits about religion, but the second they know they've got an audience, break out the Bibles and the baptism kits! They only know or care about religion what their producers tell them to to keep that built in audience of the people who buy the bullshit they're selling no matter what is on the label. I'd like to tell them where they can stick their phony version of Christianity but in the interest of good taste I won't.

George Carlin had a bit one time where he said something like "Ever notice these Christian athletes who pray to God every chance they get when they win, but when they lose, you don't hear a peep? God is undefeated in their book.

[nichomachus]

58. I would love to hear

some football player say, "I should have caught that touchdown pass, but Jesus knocked the ball right out of my hands."

Better still, I'd like to hear of a professional athlete declining a pay raise, because, "It wasn't me. It was the Lord working through me. I don't deserve a raise."

[HERVEPA]

55. Lifelong Phillies fan here. Always detested him.

[muntrv]

59. Quick, somone call the WAAAAAMBULANCE!

[Fearless]

61. What about "gays like beastality" Smoltz? He got in with room to spare.