...Some Achieve Greatness...

For what it's worth, I think Curt Schilling pitched his way into the Hall of Fame tonight (technically, last night - I need to get to sleep). The hobbled ace, his team facing elimination against their hated rivals, his bullpen depleted from two epic extra-innings games the proceeding two nights, takes the mound in excruciating pain, his ankle dripping blood, and throws seven innings of shut-out ball. A mortal man, facing the kind of injury Schilling has, would be on crutches. Schilling sent the ALCS to seven games. That's what legends do. And legends go to Cooperstown.

Before tonight he was a good-but-not-great pitcher with no Cy Youngs, no dominant years, and a middling career record (from all those years played on lousy Philly teams). He'd had one career highlight: dominating the Yankees - the best team of his era - in the 2001 World Series. Now he's beaten that same team again, under much more dramatic circumstances. He's building a little bit of a legend here.

At any rate, he just got some part of the Big Dig named after him. And that ain't nothin'.