Yankees: Ankle may KO Schilling for series

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

BY DAVID WALDSTEIN

Star-Ledger Staff

NEW YORK -- Demoralized and disgusted with his performance in one of the most highly anticipated starts of his career, Curt Schilling said after last night's game he might not pitch again in the series against the Yankees.

 

Trying to overcome a sore right ankle that appeared to prevent him from pushing firmly off the pitcher's rubber, Schilling lasted only three innings in the shortest outing of his 13 postseason starts. While accepting the mantle of the Red Sox not-so-secret weapon to finally subdue the Yankees, Schilling allowed six runs in three innings and raised concerns that his injured right ankle is worse than originally believed -- casting doubts about when he will pitch again.

 

"I don't know," he said following the Yankees 10-7 victory in Game 1 of the ALCS. "I'm not thinking about it right now. We'll see how it feels (today)."

 

Because the big right-hander threw only 58 pitches, he was asked if he could come back on three days rest if the ankle improves, but he questioned whether he could return on the normal four days of rest.

 

"If I can't go out with something better than I had tonight, then I won't go back out there," he said. "I couldn't get anything behind the ball."

 

Schilling said his sore ankle was popping in the bullpen when he warmed up before the game, and he knew he would be in trouble.

 

If he is in trouble, so is Boston.

 

The Red Sox had rested their hopes for finally beating the Yankees squarely on the Schilling's broad shoulders, banking on him pitching well in two games of this series. Now, although he was speaking through the prism of his shocking performance, he couldn't even be certain he will make another start in the series.

 

"He just didn't look right," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We were trying to give him every opportunity because his heart is so big and he has the ability to reach back. I don't think he was hurting, he just wasn't right -- wasn't driving. We'll talk later .... he didn't complain about any pain or anything like that."

 

When asked if Schilling's next start was in jeopardy (and would Derek Lowe replace him as the starter), Francona didn't want to contemplate that possibility.

 

"I don't think so," he said. "It's way too early. You're getting so far ahead."

 

Schilling's tender foot issues go back a couple of months. He suffered a bone bruise on his right foot prior to the All-Star Game, which he was forced to miss. In September he felt pain that was diagnosed as tendinitis in a start against Baltimore and the ankle has bothered him ever since. He downplayed the injury coming into the ALCS, but he was wearing a protective boot on the foot as he left the stadium Monday following the Red Sox workout.

 

Last night he retired the first two batters he faced but then gave up a double to Gary Sheffield, who scored on Hideki Matsui's two-out double. Matsui scored on Bernie Williams' single up the middle before Schilling got a ground ball from Jorge Posada to end the inning.

 

After a 1-2-3 second, more serious trouble surfaced in the third and, during one stretch, Schilling abandoned his fastball and went exclusively to breaking balls. As the Yankees continued to score runs against him, the Yankee Stadium crowd of 56,135 taunted, "Who's your Dad-eee?" as if it were Schilling, and not Pedro Martinez, who brought that phrase into the rivalry's lexicon.

 

The more pertinent question for Francona is, Who's your Game 5 starter?

 

 

 

C/O Newark Star Ledger

wow, this sucks.

NOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This sucks... Time for Pedro, Arroyo, Wakefield, and possibly Lowe to pick these guys up.

 

The Sox don't need stellar pitching. They have the offense to compensate, but then again, they're facing the Yankees so they have to be decent.....

 

This sucks...

This really isn't anything we didn't know last night.

It's a setback but it's not deciding....

 

I mean unless Brown and Vazquez start pitching like they were paid to this series is unfortunately far from over

 

Sox are a hitting team first, anyone in their rotation can get a victory with their lineup

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

Thanks, marlinfan.

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

 

I second this prayer.... :angel

Just saw a PC by the Sox dr Morgan and Epstein:

 

Basically, Schilling has a dislocated tendon in his ankle. The Sox made a custom brace to hold the tendon in the sheeth but last night it kept slipping, causing him discomfort. If this were July, he'd be in a cast and potentially undergoing surgery. He will require surgery in the offseason to reconstruct the sheeth. They're not causing more damage by waiting unless his motion changes to alleviate the discomfort. They're trying to stabilize him. If they can't, he won't pitch again this season. He'll need 3 months to recuperate in the offseason.

 

He *may* still pitch game 5 if they can find a way to stabilize the tendon.

Just saw a PC by the Sox dr Morgan and Epstein:

 

Basically, Schilling has a dislocated tendon in his ankle. The Sox made a custom brace to hold the tendon in the sheeth but last night it kept slipping, causing him discomfort. If this were July, he'd be in a cast and potentially undergoing surgery. He will require surgery in the offseason to reconstruct the sheeth. They're not causing more damage by waiting unless his motion changes to alleviate the discomfort. They're trying to stabilize him. If they can't, he won't pitch again this season. He'll need 3 months to recuperate in the offseason.

 

He *may* still pitch game 5 if they can find a way to stabilize the tendon.

591060[/snapback]

 

 

peter gammons just said some red sox officials have told him he will most likely make the start. so everyone knows, gammons broke the news on how bad the ankle actually was on monday.

yankees will win like i knew theywould b4 the series started. im really tired of this love for the sawx cuz of how long its been. they will never beat the yanks. sheff owns.

HA HA The curse sinks the Red Sox again!

:lol :hat

yankees will win like i knew theywould b4 the series started. im really tired of this love for the sawx cuz of how long its been. they will never beat the yanks. sheff owns.

591073[/snapback]

 

 

they might not beat them this year, but one day they will. the laws of probability are in the sox favor and have been in their favor for years. but the day WILL come when they will win the WS, it's just a matter of time. same for the cubs.

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

 

New England Patriots...

 

:plain :plain :plain :plain

 

Boston Celtics...

 

:plain :plain :plain :plain

 

New Englanders are a bunch of babiis.

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

screw that, they don't deserve one. They're the most obnoxious fans in baseball

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

screw that, they don't deserve one. They're the most obnoxious fans in baseball

591182[/snapback]

 

*scoffs*

 

Clearly Cubs fans. Red Sox fans think everyone hates them and are rooting against them, Cubs fans think everyone loves them and is rooting for them.

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

screw that, they don't deserve one. They're the most obnoxious fans in baseball

591182[/snapback]

Your the most obnoxious fan in baseball...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bostonians and Sawx fans alike would gladly give up any other championship to see the Sawx win one. I am one of those except for Marlins championships...

IMO this really dosen't matter. I still think that every game in the series is going to go down to the wire. Thats the way the games pretty much always go between the Yankees and the Red Sox.

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

screw that, they don't deserve one. They're the most obnoxious fans in baseball

591182[/snapback]

Coming from you, i'll take this as a joke.

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

 

New England Patriots...

 

:plain :plain :plain :plain

 

Boston Celtics...

 

:plain :plain :plain :plain

 

New Englanders are a bunch of babiis.

591141[/snapback]

exactly

Red Sox fans and Cubs fans are identical. They bitch about everything, they both think it's their god given right to win a World Series, and they both seem to go out of their way to be obnoxious. The only difference is Cubs fans are only obnoxious when drunk (which is frequently, but still), while Red Sox fans are obnoxious sober or drunk.

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

screw that, they don't deserve one. They're the most obnoxious fans in baseball

591182[/snapback]

 

*scoffs*

 

Clearly Cubs fans. Red Sox fans think everyone hates them and are rooting against them, Cubs fans think everyone loves them and is rooting for them.

591190[/snapback]

Bingo.

in all fairness to Red Sox fans, you go to Fenway and they're probably the best fans outside of St. Louis. Problem is they have the most obnoxious fans in other parks. The only time I've ever had a negative experience with an entire group of fans (other than Dodger fans which is isolated because of it being a rivalry) was Red Sox fans.

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

Patriots have been winning, so it's not like we've been waiting for the second coming of the Hartford Whalers or anything.

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

Patriots have been winning, so it's not like we've been waiting for the second coming of the Hartford Whalers or anything.

591757[/snapback]

 

 

i'm sure most of the people in boston and new england would gladly trade in the two super bowl trophies and the 19 game win streak, to win a world series.

 

and vice versa down here in miami

To God,

 

 

If you could find it in your heart, could you please the people of New England with a world championship this year. It's not asking much, you've given the Yankees 26 why not give the Sox fans the pleasure of one. They have suffered long enough.

 

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? Thanks, marlinfan.

591052[/snapback]

Patriots have been winning, so it's not like we've been waiting for the second coming of the Hartford Whalers or anything.

591757[/snapback]

 

 

i'm sure most of the people in boston and new england would gladly trade in the two super bowl trophies and the 19 game win streak, to win a world series.

 

and vice versa down here in miami

592232[/snapback]

Bingo.