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Players' physiques prove deceiving in Cats' win over Tucson
By Martin McNeal - mmcneal@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, June 28, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C6
Look at first baseman-designated hitter-middle linebacker Casey Rogowski's 6-foot-3, 260-pound frame, and the first thoughts are of power and strength, not speed.
Then look at infielder-outfielder Brooks Conrad, and power and strength might not come to mind, but speed might.
As their performances in Friday night's 9-3 River Cats victory over the Tucson Sidewinders indicated, looks are often deceiving.
An announced crowd of 9,998 at Raley Field watched a solid pitching performance from starter and winner Brad Knox and relievers Jay Marshall and Jeff Gray, backed by a three-homer offensive attack.
Rogowski hit the first River Cats homer of the night in the third after Conrad walked. Rogowski, who had two hits and drove in a game-high four RBIs, hit a high drive to right-center that gave Sacramento a 3-2 lead.
Tucson tied the score 3-3 in the top of the fifth on a homer by catcher Wilkin Castillo, but Conrad hit his seventh homer against Tucson in 14 games in the bottom of the inning.
The line shot over the right-field fence was like most of his - a no-doubter. For a guy listed at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Conrad consistently hits the ball as far as any teammate. He leads the team with 16 homers.
"Before I played with him," Rogowski said, "I would have been surprised how hard and far he hits the ball. But after playing with him every day, I'm not surprised.
"The guy is a tank. He's strong, really strong. He's one of the more powerful guys I've ever played with, and I've played with some really big guys."
The two-run shot gave the River Cats a 5-3 lead, an advantage they would not surrender. Knox's pitch count was being monitored since he was on four days' rest instead of five. And manager Todd Steverson said he was no different than he remembered.
"I hadn't see 'Knoxy' in a couple of weeks," Steverson said, "but he's a strike-thrower, and he's going to do it quick, one way or the other - and that was on four days' rest."
The Cats expanded their 5-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh when Rogowski displayed his less-visible skill. Gregorio Petit singled with one out, and Conrad walked. The left-handed-hitting Rogowski went the other way and lined a ball into left-center field.
Petit scored with Conrad chasing him down the third-base line, but Rogowski, who leads the team in stolen bases, easily slid into third with his second triple.
Said Steverson, "He's no secret. He's a fast, big guy. He's got wheels."
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