LaRocca gets shot, hits for cycle

After 35 straight days without giving Pacific Coast League home run and RBI leader George Arias a day off, Las Vegas Stars manager Jerry Royster decided Wednesday night's game against Nashville was the right time to finally rest his talented third baseman.

The timing couldn't have been any better as Greg LaRocca, the Stars' talented utilityman, made the most of his opportunity for a rare third base start in a 7-4 victory over the Sounds before a crowd of 3,041 at Cashman Field.

LaRocca became just the fifth Stars player in 16 years to hit for the cycle and the first since Rob Deer did it on Aug. 11, 1995, against Salt Lake. The others were Billy Hall (Sept. 4, 1994, at Calgary), John Kruk (April 8, 1984, against Edmonton) and Joe Lansford (July 6, 1987, at Albuquerque).

"No, never," the 25-year-old University of Massachusetts grad replied when asked if he had ever accomplished the feat before. "It was just one of those nights where everything fell in for me. I had a wind-blown triple, a wind-blown home run and knuckled out a double. ... Every dog has its day."

LaRocca got the hardest part of the cycle --- the triple --- out of the way leading off the bottom of the first inning. His high fly down the right field line was lost in the sun by the Sounds' Darryl Brinkley and LaRocca sprinted all the way to third base before Brinkley could recover the ball.

"It was a Las Vegas triple," LaRocca said. "I hit it good and it just kept carrying and carrying."

LaRocca singled and scored in the third, but originally was credited with a double. However, a few minutes later scorekeeper Jim Gemma decided to give LaRocca just a single and while also giving Nashville left fielder T.J. Staton, who bobbled the ball while LaRocca hustled to second, an error.

An inning later, LaRocca drilled his fourth homer of the season over the left field fence off Sean Lawrence.

That meant LaRocca needed only a double for the rare cycle when he came to bat in the seventh against Sounds reliever Gary Wilson. He got it by hitting a blooper over the head of first baseman Pete Rose Jr. down the right field line and easily beating the throw to second.

"It was a good pitch," LaRocca said. "I just barely got my bat on it and it fell in."

Ironically, before the game Royster had passed the word to LaRocca that he was still highly thought of in the San Diego organization by scouts despite the fact he finds his playing time limited in Las Vegas. LaRocca has the misfortune of playing on the same team as two PCL All-Star infielders, Arias and second baseman Dave Hajek, as well as the Padres' shortstop of the future, Juan Melo.

"The last thing I told him (before Wednesday night's game) was he could go 20 for 20, but if it's not your turn to play, you're not playing," Royster said with a smile.

But after Wednesday night's cycle, Royster admitted he will try to squeeze LaRocca into the lineup again tonight.

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