Donnie Baseball's thoughts on the Drama Queen

Don Mattingly, the Yank's hitting instructor, ain't buying the Curt Schilling act we saw and heard last October. Here's what he said this afternoon during a chat with Mike and the Mad Dog:

RUSSO: Was it Schilling's performance in Game Six that was different, or did the Yankees approach him improperly in Game Six, up three games to two? What can you tell us about that game?

MATTINGLY: You know, with that game I've thought about that game a lot. And Curt Schilling, if you look at that game, the way he pitched, and the way he pitched against us all year long, was totally different. And you can talk to a guy until you're blue in the face and to guys, you don't know what you're going to get when you go out there. And, you know, they say he's hurt, he didn't pitch that way in Game One, he tried to come after us, it's the way he pitched all year long. We faced a guy in Game Six that didn't pitch the way he pitches; he used a lot of cutters, he took a lot off the baseball. And...

RUSSO: More of a finesse pitcher than an overpowering pitcher?

MATTINGLY: Definitely more of a finesse guy. And it's hard to switch over; when this guy's a power guy that's come after you and he's pitched a way all year long and you've faced him, you know, we faced him four or five times, and now you've got a guy that's basically a changeup, take-off finesse pitcher, and I don't think we made the adjustment to it. And I don't know if it's quite fair to say that we should of, because you don't trust what you read...

RUSSO: So, let's give Schilling credit for being smart enough to do what he had to do?

MATTINGLY: I think we have to give him some credit. I don't like to because I don't like the theatrics out there, you know, the first game, I feel like a guy who comes into Game One and talks as much as he talked, couldn't have been feeling that bad. and then after Game One, he's willing to go out and say "I don't think I can pitch again for the rest of the Series." So, something in between Game One and Game Six, or from Game One, doing all the talking that he's gonna shut up New York, and then he gets beat around a little bit, and now he's gone to, "I don't know if I can pitch again this Series." Me, if I'm hurt, I'm not talking much, I'm going to try to keep my mouth shut and slide into that game and try to get by.

Innarestin'. Hadn't thought about it that way.

Meanwhile, one of Schilling's dirty socks ascends into Valhalla. Only the Red Sox would decide not to do their championship laundry. Quick, where's Manny Ramirez's cup?