Schilling Falls Short of Cooperstown; Asks To Be Removed From 2022 BBWAA Ballot

The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) did not elect any player to Cooperstown for the Class of 2021. 

Curt Schilling came close garnering 71.1% of the vote falling 16 votes short. Following the announcement, Schilling released a letter he sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Facebook in which he requested to be removed from the 2022 BBWAA ballot, his final year of eligibility. Schilling indicated he would prefer to be enshrined through the Veterans' Committee. 

I think Schilling should be careful for what he wishes. He might find the Veterans Committee to be much tougher crowd that the baseball writers. On Twitter, Schilling characterized them as "a group of morally bankrupt frauds." Well, greater than two thirds of those "morally bankrupt frauds" thought Schilling worthy of inclusion into Cooperstown.

Almost exactly four years ago today, I penned an article for National Review Online arguing that he should be evaluated for his play, not his politics. I still believe the same now albeit with reservations.

Schilling's praise of those who took siege of the U.S. Capitol was a hard pill to swallow. On January 6th, only after hours five people died including a Capitol Police Officer by Trump supporters seeking to prevent the peaceful transition of power, Schilling tweeted:

You cowards sat on your hands, did nothing while liberal trash looted rioted and burned for air Jordan’s and big screens, sit back, stfu, and watch folks start a confrontation for shit that matters like rights, democracy and the end of govt corruption. #itshappening

These would be the folks, spurred on by President Trump, who wanted to hang Mike Pence with a gallows and a noose at the ready because he wouldn't overturn an election he had no authority to overturn. This had nothing to do with rights, democracy and the end of corruption and had everything to do with wrongs, authoritarianism and overturning the will of the people. 

If I still lived in Massachusetts and Curt Schilling were a candidate for public office, I would not vote for him. But as a candidate for Cooperstown, with 3 World Series rings, 3,000 plus strikeouts while walking just over 700 batters he would get my vote. 

It's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Saints.