23. Curt Schilling
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Curt Schilling didn’t have the look of a superstar through the first eight years of his career. Schilling joined the Phillies in 1992 following three seasons in Baltimore and one year in Houston. He was very good in ’92 — 14 wins, 2.35 ERA, 0.990 WHIP — but it wasn’t until ’97 that he established himself as one of the game’s best. That season, Schilling whiffed an MLB-best 317 hitters and finished fourth for the Cy Young. Before the ’97 season, Schilling’s career-high in SO was 186. Schilling threw 15 complete games and fanned 300 the following season, but he wouldn’t become a legend for another five years. In 2001, Schilling combined with Randy Johnson to form one of the greatest one-two punches in league history.
In his first full season with the Diamondbacks, Schilling went 22-6 with a 2.98 ERA and 293 SO — he and Johnson shared World Series MVP honors. In ’02, Schilling went 23-7 with 316 SO. He finished runner-up for the Cy Young both seasons, placing behind Johnson both seasons. Then, in ’04, the ‘bloody sock’ game occurred while Schilling was with the Red Sox. Following a 21-6 season and a third Cy Young runner-up finish, Schilling took the mound in the ALCS with an injured ankle — a visible injury due to blood seeping through Schilling’s sock. His heroic performance in Game 6 kept Boston’s season alive and paved way for the franchise to end its historic World Series drought a few weeks later.
