More often than not, when retired MLB legend Curt Schilling is being pilloried by the media, it’s just a matter of whiny leftists crying over things they should just have thicker skin about.
The latest Schilling controversy? It’s a bit more complicated than that and it’s worth delving into.
On Tuesday’s episode of the “Curt Schilling Baseball Show” podcast, the legendary pitcher brought up his former Red Sox teammate and current announcer Tim Wakefield.
“We were going to talk about the Cy Young talk, but I actually want to talk about something else,” Schilling said.
That “something else” was Wakefield’s health.
“This is not a message that Tim has asked anyone to share, and I don’t even know if he wants it shared,” Schilling continued. “But as a Christian and as a man of faith, I’ve seen prayer work and so I’m going to talk about it.”
He then revealed that “Tim’s wife Stacy, who’s one of the sweetest women you’ll ever meet, is very sick with pancreatic cancer.”
A few moments later, Schilling dropped the other shoe: “Recently, Tim was diagnosed with a very serious, very aggressive form of brain cancer.”
First and foremost, Schilling is absolutely right about the power of prayer, and asking people to pray for the Wakefields during these dark times certainly feels like the right choice.
But was it Schilling’s choice to make?
A statement promptly put out by the Red Sox suggests that it was not — and both the team and the Wakefields are none too pleased about this development.
“We are aware of the statements and inquiries about the health of Tim and Stacy Wakefield,” the Red Sox said.
The statement continued, all but blasting Schilling by name: “Unfortunately, this information has been shared publicly without their permission. Their health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease.
“Tim and Stacy are appreciative of the support and love that has always been extended to them and respectfully ask for privacy at this time.”
The #RedSox today issued the following statement with permission from Tim and Stacy Wakefield: pic.twitter.com/iQqkhxRSyt
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 28, 2023
The social media reaction to Schilling’s remarks regarding the Wakefields was one of anger — not all that atypical for a Schilling comment.
Cindy Varitek, wife of Jason Varitek (who played with both Wakefield and Schilling in Boston), summed up the general sentiment in an X post that had over 27,000 likes as of Saturday morning.
“F*** you Curt Schilling, that wasn’t your place!” Varitek posted.
A cursory search of “Curt Schilling” on X yields a number of similar responses, some fit for reprint and some not so much.
Again, it doesn’t seem all that different from the typical outrage that Schilling has a penchant for engendering.
But this situation feels different because it’s not a case of crybaby leftists just needing to toughen up. It’s an issue of privacy, and it’s pretty clear based on the Red Sox statement that Schilling violated said privacy.
So, yes, it does feel like Schilling crossed a line here — even if it was for a genuinely noble reason like asking for prayers for his sick friends.
Is it OK to do the wrong thing for the right reasons? That’s a separate discussion, but in this instance, it seems pretty clear that’s exactly what Schilling did.
If you’ve somehow made it all the way to the end of this story, thanks.
But also, why not include the Wakefields in your prayers?
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.