Lunch Break

Thursday was game day. In the early afternoon, the annual luncheon was one of the best presentations held at any of the all star games.

The event was a benefit for the River Cats Independence Field project, a ball field specially built for the needs of handicapped children. The River Cats became title sponsors more than a year ago, contributing $100,000 in cash and $150,000 in promotion and comp tickets to the charity.

"The thrill on their faces, it just carries you away," said Mike Ubaldi, director of the project that needs to raise $1 million to build the field.

The players and coaches were introduced. BJ Upton, the precocious D-Rays future star playing for Durham, who had been AWOL since the event began on Tuesday, made his first public appearance at the luncheon.

The dais included members of both teams, their coaches, Branch Rickey III, President of the Pacific Coast League, Randy Mobley President of the International League, Pat O'Connor, COO of Minor League Baseball, the mayors of both Sacramento and West Sacramento, two city councilmen, and Art Savage, the owner and CEO of the River Cats.

Christopher Cabaldon, Mayor of West Sacramento, called Raley Field "the best thing to happen to Sacramento since gold was discovered."

He spoke of the continuing transformation of the waterfront that was launched by the construction of the stadium, turning the depressed industrial area into a new center of both Sacramento and West Sacramento.

The Governator, Arnold Schwarznegger, who had been scheduled to attend, sent his regets via video, praising the team for 'pumping up' the community.

There was a short break in the luncheon, followed by a panel discussion of the famed Battle of the Bay 1988 World Series that was marked by a break for an earthquake that destroyed area bridges and damaged both stadiums.

Lon Simmons, the former broadcaster for both the Athletics and the Giants at different times in his career, served as the moderator for Terry Kennedy, Mike LaCoss, Terry Steinbaugh, and Dave Stewart.

Showtime

The television trucks were primed and every local news crew from Sacramento, and a few from neighboring areas had set up shop on the third base side of Raley Field.

The fans spilled through the gates into a stadium baked by the late afternoon sun into the low hundreds. 

They crowded around the walls of the first and third baseline to get autographs from the all-stars.  Many did not know who all of the players were, but they know that many will go on to big league careers, and that their humble beginnings in Triple-A are great momentos from the 'early days.'

Batting Practice was swarmed by a mass of cameras and reporters who had come from as far away as Ottawa, Canada and Florida to cover the game. This was one of the largest press corps in recent Triple-A All-Star history.

Fans from all over the country turned out for the big evening, representing most teams in the PCL and many in the International League.

One fan, who would not give his name, was wearing a 2001 Indianapolis Triple-A All-Star shirt. He claimed that he and his wife had been to every all-star event since the format was changed to put the IL and the PCL head-to-head almost two decades ago.

There was one guy who went retro with his Albquerque Dukes hat. The Dukes were the Dodgers PCL franchise for more than 29 years before being sold off to Portland. The Dodgers and Padres traded clubs, moving the Blue Crew to Las Vegas and bringing the Beavers into the hallowed halls of the Padres organization.

The core fans, who came out to watch baseball, included many A's and Giants fans who came up to see what minor league baseball was all about.

They weren't disappointed, catching the first grand-slam in Triple-A all-star history (See the Game).

Just as many fans came for a celebration of Sactown, a fun-filled evening to see and be seen by friends and party where the action is.

Sacramento is one of the top-selling ballparks in the country because it mixes baseball with good food and entertainment that keeps girlfriends, wives, and children coming along for the fun.

White wine and healthier options could be found, but the biggest line was for the traditional four-alarm brats loaded with enough good stuff to make a cardiologist wince.

While he isn't the Governator, Dodgers legendary first baseman Steve Garvey dropped by to chat with players and the cameras of ESPN-2. Garvey was part of a core Triple-A Dukes team skippered by Tommy Lasorda that would be promoted in pieces to become the engine of the multi-pennant, World-Series winning Dodger organization of the 1970s and early 1980s.

"The game has changed a lot since then," Garvey said with a smile as he made his way through the crowd shaking hands.

This edition of the All-Star game also saw the return of another legend, Rochester Red Wings skipper Phil Roof.  Roof has been on a leave of absence while he attends to his wife, who is undergoing chemotherapy to combat cancer at the Mayo Clinic.

Earlier in the week, Roof had told MLB.com that he might consider retiring. Speaking with MLN, he had a moment to reconsider. "I don't want people to think I'm retiring right now," Roof told MLN. "My wife is going to have the second of six chemotherapy treatments. We just have to take it one day at a time."

It was very clear that Roof was torn between his roles as husband and manager, and, while he will always do the right thing by his family, the boy who has played baseball most of his life is hard pressed to retire from the field that he loves.

"You want to be there for your family. You want to be there for your team," Roof said looking out at the field whistfully. "It's just very hard."

Roof took a moment to pose with his seventh grandchild, Carson Christopher Sturgis, prior to the start of the game.

Sactown also welcomed its native son, Las Vegas 51s infielder Joe Thurston, back to town.  Thurston, a Sactown native, spends his off-season time at home, and is adored by many locals.

The game itself, from the fan perspective was a thriller. The IL, ahead in early innings, looked to be taking its third title from the PCL in a league park, until Oklahoma catcher Gerald Laird, a late substitution, broke loose with a grand slam bomb that changed both the score and the momentum of the game in favor of the Coast League.

The crowning glory was that the River Cats' Matt Watson banged in one final home run to seal the deal and keep the PCL on top.  The fans were on their feet as Watson cruised home, giving high fives to SkySox star Ryan Shealy as he crossed home plate.

The IL would come to life a bit more in late innings, but by then the writing was on the wall and the faithful had started to file out to the parking lot.

The PCL players stayed back a while and savored the win, while the IL players showered quickly and waited for their opportunity to catch a shuttle back to the hotel.

The win by the Pacfic Coast League capped a showcase week at one of the premiere ballparks in the country, where a fine time was had by all.