Curt Schilling's legacy has been tarnished, but there's no denying how critical his time in Boston was to the franchise.
Curt Schilling celebrates the 2004 World Series Title with Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz.
With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, it might be worth remembering one specific Thanksgiving.
It was nine years ago, in November of 2003.
The Boston Red Sox and their loyal fan base were less than six weeks removed from quite possibly the most painful and humiliating loss in the franchise's long, storied history.
You know the defeat. Grady Little left Pedro Martinez on the mound for too long, the New York Yankees erased a 5-2 deficit, and, in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the ALCS, Aaron Boone sent a home run off Tim Wakefield into the left field stands to send the Yankees to the World Series.
Fast forward a little more than five weeks to Thanksgiving.
Theo Epstein spent the holiday in Arizona, enjoying dinner at Curt Schilling's house.
By the time the week ended Schilling was a member of the Red Sox. The fortunes of the team would soon be forever changed.
It is easy to forget just how major a role Schilling played for the Red Sox.
Perhaps you are not fond of him for his outspokenness. Perhaps his public embrace of conservative politics has impacted your opinion of him. Then there's the most recent black mark on his persona, a failed video game company he launched in Rhode Island.
Schilling has filed for personal bankruptcy, as a result of his business failings. His stock has never been lower.
This piece is not a defense of his actions, or even a discussion of them.
It is merely a recollection of just how big a role he played in one of the most unlikely transformations of a team, a fan base and a rivalry in all of sports history.
Before Schilling had even officially become a member of the Red Sox, he was on-line, chatting it up with Red Sox fans in the Sons of Sam Horn website chat room.
He instantly endeared himself to the fans. Schilling was not just a very good pitcher with an outstanding postseason resume, which included big wins against the New York Yankees in the 2001 World Series. Schilling also understood what he was walking into. He knew the history of the Red Sox and Yankees. He knew how much hunger the team and the New England region had for a World Series title, and he understood the importance of beating the Yankees.
In 2004 Schilling talked the talk, and he walked the walk. He went 21-6, led the league in wins, and finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting.
In the playoffs, which ended with Boston's first World Series championship since 1918, Schilling delivered one of the all-time legendary postseason performances, pitching the Red Sox to a do-or-die win in Game 6 of the ALCS with a sock stained with his own blood, the result of a pre-game surgical procedure.
Schilling's final three seasons in Boston were not nearly as impressive as his 2004 season.
He was still a contributor when the Red Sox won their second World Series title in four seasons in 2007.
In 2004, prior to his Game 1 start against Mike Mussina and the New York Yankees Schilling spoke about his desire to make 55,000 Yankee fans shut-up.
He didn't do it in Game 1, but one week later he came through. And Red Sox fans, even those that no longer like Schilling, would probably all agree: Acquiring him over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2003 was one of the most crucial offseason moves in Red Sox history.