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MSNBC.com baseball analyst Ted Robinson gives his take on the hits and misses by players, managers, umpires and owners in Major League Baseball.

Robinson has an extensive background in covering the sport. He called the play-by-play on NBC's Major League Baseball Game of the Week telecasts from 1986-89. Additionally, he has been the lead play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota Twins, the television and radio play-by-play voice of the San Francisco Giants, and a member of the New York Mets broadcast team.



Schilling's future puts BoSox on the spot

Posted: Friday, September 14, 2007 6:51 PM

Curt Schilling faces Roger Clemens in a marquee Sunday night match-up, the kind that has defined Schilling in the second half of his career.

 

He will be 41 this winter having ended a contract that paid him $13 million this year, a season that featured a mid-year break meant to insure a fresh arm for October.

 

Will the Red Sox re-up their version of Clemens, a standout likely unable to pitch a full season, but a fierce competitor who sets a marvelous tone for young pitchers?

 

Will the Red Sox, fortified with Daisuke Matsuzaka and Josh Beckett, want Schilling to lead -- either by word or deed -- Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, their next generation of starters?

 

If Boston passes, rest assured that some other team will sign Schilling. Look at Thursday night when David Wells, 44 and grossly overweight, pitching for the Dodgers was able to stifle the team that released him -- the Padres -- to keep his new club in the postseason chase.

 

Greg Maddux is having a stronger second half. Jamie Moyer, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Tim Wakefield, and Orlando Hernandez are others who at 40-plus years old are attempting to pitch their teams into the playoffs.

 

Boston’s 2007 payroll reached a record $143 million and it’s fair to question whether management will want to stay at or above that number for 2008. On such answers will likely hinge Schilling’s future in Boston?

 

I have three omissions from Wednesday’s NL MVP blog.

 

Obvious miss on Prince Fielder. His numbers are unassailable (44 HR,106 RBI, 33 2B, .613 slugging percentage -- best in the NL). He shouldn’t suffer from his team’s second-half fade, instead he should be acknowledged as the anchor of Milwaukee’s lineup.

 

Talked to Eric Byrnes, named as a leading candidate in Wednesday's blog, and the first name he mentioned was Jimmy Rollins. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have big numbers, but Rollins, like Fielder, has been the everyday rock in the Phillies’ attack. He has played every day (will end the season with almost 700 at-bats), has combined power with speed, and scored a sick number of 126 runs.

 

Finally, my last lapse was not considering starting pitchers. Jake Peavy leads the NL in wins, ERA, and strikeouts -- the pitcher’s Triple Crown. Given that San Diego scores few runs, pitching for the Padres is filled with the daily pressure of having little room for error. That Peavy has excelled in that light, and is leading his team towards another postseason berth should gain him some MVP support.

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Comments

Adios amigo to Chuck. His "big game" has come and gone. His ludicrous whining about his contract is just that, he should be happy he has a job...at least with a contender...Numbers and statistics to justify his wallet and his proposed 'future security' can be slanted to be viewed as important contributions. Any sox fan would say, they just don't feel secure in his taking the mound anymore.

rob perry (Sent Monday, September 17, 2007 7:35 AM)

"Will the Red Sox re-up their version of Clemens...."
  Schilling is a very good pitcher, who has had some great years and great games, but he is not in Clemens category of a great pitcher.
  If the Red Sox sign him, even to a one year contract they will be wasting their money.  In the off season, Schilling, Manny and Drew (though I don't know how they get rid of Drew) should all go and Tori Hunter (move Crisp to left field), either Bannister (from KC), or Shields or Kazmir (from TB) should be brought in.  Additionally, they need to look for replacements for Wakefield, as he has proven his ability to make it a whole season is in question, look at his first half stats and injuries for 06 and 07 the trend says it all.  Lester, Bucholz and Ellsbury need to be regulars next season; Outfield - Crisp, Hunter, Ellsbury Infield - Lowell, Lugo, Padroia, Youkilis, Varitek; Rotation - Beckett, Dice K (yanked in the 5th or 6th regularly), Bannister/Kazmir/Shields, Lester and Bucholz (with Tavares closing holes in the rotation when needed).

Steve, Weymouth, Mass (Sent Tuesday, September 18, 2007 8:27 AM)

I am a big Schilling fan,but do not see the Sox resigning him unless he takes around 9 million, which he certainly is not going to do

Jim Cunningham (Sent Tuesday, September 18, 2007 10:21 AM)

Both Shilling and Wakefield need to move over for the new arms the Sox have available.

Rich Pierce, Colonial Heights, Va. (Sent Tuesday, September 18, 2007 10:36 AM)

Big BoSox fan here, deep in the heart of Texas!  Schilling's stay in Boston is going to be determined by how he sets the tone - if he asks for money he no longer can justify, they'll cut him loose.  If he sees his value as a number three ( a number two, perhaps, on most staffs) with strong mentoring responsibilities, and takes the according pay cut, I think the Boston Brass will keep him around for a couple of years only.  This is a guy that outwardly contemplated making this year a farewell tour; Management needs to be leery of that as well.
All of this said, there is no one I'd want on the mound more in a gotta have game, except perhaps Peevy and Santana, than Schilling.  He ranks up there as spotlight, pressure situation performers with Gibson (yeah, I am that old) and Petey (does anyone remember his relief stint in Cleveland for the Sox in 99?  Best one game performance evah!!)

Thanks for the vine.  

Patrick in Houston

Patrick Condon (Sent Tuesday, September 18, 2007 2:16 PM)



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