Schilling Officially Endorses Brown

Once rumored to covet the position himself, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling officially endorsed state Sen. Scott Brown in the race for Massachusetts' open U.S. Senate seat.

Schilling advocated Monday for the Republican candidate on his blog, 38 Pitches, writing that Brown is "exactly what this state and this country need right now."

Immediately after the death of Edward M. Kennedy, which opened up the seat, Schilling's candidacy churned through the rumor mill. In early September, however, Schilling effectively ended the speculation by indicating that his chances of running were "slim to none."

The three-time World Series winner is an unenrolled voter, meaning that he was ineligible to run in last month's Republican primary and would have had to campaign as an independent.

Schilling likened Brown's candidacy to his Red Sox team defeating the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series.  A Brown victory, Schilling wrote, would be "a comeback/upset of 2004 proportions."