We knew him when ...

Quite a good story today concerning former Sacramento River Cat Scott McClain, who blasted his first major league home run in the San Francisco Giants' 9-2 win over the Rockies. The photo is from the Associated Press.

McClain is in his 19th pro season and had hit 287 homers in 1,664 minor league games.

In case you missed it, here is former Enterprise sports writer Michael Mirer's story on McClain while he was a member of the River Cats. The headline on the story was "Night Shift."

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — There are times, like when he's sitting in yet another airport waiting for yet another connecting flight, that River Cats third baseman Scott McClain will think about the ways he doesn't really need this anymore.

He's financially secure from his time playing in Japan, a league full of train trips and top-notch facilities. And after nearly two decades as a pro, he's seen just about everything professional baseball has to offer.

But McClain still wants another taste of the major leagues, with the big stadiums and the easy travel. That dream is still strong enough to push him through the grind for another year. When you're playing in the three-time-zone monster that is the Pacific Coast League, that's no small commitment.

"It hit me last year a little bit mid- season. It hit me this year mid-season, but you just press on," said McClain , 34, as he prepared to play last week. "Everyone's main goal is to get to the big leagues. That's still my goal, even at the age I'm at. I just want a few more days up there."

So it's back to what McClain called "the night shift." It's what's familiar.

McClain 's baseball career has spanned every level of the minor leagues and includes four seasons with Seibu in the Japanese League. In 17 seasons, he has played in 22 major league games, nine with Tampa Bay in 1998 and 13 last year with the Chicago Cubs.

And, of course, a solid half of those 17 years have been spent in hotels and on long bus rides between games in the minor leagues.

"You get used to it," McClain said of his long hours of moving between cities. "Sometimes you don't even know what day it is. The only way you know what day it is, is that on Sunday you're playing a day game. It gets tiresome. But it's a good job. I still enjoy it."

You would have to, especially in the PCL.

Buses have a certain romance about them for baseball players. And in the minors it's the closest you get to a chartered plane. McClain played parts of five seasons in the Triple-A International League. In the east, cities are closer together. Instead of waking up to fly, teams can leave immediately after the game and wake up in a new town.

"I'd rather have a five-hour bus ride than have to wake up at 4:30 in the morning," outfielder Jason Perry said earlier in the trip.

And McClain feels the same way.

Adjusting to the travel is a process, McClain said, and his routine has changed as he's gotten older. He knows better how to take care of himself. No longer does he catch the early bus to the gym like some of his teammates. He saves his strength for the games.

"You learn to know your body and what you can handle," McClain said. "You listen to your body tell when you need more rest. I used to be (an early riser). And there's times I'll try and do that. I'm more a stay up until 2 a.m. watching TV, and then sleep until noon guy. That's my routine. Grab a bite to eat and then head to field."

The field remains a constant in McClain 's life.

He started his career in 1990 and after working his way to Triple-A in 1995, he spent most of the next six seasons at that level. Feeling as though he was running out of options, McClain tried his hand on another continent.

Japanese baseball is on par with the majors in terms of the player perks, McClain said. The salaries, especially for American players, are excellent. The hotels are first-class and the travel is especially easy.

There is only one time zone. And instead of planes, teams get around on trains. After you learn to navigate the stations in a strange language, it may be the easiest baseball travel there is.

"Once I figured out how to get on the trains and figure out where I was going, it was great," McClain said. "Our longest trip was a three-hour train ride. You get on the bullet trains, in a nice big luxury seat, that made things a lot easier. It was a good time. I enjoyed it. My wife could go if she wanted to. It was easy."

The shock came after he returned from Japan.

The Cubs signed him to a minor-league deal and assigned him to Iowa. That team is based in Des Moines and flies through Chicago on almost every trip.

His situation is better in Sacramento. There are direct flights to a number of other cities in the league. He also has family close by, which was one of the reasons he signed with the River Cats. McClain has enjoyed performing in front of his relatives, who are quickly learning about the every-day nature of Triple-A.

"We get maybe one day off a month," McClain said. "It's nice having my family around. Being out in California, though, my aunts and uncles are realizing that we really do play every day."

That's still exactly what McClain wants to be doing. The night shift isn't so bad.

And the big leagues are still out there.