Curt Schilling's
letter to America
September 15, 2001
To the fans of Major League Baseball,
and the victims and families of Tuesday's terrorist
attacks in New York and Washington D.C.,
I'd like to start off by saying that what I am writing
is purely my opinion, and my family's feelings on these
issues. I am not speaking for any other players in baseball,
or in any other sport across our nation or around the
world.
I'll begin by addressing the trivial
items addressed late this week as far as our sport is
concerned. The decision made by Commissioner Bud Selig
on Thursday afternoon to resume games on Monday was
one overwhelmingly favored by the major-league players.
In our conference call on Thursday I got the impression
that players, just like every other American citizen
out there, didn't need baseball right now, and it was
probably best said by Jerome Bettis when he stated,
"We are entertainers, and I don't think America
wants to be entertained right now."
“ It's my belief that
if you watch close enough you will see players, many
players in fact, trying in some small way to say thank
you, and that we won't forget you or your loved ones
as some of us will have messages scrawled somewhere
on our hats or uniforms that you can read. ”
I believe that we all felt this way,
and hope that the few people in this country who wanted
us to play understand that we made the decision as citizens
of this country, not as baseball players.
To the victims and families of the
tragedies inflicted on us this past week we send our
hearts out to you, and our prayers that you will find
some comfort, some solace in the coming weeks as this
great country gets up on its feet and defends itself
as the world's greatest nation, with the world's greatest
people.
Like a lot of people, my thoughts
Tuesday afternoon steered towards revenge, retaliation,
retribution, in just how hard we could hit back.
My first cognizant thought was, "Man,
did they pick on the wrong country." Then, after
watching TV, I began to realize that not only did they
pick on the wrong country, but they couldn't have picked
a worse target. There is no city on this planet that
more represents its nation than New York does in the
United States. New York is the true definition of a
melting pot. Every race, religion and color are represented
in New York, and on Tuesday you saw every race, every
religion, every color, come together as one nation of
people fighting for one common goal -- to save lives.
I can honestly tell you that I have never been as proud
to be an American as I was that day, to see the men
and women of this great country come together and pour
their blood, sweat and tears into saving those that
could be saved. They continue to do so today, and with
no less effort. That in and of itself should make us
proud as hell.
My wife, Shonda, and our three young
children stepped outside on Friday at 7 p.m., lit a
candle and prayed together. We prayed that those heroic
men and women of the NYPD, FDNY and the U.S. Government
that sacrificed their lives in the minutes following
the first explosion at the World Trade Center are now
in a safe and beautiful place.
To those families that lost loved
ones in the NYPD and in the FDNY, I can only offer our
sincerest thank you. Please know that athletes in this
country look to your husbands and wives as they may
have looked at the men of our profession when they were
young, as heroes, as idols, for they are everything
every man should strive to be in life and they died
in a way reserved only for those who would make the
ultimate sacrifice for this nation, and for the freedom
we oftentimes take for granted.
Words cannot heal your wounds, not
even time will heal the wounds for those who have suffered
loss this week. But other than money and blood, which
I hope the players in MLB will be giving of both, it
is all we have to offer.
We will step on the fields of Major
League Baseball on Monday night, but please know that
we are not doing this as an aversion to forget what
happened on Tuesday. Nothing will ever make us forget
that day. But we are doing so because it is our job,
and I honestly feel that if you do have a chance to
catch a few minutes of a game, and see every sports
fan in every stadium stand for that initial moment of
silence, and understand when we do so that we do so
for you, and for your families. And in the seventh-inning
stretch when this nation sings God Bless America, we
do so because we can, because in this country men and
woman have died so that we can continue on as a free
nation, and we will be thinking of you then also.
And it's my belief that if you watch
close enough you will see players, many players in fact,
trying in some small way to say thank you, and that
we won't forget you or your loved ones as some of us
will have messages scrawled somewhere on our hats or
uniforms that you can read.
We will proudly wear the great flag
of this country on our uniforms, and it's something
I hope baseball adopts forever.
The flags in this country fly at half-staff
to honor those that have fallen, but the flags are the
only thing going halfway in this country and it's my
belief that that will not change. I believe our President
when he says retribution will be swift and total; as
an American it's all I can go on, but based on what
I have seen done these past few days by other Americans
it's more than enough.
To those out there that serve in the
military, and to those with children serving in the
military, I offer my sincerest thanks, and our prayers
are with you and yours in the days and weeks to come.
We know you'll do us proud.
In closing let me say God Bless America
and God Bless Americans everywhere.
Thank you,
Curt Schilling
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