Major Strides : In their pursuit of a career in baseball, there were stops on the road from Denver to Maine and points in between. Today five players from the Valley have reached the big time in a big way.

Kurt Stillwell wanted more than anything to spend the off-season free-wheeling in his four-wheel drive truck--the one with the license plate that reads “Reds SS.”

After hitting .260 in his second tour of the National League--a better average than all but four National League shortstops--he hoped to relax by hunting, fishing and romping off-road in far corners of the wilderness.

Instead, by late October he found himself in a far corner of South America careening down mountain roads in dilapidated buses. Stillwell was playing shortstop for the Maracaibo Aguilas (Eagles) of the Venezuelan winter league until last Tuesday when he jumped the team after playing 24 games.

Ruben Amaro, third base coach of the Chicago Cubs and manager of the Aguilas, had asked Reds Manager Pete Rose for the infielder’s services. Stillwell wasn’t thrilled, but said: “Pete liked the idea. When Pete says go, you go.”

If Rose had known about the death-defying bus rides and the machine-gun toting soldiers in every dugout, he may have told Cincinnati’s No. 1 draft choice from 1983 to stay. Using his own good judgment, Stillwell returned home after he injured his throwing arm.

“Throwing heavy, wet baseballs every day aggravated tendinitis in my elbow and shoulder,” he said. “I never want to go there again. It opened my eyes to what I have here.”

Rose had told Stillwell once before to go--this time back to the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Denver in mid-July. The rookie, 20 years old when the season began, was the youngest player in the National League. At times it showed and Stillwell was batting only .179 in 102 at-bats when demoted.

Shortstop Dave Concepcion broke his hand 12 days later, however, and Stillwell was recalled. He played with more confidence and had a seven-game hitting streak when he came down with a flu in August.

Stillwell’s illness gave a 24-year-old named Barry Larkin a chance to play shortstop.

The same Barry Larkin who grew up in Cincinnati and has enamored the local press.

The same Barry Larkin who is one of the four shortstops that batted better than .260.

“He’s their hometown boy, that’s for sure,” Stillwell said. “He hit a home run the first day and played real well. He couldn’t do anything wrong.”

Larkin, who played on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, batted .283, hit three home runs and stole eight bases in 159 at bats.

The season closed on a high note for Stillwell, however. Re-inserted at shortstop on a day Larkin was ill, he got the game-winning hit. Stillwell, a switch-hitter, remained in the lineup and batted .300 over his last 80 at bats.

For the season, Stillwell batted .229 with no home runs and six stolen bases in 279 at bats. He is hoping to get a fair shot in spring training.

“From all indications in Cincinnati newspapers, Larkin’s got the job won,” Stillwell said. “I don’t care what they say. I’m going to make the team as the shortstop.”

Rose asked Stillwell to learn second base over the winter from Amaro, a former major leaguer who has an excellent reputation for developing infielders. All he played in Venezuela was shortstop, however. Stillwell will work out at second until spring training at Moorpark College, where his father, Ron, is coach and his brother, Rod, is shortstop.

“When I asked Pete about second base near the end of the season, he kind of dodged the question,” Stillwell said. “He said, ‘Don’t give up shortstop.’ Then he told me second will be good for me to know.”

It would appear to be foolish for Stillwell to abandon his quest for a starting shortstop spot. There are not enough good ones to go around. National League shortstops this season included the Mets’ Rafael Santana (.218), the Phillies’ Steve Jeltz (.219), the Giants’ Jose Uribe (.223), the Pirates’ Sam Khalifa (.185) and Rafael Belliard (.233), and the Dodgers’ Mariano Duncan (.229). Only Larkin, the Cardinals’ Ozzie Smith, and Hubie Brooks and Tom Foley of the Expos batted better than .260.

Competition between Stillwell and Larkin could be heated next spring. “I think Pete’s got a nice problem on his hands,” Stillwell said.

Stillwell’s relationship with Rose became slightly strained when the manager sat him down in favor of Larkin. “It wasn’t a case of miscommunication,” Stillwell said. “There was none at all sometimes. He’s easy to talk to, so part of it was my personality. I’m not very outgoing. And that guy is a legend.”

Even when Stillwell was having trouble hitting early in the season, Rose was impressed with his defensive play. “Kurt needs some seasoning hitting-wise,” Rose said in July, “but he never lost his poise defensively.”

As Stillwell’s batting average went up near the season’s end, though, his fielding average plummeted. After committing only two errors before being sent to Denver, he made 14 after being called up.

Cincinnati newspapers were uncomplimentary to Stillwell around that time. And on the same pages, Larkin was praised. “They got on me hard,” Stillwell said. “I got some bad mail, too. I have some fans back there, though. That feels good.”

Almost as good as he feels romping in the four-wheeler. First stop upon arriving home was a sporting goods store for goose decoys. This weekend Stillwell will be in Northern California wilderness. He enjoys the adventure of the outdoors, but can live without the 80-m.p.h. bus rides.