Thursday, September 23, 2004
Back That Thang Up
Boston Fox 25's Butch Stearns was on WEEI radio Wednesday discussing--what else--the Red Sox. Butch started yapping about how he had some information that the relationship was not great between Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez adding "How do you think Pedro feels when he sees Schilling pitch a game like last night?" and "Go look at the tapes (of past games) you never see Schilling and Pedro embrace after a win." Stearns got a quick surprise as did the hosts of the show, Pete Sheppard and Steve Burton. Here's the transcript:
Burton: Next we have Curt on a car phone
Schilling: How you doin' guys...
Burton: Hey we got Schilling!
Sheppard: How ya' doin' Curt?
Schilling: Hey listen, I'm not going to be long but I'm gonna say one thing, I don't know who it was that just said something regarding Pedro and I...
Burton: ...that was Butch Stearns.
Stearns: That was me Curt
Schilling: Don't be stupid enough to think you can make something out of nothing. That's how dumb idiotic rumors get started by those who don't know the game. I have...
Sheppard: ...well we're glad you calle...
Schilling: I HAVE nothing but the utmost respect for Pedro. I think he's probably one of the best pitchers I've ever pitched with. He's a great guy. We get along awesome. Because you don't see us playing grab-ass on the field doesn't mean a thing. Don't say something stupid and something ignorant like that.
Stearns: Alright Curt, I understand, and I'll apologize for that, but can I ask you a question?
Schilling: No. Here's my problem. If I don't call up you don't apologize for it, you don't retract it, and somebody calls and you make it a bigger deal than it is.
Sheppard: I'm not trying to make it...
Schilling: It's a stupid idiotic comment to make. It's irresponsible. And you know what? it's ignorant, because you don't know. Obviously you just made it up.
Sheppard: I didn't make anything up.
Schilling: Sure you did. Sure you did. I've hugged Pedro on the field this year, after we've won a game. That's a stupid thing to say... Isn't there some other controversy you can go to? Because you had some valid points, but don't make up stupid stuff.
Sheppard: Alright fair enough Curt. Can I ask you a question? What do you care to offer us about your relationship with Pedro? That's all.
Schilling: I love him. Pedro's an awesome guy. And he's arguably one of the best pitchers I've ever pitched with. He's a fantastic human being.
Sheppard: Do you feel like you guys have pushed each other in a good way, for the good of the team?
Schilling: I don't know if we push each other, I've learned a ton from watching the guy pitch this year. A ton.
Sheppard: Same or different than relationship with Randy as players?
Schilling: No it's different because RJ and I lived right down the street from each other. We both have four kids. Our wives are very close. So there's a lot of different... it was different. As teammates and as friends, Pedro has my utmost respect and he's a guy I'd kill for, absolutely.
Burton: Hey Curt, in all fairness to Butch, I'm the one who brought up the subject and what I said was 'How do you think... Pedro's used to being the ace of the staff. Here you come in...
Schilling: No, no you didn't preface it with that, you just said 'How do you think Pedro feels when Schilling pitches well?'
Burton: Right, and I think that's a fair question. I think...
Schilling: Wait, wait, wait, why is that a fair question? Because in that situation you'd be jealous?
Burton: What's that?
Schilling: Given a similar situation, you'd have problems with it?
Burton: I think some people would, yes. I think that's a very fair question.
Schilling: You're assuming Pedro is 'some people.' Pedro is not 'some people' Pedro's one of the five best people on the planet at what he does. People like that tick differently than people like you. You have to. The top five in the world at anything they do and they're going to be so vastly different people than you are, or than most normal people are. Yeah, they're human. They have emotions, but you know what? You get here doing things differently than most people do. I gotta go guys, I just wanted to make sure that people understood that that's not a top subject.
Sheppard: Curt? Curt? I think he had to go...
I think there are many writers and radio personalities in the sports world who are not always great examples of professionalism. Others are just meatheads. They observe something in behaviors and interpret it to mean something when there is no further evidence to support it. They write a column about it or just mention it on a local radio show and before you know it, it becomes a "scoop." It's a modern day sports witch trial. On one hand, I feel like they really don't need to be dignified with a response, but on the other, I think it's great what Curt Schilling did. Call these guys up and make them own up to the mud they sling. If their argument is based solely on biased observation as this one was, shred them with facts and truth. Nip any potential media issues in the bud before they snowball. I think I just broke the amateur record for cliches in a paragraph. Anyway, I applaud Curt for sticking up for himself and I wish these chowderheads on the air and online (see Jason Whitlock of espn.com's Page 2) would get confronted by their subjects more often.
You'll notice I mentioned nothing about the Angels today...That would be because my doctor told me I need to avoid irritable topics and stressful situations. I care not that the Angels are choking like a dog on a chicken bone....For I am but a babbling brook.
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Burton: Next we have Curt on a car phone
Schilling: How you doin' guys...
Burton: Hey we got Schilling!
Sheppard: How ya' doin' Curt?
Schilling: Hey listen, I'm not going to be long but I'm gonna say one thing, I don't know who it was that just said something regarding Pedro and I...
Burton: ...that was Butch Stearns.
Stearns: That was me Curt
Schilling: Don't be stupid enough to think you can make something out of nothing. That's how dumb idiotic rumors get started by those who don't know the game. I have...
Sheppard: ...well we're glad you calle...
Schilling: I HAVE nothing but the utmost respect for Pedro. I think he's probably one of the best pitchers I've ever pitched with. He's a great guy. We get along awesome. Because you don't see us playing grab-ass on the field doesn't mean a thing. Don't say something stupid and something ignorant like that.
Stearns: Alright Curt, I understand, and I'll apologize for that, but can I ask you a question?
Schilling: No. Here's my problem. If I don't call up you don't apologize for it, you don't retract it, and somebody calls and you make it a bigger deal than it is.
Sheppard: I'm not trying to make it...
Schilling: It's a stupid idiotic comment to make. It's irresponsible. And you know what? it's ignorant, because you don't know. Obviously you just made it up.
Sheppard: I didn't make anything up.
Schilling: Sure you did. Sure you did. I've hugged Pedro on the field this year, after we've won a game. That's a stupid thing to say... Isn't there some other controversy you can go to? Because you had some valid points, but don't make up stupid stuff.
Sheppard: Alright fair enough Curt. Can I ask you a question? What do you care to offer us about your relationship with Pedro? That's all.
Schilling: I love him. Pedro's an awesome guy. And he's arguably one of the best pitchers I've ever pitched with. He's a fantastic human being.
Sheppard: Do you feel like you guys have pushed each other in a good way, for the good of the team?
Schilling: I don't know if we push each other, I've learned a ton from watching the guy pitch this year. A ton.
Sheppard: Same or different than relationship with Randy as players?
Schilling: No it's different because RJ and I lived right down the street from each other. We both have four kids. Our wives are very close. So there's a lot of different... it was different. As teammates and as friends, Pedro has my utmost respect and he's a guy I'd kill for, absolutely.
Burton: Hey Curt, in all fairness to Butch, I'm the one who brought up the subject and what I said was 'How do you think... Pedro's used to being the ace of the staff. Here you come in...
Schilling: No, no you didn't preface it with that, you just said 'How do you think Pedro feels when Schilling pitches well?'
Burton: Right, and I think that's a fair question. I think...
Schilling: Wait, wait, wait, why is that a fair question? Because in that situation you'd be jealous?
Burton: What's that?
Schilling: Given a similar situation, you'd have problems with it?
Burton: I think some people would, yes. I think that's a very fair question.
Schilling: You're assuming Pedro is 'some people.' Pedro is not 'some people' Pedro's one of the five best people on the planet at what he does. People like that tick differently than people like you. You have to. The top five in the world at anything they do and they're going to be so vastly different people than you are, or than most normal people are. Yeah, they're human. They have emotions, but you know what? You get here doing things differently than most people do. I gotta go guys, I just wanted to make sure that people understood that that's not a top subject.
Sheppard: Curt? Curt? I think he had to go...
I think there are many writers and radio personalities in the sports world who are not always great examples of professionalism. Others are just meatheads. They observe something in behaviors and interpret it to mean something when there is no further evidence to support it. They write a column about it or just mention it on a local radio show and before you know it, it becomes a "scoop." It's a modern day sports witch trial. On one hand, I feel like they really don't need to be dignified with a response, but on the other, I think it's great what Curt Schilling did. Call these guys up and make them own up to the mud they sling. If their argument is based solely on biased observation as this one was, shred them with facts and truth. Nip any potential media issues in the bud before they snowball. I think I just broke the amateur record for cliches in a paragraph. Anyway, I applaud Curt for sticking up for himself and I wish these chowderheads on the air and online (see Jason Whitlock of espn.com's Page 2) would get confronted by their subjects more often.
You'll notice I mentioned nothing about the Angels today...That would be because my doctor told me I need to avoid irritable topics and stressful situations. I care not that the Angels are choking like a dog on a chicken bone....For I am but a babbling brook.
# posted by j.h.k. @ 6:23 PM 
