It’s All in the Cast for Stillwell : Reds’ Understudy to Concepcion Can Do Without the Breaks

Two weeks ago, while his Denver Zephyr teammates were taking batting practice at Mile High Stadium before a Triple-A game against Omaha, Kurt Stillwell was nowhere to be found.

John Young, the Zephyrs’ trainer, said he was sure Stillwell was around someplace. He always came to the ballpark early. Manager Gene Dusan said his shortstop’s parents were visiting from Thousand Oaks and that he might be late. Somebody suggested that Denver traffic can be tough in the late afternoon.

Stillwell, it turned out, was hauling in brown trout from a nearby Rocky Mountain stream.

Eventually, he emerged at Mile High wearing a fishing cap and looking, for all the world, like Bill Dance. The 20-year-old shortstop/angler said he had just reeled in seven monster trout. Now he’d take a little batting practice.

For Stillwell, summer fishing has been booming. Unfortunately for the former Thousand Oaks High player, the 1985 baseball season has left him frustrated, bored and bitter.

Ironically, this season was to be Stillwell’s opportunity to solidify his position as the man to replace Dave Concepcion as the Cincinnati Reds’ (Denver’s parent club) shortstop. After playing two seasons in rookie league and Class A, he impressed the Reds enough to jump to Triple A this spring.

At the start, he performed well enough, batting .272 during the first two months of the American Assn. season. Even though Stillwell, by his own admission, struggled defensively, no one in the Reds organization seemed concerned. This kid would be in the majors by September, some thought.

But in the early part of May, Stillwell began to feel pain in his left leg, just below the knee. Team physicians X-rayed the leg and found nothing. The problem was attributed to shin splints. Stillwell continued to play.

The pain grew worse. “It got to the point where I couldn’t even run to first base,” he said. “I’d be OK one day, and the next I couldn’t walk. My first three steps in the morning would tell me what kind of day it would be.”

After he underwent a bone scan on May 21, it was determined that Stillwell had suffered a stress fracture. At that time, he was told to stay off the leg.

“I played on it for a month before we knew what it was,” Stillwell said. “I’m paying for that now.”

Young said the team allowed Stillwell to play because nothing showed up on the X-rays. When the pain persisted, according to Young, “We decided to do the bone scan.”

Since that time, Stillwell has caught a lot of trout.

Said Stillwell: “I’ve been bored and frustrated. Being injured and sitting around watching others play my position is hard to take. I try not to be bitter. . . . “

But he admits he is. “I’m just looking forward to going on,” he continued. “I can’t explain how frustrating it’s been. I’ve just about gone nuts. I began wondering if it would ever get better.”

“It’s been tough for him,” Young said, “because at first he thought it would take two to three weeks to heal. He waited a few weeks, but it wasn’t any better. He waited a few more, but it went on and on. Finally, he’s taking some batting and fielding.”

And finally, three days before the season ended, Stillwell played for the first time in months last weekend against the Iowa Cubs in Des Moines. He had two hits, including a two-run double. He also scored three runs.

He then went 0 for 4 in each of the last two games of the season, which ended Monday. Most important, though, in Stillwell’s mind, was the fact that he was healthy again. “The worst is over,” he said. “I’m finally feeling better.”

The Cincinnati Reds certainly hope so. Cincinnati, which made Stillwell the No. 2 overall selection in the 1983 June draft, has groomed the 6-0, 170-pound infielder to be its shortstop of the future.

Although Stillwell has made progress in three seasons, he has suffered a string of injuries.

Last year, while playing for the Reds’ Class-A team in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he sprained a shoulder, broke a foot and battled a case of mononucleosis. Through it all, he was named the Midwest League’s top professional prospect by its managers.

Then came the stress fracture this season.

“I’ve had some freak injuries, but I’m a religious person,” Stillwell said. “I think there is a purpose for all of this.” He just can’t figure out what it is.

Certainly, Stillwell is aware of the adverse effects that injuries can have in baseball. His father, Ron, had a promising career end when he collided with a teammate chasing a pop fly while playing for York, Pa., in the Triple-A Eastern League. He suffered a broken jaw and eye problems. He now coaches at Moorpark College.

Despite the younger Stillwell’s injuries, the Reds say they remain high on their prospect.

“We’ve had a good report on him medically,” said Sheldon Bender, vice president of player development for Cincinnati. “He’ll be playing for the Reds in a year or so. He could be with us by the middle of next year.”

Bender admitted that Stillwell’s injuries have caused concerns. The Reds’ first-round selection in the June draft was another shortstop, Barry Larkin of the University of Michigan.

“But Larkin is a good athlete who could switch around to second or third base,” Bender said. “Stillwell could also switch, but we’re interested in him as a shortstop. He’ll be OK, physically. He’s built himself up, and now he’s out of the growing stage.

“He’s a future major leaguer, there’s no doubt.”