A fair trade

I am writing this viewpoint in response to Brian Loeb's "Thanks a lot, Theo,"(Dec. 2). I would like to make clear that I am responding not because I defend the media sources attacked in the article, but because opinions in the article are unbelievably terrible.

It is obvious that the author disapproves of the Curt Schilling trade, and thinks that sports media has falsely depicted him as the savior of the Sox -- "the one" who will lift them to a World Championship. I can concede the press hype surrounding the deal is a bit overzealous, but I cannot condone the type of gross ignorance expressed in Loeb's column.

To call Theo Epstein a "big fat stupid idiot" is the most asinine statement I have ever heard. The article overlooks that this "nine-year-old" general manager last season assembled arguably the most successful offense in baseball history. Pulling in Curt Schilling is right on par with his amazing acquisitions of last winter including David Ortiz, Bill Mueller, and Todd Walker. I cannot possibly see how anyone could think the Schilling deal is a bad move for the Red Sox. Look, Curt Schilling is replacing John Burkett's spot in the rotation! I am urged to use an expletive to emphasize this previous point. Instead, I will repeat -- John Burkett to Curt Schilling. This can do nothing to hurt the team record in the 2004 season!

Last year, the offense was upgraded; this year it is the pitching. And who did we lose, but little-used disappointments Casey Fossum and Brandon Lyon, and two minor leaguers. Do not forget that Theo locked this deal down with a two year extension and an option on 2007 for $2 million less per year than initial estimates speculated. This guy deserves all the credit for putting together a solid starting rotation featuring Petey, D. Lowe, Wake, and now #38, Dirt Dog Curt.

When assessing the value of Schilling, I found it very odd that the article omitted key pitching statistics such as ERA and strikeouts. Let's let readers see the complete stats for Curt Schilling for 2003: 8-9 record, 168 innings, 32 walks (as seen in Loeb's article)... Oh, but wait -- what was omitted was that Curt also had a 2.95 ERA and 194 Ks and 3 complete games. Oh yeah, and he had a broken hand that year, too. Could anyone expect an improvement from Schilling's 23-7, 3.23 ERA performance in full health in 2002? The article also insinuated that Schilling being a "fly ball pitcher" in small Fenway Park is something fans should worry about. Documentation actually shows that a pitcher is more vulnerable to the long-ball at Bank One Ballpark (Schilling's former home) than in Fenway.

Of course, there are legitimate concerns with regard to Curt's arrival in Boston. It is true Curt Schilling is pitching in the American League for the first time in a decade and as a 37 year-old. However, these will soon be proved non-issues as the most prepared and durable pitcher in MLB begins his golden years in Boston.

The article ripped on Schilling, Epstein, and referred to the Boston fans as "morons." I am truly offended by the doubts and lack of faith. While I am not parading around Schilling as the Neo of the Red Sox Matrix, I am certainly excited and believe he is an improvement to an ever-increasingly competitive team. To believe otherwise, to misconstrue statistics and to publish it in the Daily -- this is only something a Yankee would do. Spare me the "mystique" and commentary, and go back to writing about video games and the rodeo.

Jeffrey D. Larson is a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering.