A former player has already turned down the Boston Red Sox’s invitation to take part in the Opening Day ceremony at Fenway Park, just one day after the team made the plans public.
According to Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe, Curt Schilling has chosen not to attend the Red Sox’s Opening Day celebrations on April 9 at Fenway Park (subscription required).
Boston is going to commemorate both the lifting of the Bambino Curse and the 20th anniversary of the 2004 World Series. Schilling threw to a 3.26 ERA over 226.2 innings in 2004 and was a vital component of the Red Sox team. He was selected as an All-Star, finished second in the Cy Young voting, and ranked eleventh in the MVP voting.
The 2004 Red Sox teammate and Boston hero Tim Wakefield, who passed away in October from cancer, will also be remembered by the club. Since Stacy, his wife, also died of cancer in February, she will also be recognized. The Wakefields were engaged in community service within and outside of Boston, and April 9 and beyond will serve as a memorial to their generous donations to the Red Sox Foundation and other endeavors.
Curt Schilling, a former Red Sox pitcher, will not attend the Opening Day ceremony at Fenway Park.
Disobeying Wakefield’s wishes, Schilling revealed the world his fatal illness a few days before he passed away. This earned him criticism from other Red Sox family members, including Catherine, the wife of Jason Varitek. Schilling shared the knowledge Wakefield entrusted to him, using his religion as justification.
According to a person with knowledge of the matter, Schilling turned down the invitation to the event in order to avoid drawing attention away from the Wakefields.
Since he left professional baseball, Schilling has been involved in controversy frequently, thus it was a smart move for him to decline to participate in the Opening Day ceremony. It’s still unknown if Schilling turned down Boston’s offer on his own or if someone else made the choice. In any case, Schilling betrays the Wakefields’ trust and has no right to participate in a ceremony commemorating them.