Growing up in Las Vegas, Kris Bryant was in awe of the players he saw at Cashman Field on Big League Weekend.
Aviators
Thursday was the opening day of the high school baseball season, but Foothill senior right-hander Nick Cardinale looked to be in midseason form. Except for endurance.
Faith Lutheran right-hander Brandon Johnson just smiled and shook his head after teammate Erich Uelmen said he threw harder than Johnson.
Individual game tickets for the 51s’ 72-game home schedule are on sale at the Cashman Field box office, which is open from noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets, which range from $10 to $15, also can be purchased through Ticketmaster (1-800-745-3000; ticketmaster.com).
Former Bonanza High and University of San Diego slugger, who specializes in long home runs, will be in uniform for the Chicago Cubs against the New York Mets in annual preseason games.
Growing up in Carson City, first-year Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams didn’t spend time focusing on any major league heroes. He didn’t even watch a lot of the Saturday games on network TV.
Despite having a no facial hair policy, UNLV baseball is embracing the lip rug as a show of team unity during a successful season.
Standing at first base, Chris Rahl realized he was probably destined to become the answer to a trivia question.
George Thorogood is a huge baseball fan. He used to play semipro ball. This is why the official logo of his rockin’ blues band looks like the front of a baseball jersey.
Los Angeles Dodgers fans in Southern Nevada will be left truly blue this season unless local pay-TV distributors agree to carry Time Warner Cable’s SportsNet LA channel — the Dodgers’ exclusive new 24/7 TV home.
Bryce Harper’s T-shirt wants you to know Harper is PED free.
Two men pleaded guilty Thursday to a 2011 beating at Dodger Stadium that left San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow brain damaged and disabled. They were immediately sentenced by an angry judge who called them cowards and the sort of people that sports fans fear when go to games.
Last week’s column on Bob St. Clair and the undefeated 1951 University of San Francisco football team — “The Best Team You Never Heard Of” according to the ESPN documentary showing this month — generated a lot of email and phone calls from readers who remembered St. Clair or that Dons team. Or had a father who did.
THe 51s opening day starter is Noah Syndergaard. He’s this year’s Zack Wheeler. He probably won’t be in Las Vegas long, so catch him while you can.
Rebels right-hander Erick Fedde was named the Mountain West pitcher of the week, after setting the tone for the Rebels’ four-game sweep of Central Michigan over the weekend.