Sacramento River Cats

From BR Bullpen

SacramentoRiverCats3.jpg

Team History[edit]

The Sacramento River Cats, of the Pacific Coast League and briefly in Triple-A West, had a remarkable run as the Oakland Athletics' top farm team from 2000 through 2014. The now-San Francisco Giants farmhands play their home games at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA.

Under Oakland, the Cats won an unprecedented six straight PCL North Division titles, 11 of their first 12, back-to-back PCL crowns two different times, the first back-to-back Triple-A championships ever - and led all of minor league baseball in attendance their first eight seasons.

In 2014, Forbes magazine ranked this the most valuable ball club in the minors, yet after that season the River Cats and Giants dumped Oakland and the Fresno Grizzlies for each other. The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser broke the possibility nearly four months before it could happen, including an analysis of why that would prove true. [1]

On August 26, 2022, after weeks of rumors and published reports of an impending sale of the River Cats to the NBA's Sacramento Kings, the Kings, Cats and Kings' minority owner Arctos Sports Partners announced a partnership that "establishes the Kings as the majority owner" of the Cats. The ball club's owner, Susan Savage, will "continue to serve as a strategic business advisor and member of the ownership group."[2]

Savage's late husband Art, who had previously headed the NHL's San Jose Sharks, led the group that brought PCL baseball back to Sacramento in 2000 by buying and moving the Vancouver Canadians - the reigning Triple-A World Series champions. Susan inherited the team when Art died in November 2009.

The Cats play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Sacramento Dorados (Sacramento Goldens, in reference to Sacramento's status as the center of the 1849 California Gold Rush).

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Hitting coach Pitching coach Coach Most Valuable Player Pitcher of the Year
2000 90-54 2nd Bob Geren Lost in 1st round Roy White Rick Rodriguez Jose Ortiz Jon Ratliff
2001 75-69 5th Bob Geren Lost in 1st round Roy White Rick Rodriguez Andy Abad Erik Hiljus
2002 66-78 14th Bob Geren Roy White Rick Rodriguez Luis Lopez Larry Luebbers
2003 92-52 1st Tony DeFrancesco League Champs Roy White Curt Young Graham Koonce Justin Duchscherer
2004 79-65 5th Tony DeFrancesco League Champs Joe Sparks Rick Rodriguez Dan Johnson John Rheinecker
2005 80-64 2nd (t) Tony DeFrancesco Lost in 1st round Brian McArn Rick Rodriguez Matt Watson Ron Flores
2006 80-64 4th Tony DeFrancesco Brian McArn Rick Rodriguez Scott McClain Jason Windsor
2007 84-60 2nd Tony DeFrancesco League Champs Brian McArn Rick Rodriguez Daric Barton Colby Lewis
2008 83-61 3rd Todd Steverson League Champs Brian McArn Rick Rodriguez Casey Rogowski Kirk Saarloos
2009 86-57 1st Tony DeFrancesco Lost League Finals Brian McArn Rick Rodriguez Eric Patterson Brad Kilby
2010 79-65 4th Tony DeFrancesco Lost in 1st round Brian McArn Rick Rodriguez Chris Carter Clayton Mortensen
2011 88-56 1st Darren Bush Lost League Finals Todd Steverson Scott Emerson Jai Miller Graham Godfrey
2012 86-58 1st Darren Bush Lost in 1st round Greg Sparks Scott Emerson Grant Green Graham Godfrey
2013 79-65 3rd Steve Scarsone Greg Sparks Rick Rodriguez Daric Barton Sonny Gray
2014 79-65 4th Steve Scarsone Greg Sparks Rick Rodriguez
2015 71-73 9th Bob Mariano Andy Skeels Dwight Bernard
2016 69-75 12th Jose Alguacil Damon Minor Dwight Bernard
2017 64-77 14th Dave Brundage Damon Minor Dwight Bernard
2018 55-85 15th Dave Brundage Damon Minor Steve Kline Travis Higgs Nestor Rojas
2019 73-67 7th Dave Brundage League Champs Damon Minor Steve Kline Jolbert Cabrera
2020 Season cancelled
2021 52-65 7th Dave Brundage 4-6 Damon Minor Garvin Alston Jolbert Cabrera
2022 65-83 9th Dave Brundage Damon Minor Garvin Alston Jolbert Cabrera
2023 67-82 8th Dave Brundage Damon Minor Garvin Alston Jolbert Cabrera, Robbie Robinson
2024 Dave Brundage Damon Minor Alain Quijano Jolbert Cabrera, Rob Riggins
Children sing the National Anthem before a River Cats game in 2007

Related Sites[edit]