Triple-A baseball produces a lot of “Where are they now?” moments. In a recent Sacramento River Cats game, I saw a player, Brooks Conrad, who played a brief but important part in the San Francisco Giants’ recent history. Currently a member of the Las Vegas 51s, he was with the Atlanta Braves when they played the Giants in the 2010 divisional playoffs. In Game 3 of that series, he played second base—not his normal position at the time—due to injuries to the Braves’ infielders and committed three errors, including a ground ball through his legs which allowed the Giants to score the winning run in the ninth inning. It was as brutal a game as any player has had to endure on a national stage. It was also crucial for the Giants, who otherwise may not have made it past the Braves in that series and won the first of their championships. If that had been the course of events, I suspect that the Giants would still be waiting to raise their first banner since arriving from New York.
Conrad was fortunate that he suffered his tragedy in a Division Series; if it had been a World Series, it may have scarred him for life. Instead, it seems merely to have been a moment in a career that has lasted 15 years, most of which has been in the minor leagues. At 35 years old, he doesn’t seem ready to quit yet, and I hope that he gets another visit to the majors, even if it’s just for September. He has been, if nothing else, persistent in chasing his dreams, and it’s always a joy to see such effort rewarded.
