Curt Schilling turned down an invitation to partake in the Red Sox’s home opener festivities that will honor the 2004 championship team and the late Tim and Stacy Wakefield, according to The Boston Globe.
The Red Sox invited all members of their 2004 World Series-winning team for the April 9 game against the Orioles, but Schilling carries baggage, particularly with regards to Wakefield.
Tim died at the age of 57 in October 2023, while Stacey died in February 2024.
Schilling, who famously bested the Yankees in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, revealed prematurely that Wakefield had been diagnosed with brain cancer and his wife, Stacy, had pancreatic cancer.
He said he wasn’t sure if Wakefield wanted it shared, but still divulged the information last September.
“Tim Wakefield is sick. … Recently, Tim was diagnosed with a very serious, very aggressive form of brain cancer. … The situation in Tim’s case is incredibly serious and he went in and had surgery,” Schilling said.
The Red Sox then said that information was not meant for the public.
“We are aware of the statements and inquiries about the health of Tim and Stacy Wakefield,” Boston said in a statement in September 2023.
“Unfortunately, this information has been shared publicly without their permission. Their health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease. Tim and Stacy are appreciative of the support and love that has always been extended to them and respectfully ask for privacy at this time.”
The Boston Globe reported that the organization and others close to Wakefield were quite upset with Schilling’s actions.
“To say that people with the Sox and others around Tim and Stacy are furious is an understatement,” Globe reporter Pete Abraham tweeted in September.
“F–k you Curt Schilling, that wasn’t your place!” Catherine Varitek, the wife of former Red Sox catcher and current staffer Jason Varitek, posted on X.
Boston will be wearing a No. 49 patch throughout the season to honor the knuckleballer.
Schilling played for the Red Sox from 2004-07, helping the franchise end its 86-year championship drought during that 2004 season.
He has been embroiled in controversies since retiring, and fell short of the Hall of Fame.
