Josh Beckett | American League East | Beantown

At 40, Schilling balances dual roles for the Red Sox: He's the pitching ace as well as the mentor for a Red Sox staff that has loaded up on young arms over the past couple of years. It's no coincidence that Josh Beckett sat next to Schilling nearly every game last season in which the two were not pitching. The 26-year-old hard-throwing right-hander relished Schilling's friendship and soaked up any advice the veteran had to offer.

"Josh and I became friends pretty fast," Schilling says. "You don't ever want to jump on people until they're ready, until they open up to what they need."

Beckett struggled in his first season with the Red Sox. There were flashes of brilliance, but he committed the cardinal sin in the American League East, baseball's most unforgiving division: He lost control of his pitches.

"He's a good kid, and he's fun to watch," Schilling adds. "My biggest concern for him is his command. If he gets that down, he's going to put up some ridiculous numbers."

Schilling understands pitching struggles. The ankle injury that cemented him as a Beantown legend threatened to end his illustrious career.

"My faith is my cornerstone and my foundation," he says. "I knew that if I went through the '05 season trying to figure it all out as it was happening, it would have been a lot harder. I accepted the fact that it was what it was and that I'd deal with it when it was over - the problems, issues, and adversity. You're counted on to do a job. You're counted on to be good, and when it doesn't work out, you deal with it. It was a personal struggle, but faith has always been a good thing to me. It got me through the '04 season, and it's getting me through today."