David Ortiz may very well be enshrined in Cooperstown in his first year on the Baseball Hall Of Fame ballot. But should that be the case, the Boston legend doesn't want to do so alone -- he wants former Red Sox teammate Curt Schilling to join him.
Speaking to reporters at The Sports Museum's "The Tradition" gala on Wednesday, Ortiz offered a ringing endorsement of the longtime Boston pitcher, insisting he is worthy of a plaque.
"Every time I think about what he did in '04, I would pay what I don't have to play with a teammate like that," Ortiz said, via Ian Browne of MLB.com.
En route to the 2004 World Series title, Schilling logged an MLB-high 21 wins with six losses, posting a 3.26 ERA through 32 regular-season starts. He finished second in American League Cy Young Award voting that season, behind Minnesota Twins pitcher Johan Santana. He earned his sixth All-Star nod that season.
Schilling finished his 20-year career with a 216-146 record and 3.46 ERA through 569 appearances (436 starts).
The 55-year-old unsuccessfully requested to be removed from the ballot heading into his 10th and final year of eligibility, with the Hall of Fame's board of directors unanimously rejecting that ask. In 2021, he ended up 16 votes short of entry.
