Schilling Trade

So, I was recently thinking about how Schilling has come full circle and is back with, and hopefully will finish his career with, the same organization he started with. It got me thinking about “the trade” that sent him out of here.

I still remember it clearly. It was at the trading deadline in “88”. The Sox were in the middle of a playoff hunt and we needed a starting pitcher badly. We had this rookie up from Pawtucket named Brady Anderson who was getting a good amount of playing time, but not really doing much with it. Then Gorman makes the trade, Anderson and some pitcher in the minors named Schilling, to the Orioles for Mike Boddicker.

I remember thinking damn Lou, nice trade. We just got a pretty solid starter for 2 guys who haven’t done much and probably won’t. If I recall correctly, I don’t think Schilling was projected to be more than an average pitcher in the ML.

Boddicker on the other hand, went on to put up the best numbers of his career during the second half and helped get the Sox into the ALCS where they were, unfortunately, swept by that God damn A’s team that everyone hated. He then went on to have 2 more good seasons for us before he left as a free agent at the end of the “90” season to sign with KC.

Meanwhile over in Baltimore during that same time, Anderson was still struggling and trying to find a groove, and Schilling was bouncing up and down and getting crushed during his few innings as a middle reliever with the Birds. Anderson finally found that groove and ended up having a pretty decent career for himself in Baltimore (although he was done in “01” and the Birds knew it, but he refused to admit it and tried to hang on in Cleveland which didn’t really work out for him).

Baltimore finally gave up on Schilling and traded him to Houston in a package deal for slugger Glen Davis, which didn’t work out very well for them. Davis was hurt a lot of the time he spent in Baltimore. Schilling had now been included as part of a package deal twice in 3 years. The Astros used him as a reliever for a year where he finally started pitching well, but then they traded him to Philly for Jason Grimsley. Jason Grimsley? Damn Curt. Anyway, it wasn’t until Philly got him and started using him as a starter that he started really putting up big numbers and making a name for himself.

So, what’s my point? Don’t really have one. I’m just reminiscing and showing off my baseball knowledge. If only I knew as much about things that really mattered as I do about baseball.