Washington (CNN) - Former Red Sox ace Curt Schilling blasted Martha Coakley Saturday after the Massachusetts Democratic Senate hopeful told a Boston radio talk show host that Schilling, a Republican, is a Yankees fan.
This is a serious charge in "Red Sox Nation": Schilling is a part of baseball lore as the pitcher who battled through pain with a bloody ankle in 2004 to defeat the Yankees in Game Six of the American League Championship Series.
"I've been called a LOT of things," Schilling wrote on his blog at 1:06 a.m. ET. "But never, and I mean never, could anyone ever make the mistake of calling me a Yankee fan. Well, check that, if you didn't know what the hell is going on in your own state maybe you could…."
Schilling, who considered running for the Senate seat, is backing GOP nominee Scott Brown in Tuesday's special election to replace the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.
Coakley quickly recanted her assertion after host Dan Rea challenged her on the statement in the Friday interview. A campaign spokesman told CNN that Coakley simply failed to deliver on the joke.
"Curt Schilling has been involved in a lot of strike outs over time," the spokesman said. "I guess Martha whiffed on that joke."
Follow Mark Preston on Twitter @prestoncnn
From CNN Politics
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I find some of these comments attacking Schilling extremely funny... do you people even read the article? The story's not about Schilling at all, it's about Coakley stupidly dragging Schilling into a political conversation and then putting her foot in her mouth.
Are you people really so thick headed that you can't see that, or are you just so afraid because you know Coakley's going down big time this week? How pathetic you are!
This seals her fate- if you are running for political office in New England, the worst thing you can do is say something negative about a Red Sox hero, or Tom Brady even. Sad as it may be, most people will pick sports over politics in a place like New England. Lucky for Coakley there are worse things for a career than losing an election- most people with real skill set have done pretty well when their careers effectively end. Considering she's the Attorney General, Coakley could easily find a good job at a high-end law firm.
I am quite happy what is happening in MA. Barack Obama is scared now because he knows that his days are numbered. He cannot dodge the American people by his speeches. He does not know what he is doing to our country. We are all in economic collapse and he wants to increase taxes. Look at the Health Bill. He is scared that Brown will stop this nonsense. Democrats now realized that their downfall is just begun. I hope American people will never bring them to power, ever again.
'Peter' and other crazy liberal posters are insane. If these are the kind of supporters that Coakley can get, I'd run the other way.
Vote for Scott Brown.
Seems to me that the good people of Mass. need to do learn more about Obamacare. Ladies and gentleman figure out what's going on with this sham before you blindy follow the Democractic Leaders lead. Don't be made a fool of again...
I can't believe the great people of Mass can not see through Brown's shallow knowledge and lies. I am an Independent and know that anyone that votes Rebublican 96% of the time on a local level will vote 100% Rebublican on a National level.
@ Chipster
"Or it could be simply more of the GOP's age-old strategy of picking apart anything and everything their opponent says to give a phony impression to the public. It's getting old and trite."
Are you serious? "the GOP's age old strategy"? I think it's pretty safe to say that it's a strategy shared equally among both parties; anyone that can't admit that is a fool!
The Democratic and Republican parties are (2) wings on the bird of pray, that is the American Govt... we the people, are its feast!
I remember when he was paid for a full season and never rehabilitated enough to throw one pitch. His doctor told him he needed surgery to pitch again. I suppose Theo rolled the dice and gambled. Curt of course took the money and ran. It's always about the personal bank account with Republicans. Where is the give back to the needy? You wont see it with Brown. There never it any because there is never anything left over after they and their rich friends get theirs first. GOP makes be puke!
I was very pleased to hear that my beautiful, smart, 28 year old, liberal, CA born and MA living daughter telling me that she is voting for Brown. Happy New Year.
Schilling can't keep his big mouth shut, can he? Couldn't do it as a player and now can't do it as a 'regular joe'....Is he bucking for a slot in the political arena himself?
Jacks$$!!
I don't know about being called a Yankee fan being an insult, after all, Schilling insults himself every time you claims to be a republican.
Are people so immature that they are reacting to such nonsense? Even Schilling is being stupid to even reply. For crying out loud, sports and politics are NOT the same thing. To decide to boycott a candidate because she accused poor ol' Schilling of being a fan of the Evil Empire . . . oooooooh . . . how bad that is . . . she should be hung.
Idiotic to the max. Grow up, people. Seriously.
Coakley is just an idiot. She has no grasp on the spirit of this state and shes just another political puppet. Curt Schilling may be a Republican......last time i checked...we're all AMERICANS. Coakley doesn't seem to have her finger on the pulse of anything that is goin on in this state. Honestly, who in NE doesnt know who Curt Schilling is? Not only is he one of the most important figures in RED SOX history....atleast in this era.....but hes one of the most outspoken republicans around...so she both doesnt know about his accomplishments that have made us all so happy, but she has no tabs on outspoken political adversaries? Definitly not getting my vote considering she doesn't seem to know much. BTW Martha...great move getting support from a President whos approval rating is at an all-time low and dropping further everyday. Mentality of a loser...
Just what the USA needs right now....public fighting between two people that at least half of the country never heard of.What a couple of useless jerks. What have you done for your country lately?
Who cares what some baseball player says or who he supports??? Besides, who knows if in a few years he'll be crying crocodile tears while he confesses to taking steriods too! Seriously, though . . . Coakley has run an abysmal campaign. Still better than ANY Repbulican though and WAAAAAAY better than any Tea Partier!
I think a lot of you don't get it. First of all, Curt Schilling gets to support whoever he wants to support, just like any other citizen. He's not running for office, but why can't a private citizen support a candidate? I don't get it.
Second, if you're not from the area you don't get the Yankee fan thing. It's about as bad as it gets, especially given that he is a bona fide Red Sox hero. Just another dumb comment by Coakley who doesn't seem to miss a chance to get her foot into her mouth.
Schilling is a jerk. He is a republican shill, nothing more.Who cares what he says ?
Typical, thin-skinned Republican attempt to divide the voters over nonsense, right up there with Christie getting all offended by Corzine's saying he was "throwing his weight around."
Just more proof that the Republicans treat voters like they're stupid and immature ... more like the Republican leadership is talking in the mirror ...
If an election is considered on a baseball team I think our country is sick. It is time the ladies take the ball and with that bat get rid of these so called men that are running for office. Vote for what is best for our families.
Schilling may not be a Yankee's fan, but he certainly is a shill for the Republican party.
I trust the good people of Massachusetts will see through this juvenile ploy for votes – and elect Coakley to the Senate.
This is so irrelevant, so unimportant.
Baseball is just a kid's game.
Moving on ....
What do you expect – she can't even spell the name of her state. coakely and obama should get along well together – she can't spell Massachusetts and obama thinks we have 57 states.
I think this establishes Coakley as a liar.
The thing that's being left out of all the hand-wringing here, is that she did realize her mistake and tried to correct it, saying "no, no, I'm wrong", but was interrupted before clarifying, by the interviewer. But she then compounded the stupid comment by saying, "well, he's not there any more". Dumb, and politically tin-eared no matter how you slice it, but nonetheless, the usual word-twisting that prevails in most much ado about nothing political hackery and manufactured outrage.
Politics, USA. Such a sad commentary about what we view as "important" in the overall scheme of what's good for America.
Curt Schilling is typical jock...i.e. he's an idiot.