I did want to note something that I heard Cowherd say this afternoon, however. While running some errands during lunch today, I had the misfortune of catching a few minutes of Cowherd’s radio show (by the way, ESPN Radio really screwed the pooch when they sent Max Kellerman packing; he used to have a show for the New York market during Cowherd’s time slot and he was surprisingly funny, interesting, and well-informed).

Anyway, Cowherd was discussing how important Curt Schilling and Manny were to the 2004 Red Sox because they “changed the culture” of the team. Their attitudes, Cowherd argued, made the Red Sox no longer fear the Yankees and gave them the confidence to beat them and become champions. He then said (and I’m paraphrasing): “To me, that’s what makes Schilling a Hall of Famer, even more than his 11-2 postseason record. He changed the culture of the Red Sox.”

So let me get this straight. Here is Cowherd’s list of Schilling’s Hall of Fame credentials, in order of importance:

1. Changed culture of 2004 Red Sox.
2. 11-2 postseason record.
3. Everything else he ever did (127 career ERA+, 3116 Ks, 216 wins, 1.137 career WHIP, etc.)

That makes sense, right?