UNLV has big dreams for this baseball season, and if this past weekend was any indication, the Rebels have the starting pitching to realize at least most of them.
Aviators
About 50 major league scouts showed up, and even Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper made an appearance. Erick Fedde made sure all 1,303 spectators — the scouts and Harper included — who came to Wilson Stadium on Friday had plenty to see.
UNLV baseball coach Tim Chambers seemed ready to leap off the bench at any moment, and he was fired up as he looked out on the field to see four players standing near home plate discussing hitting motion and other baseball-related matters.
The conversation between the head coach (Tim Chambers) and a Sacramento (Calif.) City College transfer (Pat Armstrong) went something like this:
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter says he will retire after this season, ending one of the greatest careers in the history of baseball’s most storied franchise.
UNLV’s baseball team was picked third in the Mountain West preseason poll behind New Mexico and San Diego State. Three Rebels were selected to the all-conference team — outfielder Joey Armstrong, designated hitter Patrick Armstrong and pitcher Erick Fedde.
You might not be able to get them on TV in Las Vegas, but the D-Backs show some love for their real hometown by donating $600,000 worth of uniforms to Phoenix-area Little Leagues.
Alex Rodriguez has withdrawn his lawsuits against Major League Baseball, Commissioner Bud Selig and the players’ association to overturn his season-long suspension, a sign the New York Yankees third baseman may be prepared to accept the penalty.
Some people wearing business attire and hardhats (and winter coats) put shovels in the ground the other day in Nashville, Tenn. This is a telltale sign the Nashville Sounds are getting a new triple-A ballpark.
Ralph Kiner, who slugged his way into the baseball Hall of Fame and enjoyed a half-century career as a popular broadcaster, died Thursday. He was 91. Kiner hit 369 home runs during his 10-year career, mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Tickets will go on sale at noon Monday for Big League Weekend at Cashman Field, a two-game spring training series on March 15 and 16 between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs. Tickets for the 1:05 p.m. games, priced at $35, $45 and $50, can be purchased at the Cashman Field box office and through Ticketmaster. The Mets are the major league affiliate of the 51s.
I wonder how Art Howe feels about this. That was one of the first things that popped into mind on Sunday when I read that Philip Seymour Hoffman was dead.
Just minutes after a narrow win against Valley on Tuesday, Canyon Springs girls basketball coach Dorothy Kendrick and star guard Cherise Beynon smiled and embraced before heading into the locker room.
No state championships will be decided when Bishop Gorman meets Findlay Prep in boys basketball today. But it’s not exactly an exhibition game, either.
When Greg Maddux is inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame on July 27, his plaque will reveal a cap without a logo. The former Valley High star said he didn’t want to slight the fans in Atlanta, where he played 11 seasons, or Chicago, where he played 10 years for the Cubs.