Curt Schilling
By: Nathan Powell
Life Brief
Curt Schilling was born in Anchorage, Alaska on November 14, 1966. He was part of a military family, so he and his family moved around a lot. He spent most of his time growing up in Phoenix, Arizona. His father was Cliff Schilling, and his mother was Mary Schilling. In January 1988, his father died. He is a devoted Christian. He went to Yavapi Junior College. He is married to Shonda Schilling. He has four kids, Gehrig (born 1995), Gabriella (born 1997), Grant (Born 1999), and Garrison (born 2002). Curt Schilling was a professional baseball player.
Background Symbolism
The dumbbell background is related to Curt Schilling because he lifts weights during practice. He has to lift weights to grow stronger in order to be a better athlete. This background shows that Curt Schilling was a hard worker, and he wanted to get the job done. "He worked out for the next two hours as if his life depended on it"(Mills 41).
Pick 3
Curt Schilling played for five different Major League Baseball teams, the Baltimore Orioles, the Houston Astros, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Boston Red Sox. He won the 2001 World Series with the Diamondbacks. "Scoring Jay Bell with the winning run" (Mills 62). He also won the 2004 World Series with the Red Sox. These facts are interesting because they highlight the major parts of his baseball career.
Accomplishments
Curt Schilling is one of the best baseball pitchers ever. Curt schilling won two World Series. He has a 216-146 pitching record. He has a total of 3,116 strikeouts. He also owns his own video game company called 38 Studios. "38 Studios would focus on multiplayer online role playing games" (mills 99).
Struggle
Curt Schilling struggled with being immature. He didn't take anything seriously, and he disrespected the game. He rolled around in the money that he received, and he blew his chances with two teams. "He was wasting his talent and showing disrespect for the game" (mills 40).
Mentor/ Friend
His mentor was Roger Clemens. Roger Clemens helped Curt realize that he was being immature. He helped Curt become a changed man. Roger helped Curt stay more focused on the game, and he helped him become a better player. "He has hit him with the painful truth, at a time and in a way that changed him instantly" (mills 41).
Awards
In 1993, Curt was named the Most Vaulable Player of the National League Championship Series. He received this reward for being the best player in the championship. In 1995, Curt won the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. He was given this award because he was the player who does the most to support worthy causes off the field. He was named co-winner of the 2001 World Series Most Valuable Player award. This was given to Curt and Randy Johnson for being the two best players in the World Series.
Hobbies/ Interests
Curt Schilling loves video games. He even started his own video game company. He likes to play online role playing games. His favorite game is Advanced Squad Leader. Curt also does lots of charity work. He gives lots of money to charity, and he runs a few charity organizations. He also likes to spend time with his family, and he likes the football team the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Symbol
A good symbol that relates to Curt Schilling is baseball. A baseball can be thrown a bunch of different ways. It can be thrown soft, just like Curt has a soft heart towards charity. "The Schillings began to raise money to combat Lou Gehrig's disease" (mills 51).It can also be thrown hard and tough, just like Curt is when he plays baseball. "Schilling overpowered and confused most of the batters he faced" (mills 44).
Friend or Foe
I think Curt Schilling would be a friend of mine because we have similar things in common. We both like and play sports. We both have the same religious faith, and we are both fans of the Pittsburg Steelers.
Most Like
I think Walter Payton is similar to Curt Schilling because they where both remarkable players for the individual sport that they played. Curt Schilling was a great baseball player, while Walter was a great football player. Both players gave back to people in need. They also both won championships. Walter won a Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears, while Curt won two World Series.
Altruist or Egotist
I would put Curt Schilling into the Altruist category. He does not boast about his accomplishments. Instead Curt Schilling helps other people by giving back to charity.
Selfies
Political Views
Curt Schilling is a Republican. In 2004 he supported President George W. Bush's campaign for re-election. He supported Senator John McCain in 2007. He stayed on the Republican side even when his team supported the Democrats. "The Red Sox's management and ownership were campaigning for Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, the Democratic candidate." (mills 101).
Secrets to Success
Curt Schilling did more than just practice his throws, he studied his opponents. Before every game he would study how every batter hits. He would outthink the batter. He would always stay one step ahead of the batter. Another secret for his success was his religious faith. This filled his life with meaning and purpose. "Both Schillings were now people of deep religious faith" (mills 67).