WWJDD?
As you may have heard, the Sox just came up with the best out-of-the-box baseball idea this year: make Curt Schilling their new closer. Keith Foulke has been mediocre at best at closer all year, all five Sox starters have shown that they can have great performances, and Schilling may still not be 100% rehabbed for a while yet. So while Schilling hasn't been a closer since the Democrats ran Congress, the philosophy is that he's such a good pitcher and such a badass that if anyone can handle a little closing, it's Curt Schilling. Plus, it's a great story: returning ace discovers that team's current starting pitching is so good that he volunteers for opening in the highest-pressure role in baseball? Awesome.
But all is not well for this decision in Red Sox Nation. Good-looking centerfielder Johnny Damon said last night to reporters both that Mike Timlin would be the best closer instead of Foulke and that Schilling wouldn't be the best. I hear (i.e. 12eight) that Timlin's ERA is awesome this year but non-ERA stats are not, but either way, Damon leads me to a pretty good question: why does Schilling have to close? What if we have Timlin close (or at least give him the chance) and put Schilling in regular relief? Heaven knows we could stand to have two successful relievers, and heaven also knows that Schilling's had pretty much the apex of Red Sox glory. Why not give Timlin the chance?