Schilling requests to be removed from HOF ballot going forward

Curt Schilling wants nothing more to do with the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

The longtime major-league pitcher shared a letter on his Facebook Tuesday night, requesting his removal from Hall of Fame ballots going forward.

"I can say at this point I am mentally done," Schilling wrote. "I know math and I know trends and I know I will not attain the 75% threshold for induction."

Schilling missed out on induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame for the ninth straight year after receiving 71.1% of the vote. He received more votes than any other eligible player but still fell 16 votes shy of enshrinement.

"I wanted to reiterate this final point. I will not participate in the final year of voting," he said. "I am requesting to be removed from the ballot. I’ll defer to the veterans committee and men whose opinions actually matter and who are in a position to actually judge a player. I don’t think I’m a Hall of Famer as I’ve often stated but if former players think I am then I’ll accept that with honor."

Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the board for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, said Schilling's request would be considered at its next meeting.

However, Jack O'Connell, the secretary of the BBWAA, released a statement Tuesday on behalf of the organization urging the Hall of Fame board to reject Schilling's request, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne.

Since retiring after the 2007 season, the six-time All-Star has come under fire for his political views. In 2016, Schilling was fired from his position as an analyst for ESPN after making anti-transgender remarks on social media. Prior to that, he had been suspended for comparing radical Muslims to Nazis on Twitter.

Across 20 seasons between the Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, and Houston Astros, Schilling compiled a 216-146 record with a 3.46 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9.