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Curt Schilling thinks being Republican cost him Hall of Fame votes

By Brandon C. Williams

Dec 9, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; ESPN baseball analyst Curt Schilling talks during the MLB Winter Meetings at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Schilling is joining ESPN
Dec 9, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; ESPN baseball analyst Curt Schilling talks during the MLB Winter Meetings at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Schilling is joining ESPN /
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Curt Schilling didn’t make the cut for the Hall of Fame Class of 2015, and the two-time World Series winner knows why: politics.

The post-retirement version of Curt Schilling is an insufferable and bitter human being, which makes it harder to remember why most fans appreciated the hard-nosed former All-Star.

While former Boston Red Sox teammate Pedro Martinez and fellow Arizona Diamondbacks cohort and World Series co-MVP Randy Johnson breezed into the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility, Schilling, who received 39.2 percent of the vote, will be either sitting at home or on the set of ESPN when both — along with Craig Biggio and John Smoltz — are inducted on July 26.

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Never one to sit quietly, Schilling quickly deduced why he’s not Cooperstown bound: his political leanings.

“I think (Smoltz) got in because of (Greg) Maddux and Glavine,” Schilling said on Boston sports talk radio station WEEI. “I think the fact that they won 14 straight pennants. I think his ‘Swiss army knife versatility,’ which somebody said (Tuesday), I think he got a lot of accolades for that, I think he got a lot of recognition for that. He’s 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 that really don’t like that.”

Well, Curt, at least you’ll have the Fox News crowd behind you.

However, before Schilling gets sympathy from the “Fair and Balanced” network, he should consider the fact that Smoltz, like himself, is a Republican. Smoltz has repeatedly backed conservative candidates, most notably Christian Coalition founder Ralph Reed when the latter ran for Georgia Lieutenant Governor in 2006.

(That’s strike one, Curt).

Perhaps Schilling didn’t take a closer look at some of the other candidates who missed out this year, including three players who had more votes than he did. Mike Piazza received nearly 70 percent of the vote, while Jeff Bagwell garnered 56 percent and Tim Raines grabbed 55 percent.

(Strike two, Curt. Better choke up on that excuse…err, bat).

Finally, did it ever occur to Schilling that Smoltz was one of the most versatile pitchers of his generation? Smoltz won a Cy Young. Schilling didn’t. Smoltz also recorded 154 saves, 132 more than Schilling, who served as a part-time closer early in his career. There’s also the pesky little fact about Smoltz being a key part of the Atlanta Braves’ run of 14 postseason trips in a 15-year span interrupted only by the 1994 lockout.

That, Curt, is strike three.

Schilling may eventually reach the Hall of Fame, yet he may simply want to show some grace and respect for those who made it rather than trying to concoct a lame conspiracy.

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