No pain reported in the most famous right ankle in team history, but the Sox' ace terms 'disappointing' his 47-pitch, 12-minute side session on a minor-league field.

08:56 AM EST on Friday, February 25, 2005

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- There was no blood seeping from a white sock covering his right ankle when Curt Schilling stepped onto the mound this time.

Indeed, he was wearing a red sock, not a white one.

AP photo

Curt Schilling tests his surgically repaired right ankle by throwing a side session in Red Sox camp yesterday. It was the first time Schilling had thrown from a mound since Game 2 of October's World Series. Schilling reported no pain in the ankle, but was unhappy with the session.

But there was just as much concern about his ankle yesterday morning at Boston's minor-league complex as there had been last October when Schilling, pitching on a painful, stitched-up ankle that kept a tendon in place, virtually willed the Red Sox to their first World Championship in 86 years.

Schilling, who had the torn tendon sheath surgically repaired last fall after heroically beating the Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs, passed his first spring hurdle, at least physically.

The veteran right-hander threw 47 pitches in about 12 minutes in his first workout off the mound since going six innings without allowing an earned run in Boston's victory over the Cardinals in Game 2 of the World Series on Oct. 24.

Schilling, ever the perfectionist, wasn't pleased with his command, but more important for the Red Sox, said he didn't feel any pain in the ankle. Barring a day-after setback, Schilling planned to throw again on the side tomorrow.

There was no concrete answer yet, though, for the biggest question that will hover over Schilling all camp.

Will he be able to keep a much-anticipated Opening Night date in Yankee Stadium on April 3 against new Yankees hurler and former teammate Randy Johnson that has ESPN executives drooling?

Only time will tell, Schilling said. And he insisted that he wouldn't let his pride stand in the way of his own best interests or those of the club.

"There's competitiveness and there's selfishness," said Schilling, who permitted one earned run in 13 innings combined against the Yankees and the Cardinals with that tendon held in place by stitches.

"I do want to pitch Opening Day and be the first-game starter and all the other stuff," he said. "But not at the expense of missing starts (later in the season) or not being 100 percent. Whoever goes out there on Opening Day has to be at the top of his game. If I don't feel that's what I will be, I won't take the ball. That would be counterproductive for what I want to do and what's best for the team. I want to be pitching in October. If that means missing a week or two weeks for that to happen, so be it.

"I still expect to be pitching on April 3, but I'm not going to jeopardize things to be ready for that day," said Schilling, a 15-year veteran who turned 38 in November.

But everything has to proceed one step at a time, and yesterday provided one of those first steps, the initial side session of the spring for Schilling, who in his Red Sox debut last season led the league in wins (21), was second in earned-run average (3.26) and third in strikeouts (203).

It was a media happening. There were eight television cameras, three photographers and at least 20 reporters all watching intently as Schilling threw to Shawn Wooten, a non-roster catcher.

After taking a few good-natured jabs from his new good friend, fellow veteran pitcher David Wells, for selecting a mound closest to the cameras, Schilling got to work.

He threw 21 warmup tosses to Wooten, who received them standing up, as is the bullpen custom. Then, with Wooten in his normal catching stance, Schilling began pitching.

He mixed in a few curve balls, splitters and cutters along with his fastball, throwing smoothly but without his characteristic snap, instead making sure his mechanics were fine. He said he wasn't concerned about his ankle, and that he felt no pain. His motion was scrutinized by pitching coach Dave Wallace.

"I wanted to see some sense of normalcy in his delivery," said Wallace, who saw just that. "It was natural (for Schilling) to be tentative, but it certainly was very encouraging."

"It was the first time I caught him, but he looked very comfortable," added Wooten. "He was pushing off fine."

Schilling, typically, was less thrilled with his performance.

"I was expecting a lot more out of myself than I got. That's disappointing," said Schilling, who was limping slightly when he walked to a golf cart that transported him from the bullpens to the clubhouse at the opposite end of the complex.

Manager Terry Francona saw part of Schilling's session.

"Is he upset?" Francona said after Schilling's media gathering. "I thought so. I've seen him get upset when he's healthy in side sessions. That's just the way he is. He was grumpy. He's a perfectionist. He's not game-ready. He's going to have ups and downs, but that's OK. His arm strength is going to be fine. We just want to make sure he's healthy."

Schilling, meanwhile, had said that to be ready to start the season he has a goal in mind for the number of spring innings he might need. He had no desire to share that number with the media. Most pitchers, though, said Wallace, need 25-30 innings.

The innings will come if Schilling continues to progress.

"I got through the day. My ankle doesn't hurt. I guess that's a positive for people other than me," Schilling said. "It will take time. I have to be patient."