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The Sox on The Sock

Curt Schilling emphatically refused this afternoon to discuss the latest controversy surrounding his bloody sock, the one he wore during the second game of the 2004 World Series, which resides in a display in the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Catcher Doug Mirabelli, though, who was thrown under the bus by Orioles TV announcer Gary Thorne Wednesday night for allegedly having admitted the blood was really red paint, did speak to the media. So did manager Terry Francona. And Thorne met with the media briefly yesterday as well.

"It was miscommunication," said Thorne of the remark he said Mirabelli made that led him to believe the sock was painted and not bloody.

"I was doing a (Red Sox) game. I don't remember when it was, but it was well after the (Sox' 2004 World Championship) fact. It (Mirabelli's remark) was joking or being sarcastic in the clubhouse that I took to be serious. We were talking about something else and my last question was about the sock really being bloody," said Thorne, standing around the batting cage, surrounded by TV cameras and other media members as the Orioles took BP.

"I never really thought much about it at the time (of uttering the remark). It came up, a comment was made (Wednesday night). I didn't think it was a big deal. It's a non-issue. It (2004) was a great year (for the Sox). It was a tremendous playoffs. Schilling was outstanding. He did the warrior stuff. So, okay. I guess I don't get it. Obviously this is much bigger than I thought," said Thorne.

Thorne called Mirabelli yesterday and the two of them hashed it out.

Mirabelli said his main concern was that the "off-the-cuff" remark would affect his relationship with Schilling.

"Any time you're associated with something like that it came damage relationships with friends and teammates," said Mirabelli, who said he didn't even know who Thorne was until seeing his face in the Orioles media guide.

Schilling assured him there was no damage control that needed to be addressed.

"(Thorne) said he assumed from what I said that (the sock was painted). By no means was that what I meant. He said I said to him, "We got a lot of publicity out of that." That's all he can recall," said Mirabelli.

Mirabelli is known for his dead-pan style, which, in the context of what passes for clubhouse humor, makes it likely this is all a case of two plus two adding up to be eight.

"This is a non-story, childish," said Mirabelli. "The media made it up and is running with it, keeping this stuff going. As far as I'm concerned, it's over."

That's Francona's sentiment, too.

"I'm disappointed this happened," said Francona, whose sleep was interrupted several times this morning from media members seeking comment.

"That (Schilling's performances on a sutured ankle) was one of the most miraculous performances I've been around," he said. "I'm disappointed there are factions of people who want to believe (it was paint and not blood). That's a shame. It's not true. Gary's a great guy. I'm hopeful it was just wires getting crossed and we'll move on."

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 5:10 PM | Permalink