Q-C manager recalls A-Rod's visit to Q-C
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By Steve Batterson | Friday, April 04, 2008 |
Tonight won’t be the first time Steve Dillard has managed a season opener in the Quad-Cities with a first-round draft pick on the field at shortstop.
Dillard, who managed the River Bandits as an Astros affiliate during the 1993-94 seasons, was in the opposing dugout April 8, 1994, when Quad-Cities spoiled the professional debut of a talented 18 year old. The River Bandits handed Alex Rodriguez and Appleton an 11-4 loss.
“I told the guys to get a good look at him because he probably wasn’t going to be around for long,’’ Dillard said.
Rodriguez went 2-for-4 in the opener at Davenport’s John O’Donnell Stadium, three months to the day before the first overall selection in the 1993 draft made his major league debut for Seattle.
Dillard’s team had a little talent to work with as well.
Billy Wagner struck out five and gave up four hits over six innings to earn the win, and Jamie Walker, another current major league reliever, held off Appleton after it pulled within 5-4 in the eighth inning.
R.J. Bowers — who later went on to become the all-time rushing leader in NCAA Division III football — hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, and Richard Hidalgo had the first three of the 23 outfield assists he had that season in the win.
Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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