When the parent Los Angeles Angels promoted him from Double-A Arkansas to Triple-A Salt Lake early in the 2005 season, infielder Adam Pavkovich believed he soon would return to Little Rock.

Eventually, Pavkovich asked his father to fly to Arkansas and drive his car back home to Florida, because he was staying in Salt Lake.

He's still here.

Nobody comes to town intending to obliterate the franchise record for games played, making Pavkovich's Salt Lake career the ultimate mixed blessing. Without having spent a day in the major leagues, he's likely to end his stay in the Angels' organization in September after some 540 games with the Stingers/Bees, which constitutes part achievement, part sentence.

Informing Pavkovich of each longevity-assisted record he breaks, Bees broadcaster Steve Klauke tells him, "Congratulations, and I'm sorry."

Pavkovich is not sorry. "I'd love to be in the big leagues," the 27-year-old said, "but to have a career like I've had here ... when I get older, that'll definitely be something I can look back and smile about. There won't be any bitterness if I don't make it."

His perspective is striking in a Triple-A environment that's a breeding ground for unhappiness. "I've never seen him get down or anything," said teammate Matt Brown. "It's just weird. You'd think that he would say something, but he's just always positive."

During Pavkovich's five seasons in Salt Lake, the Angels have recalled Brown and 40 other players, most of them multiple times, while overlooking him. "It's tough in our organization, because we have a lot of good players," said Bees manager Bobby Mitchell.

So Pavkovich's chances of someday reaching the majors revolve around what happens after this season, when he becomes a free agent.

Growing up in the small town of Venice on the southwest coast of Florida, Pavkovich was an all-around athlete who became a star shortstop. Following his three years at Alabama, the Angels drafted him in the 11th round in 2003 and sent him to Provo, where he played for a month before being promoted to Class-A Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

He spent the '04 season at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and expected to return there the next year. Instead, the Angels assigned him to Arkansas. After only eight games, they moved him to Salt Lake. That's how he became a Bee for life.

The current franchise's record-keeping began only in 1994, but his tenure has to rank high in Salt Lake's 95-year pro baseball history. In April, Pavkovich topped Chris Latham on the Buzz/Stingers/Bees' games-played list. An outfielder, Latham also played 63 games with the parent Minnesota Twins, spotted among his 424 games in Salt Lake over four seasons.

Some combination of Pavkovich's professionalism, versatility and limitations -- he never made the Angels' 40-man roster, which facilitates promotions -- have kept him here.

"My time in Salt Lake's been unbelievable," he said. "I wouldn't trade it for anything, I really wouldn't."

He might switch salaries, though. The major-league minimum is $400,000 a year; many Triple-A players gladly would take 5 percent of that. Unable to afford a house, Pavkovich envies classmates who are established in their careers, and he intends to complete his degree in management at Alabama.

Yet as his father, Kim, said, "What's so wrong with playing baseball? He's doing what he loves doing, and that's all we can ask for as parents."

Kim Pavkovich, a lumber company executive, believes that serving as the Bees' go-to player for clinics and hospital visits has helped his son maintain his healthy outlook.

While playing mostly third base, second base and the outfield, Pavkovich has spent time at every position in five seasons, including catching and pitching one inning each. That mound appearance came in a 19-10 loss at Sacramento on June 4, five days after his game-winning grand slam in extra innings against Reno.

Of the two landmark events, he's more thrilled about the pitching experience, remembering being so eager to try a variety of pitches while warming up that the umpire finally told him to stop. Pavkovich gave up a home run, but retired the other three batters with one strikeout in an outing he counts among his "top handful of moments in professional baseball."

The rest of the year has been less memorable, coming after a 2008 season when he batted .280 with 22 homers. Pavkovich has struggled during a three-homer, .239 season. Mitchell still believes he should be attractive to a National League team with more use for a multi-position player.

Unlike former Salt Lake teammates who have become stars for the Angels, Pavkovich will never be honored with a giant poster framing the Spring Mobile Ballpark entrance.

Yet considering everything he has meant to the Bees, he deserves some recognition during the final month of the season. Bobblehead dolls would be nice, or perhaps trading cards showing Pavkovich in action -- pitching, preferably.

kkragthorpe@sltrib.com