The Boston Red Sox will be hosting the 2004 World Series championship team for their home opener next month. But unfortunately, one big-name player on that team will be missing the game after declining the invite from the team.
Curt Schilling famously played a huge role on the Red Sox championship team, finishing second in the AL Cy Young voting that year and pitching excellently in a number of postseason appearances throughout their playoff run.
The Boston Globe first reported on Schilling turning down the invitation, which may be due to some hard feelings from his teammates about something that Schilling revealed about late teammate Tim Wakefield and his wife.
Wakefield tragically passed away last October after a battle with brain cancer. His wife also passed away last month due to pancreatic cancer.
Last September, Schilling revealed Wakefield and his wife’s diagnosis despite the two wanting to keep their condition private.
Curt Schilling reveals Tim Wakefield has brain cancer pic.twitter.com/KJisFuqFyy
— RandomMagazines (@RandomMagazines) September 28, 2023
This led to some backlash from Red Sox legends like Wade Boggs and Jason Varitek.
It’s unclear whether any players from the 2004 team directly told Schilling not to attend the game. But it certainly seems possible because there will be a ceremony before the game to honor the life and career of Wakefield.
Regardless, Schilling is clearly the odd man out of what was a great 2004 Red Sox team.
