Epstein: Schilling brokered contract using 'Negotiating for Dummies'

The Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein recently joined "Pardon My Take" and revealed that during the contract negotiation of 2007 with Curt Schilling, the pitcher used a copy of "Negotiating for Dummies" in lieu of an agent.

Schilling, who had just fired his representation, entered negotiations with Epstein - the then-Boston Red Sox general manager - following the team's 2007 World Series victory.

Now considered one of the savviest executives to ever run a team, Epstein ended up signing the 2001 World Series MVP to a one-year, $8-million deal during a Thanksgiving meal at Schilling's house.

"We reach a deal, we're happy with it," Epstein said. "We go back to print it out in his little home office ... and there on his desk is a well-worn, dog-eared copy of the book "Negotiating for Dummies." Every time he was pretending to go to the bathroom, he was running back and looking through that book."

Esptein, who was already pretty famous for breaking an 86-year World Series curse with the Red Sox at the time of this negotiation, broke the 108-year curse that plagued the Cubs last season.

Schilling, meanwhile, has trended in the opposite direction.

The legendary pitcher saw his Hall of Fame vote drop by six percentage points from 2016 to 2017 thanks - at least in part - to sharing controversial opinions. Schilling retired with a 216-146 record and a 3.46 ERA.