Modesto A 's (FROM PAGE D-l) has been with the club since 1971 when it was an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, enjoys talking about the '84 season. It was a trio of Oakland A's standouts, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Greg Cadaret, that helped lead Modesto to that pennant. "I can remember we had to open the playoffs against the Redwood Pioneers, who were then the California Angels' farm club," Riser said. "The team had set a Cal League record of 53 wins and 17 . losses in one half. We beat them in a two-of-three series, with Canseco hitting a two-run homerun that I think NASA had to have been tracking. Cadaret was the winning pitcher for us." Modesto's overall record that year was a solid 83-56. In 1985, the A's won the first half but lost to Stockton in the playoffs. They played .500 ball in the '86 season and were 16 games over the .500 mark last year. "We were a respectable club last year," said Riser. "But we had formidable opponents in Stockton and Reno and weren't able to slip past them." But this year, Riser said, is one he'd just as soon forget. He said there are several factors which can be attributed to the team's downfall. The major league A's discontinued its rookie club in Pocatello, Idaho after the 1985 season, Riser believes because of the long travel involved. "They thought they could get everything accomplished with the one rookie club in Medford," Riser said. "That hurt." Despite picking up a rookie club in Arizona this year, Riser said the void between 1965 and 1988 has been felt. He also blamed a "weak" 1986-87 draft for compounding the problem, as well as multi-player deals which sent more players away from Modesto than were sent in. "The Huntsville team (Double A, Alabama) lost some key pitchers in the deal to get (Bob) Welch," said Riser. "Deals like this and promotions in the major league system tend to weaken the minor league system." But Riser, who is well aware of the ravages of a losing season, appreciates the challenge. "Oakland is a good organization to work for," he said. "And it's important that we work well together." While the A's can't fire Riser - he is part owner of the Modesto franchise - they can take their business elsewhere if they don't like the way the Gass A club is operated. The "show" is the goal of every Class A player, and these Modesto A's are no different. But somewhere in between Class A and the big leagues are where the numbers come in. There are only 624 spots on major-league rosters. Multiply that figure by four, and you roughly have the number of minor-league players vying for those positions. "Since I was five years old, it's been my dream to play major league baseball," said Gary Gorski, in his second year at Modesto. "It's tough playing In the minors. The only real difference between us and the major leaguers is experience. They do the little things to get the job done." Gorski, a native of Torrance, was originally signed by the California Angels after being drafted in 1986. After being released by the Angels following the '86 season, Gorski was selected by the A's as a free gent and sent to Modesto primarily as an infielder. But near the end of the '87 campaign, the A's sent him to Medford to begin the process of converting him to a pitcher. Even though he has recorded only two wins, the 23-year-old right-hander's earned run average is an impressive 2.68. Gorski said he'll give himself a couple more years down in the minors before he hopes to make the break. What that means is surviving on a monthly check of about $850-900, with a possible $150 bonus, for the next two years. The pay begins on opening night and stops on the last game of the season, a span of about five months. For the remainder of the year, the Modesto A's players are left to fend for themselves. "Class A money is hard to get by with," admitted shortstop Darrin Duffy, a native of Phoenix, Arizona. "The most difficult part about playing in the minors, though, are the road trips." Duffy's sentiments are echoed by just about every player on the A's roster. Visitors to John Thurman Field can't help but be struck by the contrasts evident with these A's players and their big-league counterparts, but few are as stark as the travel accomodations. Minor league players are bussed, their longest trip a seven-hour, one-day affair to Palm Springs Major league players are flown. Minor league players get $11 a day in "meal money." Only $5.50 if it, is a commute trip (there and back in the same day). Major league players get about three times that much. Major league players stay in Hyatts and Hiltons while on the road. Minor league players settle for Howard Johnsons and Vagabonds, where they can get rates as low as $28 a night. Modesto players are responsible for finding their own places to live. They are provided air fare for their trip home at the end of the season. Duffy, in his third year with the A's franchise, said he's fortunate enough to live with a Modesto A's booster. "Some are luckier than others," he said. "Living with a booster takes some of the pressure off of having to pay bills and do the shopping." For Duffy, Class A ball is that much tougher. He began the '87 season playing Double A in Huntsville, where his skills were often compared to those of current A's shortstop Walt Weiss, who played in Modesto in 1985. Then Duffy tore a muscle in his hip and was out for nine months. He was sent down to Class A after the '88 season began. "I lost a little range and speed," Duffy said. "It's always in the back of my mind that I might re-injure it, so I've been babying it. I want to work on it in the off-season because you can't afford to have any injuries." Like Duffy, Tony Arias is all too familiar with the disappointment of being shipped from Double A back to Class A. He began the '87 season in Huntsville, but broke his wrist diving to a base and was out for the rest of the season. "I've been trying to find my groove ever since," Arias said. A first baseman, Arias said he tries not to u)ink about the fact that the Oakland A't have a young - and superstar-level - first baseman in Mark McGwire, who could be around for a number of years to come. "I can only control what I do here," said Arias, who substitute teaches in his hometown of Miami, Florida during the off-season. "Sure I think of other ball clubs, but throughout my career, they've always had good first basemen." As far as players jumping from Class A directly to the majors in one year, few players have succeeded.