The Red Sox will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2004 World Series championship and the life of former pitcher Tim Wakefield prior to the April 9 home opener at Fenway Park, and a sizable contingent of players from that team are expected to be in attendance.
Former pitcher Curt Schilling will reportedly not be among them.
According to multiple reports, Schilling has declined the Red Sox invitation to take part in the home opener festivities. The Red Sox had previously announced that all members of the 2004 team had been invited, but according to MassLive’s Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo, Schilling opted not to attend so his presence wouldn’t be a distraction from honoring Wakefield’s memory.
Schilling’s decision was first reported by Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe.
Once a beloved figure who played a central role in helping the 2004 Red Sox end the organization’s 86-year championship drought, Schilling has become a lightning rod of controversy since his playing career ended after the 2007 season. The right-hander’s reputation has been tarnished by his association with extreme political views, and last fall he angered many within the Red Sox organization and beyond when he publicly disclosed Wakefield and his wife Stacy’s cancer diagnoses without their permission.
Tim Wakefield died days later at age 57 on Oct. 1, and Stacy Wakefield died on Feb. 29 this past month.
Column: Invite or no, Schilling should stay away on Wakefield’s day
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Schilling pitched four seasons with the Red Sox between 2004 and 2007 and helped the club win two championships. Following his arrival in 2004 he finished second in the AL Cy Young vote after going 21-6 with a 3.26 ERA over 226.2 innings, and in the playoffs he battled through a painful ankle injury to help capture the historic title. He famously allowed one run over seven innings in Game 6 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees in what became known as “The Bloody Sock Game,” and followed that up with another quality start in Game 2 of the World Series.
He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2012 and has taken part in several team events since his retirement, including the 2018 World Series champions’ ring ceremony before the 2019 home opener, but in recent years Schilling’s relationship with the team has been damaged, and his decision to disclose the Wakefields’ cancer diagnoses prompted widespread outrage and condemnation from former Red Sox teammates, officials and fans.