Curt Schilling’s “bloody sock” game in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS at Yankee Stadium was one of the most memorable moments in the history of baseball’s Postseason. This was a guy who already had a reputation as one of the most clutch big game pitchers in the history of the game, and not only did he deliver on the big stage when the Red Sox needed him the most, he did it with an open wound seeping blood onto his sock.
Check out this infographic for some incredible facts about Schilling’s performance ten years ago (click to enlarge).
I have some distinct memories of this game, watching it in my dorm room at Duquesne University during my only semester there. It was one of the most ridiculous things I had ever seen – a team that looked dead in the water just a couple of days earlier at Fenway Park was getting dragged to Game 7 because of Schilling’s ridiculous performance. Just like he had done three years earlier when he was a member of the Diamondbacks, Schilling was coming up huge in the clutch to crush the hearts of Yankee fans everywhere.
Perhaps the craziest part about this is that the Yankees had chances to win after Schilling left. They brought the tying run to the plate in the eighth against Bronson Arroyo (which resulted in the infamous Alex Rodriguez slap at first base), and put the tying on base in the ninth before Keith Foulke struck out Tony Clark to end the game and force a Game 7. That Game 7 had much less drama behind it – the Red Sox led 6-0 after two, and 8-1 after four en route to a 10-3 win and the AL pennant.
This year, the NLDS will be aired on Fox Sports 1, while the NLCS will be aired on Fox Sports 1 and Fox, and the World Series will be exclusively on Fox. While none of the three teams that Schilling made starts for in the playoffs will be involved, the Angels and Cardinals (two of the teams dispatched by Schilling and the Red Sox on their way to a title) will both be playing October baseball. Will either of their seasons end without the crippling disappointment they suffered a decade ago? The only way we can find out is to watch.
