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Opener is a Big Game for Cats: Beating the Parent A's Isn't a Big Deal

Posted on: Thursday, 30 March 2006, 12:00 CST

By Scott Howard-Cooper, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

Mar. 30--To the A's, it is another fire drill in readying for the Monday opener and games counting for real. At least they're finally done with the Arizona portion of spring training. That may be the biggest thing. To the River Cats, it's an occasion. The parent club is coming to Raley Field tonight for a 6:30 start, weather willing, and suddenly the talent level in the opposing dugouts isn't the biggest contrast. It's the differences in importance for the two operations. The A's get the latest exhibition game, and the Triple-A affiliate River Cats get visibility in Sacramento that rates with anything that may happen during the regular season. It's more for management. River Cats players will get another up-close chance to impress the major-league front office, but they've had that opportunity for about six weeks through Arizona cities and won't exactly be forgotten in the months ahead, with regular reports being filed to Oakland and nothing more than a commute keeping A's brass from watching them in person again. The River Cats' front office? The potential impact is much greater for the Sacramento executives: Of the six previous games at Raley Field that involved at least one team from the majors, the smallest attendance was 13,368 when the San Diego Padres faced the River Cats on April 1, 2001. The virtual guarantee of a big gate on a weeknight with school still in session and the spotlight from media coverage that should rival or surpass the Triple-A playoffs pushes this past exhibition status for the River Cats. In the race to lead all minor-league baseball in attendance for the seventh consecutive season, every year of their existence, the River Cats get a running start. How important is the direct connection to Oakland's history of developing young players, and how it comes full circle with a single preseason game? The River Cats have moved their successful relationship with the A's to a prominent role in their 2006 marketing. The cover of the media guide features current A's in photos from their Sacramento days, also a concession to the difficulties in promoting players of today given the uncertainty how long they will be in the minors. The same push in conjunction with the previous A's appearance at Raley Field, exactly three years ago, wouldn't have carried nearly the same credibility. But look at tonight: Rich Harden (River Cats 2003 and '04) is the scheduled Oakland starter; Bobby Crosby ('03), Nick Swisher ('04), Dan Johnson (2003 to '05) could be on the field behind him; Justin Duchscherer ('02 and '03) and Huston Street ('04) could follow him on the mound. "If you think about it, we've been in existence for six previous years, and this is the first time the fans are able to see the product of our player-development relationship with Oakland firsthand," said Alan Ledford, the River Cats' president and chief operating officer. "We talk all the time about how being the A's affiliate is a special connection for everyone. Really, this is the first time it has all come to fruition to the extent it has." Among the most prominent A's, only Barry Zito and Mark Ellis were River Cats before the '03 game. Eric Chavez came up through the system, but before Oakland's Triple-A affiliate was in Sacramento. ------------ Majors at Raley Attendance comparison for previous games at Raley Field involving at least one major-league team: March 29, 2001: A's vs. River Cats, 14,408 March 31, 2001: San Diego Padres vs. River Cats, 14,317 April 1, 2001: Padres vs. River Cats, 13,368 March 29, 2003: Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners, 14,015 March 30, 2003: A's vs. River Cats, 14,611 April 4, 2004: Colorado Rockies vs. River Cats, 13,573

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

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Source: The Sacramento Bee

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