Curt Schilling Accused Of Being Self-Aggrandizing. Really.

We're not sure it matters, ultimately, whether or not Curt Schilling, as Gary Thorne famously (and obliviously) claimed last evening, actually painted blood on his sock in the 2004 World Series. We don't think he did, and his performance was rather amazing either way, but Schilling has always seemed like the type of guy who would do something like that. No one has ever seemed as interested in the myth of Curt Schilling than Curt Schilling himself, and that's meant as less of a criticism than it sounds. Baseball players love to be seen as heroes; Schilling is just more skilled and craven at propagating the myths than anybody else.

Still, we can't imagine what Thorne was thinking, saying that on the public airwaves and believing no one would make a big deal out of it.

"The great story we were talking about the other night was that famous red stocking that he wore when they finally won, the blood on his stocking," Thorne said to broadcast partner Jim Palmer, the Hall of Fame pitcher, in a conversation that had begun with a discussion of Schilling's blog. "Nah," Thorne said. "It was painted. Doug Mirabelli confessed up to it after. It was all for PR."

If Thorne — who Mirabelli blasted after the game — legitimately wakes up this morning surprised by the fuss he caused, he's the most clueless broadcaster in sports, and that's really saying something. Nothing yet from Schilling's blog about the whole mess, but we think it'd be funny if he painted his site red for the day, just for fun.

Bloody Mess [Boston.com] 38 Pitches [Curt Schilling's Blog]

(By the way, in case you forgot what Schilling's ankle looked like after surgery.)

(UPDATE: Baseball Musings has some info on Thorne that shows he's kind of an idiot about this stuff.)