History of the
Sacramento RiverCats  

The Las Vegas temperature reached 106 degrees that late July evening in 2000. As the River Cats took the field for pregame warm-ups, pitcher Barry Zito stayed behind in street clothes sitting on a clubhouse bench and autographing baseball cards. 

The A’s were finalizing his move to the parent club. The River Cats, who reached the midpoint of their inaugural Pacific Coast League season in first place in the South Division, would never have Zito in uniform again. 

That July night, Sacramento-area fans got a glimpse into the true inner workings of minor league baseball and the future of the River Cats.  

With an untouchable noon-to-six breaking ball, Zito was special. Which meant his stay in Sacramento was destined to be short-lived. Before River Cats fans could even appreciate the 21-year-old's ability, he was snatched away and taught River Cats fans their first cruel lesson about minor league baseball. Players with talent never stay long. 

(Barry Zito on the mound for the Sacramento RiverCats. Photo by John Moist/Sacramento)

Two seasons after his promotion to the A’s, the left-hander with a flair for the guitar and a fancy for silk pillows, earned the 2002 American League Cy Young Award with a 23-5 record and 2.78 earned-run average. He became the first River Cats player to make an impact at the major league level.

However, Zito wasn’t the primary focus of the A’s that season. 

Adam Piatt torched the Double-A Texas League the year before, hitting .345 with 39 home runs and 135 runs batted in for Midland. He became the first player in 72 years to win the Triple Crown and was named Texas League MVP and Minor League Player of the Year by Topps, Baseball Weekly and Baseball America. The A’s couldn’t wait to get him to Oakland. 

The River Cats third baseman did fine. In 254 at-bats, he hit .283 with nine home runs. Called up to the big club for the third time on July 23, he stayed for the remainder of the season. He wasn’t expected back. Unfortunately, that would not be the last time Sacramento would see Piatt.  

Because construction on Raley Field wasn’t completed on time, the River Cats opened the season playing their first 37 games on the road. When word reached spring training of the extended road trip plan, many Cats-to-be weren’t looking forward to living out of a suitcase for a month.

When Sacramento Bee reporter Jim Van Vliet informed Piatt of the plan, he joked, “Send me to Double-A." A's General Manager Billy Beane didn’t take it as a joke. He called Piatt into his office and suggested he rethink his comment. 

With the final touches at Raley Field complete, minor league baseball returned to Sacramento. The wait was worth it.

When the River Cats opened the gates that May 15 evening, 14,111 fans poured into the stadium. That day in Oakland, 6,836 attended the A’s-Kansas City Royals game, prompting Bee columnist Mark Kreidler to write: "Triple-A baseball will work here, probably in a way that the big, expensive, corporate-soaked major league never could." 

Said River Cats catcher A.J. Hinch: "I can't imagine there's a better park in the country at the Triple-A level."  

Three weeks into the season, Raley Field was treated to its first streaker. A fan, wearing only his baseball cap, ran onto the field in the bottom of the eighth inning, snagged the resin bag at the pitcher's mound and high-tailed it down the right-field line. He stopped to exchange his loot for a baseball with Calgary Cannons right-fielder Mike Gulan, jumped the fence, got dressed and ran out of the ballpark. He was never caught.  

The 2000 season ended with Manager Bob Geren's club (90-54) winning the first of eight South Division titles led by PCL Most Valuable Player shortstop Jose Ortiz (.351 average, 24 home runs, 108 runs batted in), third baseman Mark Bellhorn (.266, 17 doubles, 11 triples, 24 HRs), center-fielder Bo Porter (.272, 14 HR, 39 stolen bases) and pitchers Ariel Prieto (8-4, 3.27), Jon Ratliff (8-4, 3.44) and Zito (8-5, 3.19).

The River Cats, who lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Salt Lake Bees in five games, broke the all-time PCL attendance record and led all minor leagues in attendance.

The accomplishment cost Executive Vice President Warren Smith and then Senior Vice President of sales and marketing Tom Glick a head of hair. They lost a bet that the team's home attendance figures would not reach 750,000. That season, the River Cats led all of minor-league baseball with 861,808 fans, an average of 12,517 fans per game. 

River Cats Chief Executive Officer Art Savage was named Sporting News Minor League Executive of the Year. A well-deserved honor for the man who brought baseball back to a city starved for the game. His cunning business savvy set a standard for all minor league franchises to follow.

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In 2001, Eric Byrnes was a raw talent who played with uncontrollable recklessness. His Pete Rose-type hustle was contagious and entertaining, albeit his play in the outfield was sometimes adventurous. It was easy to see, if he tamed his enthusiasm he could play in the major leagues. In 100 games, he hit .289 with 20 home runs and stole 25 bases.  

"He moved up and down between Oakland and Sacramento six times before sticking for good in 2003," Bee sportswriter Jim Van Vliet said. "He was different. Once, he was in Toronto when the A’s demoted him. Instead of pouting, Byrnes got on the earliest flight he could because he wanted to be in the River Cats team picture which was being taken that night. On another occasion on an off-day in Oakland, he drove to Sacramento, hoping Geren would put him in the game." 

In addition to Byrnes, second baseman Mark Ellis and third baseman Eric Hinske made their marks as River Cats. 

Ellis (.273 and 10 HRs) could have flown under the radar because of his quiet professionalism and ability to make the spectacular play look easy. He had glue for a glove and a bat with more pop than expected. He took over fulltime at second base for the A's in 2003.  

Hinske was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs before spring training. The husky fellow with surprising speed hit .282, stole 20 bases and led the River Cats in home runs with 24. 

Following the season, however, the left-handed hitter was traded by the A’s to the Toronto Blue Jays for reliever Billy Koch. Hinske adjusted immediately to major league pitching, hit .279 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs and earned the American League Rookie of the Year honor. 

Piatt, who started the season in Oakland, was back with the River Cats in early May. He was powerless at the plate and showed signs of moodiness in the clubhouse and on the field. In June, the organization announced Piatt had contracted viral meningitis, an infection of the fluid in the spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. 

After missing more than a month of the season, Piatt returned. However, his play suffered. In 95 at-bats with the A’s and 109 with the River Cats, he hit only one home run. Piatt would never wear a River Cats uniform again. He spent 2003 with the A’s and was designated for assignment after the season. 

Years later, his name appeared numerous times in the Mitchell Report, baseball’s investigation into the steroid scandal. Those that knew him said he was a standup guy because he did what others would not do. He admitted messing up, did what he could do to make it right and moved on. 

Mario Encarnacion was an A’s Top 10 prospect and another one of the more colorful River Cats. He dyed his hair regularly - red one week, green the next - and loved to show off his cannon of an arm from right field.  

Before a trade to the Colorado Rockies, Encarnacion hit .275 with 25 home runs in 487 at-bats over two seasons. Sadly, in Oct. of 2005 he was found dead in his Danshuei, Taiwan home of a heart attack. 

On a high note, left-hander Micah Bowie threw the franchise’s first and only no-hitter on May 1, a 3-0 seven-inning, 10-strikeout gem against the Tacoma Rainiers, the team that eliminated the River Cats in the first round of the playoffs.  

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While the A’s enjoyed a 102-win season and an A.L. West Division championship in 2002, the River Cats suffered through their only losing season. 

Uncharacteristically, this team (66-78) had more players with whiskers than peach fuzz. With numerous players over the age of 30, the older presence was needed protection against injury in the A’s quest to reach the World Series. 

Statistically, these River Cats failed horribly. 

The River Cats had a 9-8 record on April 20. They played losing baseball over the final 125 games of the season. The squad hit the fewest number of home runs (113) and had the highest ERA (5.10) in team history. Right-handed pitcher Larry Leubbers led the pitching staff with 11 wins, but lost 11 games as well. Catcher Cody McKay led the team with 13 home runs. 

Nothing seemed to go right for the River Cats, not even during a promotion.  

On the Fourth of July, a skydiver miscalculated the wind and missed his mark in center field. Instead of a perfect landing, he crashed into the clubhouse, got hung up on the side of the building and needed assistance to get down.

Despite such a disappointing and underachieving season, the River Cats led all minor leagues in attendance for the third year in a row. Bob Geren, who was 231-201 in three seasons as manager, was promoted to bench coach with the A’s. 

Over his River Cats career, Geren's managing style and personality never wavered. 

"He was often considered goofy by many who knew him in Sacramento," Bee scribe Jim Van Vliet said. "He was always keeping everybody loose. His favorite gag was keeping a pair of false teeth in his office desk drawer that he would slip on whenever a new player arrived in town. They were a dentist’s worst nightmare – crooked, brown and altogether hideous. A current player would wait for the new player outside the manager’s office and warn him not to stare at or make fun of Geren’s teeth because “Skip” was self-conscious of them. He loved to see the reaction of the new players."
 

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In 2003, Tony DeFrancesco replaced Bob Geren as manager and transformed a new-look lineup into PCL Champions. 

“I spent four years at Double-A, so when I got here I didn’t know what to expect or how I was going to react,” DeFrancesco reminisced at the beginning of the 2009 season. “I heard the horror stories about Triple-A players. I worried that I’d have problems with the veteran players. There were some ballplayers on the team nearly the same age as me. But this team jelled right from the beginning.” 

What the team accomplished was unprecedented in PCL history. 

The River Cats swept the regular-season individual awards when first baseman Graham Koonce was named MVP, Justin Duchscherer Pitcher of the Year, shortstop Bobby Crosby Rookie of the Year and DeFrancesco Manager of the Year. 

“It’s especially satisfying when your name is mentioned with other PCL MVPs like Joe DiMaggio,” said Koonce, who led the PCL in home runs with 34 and RBIs with 115. 

Koonce hit three home runs on the second to the last day of the season in Las Vegas to win the Old Navy Home Run Hero Award which goes to the player with the most home runs in all of minor league baseball. With the award went $200 for every round-tripper. For his power display, he banked $6,800. 

With Crosby hitting .308 with 22 home runs, 90 RBIs and 24 stolen bases and Duchscherer recording a 14-2 mark with a 3.25 ERA in 23 starts, the River Cats improved by 26 wins from 2002 and posted the best record (92-52) in franchise history. They swept the Edmonton Trappers in the first round of the playoffs 16-2, 10-5, 5-1 and swept the Nashville Sounds 4-2, 7-2, 5-1 for the PCL Championship. 

“When the opposition is telling you how good a team you are from city to city, you begin to believe you have something special,” said DeFrancesco three days before the playoffs began. 

Third baseman Luis Lopez was named the post-season MVP. In six games, he was 9-for-26 (.346) with three home runs and 14 RBIs.  

Other contributed as well. With future 2005 A.L. Rookie of the Year Crosby, outfielder Billy McMillon and designated hitter David McCarty already in Oakland, outfielders Mike Edwards (.308) and Mike Lockwood (.364), shortstop Jose Flores (.458), second baseman Esteban German (.350), designated hitter Jason Grabowski (.417) and catcher Mark Johnson (.412) keyed an offense that scored 50 runs and hit .326.  

The River Cats had a plethora of quality starters in Duchscherer, Erik Hiljus (11-10, 4.69), Aaron Harang (8-2, 2.71), Rich Harden (9-4, 3.15) and Mike Wood (9-3, 3.05). By playoff time, Harden, who possessed nasty, nasty stuff, and Wood were in Oakland and Harang was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. 

Duchscherer, Hiljus and John Rheinecker (2-0), who joined the club a month earlier from Double-A Midland, were named starters for the best-of-five series against Edmonton. Each garnered wins. However, the A's called up Duchscherer which changed the entire complexion of the starting rotation against Nashville. 

Ed Yarnall (3-3, 3.76) was penciled into replace Duchscherer. Hiljus and Rheinecker won on the road and Yarnall was equally as effective in front of a home crowd of 14,015. 

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In 2004, the River Cats won a second PCL Championship and fourth South Division title. Dan Johnson had a monster season. Fans got a momentary glimpse of 2005 Rookie of the Year Huston Street in the playoffs. And, Mike Rouse would take over at shortstop for the next three seasons and set a team mark that no other player has surpassed. 

Johnson, who had only four at-bats in the 2003 season with the River Cats, hit.298 with 29 home runs and 111 RBIs and earned the league MVP trophy. The left-handed hitting first sacker also was named post-season MVP with a .458 average, two home runs and six RBIs. 

The River Cats were able to keep the core of the offense together for the better part of the season. Outfielders Nick Swisher (29 HRs, 92 RBIs) and Matt Watson (.305, 19 HRs, 96 RBIs), third baseman Mike Edwards (.287, 13 HRs), designated hitter Graham Koonce (22 HRs) and Johnson all played 125 games or more.  

The starting staff consisted of three 11-game winners in Joe Blanton (11-8, 4.19), Mike Wood (11-3, 2.80) and John Rheinecker (11-9, 4.44). The bullpen included Chris Mabeus (7-2. 3.00), Justin Lehr (4-2, 2.65, 13 saves) and Ron Flores (4-3, 3.74). 

Come playoff time, Swisher and Wood were in Oakland. Fortunately, Blanton and Rheinecker were still in town. Wood was replaced in the rotation by Britt Reames (3-5, 4.67). Street, a promising young closer, joined the team from Double-A Midland two days before first-round action against the Portland Beavers.  

The River Cats lost the opener of the best-of-five series 7-2, but rebounded with wins behind Blanton 7-3 and Reames 5-4. Adam Pettyjohn pitched Game 4 and won 5-2. They then swept the Iowa Cubs 10-5, 5-4, 4-3 in the Championship Series as 21,347 fans stuffed Raley Field the first two games. 

Playing behind Crosby in the A's system, Rouse had the dubious honor of playing in more games (330) than any other River Cats player. He played two more seasons and at the end of the 2006 season was selected off waivers by the Cleveland Indians. 

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The 18^th Triple-A All-Star Game was played on July 13, 2005, marking the third time the event was held in Sacramento. A capacity crowd of 14,414 crammed into Raley Field and watched River Cats outfielder Matt Watson smack a two-run homer and a run-scoring single in the PCL's 11-5 triumph over the International League. 

"It was awesome," said Watson, who was joined on the PCL team by reliever Victor Moreno and Manager Tony DeFrancesco. "It was great to be able to do it here." 

Watson's performance would have earned him the "Star of Stars" honor if not for Oklahoma RedHawks catcher Gerald Laird. 

Laird, a former A's farmhand, hit the only grand slam in all-star history. His first-inning blast came in the ballpark he thought he would call home in 2003. However, the A's traded him to the Texas Rangers in the winter of 2002. 

The game also featured a River Cats influence both past and future.  

Oklahoma infielder Esteban German played for the River Cats from 2001-2004. Portland Beavers infielder J.J. Furmaniak, who had two hits, and Memphis Redbirds Chris Gissell, who started on the mound for the PCL, became River Cats in 2007 and 2008, respectively.  

Despite another South Division pennant, the makeup of the River Cats (80-64) didn't exactly knock your socks off. Many will say this was DeFrancesco's best work. This team had nowhere near the talent of his two PCL Championship teams.  

After losing starters John Rheinecker (4-0, 1.77) to injury, Jimmy Serrano (8-3, 3.91) to free agency and Juan Cruz (5-1, 2.40) to the A's during the season, the A's were left scrambling for replacements for the River Cats. 

They signed free agent starters Adam Johnson (1-0, 6.23) and Mike Saipe (4-2, 2.80) and traded for starter Ryan Glynn (3-1, 2.78). The trio along with Seth Etherton (7-7, 2.72) and Mike Ziegler (6-6, 5.01) made 62 starts but won only 21 of them. That crew made up the playoff rotation in the best-of-five series against the Tacoma Rainiers. 

Surprisingly, the River Cats took a 2-0 advantage on the road, but then shockingly lost three straight at Raley Field. 

There were no billboard names on offense, though Watson (.315, 17 HRs, 81 RBIs) proved to be one of the River Cats all-time greats. Designated hitter Jack Cust (19 HRs, 115 walks), outfielder Shawn Garrett (.295, 17 HRs, 82 RBIs), second baseman Andrew Beattie (.294) and third baseman Bobby Smith (.286) were solid by minor league standards. And, Andre Ethier, called up just before the playoffs from Double-A Midland, showed his wares in the playoffs.  

As is often the case with minor league players, after the season Cust and Smith left via free agency, Ethier was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Watson landed in Japan by May of 2006. Beattie was the only player to return the next season. 

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The 2006 River Cats had an identity problem. 

Jairo Garcia began his professional career when he signed with A's in 2000. In 2004 and 2005, this Dominican dandy was tossing 95-mile-an-hour fastballs for the River Cats. But when he donned a River Cats uniform in 2006, he had aged two years and 10 months and no longer called himself Jairo Garcia. 

Santiago Casilla was reborn. 

Casilla wasn't the first foolish foreigner in search of a better life. When he fibbed to the A's and Major League Baseball and said he was 17 years old, the decision to do so was his way of getting out of the Dominican Republic.  

Between the A's rehabilitation assignments and the River Cats' disabled list, 63 different players suited up and 155 transactions were made during the season. 

River Cats fans got to see former River Cats Mark Ellis, Justin Duchscherer and Rich Harden again and got a peak at the A's newly-acquired Milton Bradley. Each was in town for a short rehabilitation assignment. The team itself had a dozen-plus players land on the disabled list, many more than once. 

Though Garcia - pardon - Casilla was one of the A's brighter youngsters, the team's top prospect was first baseman Daric Barton, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal for pitcher Dan Haren. 

Barton combined to hit .317 with 13 home runs between Class-A Stockton and Double-A Midland in 2005. However, the 20-year-old played only 43 games with the River Cats before suffering a fractured left elbow reaching for an errant throw at first base. 

The River Cats ailments weren't limited to Barton. Outfielder Hiram Bocachica missed nearly two months at the start of the season to a broken right wrist. By the first week of June, second baseman Andrew Beattie was lost to a dislocated left thumb, catcher Raul Casanova to a sprained lumbar spine and Matt Watson to a better contract with the Chiba Lotte Mariners of the Japanese Professional League. 

The River Cats were 29-29 at that point and in need of someone to rally around.  

Jason Windsor, whose minor league numbers as a starter seemed average at best, arrived from Midland on a four-game winning streak. He stretched the streak to 16 with 12 wins in a River Cats uniform. The right-hander was 13-1 with a 3.81 ERA in 20 starts for Sacramento and 17-1 overall on the season. He tied for the most wins in all of minor league baseball.  

For only the second time in the 10-year history of the organization, the River Cats (78-66) failed to make the playoffs. Surprisingly, first baseman Scott McClain was named PCL MVP, posting a .252 average with 28 home runs and 117 RBIs. It was the fourth time a River Cats player was named MVP. 

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From their inaugural season in 2000 through 2006, the River Cats earned two PCL Championships, five Southern Division titles and led all minor leagues in attendance each season. 

The 2007 River Cats (84-60) added even more accolades to a continuing magical dream for Sacramento baseball fans. They beat the International League representative Richmond Braves 7-1 in the third annual AT&T Bricktown Showdown in Oklahoma City. The one-game, winner-take-all format is the Triple-A version of the World Series. 

However, winning everything was far from easy. 

By June, Manager Tony DeFrancesco had lost outfielder Hiram Bocachica (.318, 9 HR) and pitchers Colby Lewis (5-1, 2.31), Ron Flores (1-1, 2.14), Connor Robertson (4-0, 1.93), Santiago Casilla (2-1, 4.13) and Erasmo Ramirez (3-0, 1.27) to the A's; pitcher Marcus McBeth (1-0, 1.80) and outfielder Charles Thomas via trades and pitcher Jason Windsor (5-3, 5.40) and outfielder Danny Putnam to the disabled list. 

"That's life in Triple-A," said DeFrancesco, who had to deal with 190 transactions that season. "That's just the way it is. You realize you're going to lose your best players to the big club and some players are going to be traded. But when that happens, it just gives another guy a chance. A guy like Jason Perry (.268, 18 HRs) gets another chance at Triple-A. It gives a guy like J.J. Furmaniak (.292, 15 HRs) a chance to play every day. And, someone like Nick Blasi (.316) gets an opportunity he wouldn't normally get." 

With all the changes, the River Cats were in a rut. The team had lost 10 of 17 games and the pitchers that disappeared had 21 of the team's 32 wins.  

Unexpectedly, Daric Barton, Dallas Braden and Jeremy Brown began sporting Mohawk haircuts. The trio hoped that the new look would loosen everybody up.  

"We did it for fun," Brown said. "And, maybe that will get us out of the funk the team is in right now." 

The haircuts helped. A blazing Blasi did, too. On June 28, the River Cats were 44-37. They played 17 games over .500 the rest of the way. 

Blasi was hitting .239 at Class-A Stockton when he was called up to be a fill-in-for-a-day. He was like the little kid who shows up day after day at the neighborhood ballpark ready to play with the big boys, but never gets the chance. 

But, with the A's outfielder in disarray throughout the system, Blasi got that chance. He had a double and triple in his first start and had hits in 10 of 11 starts. He made it impossible for DeFrancesco to take him out of the lineup. 

Barton (.294, 9 HR, 70 RBI) did his share. He was named the team's MVP and represented the River Cats at the PCL All-Star Game in Albuquerque, N.M. He set a team record with a 24-game hitting streak which was aided by the longest game in team history. 

On June 28 at Raley Field, the River Cats lost to the Fresno Grizzlies 8-7 in 16 innings. The game took four hours and 53 minutes and 522 pitches to complete. Barton didn't get a hit until the 15th inning. 

When playoff time arrived Barton hadn't cooled off. 

Despite dropping the first two games of the opening round 9-8 and 11-10 to the Salt Lake Bees in disappointing fashion, the River Cats rallied to win 7-4, 7-4 and 4-2 at Raley Field. They then swept Memphis 5-3, 3-2, 4-3 for the PCL Championship. 

Barton went 11-for-20 in the five-game series against Salt Lake and then packed his bags and headed for Oakland. The sent for Brant Colamarino, who was relaxing at home and playing the entire regular season at Double-A Midland. He hadn't picked up a bat in two weeks when he got the call he was being added to the roster for the Championship Series. He came up huge with five hits in 13 at-bats with two home runs. 

Lou Merloni also stepped up and played like the veteran major leaguer he once was. The 35-year-old, with a calm and confident presence in the clubhouse, hit .323 with three home runs. His sidekick Blasi was named post-season MVP, collecting 16 hits in the eight games. And, Jerry Blevins was untouchable out of the bullpen, striking out 20 of the 33 batters he faced. 

Fittingly, Merloni earned MVP honors at the Bricktown Showdown with a three-run homer in the third inning and a run-scoring single in the sixth inning against Richmond. Colamarino added a two-run homer in the third inning and RBI single in the ninth inning. Kazuhito Tadano was the winning pitcher.  

“Lou Merloni kept everyone loose,” DeFrancesco said. “He kept me loose. He was a fun guy to be around and his contribution in the clubhouse was invaluable.” 

DeFrancesco, who in five seasons as manager won four Southern Division titles, two PCL Championships and one Bricktown Showdown, was promoted to third-base coach with the A’s in 2008. He would be replaced by Todd Steverson. 

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“Can you say dynasty!” River Cats radio broadcaster Johnny Doskow shouted across the airwaves for all Sacramento to hear in 2008. 

With a 4-2 victory over the Oklahoma RedHawks, the River Cats won their second consecutive PCL Championship and fourth in six years and hatched talk that Sacramento may be one of the most successful franchises at any level of professional sports. 

The team then went on to win its second consecutive Bricktown Showdown, a 4-1 victory over International League champion Scranton/Wilkes Barre, the New York Yankees top minor league organization.

"To win four titles in six years is a remarkable feat, especially in Triple-A baseball because of the volatility to team rosters with all the constant changes," Assistant General Manager and Senior Director of Media Relations Gabe Ross said. "Really, to win this many championships are unprecedented." 

To get a read on just how good the ballclub truly was, all an observer had to do is look at what the River Cats (83-61) went into the playoffs without. The A's wreaked havoc on Manager Todd Steverson's roster in August, depleting the starting rotation, the bullpen and weakening the offense. But, then again, that's the nature of minor league baseball.

The River Cats entered the first-round of the playoffs against the Salt Lake Bees without their three winningest starting pitchers - Dan Meyer (10-5), Kirk Saarloos (9-4) and Gio Gonzalez (8-7). Reliable Dallas Braden (3-1) was taken, too. They also were without three of their best relievers - Jerry Blevins (10 saves), Jeff Gray (4 saves) and Brad Ziegler (8 saves), who would go on to set a major-league record by pitching 391/3 scoreless innings to begin a career, Setup man Josh Outman was also called up. 

To make matters worse, they lost three of their top four hitters in outfielder Aaron Cunningham (.382), second baseman Eric Patterson (.324) and shortstop Cliff Pennington (.297). Toss in the loss of starting catcher Landon Powell, who underwent knee surgery the last week of the season, and the picture painted for the playoffs was far from a masterpiece.

But, if River Cats players and fans have learned anything over the past eight years in garnering six Southern Division titles, four PCL Championships and two Bricktown Showdown crowns, it's that it's not the names on the backs of the uniforms that mean the most, it's that single name on the front.

The River Cats name is synonymous with winning and winning is contagious.

Despite the call-ups, the A's didn't exactly leave the River Cats high and dry. During the month of August, the A's sent back designated hitter Wes Bankston, second baseman Brooks Conrad, shortstop Gregorio Petit and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.

The A's also helped out by not recalling outfielders Chris Denorfia and Travis Buck and infielder Donnie Murphy. After losing Game 1 in the opening round to Salt Lake 13-10, the A's had Sean Gallagher make a rehab start in critical Game 2. He responded with five shutout innings in an 8-4 victory.

In taking three-of-four games from Salt Lake, the River Cats offense produced beyond belief. They collected 53 hits, scored 39 runs, smacked 10 doubles and homered 16 times. Murphy gave his best impression of Babe Ruth with four homers and nine RBIs. Conrad and Denorfia each hit three home runs.  

Following the series, the A's once again tested the River Cats mettle when they called up third baseman Jeff Baisley, who was 8-for-16 with two home runs and a half dozen runs batted in.

In the PCL Championship series against Oklahoma, the River Cats were mere mortals with 40 hits and five home runs. They captured the best-of-five series from the RedHawks three games to one. They won the last two games on the road at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.

As important as scoring runs was, keeping the River Cats opponent's offense under control was more. And, as impressive as the River Cats hitters were in the eight games with 93 hits and 21 home runs, the saviors of the playoffs were a group of pitchers barely legal to buy beer. The “Kiddy Corp” from Double-A Midland arrived in the nick of time.

Vincent Mazzaro, Henry Rodriguez and Jared Lansford, all 21 years of age, pitched beyond their years. Another addition was 20-year-old Brett Anderson, who joined the club from Midland after the RockHounds missed the Texas League playoffs on the final day of the regular season. Anderson, Lansford and Rodriguez didn’t throw a pitch for the River Cats during the regular season.

Mazzaro, who joined the River Cats on August 4 and was 3-3 with a 6.15 in five starts after a 12-3 mark and 1.90 ERA at Midland, won Game 4 against Salt Lake, allowing two runs on seven hits in an 8-3 triumph. He kept the River Cats in Game 3 against Oklahoma before yielding to Lansford who picked up the win.

The presence of Lansford, son of former A's third baseman Carney Lansford, and Rodriguez gave the bullpen a boost with power arms to parade out in the middle innings.

But, the star hurler of the playoffs was Anderson, who worked his way to the River Cats from Class-A Stockton to Midland to a tour with the U.S. Olympic team in China and back to Midland again. In Game 2 against Salt Lake, he threw four critical innings backing up Gallagher and gained the save, but more importantly saved a bullpen that took a beating in Game 1.

That outing gave Steverson and Pitching Coach Rick Rodriguez the confidence to send Anderson out for Game 1 of the PCL Championship Series at Raley Field against Oklahoma. He battled for six innings, left with a 4-2 lead and earned the victory.

However, an 11-2 thumping in Game 2 sent the River Cats to Oklahoma City tied 1-1.

With Hurricane Ike battering the Southern seaboard and threatening Games 3 and 4, the River Cats won Game 3 by the score of 8-3 to take a 2-1 lead.

Rain hit hard the next day and postponed Game 4. The extra day off gave the River Cats the option of replacing scheduled starter Brad Knox, who was hit hard in the first-round Game 1 loss to Salt Lake, with Anderson.

Anderson got the call, pitched seven effective inning and left with a 4-2 lead. Brad Kilby, a Laguna Creek High School product, pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Bret Prinz blanked the Redhawks in the ninth.

Denorfia and Gonzalez were named Co-PCL Post-season Most Valuable Players. Denorfia hit .486 (17-for-35) and four home runs and scored 12 runs. Gonzalez batted .406 (13-for-32) with two home runs and eight RBIs, including all four RBIs in the finale.
 

In the one-game, winner-take-all Bricktown Showdown against Scraton/Wilkes Barre, the River scored three times in the first inning on RBI singles by Bankston and Conrad and an RBI ground out by Casey Rogowski. Murphy added an RBI double in the sixth inning.  

Chris Gissell earned the victory in relief of starter Shane Komine,. He fired three scoreless innings and was named the game's MVP.  

Within months of the River Cats championship run many of the players went their separate ways. Murphy signed with the Texas Rangers, Conrad with the Atlanta Braves, Bankston with the Cincinnati Reds, Meyer with the Florida Marlins, Saarloos with the Cleveland Indians, catcher Justin Knoedler with the St. Louis Cardinals and pitcher Lenny DiNardo with the Kansas City Royals. Gonzalez and outfielder Matt Murton were traded to the Colorado Rockies. 

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The Sacramento-area has enthusiastically backed the River Cats since their inaugural game back on May 15, 2000. And, the 2009 season was no different. 

For the 10th straight season, the River Cats packed Raley Field and led all minor leagues in attendance. With Manager Tony DeFrancesco back in the saddle, replacing Todd Steverson who was promoted to first-base coach with the A’s, the team won an eighth South Division title. 

"We are seriously spoiled being fans of the River Cats," said El Dorado Hills-resident and former Folsom Telegraph publisher Jack Kohn. "There haven't been too many minor league franchises that have posted the 10-year run of success that we have. Every season's roster brings highly-touted A's prospects to the team, some "sure things", others experienced minor leaguers and the surprise rookie. All of these types are entrusted to knowledgeable managers like Bob Geren, Tony DeFrancesco and Todd Steverson, who have been able to meld these ever-changing collections into winning teams for Sacramento fans." 

The 2009 version of the River Cats compiled the third-best record in franchise history. The 86-57 record was accomplished with a so-so starting staff,, solid bullpen and enough pop at the plate to average 5.2 runs per game. 

The starters ERAs were high, but they won. Chad Reineke (9-4, 4.75), Dave Eveland (8-6, 4.94), Shawn Chacon (8-4, 6.29) and James Simmons (7-7, 5.72) made half the team’s starts. The bullpen won a ton of games and included Brad Kilby (4-2, 2.13) Jeff Gray (2-2, 1.84, 16 saves), Ryan Webb (7-1, 4.25), Jay Marshall (5-3, 3.20), Chris Schroeder (3-1, 2.2) and Jerry Blevins 5-3, 3.84). The offense was led by do-everything, play-anywhere Eric Patterson (.307, 29 2B, 11 3B, 12 HR, 43 SB), Tommy Everidge (.368-12 in 54 games) and Matt Carson (.264-25-77). 

The highlight of the season though, was the arrival of Brett Wallace and Chris Carter. Both were young, talented and described as “future stars.” A new buzz of excitement was created and the fans were not disappointed. 

Wallace, a 22-year-old two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year and Triple Crown winner at Arizona State, was acquired on July 24 when the A’s shipped Matt Holliday off to the St. Louis Cardinals. 

He was the Cardinals prized possession and rated the No. 40 prospect by Baseball America. In 44 games and 204 at-bats with the River Cats, the left-handed batting third baseman hit .302 with nine home runs and 29 runs batted. However, as River Cats fans have come to expect, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in December.

The other young star was Carter. Carter played the final 13 games of the regular season for the River Cats and displayed why he is ranked Baseball America’s top overall prospect in 2010.  

The 6-foot-5, 231-pounder was hitting .337 with 24 home runs and 101 runs batted in at Midland before his promotion to Triple-A. In 54 at-bats with the River Cats, the 23-year-old hit four home runs and drove in 14 runs.  

Carter continued his assault on Triple-A pitching during the first-round of the playoffs. In leading the River Cats to the PCL Championship Series, he mashed homers in all four games of a 3-1 series victory over the Tacoma Rainiers. At season’s end, the first baseman was named the A’s Organizational Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. 

Despite the presence of Wallace and Carter, the River Cats bats were smothered by a red-hot Memphis Redbirds pitching staff. The River Cats lost three straight 1-0, 3-2 and 6-0. 

Despite the constant changes on the field, the fans love for the River Cats was stronger than ever. Now entering their 11th season, the River Cats organization and their players have bonded beautifully with the community. And, going to Raley Field now, more than ever before, means more than just watching a baseball game. 

A night at Raley Field is an affordable three hours away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Fans can talk with players before and after the game or visit with friends on the grassy berm or have a soda pop in the Party Deck or enjoy ribs and beer in the barbeque area or climb the monkey bars in the playground area or even watch the future of major league baseball.  

"The beginning of each season is like a family reunion as you greet old seat mates and greet new faces who sign on for each coming season," said Kohn, who has been a season ticketholder since Season One. "Because of the friendly environment at Raley Field, we the fans are able to get closer to our River Cats players. But as important as interacting with the players is, we have to continue to remember that they are human too, striving for success despite the fragile nature of their employment." 

Mark McDermott is a retired Sacramento Bee sports staffer and a local product who played baseball at Norte Del Rio, American River College and Sac State.