What kind of baseball town are we? Ignorable, it seems
For some fair-weather fans, it’s become the great summer pastime — finding fault with Cashman Field, home of the Las Vegas 51s.
For his part, 51s President Don Logan balances the conflicting interests of promoting the high caliber of baseball played on the field, while working to replace the clean but comparatively ancient Cashman Field setting with a planned stadium in Summerlin.
“From a stadium perspective, Cashman was the belle of the ball back in 1983,” Logan says. “But like a lot of us, its better days are behind it.”
Cashman is among the oldest ballparks in the minor leagues, but just how bad is Las Vegas as a baseball town?
According to the folks at WalletHub.com, St. Louis is No. 1, and it’s not just because the Cardinals are among the sport’s great franchises. There are plenty of sports bars in St. Louis, and that was one of criteria used in the calculation. For the record, Providence, R.I., was dead last at No. 272. Reno was No. 154. Where is Las Vegas? That’s hard to say. For some reason, the survey outfit listed “Paradise, NV” at No. 210. (Hey, thanks for spelling the name right.)
Guessing the 51s will leave
Chefs put personality into eateries
that out of the game program. The team’s next home stand starts Saturday night against El Paso.
My old pal Mel Exber, longtime owner of the baseball-themed Las Vegas Club casino on Fremont Street, would sell his season tickets from the Great Beyond at the news that we continue to fall in the ranks of the best places to count hits, runs and errors. Mel was a running mate of Dodgers great Maury Wills and a friend of sports bettors great and small.
Logan has seen the WalletHub poll and doesn’t think much of it. Not only does it miss the level of baseball the 51s put out, but it completely whiffs on the quality of player development going on in a community that can boast that its brightest prospects — Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo — are making big headlines in the big leagues.
“It’s a good baseball town,” Logan says. “Per capita, it’s one of the best baseball towns in America.”
SENOR GRAY: Call him Senor Gray. The recent life celebration at the World Market Center for longtime Democratic Party political consultant and all-around bon vivant Gary Gray was just what he would have wanted: good food, drinks, music and friends all around celebrating his well-traveled life. U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., lauded Gray’s political acumen and remarkably varied skills.
Those in attendance made cash and canned donations to Three Square food bank. Gray served on the board of Gray Plunkett Jydstrup Senior Living services.
A travel photo collage of Gray and wife Chris Giunchigliani in familiar and exotic lands surely reminded the hundreds in attendance to treat every day as an adventure and a gift.
THE DISH: Here are two wonderful locals favorites that I, as usual, only recently discovered: Chocolate & Spice Bakery at 7293 W. Sahara Ave. and Bernard’s Bistro at 2021 W. Sunset Road in Henderson.
Both share something in common — very active chef/owners. The bakery reflects Megan Romano’s style and taste. The bistro mirrors Bernard Tordjman’s attention to detail and love of food.
Jackie Boor’s “Logan: The Honorable Life and Scandalous Death of a Western Lawman” had just been honored by the Midwest Independent Publishing Association. … Former Metro cops Randy Sutton and Tom Keller have just published their latest books. … UNLV history professor Michael Green signed copies of his new Nevada history Thursday night at Writers Block on Fremont Street.
ON THE BOULEVARD: Conservatives who received a lot more than they bargained for from Gov. Brian Sandoval and the 2015 Legislature are already talking of a petition drive and envisioning a rollback of the new commerce tax. Sounds like the sour grapes are fermenting. … Hey, what happened to that investigation of conservative political operative Tony Dane? Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. Find him on Twitter: @jlnevadasmith