Former ESPN analyst Curt Schilling is interested in returning to baseball. The question is, will baseball want the controversial ex-pitcher back?
Schilling told 97.5-FM in Philadelphia that he sent a text message to new Phillies manager Gabe Kapler to express his interest in joining his staff as the team’s pitching coach. The Phillies announced Kapler as their new manager Tuesday afternoon.
Schilling, 50, was a fantastic pitcher for five teams, including the Phillies, across 20 seasons in the big leagues. A six-time All-Star, Schilling is 15th all time in strikeouts with 3,116, and is considered one of the best postseason pitchers of all time. He won NLCS MVP in 1993 with the Phillies, World Series MVP with the Diamondbacks in 2001 and helped the Red Sox end their long title drought in 2004.
His on-field credentials are without repute, but that isn’t the issue with Schilling. He has no major or minor league coaching experience since retiring in 2007.
Schilling was also suspended and then fired by ESPN for his social media behavior. He was suspended for comparing Muslims to Nazis and then axed after posting on Facebook an anti-transgender meme. He recently called ESPN anchor Jemele Hill “openly racist” during a CNN interview.
He now works as a radio host for Breitbart News.
Kapler and Schilling were teammates for three seasons with the Red Sox from 2004-06.