Stars fall in opener

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, April 8, 1998 | 10:37 a.m.

Opening Night didn't go quite as smoothly as Las Vegas pitcher Stan Spencer had hoped on Tuesday night at Cashman Field.

The 6-4, 205-pound was uncharacteristically wild, walking four and throwing 94 pitches while yielding three runs in just four innings in the Stars' 9-4 loss to Edmonton.

But ever since he and a roommate named Mike Mussina helped pitch Stanford to the 1990 College World Series championship, nothing seems to have gone very smoothly for Spencer in his career.

The hard-throwing right-hander has spent almost as much time in the doctor's office as on the pitching mound since turning pro, missing three of his eight years because of injuries.

You name it and Spencer has probably had it.

Arm problems? Spencer missed part of 1991 and the entire 1992 season after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery.

Shoulder problems? He sat out the entire 1996 season after suffering a separated shoulder in a skiing accident in Missoula, Mont.

Ribs? Spencer had to sit out 1990 after cracking a rib while pitching Stanford past Georgia Southern in the first game of the College World Series.

"I threw a pitch and thought I had pulled a muscle," Spencer recalled. "I kept pitching. The next day I could barely get out of bed."

So considering his painful past, it's somewhat understandable if Spencer had reason to be upbeat despite what was probably his poorest outing of this spring.

"I'm just happy to be back out there again," he said.

Spencer, who allowed solo home runs to Frank Menechino in the first and Kurt Abbott in the second on high fastballs over the middle of the plate, said he "felt a little out of sync (Tuesday night). I made some mistakes and they're a good hitting ballclub that made me pay for those mistakes. I never felt like I ever got into a groove."

That's somewhat surprising considering how well Spencer pitched at the San Diego Padres' spring training in Peoria, Ariz.

"He was as good as anybody in the camp. ... and that includes the big leaguers," said Stars' pitching coach Dave Smith. "His control was good. His pitches were good. He was hitting his spots and changing his speeds very well."

"I thought I did have a really good spring," Spencer said. "It's the best one I've had. (Tuesday night's) performance was not really indicative of the spring I had."

Smith coached Spencer during his comeback from shoulder surgery last year at Rancho Cucamonga, the Padres' A affiliate. Spencer went 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings before moving up to Las Vegas where he compiled a 3-2 record and 3.75 ERA in eight starts.

"I think he was more getting in shape and getting healthy (at Rancho Cucamonga)," said Smith. "His stuff was way too good for A ball."

Considering his impressive spring, the next question is whether Stan Spencer has the kind of stuff to make it to the big leagues.

"He's got four good pitches," said Smith, who during a 13-year major league career with the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs racked up 217 saves, 17th best in big league history. "He's got a fastball, change, surve and slider. He throws in the low 90's. He has a good cut fastball."

Now if he can just stay healthy.