Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Much like Frank Sinatra, Curt Schilling did it his way.

As news broke about Schilling requiring shoulder surgery, I kept hopping to the big right-handers blog 38 Pitches to see how soon he’d comment. Didn’t take very long. But the content was rather surprising.

I expected the outspoken Schilling to give Red Sox management a big “I told you so” for not allowing him to undergo surgery during spring training, just like his doctor advised. Heck, you know I would have done so, and I‘ll bet most of you would have done the same.

On the contrary, the man never at a loss for words or too shy to give an honest opinion, Curt on the Car Phone wrote a rather reflective piece, thanking his fans for all their support and waxing poetic about his run as a big league pitcher. While leaving the door open to a comeback if all goes well, it sure read like a goodbye statement. As of 9:15pm Friday, there were already 313 comments to blog post.

If this indeed is the end, it’s a sad day for area sports fans. Love him or hate him, Schilling was a true original. He never minced words, though sometimes he probably should have. A member of the 2004 Sox, he’ll always hold a special place in my heart. He was a warrior on the mound (the bloody sock will go down in history), and arguably the best clutch pitcher of this generation. Think about it…who would you rather hand the ball to in a Game 7, with your life at stake? Maybe Josh Beckett. But that’s about it.

There’s no guarantee yet that Curt Schilling is gone, but I can guarantee you he will never be forgotten.

That’s the view from here…how do you see things? Is Schilling done? Should the Sox have gone along with his doctor’s recommendation instead of the failed rehab program? Should Schilling rip Sox management for the decision which may have in essence, ended his career?