By Mychael Urban / MLB.com

Erik Hiljus shows off his new hairstyle with new Triple-A columnist Mychael Urban.

SACRAMENTO -- The ever-present smile of Carlos Peña almost swallows his face when he sees me walking toward him.

"They sent you down, too, bro?" says the American League's Rookie of the Month for April, laughing at the thought. "I thought the shakeup was over."

The lighthearted reference is to the May maneuvers of the Oakland A's, who sent Peña, Frank Menechino and Jeff Tam to Triple-A Sacramento on May 21, then shipped Jeremy Giambi to Philadelphia a day later. Since then, two other members of Oakland's Opening Day roster -- starting pitcher Erik Hiljus and reserve outfielder Mike Colangelo -- have been sent down as well.

The A's have a new marketing campaign this year that features lines such as "There's No 'A' in Quit" and "There's No 'A' in Surrender." It was cute while they were winning, but as soon as things went sour, lines such as "There's No 'A' in Good" and "There Is An 'A' in Awful" started popping up in the local newspapers. The best of the bunch, however, came a few days after the shakeup: "There are a lot of A's in Sacramento."

AUDIO: Urban goes one-on-one with Carlos Peña

True dat; painfully so. And now there is an A's beat writer in Sacramento. Rather than travel with the big boys to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, I opted to drive up I-80 to the home of the River Cats, who could just as well be named the Triple-A's.

Also in Sacramento is F.P. Santangelo, who started 20 games during Oakland's playoff push last season. Fellow utility guy Larry Sutton, who was called up May 21 and sent down about a week or so later, also is here. Ditto Esteban German. Mario Valdez, who spent most of last year on Oakland's disabled list, is here, too -- on Sacramento's disabled list, of course. Also on the River Cats' DL is closer Chad Harville, who pitched in three games for the A's late last year.

Santangelo, who signed with the Yankees in the offseason, was the last cut of spring and asked for his release so he could re-sign with Oakland. He looks around with a mischievous smile. Tam is talking on his cell phone at his stall in the crowded River Cat clubhouse. Menechino is nearby as well. Hiljus is in the bathroom, having his head shaved clean.

"When I re-signed with the A's, I thought it would be cool so see all the guys again," Santangelo says. "I didn't know it would be in Sacramento."

A Sacramento native, Santangelo is a fan favorite. And perhaps because he and his wife have taken Menechino into their home, he can get away with cracks like the one he delivers during batting practice Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday I noticed that Frankie wears No. 7 for the River Cats, but during batting practice the next day he was wearing No. 11, which he wore in Oakland. I ask him about it, and as he's telling me that he didn't even know the BP top was No. 11, Santangelo jumps in.

"Seven, 11, seven, 11. That's right, Frankie, 7-11. That's where you're going to be working in two weeks. Staten Island 7-11. 'Can I get you a slurpee, sir?'"

Ouch. Knowing that Menechino is openly chafed about being back in the bushes, I brace for the bitter comeback. It never comes. Frankie just smiles that rubber-faced smile that helped make him a fan favorite in Oakland and says, "He's just pissed off because I'm taller than him."

Menechino is 5-foot-8. Santaneglo is listed at 5-foot-10. Very generously listed, it should be noted.

Smiles are many in Sacramento, which boasts one of the most beautiful ballparks in the minors. Raley Field, right on the banks of the American River and a short walk from historic Old Sacramento, is an absolute gem, and the fans of this great state's capitol are drawn to it like freaks to a foam party.

And a party it is, unbelievably loud music and all. Raley holds 14,611 at capacity, and capacity is often reached or threatened. Since the yard opened two years ago, the River Cats have led all of minor-league baseball in attendance.

On this night, a Tuesday, more than 12,000 pour in. The big leaguers in Oakland almost never play in front of 12-large on a Tuesday, and that's with the Taco Tuesday promotion.

Or is that because of the Taco Tuesday promotion? Not exactly Fresh Mex, those things.

Anyway, back to ball. You often hear of guys pouting when they get sent down to the minors, and most of the guys here admit that the temptation is strong. Then they admit that it's tough to be bitter in such a beautiful setting. Yes, Sacramento is hot come summer time, but it's not Tucson hot or Vegas hot. Those are the two cities the River Cats visited before I got here.

"The last game of the trip was the last of a four-game series in Vegas, and it was a day game that took more than four hours," Sutton says. "Brutal."

Nothing about the Sacramento experience -- except the NBAish between-innings tunes - is brutal. Despite its reputation as a cow town, it's anything but. Old Sac is a pleasure, downtown offers a bit of everything, and the baseball is pure.

For Triple-A, this is about as big-league as it gets.

"I love it here," says Hiljus, who showed up Tuesday riding a mountain bike and sporting a mohawk that Peña later shaved off. He's wearing the standard BP uniform of the Cats -- mesh shorts, mesh top -- and tennis shoes that look like hand-me-downs from Jim Fox himself.

During BP he stands near the cage, catching for another River Cats pitcher who is hitting fungoes to infielders. Manager Bob Geren, who stretched along with his team to warm up, is on the mound laughing at something -- probably Santangelo.

"Don't get me wrong," says Hiljus. "I want to make it back to Oakland in a huge way. That's the top of the mountain. But look at this place. It's a pretty damn good alternative."

Mychael Urban covers the Oakland A's for MLB.com and can be reached at murban@oaklandathletics.com. This column was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.