Three days ago, the news was Schilling for senator; kick John Kerry out and replace him with the Warrior of the Bloody Sock. Schilling said at the time he wasn't thinking political office (yeah, right), but even if the idea had tickled his fancy at the time, it takes a backseat to his current ambition: to return for the 2008 campaign. Schilling feels healthy, has his family's support, hopes he can return to the Sox, swears he won't go to New York, John Henry is thrilled, punch and pie for everyone.I think more Schilling is a great concept (Schilling's still-strong abilities aside, him coming back to Boston in '08 keeps the pressure off of Beckett this year), but I'm not surprised he's thinking more time in the majors in the slightest, for two reasons:
- We've come to a point in sports medicine where being a 39/40/41+-year-old pitcher ain't no thang. Clemens, Maddux, Smoltz, Johnson (once he goes back to the kinder climes of Arizona), Hoffman and Wakefield have all proven that if you can learn to pitch effectively as your body gets older, you can stay in the game much longer than you used to. Pitching in the NL doesn't hurt, but the principle is the same: learn to pitch smart and you'll pitch as long as you want to. Schilling is a competitor who loves to play. He'll keep playing as long as he's healthy and (because he's not Ricky Henderson, who just loves to play, period) there's a spotlight to shine on him.
- And here I get cynical: he's got an eye on the Hall of Fame. He won't hit 300 wins in the time he's got left, but he'll be looking to add some additional relevant stats to his 3,000+ K collection to impress the voters in 2013 or so. Additional time on the mound will help him make his case.
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