Schilling

I was watching tv back in '88 when Kirk Gibson, riddled with knee pain, stepped to the plate in the World Series for the LA Dodgers. His team was down 4-3 to the Oakland A's in the bottom of the ninth. Gibson, who wasn't expected to play because of the knee pain, was called on to pinch hit versus the almost unstoppable A's relief pitcher, Dennis Eckersley.

The result...a game winning 2 run home-run.

I was also watching in 2002 when Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb broke a bone in his ankle (fibula) during an NFL game versus the Cardinals in the first quarter...on the third play of the game...but finished the game, completing 20-25 passes and throwing 4 touchdowns.

The result...a Philadelphia win, 38-14.

While both of these were performances worthy of awe, they almost pail in comparison to the heroics of Curt Schilling in game 6 of the NLCS. Schilling, a 37 year old pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, took the mound in game 6, despite having a dislocated ankle tendon.

I know what you may be thinking..."McNabb had a broken ankle," well, a broken fibula supports none of you body weight...what Schilling had required surgery due to the fact that the tendon is responsible for stability. Once the tendon is torn, they pop out of the supporting ligaments that hold them in place and dislocate. Once this occurs, recurrent dislocation and tearing of the tendons is inevitable. In other words, once you pop, you can't stop.

Schilling had to have three sutures put into place in order to hold his ankle together so he could pitch. Being a right handed pitcher, all the weight of the pitch comes from the right ankle, which was the ankle he had injured.

Dispite the injury, he took the mound. With blood seeping through his sock, he pitched 7 beautiful innings and led the Red Sox to victory.

Why would someone play in these conditions? I, being one who has played through injury, know the answer to this question. Heart.

He said there would be no greater feeling, than to shut 55,000 screaming Yankee fans up.

He did it.

And so did his team. After being down in the best of 7 series 3-0, the Red Sox did what NO other professional sports team in North America has done. They won the next 4.

In game 4, with the Yankees up 4-3, the Sox garnered up a last second rally that tied the game. They won on an Ortiz homer in the 12th.

In game 5, an Ortiz homer in the 8th tied the game. It took 14 innings before Ortiz came through one more time with a single that drove in the game winner.

Game 6 belonged to Schilling.

In game 7, Johnny Damon hit two home-run (one being a Grand Slam) in Boston's 10-3 victory, behind brilliant pitching by Derek Lowe.

Boston hasn't won a World Series since 1918. Maybe this will be the year, maybe not, but you can't deny the inspiration of Curt Schilling...to play on that ankle was crazy. But sometimes, in order to accomplish your dreams, you have to be a bit crazy.