23 years ago today, Curt Schilling became a Phillie

Heading into the 1992 season, Curt Schilling was a 25-year-old pitcher who had already spent time with three Major League franchises and started a total of five big league games. He'd amassed a 5-11 record and maintained a 4.15 ERA.

Then he became a Phillie.

The Phillies sent Jason Grimsley to the Astros for Schilling, straight-up, on April 2, 1992. Over the next nine -- well, eight-and-a-half -- seasons, Schilling threw 61 complete games for the Fightin's on his way to 101 wins and a 3.35 ERA. 

During the Phils' magical 1993 season, Schilling won half of his starts in the regular season and proved he could hang with the best of them in October, shutting out the Blue Jays in Game 5 of the World Series. He threw 147 pitches and only faced 33 batters. 

In '98, Schilling led MLB with 15 complete games and 268 2/3 innings pitched. It was his second straight 300-strikeout season and marked the second of three All-Star appearances while he was with the Phillies. 

We all know how this story ends, though: The Phils traded Schilling to the D-backs in 2000 for Travis Lee, Omar Daal, Vicente Padilla and Nelson Figeroa. Schilling helped the D-backs to the '01 World Series, then took his talents to the Red Sox (the team that drafted him in 1986) where he and his bloody sock became a part of baseball lore.

During the 2013 season, the Phillies inducted Schilling onto the Wall of Fame at Citizens Bank Park. He used the opportunity to speak afffectionately about his time in the City of Brotherly Love.