Plenty of fans adore Curt Schilling, plenty more harbor less admiring thoughts about him, and Kevin van Valkenburg, writing in the Baltimore Sun, feels a little bit of both. As the Red Sox pitcher faces a season-ending surgery, a look back at his career shows a gifted athlete with a compelling mix of arrogance, neediness, and grit.
Whether you believe his infamous stained sock was red with blood or with ink, Schilling's performance in the 2004 ALCS was heroic, and his postseason record (11-2, with three championship rings) speaks for itself. A consummate competitor, he was a pitcher who always wanted to be part of the fight in big moments—and always wanted everyone to be impressed by that. (More Curt Schilling stories.)