Editing Steve Carlton (section)

== Media Silence ==

Carlton's refusal to speak with media, maintained from 1978 through most of his Phillies career, created mystery around a figure whose on-field presence was already imposing. The silence, never fully explained, allowed the media to write about him without his input while protecting his privacy from intrusions he considered unwarranted. This stance, though controversial, demonstrated that athletes could establish boundaries that sports culture typically does not permit.<ref name="westcott"/>

The absence of his voice from coverage shifted attention entirely to his performance, which required no explanation to demonstrate its excellence. His pitching spoke for itself, each game providing evidence that interviews could only have supplemented rather than replaced. The mystique his silence created may have enhanced rather than diminished public fascination, the unknown proving more compelling than answers that explanation might have provided.<ref name="jordan"/>