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Jaydawg^667
Re: '(A)t age 30, this pitcher didn't look even remotely as a Cooperstown candidate--after all, he was just a .500 hurler (52-52) and was coming off a 9-10, 3.19 ERA season.'  <FONT COLOR=BLACK><b>[</font>Reply to #<a href="read.pl?1-1120">1120</a>]</b>
4/9/05, 6:59pm
   Curt Schilling?  That's hard to believe.  I know he started his career in Baltimore in the late '80's, but I vaguely followed American League players back then.  Since I've been in an all-universe Baseball Manager's League for the past few years, I obviously have to now.  Besides, I've always been more of a National League kind of guy, since my preference is to watch top-notch pitching rather than guys swinging for the fences all day.  It seems like Schilling has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the league since he arrived in Philly in the early '90's, so those sub-par numbers in his early career are a big surprise.  
    Before I looked at the article, the first pitcher that came to my mind was Sandy Koufax, but he retired at age 30.  Today, he's considered by many to be the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time.  Just think of how many good years he had left in him.  Believe it or not, Koufax had a hard time adjusting to the big leagues in the mid '50's.  At that time, Dodger GM Buzzie Bavasi cut another lackluster southpaw pitcher, Tommy Lasorda, in favor of Koufax.  Lasorda argued that they should cut Koufax instead because "that guy couldn't throw the ball into a barnyard door". 
    Great trivia question for any Baseball Geeks and fanatics.  

[Jaydawg from Tarzana/CA]
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