Schilling cancels scheduled appearance with Bush
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- Newly minted World Series hero Curt Schilling canceled a scheduled campaign appearance with President Bush on Friday, saying his doctors advised him not to travel because of his injured ankle.
An e-mailer identifying himself as the Boston Red Sox pitcher posted a message on the bostondirtdogs.com Web site saying, �I am now not medically cleared to do anything until I see Doc on Sunday, so I cannot travel with President Bush.�
Schilling, who has been known to contribute frequently to online fan forums, did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press on Friday.
The pitcher endorsed Bush in an interview on ABC�s �Good Morning America� Thursday, a day after the Red Sox won the franchise�s first World Series championship in 86 years.
In his e-mail, Schilling said he should have kept his opinion to himself.
�While I am a Bush supporter, and I did vote for him with an absentee ballot, speaking as I did the other day was wrong. While I hope to see him re-elected, it�s not my place, nor the time for me to offer up my political opinions unsolicited,� he said.
Schilling turned in one of the most memorable performances in postseason history this year, winning Game 2 of the World Series and Game 6 of the American League Championship Series with his ankle sutured to protect a torn sheath around his Achillesďż˝ tendon.
On Thursday, he was at Disney World in Florida for a parade, and he accepted the Bush campaign�s invitation to campaign with the Republican incumbent in New Hampshire.
Many of the people lining up Friday morning for Bush�s first event, a rally at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, were there more for Schilling than for the president. These included Republican Congressman Jeb Bradley, who was wearing a Red Sox cap and said he hoped Schilling would sign it.
Children carried baseballs, also hoping for autographs.
David Cummings, 26, of Hamilton, Mass., was disappointed, saying, �It was exciting when I heard Schilling was going to put out the first pitch� for the president.
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