Baseball is a numbers game, except if you have conservative values and a distaste for biased media.
In January, legendary pitcher Curt Schilling’s nomination to the Baseball Hall of Fame went unconfirmed as sportswriters voted politics, not pitching. 
A three time World Series champion and six time All Star, Schilling was excused from ballots for his personal and political beliefs.  
According to Boston Globe Red Sox beat writer and Hall of Fame voter Dan Shaughnessy, Schiling’s “antics” over the last election cycle transitioned him from “a mere nuisance to an actual menace to society.” Those same “antics” forced Hall of Fame voter Randy Miller to reevaluate Schilling’s “character as a player, which ultimately turned Schilling to a “no” vote for 2016, 2017…forever.”
Schilling is an unabashed Christian who voted for President Donald Trump and holds controversial opinions regarding LGBT issues and Islamic Jihadism. He openly declared his disdain for Hall voters by calling some of them “scumbags” after he was turned away from entrance into the Hall, which he has been eligible for since 2013.  
While Schilling’s 3,116 strikeouts (15th all time) and 216 wins (87th all time) aren’t spectacular, his absurd walk/strikeout ratio and postseason dominance are nothing short of awesome. In addition, he pitched masterfully during baseball’s steroids era, which he came out of relatively unscathed. 
In 20 major league seasons, Schilling walked just 711 batters faced. When levied against his 3,116 strikeouts, he averaged 4.38 strikeouts for every base on balls. According to the Society for American Baseball Research, that was “the best strikeouts-to-walks ratio of any retired pitcher to ever play in the majors since 1900 who struck out at least 1,000” as of 2015. 
Fathom, if you will, a pitcher who started 19 postseason games and recorded an 11-2 win/loss ratio and a 2.23 earned run average with the Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox being omitted from baseball’s highest honor. In 2001, he was co-Most Valuable Player of the World Series, sharing the honor with teammate and fellow pitcher Randy Johnson. As a member of the Red Sox in 2004, the franchise won its first World Series since 1918. 
Sports media need to have a universal standard for the acceptance of free speech. Unfortunately, today’s journalism market is saturated with strong left or strong right ideologies that hurl nicknames like “alt right” and “regressive left” at each other. There are very few people in the middle acting as arbitrators and connecting the sides.  
Put the politics aside, LeBron James is no less a talent because he endorsed Hillary Clinton. Colin Kaepernick is no less a talent because he kneeled during our nation’s anthem last season. Curt Schilling is no less a talent because you don’t agree with his views. 
If one of those aforementioned arbitrators stepped up to the plate and got both sides into a room, all parties would reach the conclusion that Schilling is among baseball’s best and deserves enshrinement in its Hall of Fame. Because that’s where the criteria should begin and end for judgement: baseball.
Christopher Godail is a 27-year-old interdisciplinary studies major from Kenner, Louisiana.