Curt Schilling Retires After 23 Years Pitching for MLB

“Turn out the lights, the party’s over”

The game always gave me far more than I ever gave it. All of those things, every single one of those memories is enveloped with fan sights and sounds for me. Without the fans, they would still be great memories, but none would be enduring and unforgettable because they infused the energy, rage, passion and “feel” of all of those times. The game was here long before I was, and will be here long after I’m gone. The only thing I hope I did was never put in question my love for the game, or my passion to be counted on when it mattered most. I did everything I could to win every time I was handed the ball.

Schilling, 42, won the World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, and the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007. He had signed a one-year contract worth $14 million, including a $6 million bonus, in November 2007.

The six-time All-Star ends his career with a 216-146 record and a 3.46 earned run average with five major-league teams since 1988. He ranks 14th all-time with 3,116 strikeouts.

In his final season, Schilling went 9-8 with a 3.87 ERA in 24 starts to help the Red Sox win their second World Series title in four years after a championship drought that stretched to 1918.

“The game was here long before I was, and will be here long after I am gone,” Schilling said. “The only thing I hope I did was never put in question my love for the game, or my passion to be counted on when it mattered most. I did everything I could to win every time I was handed the ball.”