BASEBALLPARK

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Curt Schilling, one of the finest and most clutch pitchers of his generation, announced his retirement Monday morning with his laptop.

Schilling revealed the end of his 20-year Major League career via his blog, 38pitches.weei.com.

"This party has officially ended," wrote Schilling. "After being blessed to experience 23 years of playing professional baseball in front of the world's best fans in so many different places, it is with zero regrets that I am making my retirement official.

"To say I've been blessed would be like calling Refrigerator Perry 'a bit overweight.' The things I was allowed to experience, the people I was able to call friends, teammates, mentors, coaches and opponents, the travel, all of it, are far more than anything I ever thought possible in my lifetime."

The 42-year-old Schilling last pitched in 2007. As it turns out, his last performance was a win for the Red Sox in Game 2 of the World Series, helping pave the way for Boston's four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies.

Shoulder problems prevented Schilling from pitching a single inning in 2008, during which he was under a one-year contract with the Red Sox.

A free agent this winter, Schilling continually hinted he might retire, though he kept open the possibility of pitching a partial season for someone, like Roger Clemens did the last couple of years of his career.

Schilling compiled a record of 216-146, notching 3,116 strikeouts. In the postseason, Schilling went 10-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 19 starts.

He was part of three World Series championship teams -- the 2001 Diamondbacks and the Red Sox of 2004 and '07.

Schilling also pitched for the pennant-winning Phillies of 1993, and is the only pitcher to win a World Series start for three different teams.

In Boston, he will long be remembered for boldly saying that he was coming to town to help snap an 86-year World Series drought and then playing a crucial role in doing just that.

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