Red Sox News: Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens flirting with Hall of Fame

Red Sox pitching duo possibly heading for Cooperstown

It’s that time of the year again my friends, Hall of Fame season! For the Red Sox, this means a handful of names that will have their shot at Cooperstown, but only two have a solid chance of getting the nod. Both Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens are in the ballpark of the necessary 75% vote and vary well may cross the finish line this year.

We’re getting into crunch time as both pitchers are in their ninth year of eligibility which means if they don’t get inducted in 2021 or 2022, they won’t be. Now could the Hall of Fame committee find a way to induct them later on down the road? Sure! But based on the basic rules of the voting window, these final two years of eligibility are it.

In Schilling’s case, this year feels like a guarantee as he finished the 2019 voting with a 70% mark and was knocking at the door. In my opinion, Schilling should already be in the Hall and if for some reason he does miss the mark again in his final two years, that’ll be a crime. Now, I’m speaking purely in a baseball sense as I have zero in common with his beliefs off the field. But as a pitcher, Schill was on top of his game for a damn long time and has the stats to back up his abilities.

His career 216-146 record over a 20-year career also earned him a lifetime 3.46 ERA through 3,261 innings and a 3116/711 K/BB ratio. Not to forget being a six-time All-Star, NLCS MVP, WS MVP, and three-time World Champion. If not for his gutting performance in Game Six of the 2004 ALCS, the Red Sox would hold a different spot in baseball history. He also played a big role in the 2007 championship team and was a major factor when the Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees in the 2001 World Series.

Schillings pedigree speaks for itself, and as much as I hate to admit it, it’s more likely than not that his off the field behavior is what has kept him out of the Hall. The numbers speak for themselves though and it’s hard to make an argument for leaving him out in the cold. Considering he was just a handful of percentage points away last year, I think it’s a lock that he gets inducted.

Now it’s time to talk about “The Rocket.” As I mentioned above, Clemens is also in his second to last year of eligibility and needs to make some serious movement this year. The fireballing righty finished with just 61% of the vote this past cycle and we all know why that is. Nothing about what Clemens did on the mound during his 24 years of service is why he’s not in the Hall, sadly.

I’m not going to get too deep into the weeds because we all know about the “B12” shots and the heavy denial on Capitol Hill of any wrongdoing. It’s never been a secret how the old guard views those who use any sort of PED and that they should be shunned to the island of misfit baseball toys. Any sane person would tell you that Clemens more than deserves to have his bust in Cooperstown, unfortunately, the power is held by the few and not the many.

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The Rocket’s alleged PED usage will always be a burden that he has to carry and I think we’ve reached a point in time that he wouldn’t deny that, despite never admitting to cheating. If the voters can’t move past that and are willing to ignore an entire body of work due to a few years of possible corner-cutting, then that’s a burden they need to carry.

How you can ignore a 354-184/3.12/4,916.2/1.173 line with a 4672/1580 K/BB ratio over 24 years is beyond me. Move past the Mitchell Report and allegations, he never failed a test and we can’t condemn him as if he had. The Rocket is a legend in Boston as well as a villain thanks to his tenure with the Yankees.

If I had to bet he’d choose a Yankees cap for his bust, despite the majority of his career being spent with the Red Sox. Unfortunately, I don’t think Clemens makes the massive leap to 75% this year but with his final year coming next winter, I feel that year ten will be the one that gets him to Cooperstown.

Both Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens had legendary careers and played massive roles in the history of the Red Sox. One feels closer than the other to achieving the greatest honor in the baseball world, but both are within striking distance. And if there’s anything these two know, it strikes. I won’t be surprised to see Schill get the nod come January and I’ll be disappointed if we never see Clemens on that stage.