Underground Cashman Field watering hole may be placed on waivers

An underground watering hole at Cashman Field is named for Las Vegas 51s general manager Chuck Johnson. (Ron Kantowski)

From l to r, New York Mets' David Wright, Las Vegas GM Chuck Johnson, Mets and former 51s bullpen catcher Eric Langill unwind at Club Chuck at Cashman Field. (Chuck Johnson)

Two endearing things about old ballparks are nooks and crannies that, like a good change-up, develop over time.

For many years, denizens of “Club Chuck” in the bowels of Cashman Field — i.e., next to 51s president Don Logan’s office — have debated if the semi-secret meeting place and watering hole is a nook or a cranny. It may be half-nook, half-cranny, according to the official scorer.

It began as a Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority conference room before evolving into a 9-by-14 feet speak-easy frequented by 51s staff, invited and noninvited guests, managers, ballplayers, celebrities, pseudo-celebrities, thrower of first pitches Andy Kaye and New York Mets third baseman David Wright, when he’s in town.

There are tables and bar stools and bobbleheads, and eclectic “furnishings” featuring 51s or Budweiser logos. On the wall are two 42-inch TVs for viewing sporting events; on tap are two kinds of beer: Bud Light and Blum Light. (Actually Michelob Ultra; the tap features a picture of Bob Blum, the 51s’ late and longtime revered assistant to the general manager.)

Club Chuck is named for Chuck Johnson, another 51s employee who has been around longer than Julio Franco and yellow-brown patches of outfield grass and is now GM. Before the overgrown broom closet had a sign designating it “Club Chuck,” that is what the cleaning staff called it.

It became official when Marty Linde, director of marketing for Nevada Beverage, had a sign made of neon and Budweiser that shines brightly on the wall, even when the 51s are getting hammered by the dreaded Fresno Grizzlies.

Club Chuck is sort of like “Cheers” — a place where everybody knows your name. Especially if your name is Wally Backman. The former Mets second baseman and popular 51s manager preferred to blow off steam from a tough loss, or even a 9-1 loss, with Dewar’s Scotch whisky instead of Bud Light or Blum Light. But his is the biggest picture on the wall: It shows Backman heaving his batting helmet after being ejected.

Alas, “Cheers” was closed after 11 seasons, and it appears Club Chuck may face the same fate after this one. All the nooks and crannies for Las Vegas Ballpark going up in Summerlin are spoken for. And there may even be an ordinance against it — you know how people from the upscale suburbs can be about complimentary Bud Light and Blum Light.

But that’s also what they said in Chicago during Prohibition.

Harlem shuffle

NCAA basketball eligibility rules changes enacted this past week are not expected to affect the Harlem Globetrotters draft.

The ’Trotters, who are playing at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center — one should watch out for the confetti in the water pail if one is sitting close to courtside — hold a “draft” every year, in which players possessing Globetrotters-type abilities are selected, as well as others who don’t possess these skills.

This year the Globies selected Lou Dunbar II of Oklahoma City University, son of former team showman Sweet Lou Dunbar, slam dunk champion Joseph Kilgore of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and point guard Lili Thompson of NCAA women’s champion Notre Dame.

They also drafted soccer star Paul Pogba of Manchester United and the World Cup-winning French national side after an Instagram video showed him sinking a jump shot over the 76ers’ Joel Embiid. And Thorn Bjornsson, the “World’s Strongest Man” as well as an actor on “Game of Thrones” — and, legend has it, once a former pro basketball player in Iceland.

Scooter Christensen, who played on Bishop Gorman’s 1997 state championship team and for Montana after that, is expected to lead the Globetrotters on Sunday. He’s probably not too concerned about losing his roster spot to the guy from Iceland.

Palming the bowls

The college football season opener is two weeks away, which means somebody already has put out bowl game predictions.

Jerry Palm, CBS’ prognosticator supreme, projects UNLV will play New Mexico State in the NOVA Arizona Bowl on Dec. 28. This is good news for the Rebels, if you discount the X number of tickets (with X usually a minimum of 10,000) it will be forced to sell for the privilege of squaring off against an independent juggernaut.

Palm’s football final four: Alabama vs. Oklahoma; Clemson vs. Ohio State. He also has Boise State of the Mountain West playing Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.