Not a Schilling More

On Monday, former Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling announced his retirement on his blog. Schilling was acquired from the Houston Astros for Jason Grimsley right before the 1992 season and spent seven and a half years in Philadelphia before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the middle of the 2000 season for Omar Daal, Nelson Figueroa, Travis Lee, and Vicente Padilla. During his twenty year career, he also played for the Baltimore Orioles, Houston, Arizona, and the Boston Red Sox. 

So, what team will Schilling officially retire with? Probably not Houston or Baltimore, and most likely not Arizona despite his success there. He was drafted and ended his career in Boston and won two World Championships with them, but his longest tenure was in Philadelphia and was their undisputed ace for most of that time. It would be fitting for him to retire as a Phillie, even if he hasn't pitched for them in a while. 

But, why not change that? With Cole Hamels unlikely to be ready for Opening Day 2009, they will hypothetically have an extra slot in their rotation. They'll probably start Brett Myers, but why not sign Schilling and let him start on Opening Day, and then immediately retire as a Phillie? It seems fitting that Schilling end his career playing for a World Champion Philadelphia ballclub. The Phillies will probably opt to start Brett Myers for the third year in a row if Hamels isn't ready, but this would be a fitting honor for one of the best Phillies pitchers in the history of the franchise.