S ching and pitching: Schilling tendon gets fixed up

[Jimcs50]

S ching and pitching: Schilling tendon gets fixed up
By Michael Silverman
Sunday, October 24, 2004

If this medicine business Dr. Bill Morgan's in should ever go belly up, he's gaining invaluable experience this month for his second career.

``I may go into the seamstress industry next,'' said Morgan before walking with his cup of coffee out to center field to check on his s ched-up pitcher Curt Schilling [stats, news], who did some light throwing before last night's World Series Game 1. Minutes earlier, Morgan had sewn four sutures into Schilling's right ankle in advance of the right-hander's Game 2 start tonight. That's one more s ch than Schilling received in his ALCS Game 6 start in New York Tuesday.

This time, besides moving three of the incision sites a couple of millimeters away from the still-healing puncture points, Morgan also moved the internal ``wall'' of s ched up tissue that keeps Schilling's dislocated peroneal tendon in place further up along and above the ankle.

The reason, said Morgan, is to make Schilling's tendon ``a little more secure, a little higher. He felt some motion in there the last time. This time, there shouldn't be so much.''

Considering Schilling's success against the Yankees Tuesday (seven innings, four hits, one run, no walks), the fact that Morgan is now fine-tuning this previously untested procedure should only encourage the fans of both Schilling and the Red Sox [stats, schedule].

Last time, the procedure was not just untried and risky. It also hurt.

``Well, as far as pain goes, I'm not feeling anything right now,'' Schilling said. ``We did it again (yesterday) and we were not as rushed as the first time we did it. So, he allowed the painkiller to actually work this time.''

Marcaine is the anesthetic of choice for Schilling, who is seeking to deliver his own bat-numbing experience on the Cardinals' incredibly imposing lineup.cw-2

After watching the Astros' Roger Clemens succeed at first before failing late against Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen in the decisive Game 7 Thursday night, Schilling has plenty to think about as he plots his plan of attack. His career track record against the Cardinals is, for Schilling, below average. The right-hander owns a 5-9 record with a 4.58 ERA in 22 regular-season games against St. Louis. Of the current Cardinals hitters, Albert Pujols has just six career at-bats against Schilling. Jim Edmonds has gone 5-for-8 (.625) with a pair of home runs and six RBI and Scott Rolen is 4-for-9 (.444) with one home run. Larry Walker is 17-for-70 (.243) with four home runs and six RBI while Edgar Renteria is 7-for-28 (.250) with two RBI.

[Jimcs50]

I just hope Curt does not have the literal "Red Sock" tonight, it was very disconcerting for me.