Schilling: I'd be getting in the Hall of Fame if I'd said 'lynch Trump'

Curt Schilling's chances at making the Baseball Hall of Fame are growing smaller by the day, and the former big-league pitcher believes he knows why.

According to Ryan Thibodeaux's Hall of Fame ballot tracker, of the 35.9 percent of ballots currently known, Schilling has only been ticked on 55.1 percent submitted thus far by members of the BBWAA. That leaves the former pitcher needing another 241 votes to secure the required 75 percent needed for entry, a feat that's beginning to look increasingly unlikely.

Schilling, though, blames certain voters for his Hall shortcomings for handpicking when they invoke a debated "character clause" in their selections, as well as not agreeing with his political views.

"It matters; it's not used in all cases. They pick and choose when they use the character clause," Schilling told TMZ Sports on Monday. "I promise you, if I had said 'lynch Trump' I'd be getting in with about 90 percent of the vote this year."

The 50-year-old's claim is referencing a since-deleted tweet he made in November when he lauded a shirt calling for the lynching of journalists:

Though Schilling did earn numerous accolades in his career - three-time World Series champion (named MVP in 2001), six All-Star appearances, two-time MLB wins leader - many have refused to vote for Schilling because of the post, citing a clause in the Hall's election rules that states: "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

"They're not hiding the fact that they've stopped voting for me because of the things I've said on social media," Schilling said. "That's their prerogative as voters."

You can watch Schilling's interview below: