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May 2, 2008
BOSTON _ Curt Schilling could be back throwing a baseball again soon.
``Very soon,’’ Schilling said today after he completed a workout at Fenway.
The veteran, who at one point was feared to be lost for the season, was upbeat as he spoke about what he has been doing and what his immediate future could be.
``I feel strong. I feel great. I feel everything I’m supposed to feel,’’ Schilling said.
The 41-year-old right-hander signed a one-year $8 million deal with the Sox in November. But a major problem with his throwing shoulder was discovered before the start of spring training. There even was some discussion about the Red Sox possibly voiding the deal.
Today, though, all was positive both from Schilling and manager Terry Francona, who reported that Schilling is set to be measured, as he described it, this weekend.
``That may lead to him starting to throw the ball,’’ Francona said. ``We’ll see.’’
Schilling received a cortisone shot in February, rather than undergoing surgery. He reported all has been on the improve ever since. He has undergone numerous tests.
``We’ve done a bunch of them. They’ve continued to improve on every single time,’’ Schilling reported.
``Today is like a light day,’’ he said. ``We’re alternating heavy and light days. The heavy days just got immensely heavy, so the light days are much lighter. We’ve come to realize a ways through this that every time I have an off day I’m immensely better the following day.
``The workload on my heavy days is excessive. There is no pain. No stamina issues. No strength loss. No lingering effects, which is a huge plus.’’
There is one more step to take.
``I haven’t thrown yet. That’s the big piece of this,’’ he said. ``I don’t envision, with the amount of work that we’ve done and things that we’re doing, that I’m going to come back and start throwing and it’s not going to work. I think we’re set now to go for an extended period of time with me throwing and getting more amped up on the throwing side of things to see how far we can take it.’’
Most days, Schilling has done his work early in the day and been gone by 2 p.m. when his teammates arrive.
``I’m here and done most days by like 2,’’ he related. ``It’s weird. It’s very uncomfortable. I try and impact the guys on this team that I’m close with at time when we can talk away from everybody, then I go do my thing.’’
The goal is not just to be able to pitch, but to be effective.
``It’s not just about me getting healthy and coming back. I have to be good,’’ he said.
``Last time I looked, this rotation didn’t have a hole it in. There are a lot of different scenarios that might come about, with innings limits for guys and things. But I’ve got to come back and be good. I can’t just get healthy and come back and expect to come back and have a spot.’’
Schilling has enjoyed watching the way the Sox rotation has developed this season, even without him.
``These guys are all very good to great,’’ he said.
Schilling spoke about how he would not be putting himself through the process if he did not have confidence he would be able to pitch again.
``I’ve never thought otherwise,'' he said. ``If I didn’t believe absolutely that I’d have the ball in a World Series game I wouldn’t be doing this.’’
_PK
Posted by Paul Kenyon 
at 5:02 PM to Projo Sox Crawl
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