Curt Schilling, the man who once asked why apes aren’t still evolving into humans, says his conservative views cost him votes for the Hall of Fame.
The former Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, who campaigned for George W Bush in the 2004 election, appeared on the Dennis and Callahan show to discuss the difference in Hall of Fame votes between himself and John Smoltz. Smoltz was elected to the Hall on Tuesday ahead of Schilling, despite many predictions that Schilling would poll more votes.
“I think his Swiss Army knife versatility [helped Smoltz],” said Schilling. “I think he got a lot of recognition for that. He’s a Hall of Famer. The other big thing is I think he’s a Democrat. I know that as a Republican that there’s some people that really don’t like that.”
Schilling was then asked if his views cost him votes. “Absolutely,” he said. “When human beings do something, anything, there’s bias and prejudice. I don’t think that it kept me out or anything like that but I do know there are guys who probably will never vote for me because of the things I said or did. That’s the way it works.”
If Schilling is looking for a bleeding heart liberal in the Hall of Fame, Smoltz may not be his man. In 2004, he apologised for a joke comparing gay marriage to marrying an animal while USA Today reported that he has donated $9,800 to Republican campaigns. Another of this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, Craig Biggio, however is the son-in-law of a Democrat: New Jersey assemblyman Joseph v Egan.
