Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, snubbed at last year's World Series ceremony, was part of Tuesday's home opener festivities at Fenway Park.
During the pregame ceremony celebrating past Red Sox World Series Champions, Schilling walked on the field flanked by former teammates Pedro Martinez and Tim Wakefield.
A giant banner honoring the 2018 champions was unfurled in front of the Green Monster during the ceremony before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Martinez, Mike Lowell and David Ortiz carried out the 2004, '07 and '13 trophies. The Boston Pops orchestra set up in shallow right field to play Queen's ``We Are the Champions.''
Schilling sounded off on social media after the team didn't invite him to participate in a ceremony honoring the 2004 championship team before Game 2 of the World Series last October.
"What they did, or did not do, tonight was done 100% on purpose and completely expected," Schilling said in a Facebook post early Thursday morning. "Were my feelings hurt? In one sense, yes, not being able to be on the field with the men who I will always share that 2004 [bond] with and not being able to once again thank the folks who paid for the tickets and whose lives changed with ours sucks."
Former Sox players Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, Kevin Millar, Alan Embree, Keith Foulke, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz all threw ceremonial first pitches as part of Wednesday's ceremony. The Red Sox told WEEI it was just an "informal" gathering and that Schilling's absence wasn't deliberate.
Schilling, whose "bloody sock" was one of the lasting images of the 2004 season, said he decided to write the Facebook message after receiving messages from friends and fans apologizing for the team's actions.
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"No need. I will sleep soundly again tonight because I know what I did in 2004, the men on that field know what I did. Most importantly? The men who sit in that ivory tower and pass their judgment from on high know EXACTLY what I did and it shames them as men knowing they'll never in their lives be able to do anything remotely close to that."
Schilling has been criticized and even lost his job as an ESPN baseball analyst for his controversial social media posts in the past, including one meme he shared comparing Islam to Nazi Germany.
