Kurt Stillwell

The Cincinnati Reds promoted seven minor league players Wednesday, including former Thousand Oaks High player Kurt Stillwell, to fill out their 40-man winter roster. Stillwell, 20, hit .268 with one home run and 22 RBIs as a shortstop for Class-AAA Denver last season. The Reds chose him second in the June, 1983, draft after he batted .552 in his senior year and was named most valuable player of the Marmonte League, Southern Section Player of the Year and Ventura County Player of the Year.

He has seen an ivy-covered brick wall in center field before, and Bush Stadium certainly sounds familiar. But something just isn't right as Kurt Stillwell trots toward the outfield for pregame stretching. He is stopped by the plea of a youngster who wants an autograph. The cry echoes throughout the 103-year-old stadium, a relic that reminds Stillwell of baseball's ability to paint the black with a nasty curve. After all, that's not Wrigley Field ivy in center.

The Padres' hopes of acquiring free agent infielder Kurt Stillwell were bolstered Wednesday when the Chicago Cubs decided they were no longer interested in Stillwell. Larry Himes, Cub general manager, said their interest in Stillwell was squashed Wednesday when shortstop Shawon Dunston was provided a clean bill of health by Cubs doctors for the bulging disc in his back. Dunston will begin workouts on time with the Cubs, and is expected to be full-strength by the second week of spring training.

Second baseman Damion Easley was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday and will begin an exploratory internal examination today at Anaheim Memorial Hospital. The Angels signed Kurt Stillwell, who cleared waivers Friday after his release from the San Diego Padres earlier this week, to fill the void. Easley has been suffering from chronic pain in his lower legs since February. Lewis Yocum, the team orthopedic physician, has been unable to diagnose the condition.

Padre second baseman Kurt Stillwell sensed the stares each day the last few months of the season. He heard the whispers in the clubhouse. It's almost as if he could feel their contempt. "A lot of these guys have never seen me play before," Stillwell said. "They didn't know anything about me. Now look at what happened to me this year. They probably don't think I can play at all." Stillwell quietly said, "I guess you can't blame them."

After a Conejo Valley Little League all-star team won a sectional championship Thursday evening, the 12-year-old boys were whooping it up at a Thousand Oaks pizza parlor. A former CVLL all-star who happened to be in town dropped by to offer congratulations. This normally wouldn't have caused the kids to pause from stuffing their faces. But when this ex-little leaguer walked in, they nearly choked on their cheese.

Kurt Stillwell pushes through the doors into the spacious home clubhouse at Royals Stadium and sidles, with a smile as bright as his future, to his dressing stall near the corner of the room. It is 3 p.m., more than four hours before the Kansas City Royals' game against the Cleveland Indians.

Kurt Stillwell's father, Ron, had 14 official at-bats in the major leagues with the Washington Senators. He went straight off the campus of USC to Yankee Stadium, where he played his first big league game. Ron Stillwell was a shortstop, but his career was cut short when he collided with his left fielder. "He broke his jaw and messed up his eyes," Kurt Stillwell said. Ron Stillwell's vision was never the same. But what he knew he imparted to his son, Kurt, who grew up in Thousand Oaks.

Shawn Barton, a left-hander from College of the Canyons who plays for the Triple-A Reading Phillies, was named pitcher of the week in the Eastern League after tossing a four-hitter against Vermont in a 5-0 victory. Barton is 2-0 with a 2.95 earned-run average this season. Rod Stillwell, a shortstop from Thousand Oaks High, has been promoted to the starting lineup at Oral Roberts University.

The Padres spent most of the day negotiating with free agent infielder Kurt Stillwell, but the only agreement reached Tuesday night was that talks will continue Thursday. So much for big news. "These have been complicated negotiations," said Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager. Said agent Scott Boras: "I really don't know what to think."

Padre second baseman Kurt Stillwell sensed the stares each day the last few months of the season. He heard the whispers in the clubhouse. It's almost as if he could feel their contempt. "A lot of these guys have never seen me play before," Stillwell said. "They didn't know anything about me. Now look at what happened to me this year. They probably don't think I can play at all." Stillwell quietly said, "I guess you can't blame them."

Just when the Padres were able to field the lineup they envisioned in spring training for the first time in nearly two months, Tony Fernandez's right side met Kurt Stillwell's left side. The two met in a nasty collision in the sixth inning on a ground ball hit by Philadelphia third baseman Dave Hollins, and the game was delayed for nearly 10 minutes while trainers attended to both players.

Tim Teufel replaced Kurt Stillwell at second base in the Padre lineup Wednesday, and Padre Manager Greg Riddoch said Stillwell is expected to miss two or three days. Stillwell suffered a dislocation of the ring finger of his right hand in the fourth inning of Tuesday's game when he attempted to field Ruben Amaro's ground ball. "It was the easiest play I had all night," Stillwell said. "The ball just came up a little higher than I thought it would, and my finger was in the way.

Kurt Stillwell returned to the Padres Tuesday, however briefly. Stillwell, who has been out since suffering a severe bruise on the outside of his left knee Saturday in Houston, struck out looking while pinch-hitting for pitcher Rich Rodriguez in the fourth inning. Earlier in the day, Stillwell had precautionary X-rays on the knee. The result? "I guess they went really well," Stillwell said before the game. "I haven't heard anything negative."

It was easy to lose track of Kurt Stillwell amid the home runs, relief pitchers and knuckle balls in the Padres' home-opening 6-3 loss to the Dodgers Thursday. It was nothing spectacular but the Padres' new second baseman got one of the few hits off Tom Candiotti and his baffling knuckleball. He and Tony Gwynn are the only Padres on hitting streaks going into tonight's rematch.

Kurt Stillwell desperately searches for the phone book when he checks into each city, memorizes the number and makes the call. The visitor stops at his hotel room, drops off the goods, leaves with a handful of money and quietly drives away. "I need it to survive," he said. "It's my biggest vice. I've been addicted to it ever since I left home." It's Domino's pizza. Stillwell has been on the stuff since he left home at age 18. The order is always the same. Small pizza: pepperoni and pineapple.

Their patience exhausted, the Padres imposed a Monday deadline for free-agent infielder Kurt Stillwell to accept their contract proposal before it's pulled off the table. Joe McIlvaine, Padres general manager, informed agent Scott Boras on Thursday that they still want Stillwell but won't wait past Monday for an answer. "They want our decision by Monday," Boras said, "but unless they change their offer, we won't take it. Kurt might just wait to spring training.

The Padres, hoping to resolve their second base woes with the acquisition of Kurt Stillwell, learned Tuesday that they might be starting their search all over again. Stillwell, who last week appeared antsy to sign a contract with the Padres, said Tuesday he could not accept the Padres' offer and had begun looking elsewhere. "We have four offers, including a team coming in today," agent Scott Boras said, "and frankly, the Padres' offer is the worst of the four."

Joe McIlvaine was showing a front-office assistant how to set up a scouting report Thursday when he reached into his desk for a random notebook with some old reports. And when he flipped it open to a random page, it read: "Kurt Stillwell, shortstop, Thousand Oaks High School." And McIlvaine had a good feeling. It came to fruition Thursday night, when the Padres general manager and Stillwell's agent, Scott Boras, reached a compromise after extended negotiations.

The Padres' hopes of acquiring free agent infielder Kurt Stillwell were bolstered Wednesday when the Chicago Cubs decided they were no longer interested in Stillwell. Larry Himes, Cub general manager, said their interest in Stillwell was squashed Wednesday when shortstop Shawon Dunston was provided a clean bill of health by Cubs doctors for the bulging disc in his back. Dunston will begin workouts on time with the Cubs, and is expected to be full-strength by the second week of spring training.