To an outsider, Tom Stilson?s debut on the mound for the Madison Mallards would seemingly be no big deal. For Stilson (pictured below), and those who know him, his start on July 19, 2006 at Waterloo was a monumental night in his career.
The left-hander from Ozark, Mo. was one of the most coveted pitchers in the nation as a junior in high school in 2004. With a fastball in the nineties and a devastating curve and changeup, the youngster seemed destined for great success. He posted a record of 11-0 as a junior, leading his team to the Missouri Class 3A Championship. The 11 wins are a state record in Class 3A. In 77 innings, he struck out 95 and walked just 11 while posting an ERA of just 0.90. Not to be overlooked was his hitting. He hit .394 during the season.
Unfortunately for Stilson, he wouldn?t have many more innings in his arm.
?I?ve had a nice succession of injuries,? he said.
Stilson recounted what happened next in his promising career.
?It was during [the American] Legion season of 2004, in early July,? he said. ?I used to hit in high school. I hit into a double play and was running to first. The first baseman stood right on top of the bag, right in my path and I didn?t see him until the last second. I went to pull up and my wrist hit him and jammed. My fingers went back and touched the back of my hand, basically.?
Stilson was sidelined for quite awhile. Colleges kept calling, but he now needed surgery to get better.
?One surgery was to fix the bone because it wasn?t healing,? Stilson said.
He decided to go to one of the traditional NCAA baseball powers, Stanford University. After missing his senior year of high school baseball, Stilson was anxious to get to Stanford and show his wares in the fall.
?I had about a month and a half during school ball, where I was throwing fairly well in intra-squads,? he said. ?Then the scar tissue started bothering me and the doctor decided it would be best to have surgery. A cortisone injection wouldn?t work.?
That second surgery sidelined Stilson for the spring, meaning he missed his second season of baseball. Stanford, as a team rule, does not redshirt players, so Silson will be a sophomore who hasn?t pitched in the spring since 2004.
Classes at Stanford, like many schools on the West Coast, extend further into June than schools in the East or Midwest. That gave Stilson a couple more weeks to heal from his surgery in the fall and prepare for his summer in Madison. He finally made his first pitching appearance since 2004 on July 19 at Waterloo. Stilson lasted five-and-one-third innings and struck out two batters. His fastball topped out at about 85 and he showed a tremendous changeup and the few curveballs he tossed were knee-bucklers.
?It felt great to get out there again. I wasn?t really nervous,? said Stilson. ?It was really ready to pitch. I just wanted to go out and have some fun.?
Stilson knows he still has a way to go on his comeback, but he is confident.
?I?m probably about 85% right now,? he said. ?I haven?t thrown for so long in games and I?ve been constantly hindered [by the injury]. The next few games I can start getting my velocity up a little bit to what it used to be. All my stuff is there. I?m pitching smart.?
Stilson starts for the Mallards in Rochester tonight. Hear all of his pitches live on Madison?s Fox Sports Radio, 100.5 FM, or online at www.mallardsbaseball.com
