Being Curt: The Schilling Interview
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(AP Photo) |
In an exclusive e-mail Q&A with the Boston Dirt Dogs that included reader-submitted questions, Red Sox ace Curt Schilling talks about his ankle, his spirituality, the World Series and the media.
On whether he'll start Game 6 ...
Let's say there was going to be a Game 6 in Boston on Saturday. If the medical team says they can try to sew you up again, can you physically do it without doing permanent damage? Or do you fear you'll be ineffective for any particular reason?
Curt Schilling (CS): "I am preparing for Game 6 just like I did for Game 2. It's really a day to day thing and the medical staff is doing an incredible job, without them I don't take the ball again after game 1 versus NY, AND have to stew on them kicking my ass all winter."
'Act of God': Sunday's events
Now that a couple of days have passed, can you elaborate on the way the day went and the events that took place Sunday? Do people really understand how fortunate you were to be out on that mound? How did Shonda ever manage seeing you in so much pain during these games that you were pushing yourself for the Sox, without it hurting her heart to see you bleeding? I know she knew you were pursuing your dream, but to see you in pain had to be devastating.
CS: "Well as I stated after the game, I woke up around 7 a.m. and immediately knew something was very wrong with my foot. I'd had no real resting soreness or pain since it all started. When I woke up Sunday morning I had what I can only describe as a severe toothache in my ankle. I was walking around the house like a 90-year-old man with a bad wheel. I woke Shonda up, and I called both trainers. I wasn't going to let the day go by without some sort of contingency plan in place when I couldn't take the ball. I knew immediately that pitching was not an option, but I had no clue as to what was wrong. I assumed that the area had become infected at the very least. I got back to sleep around 10 and woke up around 1, and got ready to head to the park, again talking to the trainers prior to leaving.
I also said my first prayer of the day around then too, just asking for some sort of miracle that would allow me to move around and be able to at least take the ball. I left the house and told Shonda that I was not going to be pitching, and that she not need to be in a hurry to get to the park.
"Once I left the house, and started the drive in, which was made a bit tougher since I had to drive with both feet, I saw the customary signs around Medfield, they had been posted when we got into the postseason. But on Sunday they continued pretty much all the way into Boston. There was a fire station that had a huge sign out front wishing me luck, pretty cool stuff. But I also knew at that time, I wasn't pitching, so it was pretty disappointing too.
"Once I got to the yard I met with the training staff, and Doc Morgan and Doctor Theodore. They knew almost immediately that the extra stitch put in this time had pierced a nerve and that was what was causing the problems, so they took it out. This provided almost instant relief. I could now move around and flex my foot a bit more, and once the Marcaine began to work I started to think about the Cards lineup. At that point I knew I'd be able to take the ball. The training staff had worked another miracle.
"Now my thoughts shifted to actually pitching, and Jason and I went about prepping for the game once we got the lineup. Two things jumped out at me, I was sure Womack would lead off, and that Mabry would DH, neither happened.
"I started my pregame work at the same time I have since start one in spring training, this being Sunday meant that I would miss baseball chapel, but I asked a teammate to ask the minister to stay behind if possible so I could chat with him prior to going to the dugout. Once I was finished I met with Walt, the walk up the stairs was a long one, and a heavy one. I had a ton of things going through my mind, not the least was that Game 2 of the World Series was about an hour and 20 minutes off. I asked Walt to pray for me, not to ask the Lord to help me pitch well, or be better than Matt, but just like the New York game I just wanted the strength, His strength, to get me to the mound and allow me to compete. If I could compete I'd accept whatever the results were, just like Game 1 against New York where I had the ability to win, but in that game I got waxed by a better team, and a better pitcher."
"I had been anticipating that walk for four days, Game 2 of the World Series in Fenway, hitting the top step of the dugout in a sold out Fenway to walk to the pen, and the fans, and the noise, and it was exactly what I had hoped it would be. I watched Lieber, Mussina and the others do it in New York, and it was thunderous, awesome, and until you've done it, experienced it, it's something that cannot be described."
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