The bloody sock: one of the best moments in New England sports history

It was a real life Roy Hobbs moment. Except unlike in the movies, this was reality. And instead of blood coming from the abdomen, it was coming from an ankle. And instead of Kevin Costner acting, it was Curt Schilling doing. What Schilling did for the Red Sox in 2004 is the true definition of the word legendary and nobody knew at the time what was even happening.

Before the good all days of social media where everybody knew everything as soon as if not before it happened, most were left guessing what was going on with that bloody sock.

But there was the Red Sox warrior literally putting his blood into an effort to break an 86-year-old curse. It can’t be overstated what this Herculean effort meant. The team needed him, he knew it, and he delivered.

As I sat in the press box covering my first ever World Series and watched this unfold, the whispering in the press box turned into a mild murmur and then all out conversation.

Were we really seeing what we thought we were? Was there actual blood coming through his taped up ankle and outer sock? The injury was not a secret. But the severity was and this was beyond belief.

Major League pitchers, with all due respect, will spend a couple weeks on the disabled list with a blister. Yet here was this guy, on the biggest stage, carrying the burden of almost nine decades of failure.

At this point every Sox fan knows the story ended well, and Schillings effort cannot be overstated.

He earned his status and should be forever revered in Red Sox Nation. It will be great to see him in Bangor in less than two months.

Tickets available at www.sportschowdah.com

Written by Lee Goldberg- Sports Chowdah contributor

Jeff Solari

About Jeff Solari

Jeff Solari is the president and founder of the Sports Chowdah, Maine’s only free, weekly sports e mail newsletter. Recently, the Mount Desert Island native was the co-host of "The Drive" on 92.9 FM in Bangor.