I remember early last season when someone showed me a Micah Schilling baseball card from 2002 that said he had a swing like Will Clark. “What the hell is this guy doing here,” I said aloud, wondering how and why a former first round pick from another organization could wander his way into the organization. Then I looked up his stats and the answer hit me like a ton of bricks.

Before last season, where he hit .283 in 71 games, Schilling never cracked .270 in five years in the Indians organization, all in Rookie and Single-A ball, prompting them to give up on the 24-year old. Far from washed up, Schilling turned in a solid season for Brooklyn last year, hitting in virtually every slot in the lineup and playing solid second base. He also showed solid speed, swiping a career-high 13 bases. A few years older than most of the other guys on the team, Schilling was a more than capable leader, but wasn’t very adamant in the club house. Instead, he was more the silent type, who did his talking on the field.

With so much more experience than his teammates, Schilling definitely had some stories to tell. I wouldn’t be surprised if he helped a lot of the youngsters along last season when things got tough. One story he told me, about being an 18-year old prospect in the Indians system, showed just how much he’s been through and how tough he’s had to work over the course of his career.

“Age-wise, it’s not a big deal, but maturity and interests wise, it’s huge. I couldn’t even go to bars or restaurants with some of the guys if I wanted. On the field, it was hard too because I was always the youngest. Now I’m older, but I think it’s an advantage, I have a lot more experience now.”

For that, I had a lot of respect for him. A lot of people in his situation could have been bitter to the media. I mean, this is a guy that most people expected to be a star at this point and instead, he’s stuck in Single-A ball. However, Schilling talked to whoever wanted to hear his story or just pick his brain. In the end, I think he was one of the most approachable guys on the team, making me wonder why he was even there in the first place. He definitely proved himself on the field when he had to and he showed the moxie of a professional ball player by the way he carried himself. Nonetheless, the organization never sent him up during the season.

With that being said, I certainly expected the guy to get a chance at making St. Lucie’s roster or maybe even Binghamton this season. However, as of right now, he hasn’t had a single at bat at any level in the organization this season, making me think he’s stuck in extended Spring Training. As much as I’d like to watch him play again, I’d much rather see him in Double-A at this point in his career. If he is stuck in Brooklyn again this year, I hope it’s not for long.

Photos by Daniel Wos