Alumni Report: Koonce a slugger to remember
Graham Koonce, Retired (River Cats, 2003-2004)
Drafted in the 60th round of the 1993 MLB draft, Koonce was a player who left his imprint on an upstart Minor League franchise but was never able to stick in the Major Leagues. With just eight at-bats in Oakland in 2003, Koonce's only hit was a double, striking out six of the seven other times he was at the plate.
Koonce was a player who put Sacramento fans on the edge of their seat. His .259 average won't be found in the top-10 for the River Cats all-time, but it seems everything else can be.
In two seasons for Sacramento, Koonce put up gaudy numbers. In 2003, he had the best year of any Sacramento power hitter, hitting 34 homers and 115 RBIs. He currently ranks first in both home runs (56) and walks (175), third in RBIs (192) and seventh in runs (155).
Soon after the 2004 season, the 29-year-old was granted free agency and bounced from team to team the rest of his career. Koonce was a victim of terrible circumstance. Stuck behind a guy by the name of Cecil Fielder when he was drafted by Detroit in 1993, much of the same would happen throughout his career. Stuck behind Wally Joyner on the San Diego Padres, Jason Giambi, Carlos Pena and Dan Johnson on the A's, his career would close stuck behind another Fielder in Milwaukee.
Gio Gonzalez, Oakland Athletics (River Cats, 2008-2009)
A teammate of current River Cat Adrian Cardenas at Monsignor Edward Pace High in Miami Gardens, Fla., Gonzalez has gone on to be a star in Oakland.
The first-round pick (38th) by the Chicago White Sox in the 2004 MLB draft, Gonzalez was traded four years later in a deal involving former River Cat Nick Swisher.
Gonzalez soon found himself pitching for a champion in the second year of Sacramento's back-to-back Triple-A titles. Gonzalez finished the 2008 season with an 8-7 record and 4.24 ERA, but followed that season with a year that would warrant a trip to Oakland. In 2009, Gonzalez was 4-1 with a 2.51 ERA in 12 games for Sacramento, allowing him to trade his River Cat red for some green and gold.
Although he pitched for Oakland in 2008 and 2009, it was in 2010 that Gonzalez found his groove. A 15-9 record with a 3.23 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 2010, Gonzalez looks to improve on that this season. Through 17 starts in 2011, he is 8-5 with a 2.31 ERA and 106 strikeouts, earning a spot on the American League All-Star team.
Clayton Mortensen, Colorado Rockies (River Cats, 2009-2010)
Mortensen was a PCL All-Star for the River Cats last season, boasting a 13-6 record with a 4.25 ERA while leading the team with 112 strikeouts. Months after the River Cats season came to a close, so did Mortensen's time with the club, as he was dealt to the Colorado Rockies for Ethan Hollingsworth.
A first-round pick (36th by the St. Louis Cardinals) in 2007, Mortensen has pitched in 16 games for Colorado this year (six starts). The 26-year-old right-hander is currently 2-4 with a 3.86 ERA.
In June, Mortensen went a span of five games (June 6-25) allowing just three earned runs in 13 innings of relief pitching.
Jeff Baisley, Salt Lake Bees (River Cats, 2008-10)
Jeff Baisley was part of a 2008 River Cats team that was the last team standing in the Pacific Coast League. Three years later, Baisley can be found in the same league putting up numbers that are better than he has ever had.
In Sacramento, Baisley played 228 games, hitting .271 (226-for-833) with 60 doubles, two triples, 24 home runs, 115 runs and 114 RBIs. This year, Baisley boasts a .308 average, with 14 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs, 50 runs and 55 RBIs. His play has gained the attention it deserves, as he is sixth overall in the Triple-A All-Star balloting (through June 22) while leading all PCL third baseman in total votes.
Corey Wimberly, Indianapolis Indians (River Cats, 2010)
Wimberly quickly became a fan-favorite for Sacramento last season with his pre-game front flip and lighting speed on the field. The 5-foot-8, 170-pounder left his mark in the River Cats record book and an imprint on the minds of River Cats fans last season.
Last year, Wimberly stole 56 bases, crushing the franchise steals record that was previously set by Eric Patterson (43 steals) in 2009. Wimberly's 56 steals are also second all-time in River Cats history. Wimberly ranks fourth in total runs over one season (97), fifth in triples (7) and seventh in total games (135).
Following the season, Wimberly was traded to Pittsburgh for 23-year-old right-hander Ryan Kelly. Wimberly has played in 32 games for the Indianapolis Indians (Triple-A Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate), hitting .225 with two doubles, two triples, 10 runs, eight RBIs and seven steals.
Josh Outman, Oakland A's (River Cats, 2008, 2011)
Josh Outman was the Opening Day starter for the Sacramento River Cats this season, but has found himself in Oakland for the first time since 2009 when he went down with an elbow injury. That elbow injury in 2009 lead to Tommy John surgery that took him out for the rest of 2009 and all of 2010. Before his elbow injury in 2009, Outman posted a 4-1 record with a 3.48 ERA in his rookie season.
Outman appeared in just five games for Sacramento in 2008 but returned to Sacramento on his long road back to the show this past spring, having a 1-0 record while sustaining a 1.76 ERA. Outman showed River Cats fans that the two years prior was no fluke and he made it back to where he was before the injury.
The play in Sacramento and injuries to the Oakland rotation allowed him to make the move to Oakland last month. The 26-year-old lefty has had even better numbers since he made his most recent jump to the Majors. In six games in green and gold, Outman has a 3-1 record with a 2.86 ERA.
Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies (River Cats, 2008)
It's easy for A's fans to look back and say we should have done this or done that with Gonzalez, but "Cargo" didn't exactly put up MVP numbers for Sacramento. In 2008, Gonzalez played in 46 games hitting .283 (49-for-173) with nine doubles, four homers, 23 runs and 28 RBIs. Those numbers have turned into MVP-candidate worthy numbers 1,200 miles away in Colorado.
Gonzalez didn't start the year how he would have liked, coming off a year in which he won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award. Cargo, who was third in MVP voting last season, has begun to turn things around this year after making the switch from the No. 3 spot in the lineup to leadoff. Gonzalez had turned his average from .254 to .281 in that period.
Since June 7, Gonzalez is hitting .370 (27-for-73) with seven doubles, two homers, nine RBI, 12 runs, four walks and three stolen bases.
IN THE RIVER CATS' 11 seasons, hundreds of players have called Sacramento home, winning championships at the Minor League level while aspiring to break into the Majors.
The River Cats have seen players such as Barry Zito and Bobby Crosby make their mark with the Oakland A's. Zito was awarded the 2002 AL CY Young after going 23-5 in 2002. Crosby was the 2004 AL Rookie of the Year, one vote shy of being a unanimous selection.
Other players like Carlos Gonzalez and Nick Swisher have found themselves in different organizations, reaching goals they had while they were playing in Sacramento. "Cargo" was an MVP candidate last season, earning a Gold Glove and sharing Silver Slugger honors with AL MVP Josh Hamilton. Swisher was an All-Star last season for the Yankees, hitting .288 with 29 home runs and 89 RBIs.
This blog will take a weekly look at three former River Cats:
Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers (River Cats, 2005)
Ethier, who played only four games with Sacramento in 2005, made his mark on the Majors earlier this season. While some Major Leaguers struggle to put a five-game hit streak together, Ethier had a 30-game hit streak before his run at Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hit streak came to an end.
Byrnes, Retired (River Cats, 2000-02)
Byrnes was a fan favorite in Sacramento, and still remains in the top-10 of a few offensive categories. Entering 2011, Byrnes is seventh in total home runs (33), 10th in RBI (114s), eight in runs (152), eighth in doubles (53) and fifth in steals (42).
Byrnes soon found himself in the Majors, but bounced around the league before retiring last year. Byrnes played in Oakland, Colorado, Baltimore, Arizona and Seattle, hitting .258 with 109 homers in 11 seasons. Byrnes made the jump from player to media member months after playing his last game. Byrnes currently works for KNBR and hosts a nightly talk show.
Jemile Weeks, Oakland A's (River Cats, 2011)
Weeks started the season in Sacramento, where in 45 games he hit .321, with six doubles, four triples, 30 runs and 22 RBIs. The lead-off man for the River Cats made his first jump to Oakland on June 7 after A's second-baseman Mark Ellis went down with an injury.
Weeks has taken advantage of his opportunity in Oakland, where in his first nine Major League games he has hit .344 with two doubles, three triples and five RBIs. Jemile is the younger brother of Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks.