Schilling not deserving of Hall

Some--including Bleacher Report’s own David Cassilo--have suggested that Boston Red Sox World Series hero Curt Schilling belongs to the Baseball Hall of Fame. But has Schilling really done enough so far to merit Hall induction?

Look, I am a Red Sox fan and recognize Schilling’s legendary status because of 2004. Schilling will forever be a part of Boston sports lore, but I say he hasn’t done enough to make it.
Let’s look at the arguments against Schilling getting in.

Regular Season
Schilling’s lifetime regular-season numbers including the 2007 season:

W-L ERA IP K’s
216-146 3.46 3261 3116

We’ll compare his stats to those of two former big-leaguers whose final numbers match up closely to his, Bob Welch and Kevin Brown:

W-L ERA IP K’s
Welch 211-146 3.47 3092 1969
Brown 211-144 3.28 3256.1 2397

Other than the strikeout totals, all three have very similar won-loss records and ERAs.

No one is going to suggest that Welch is a Hall of Famer, even though he won 27 games and the AL Cy Young in 1990 for Oakland after spending several solid seasons in Los Angeles. Likewise for Brown, whom the Dodgers made the first $100-million man in 1999 but didn’t deliver. If neither former Dodgers hurlers deserve to make it, then the same should be said for Schilling.

Dominance
Schilling has never won a Cy Young, though he came close three times, finishing second in all three occasions. And that happened in a four-year span. In those three seasons, he won 20+ games--the only times he reached that magical mark. Schilling was unfortunate in 2001 and 2002, when his Arizona teammate Randy Johnson--with better ERAs--beat him out despite his 22-6 and 23-7 seasons. Schilling could have won it too in 2004, winning 21 games in his first year in Boston (21-6, 3.26, 203 K’s), but Johan Santana (20-6, 2.61, 265 K’s) was just that much more dominant with the Twins.

Thus, Schilling was great in those years, but unfortunately Johnson and Santana had career seasons to deny the Red Sox’s 2004 World Series hero the awards.

Still, the fact remains that Schilling has never won that coveted Cy Young. Of course, others have made it to the Hall without ever coming close to that award, but still, the fact that he hasn't won the Cy Young makes the argument against Schilling that much stronger.

Post-season
Here is the biggest source of argument. People will point to Schilling’s 11-2 record and 2.23 ERA and say that gets him in. Also there’s his 2001 co-MVP award in the World Series, and 1993 NLCS MVP.

Yes, but then look at Jack Morris, the man universally praised for winning the World Series for the Twins with that gutsy 10-inning shutout. Morris was the 1991 MVP of the Fall Classic, and started his post-season career 7-1 with a 2.60 ERA--until age and fatigue caught up to him. (Morris went 0-3 with a 7.43 ERA in the 1992 post-season, his final 4 playoff starts.)

Morris’s teams won 6 of 7 series in the post-season. (Schilling’s clubs--Philadelphia, Arizona, and Boston--went 10-2 in 12 post-season series.)

Of course, Morris, with a lifetime mark of 254-186, is on the outside looking in, having garnered just 42.9% of votes from the writers this past year.

And Morris, who many have referred to as one of the best come playoff time, won championships with three different teams (Detroit, Minnesota, Toronto twice). Morris is not in the Hall. Schilling, who narrowly lost out with the Phillies in 1993 before winning with the D-Backs and Red Sox (twice), is essentially in the same boat.

Other positives
Yes, Schilling is still active, and still has a chance to improve on his career numbers. But look, he will be 41 in 2008, and he’s coming off an injury-plagued 9-8 season (despite his one-hitter in June). Can he put together two or three more dominant--and injury-free--seasons? I say not.

Yes, Schilling has had three 300-strikeout seasons and has over 3,100 K’s. But 3,000 is not a magical number like it is for hitters in terms of hit totals. Just ask Bert Blyleven, who with 3,701 lifetime strikeouts, has still not been enshrined.

Yes, Schilling did win a pair of Pitcher of the Year awards from The Sporting News while with Arizona. However, the Cy Young is the arguably more prestigious award, something that Schilling may never win.

Intangibles
And forget the East Coast bias thing. Sure, Schilling has pitched the last few seasons in Boston. However, that means little. Look at Jim Rice. Didn’t he spend his entire big-league career in Beantown? Rice is still waiting for that phone call from the Hall. And didn’t Goose Gossage--a star closer with the Yankees--wait until this year to get elected, despite playing all those years in the biggest media center in the world?

Bottom line: Schilling has not done enough to merit Hall enshrinement. What do others out there think? Discuss.