Dodgers leave 51s holding the ball bag

By Ron Kantowski

Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008 | 6:16 p.m.

NOW:

He had just stepped off the airplane from Oklahoma City, where the Pacific Coast League was holding meetings, when Las Vegas 51s president Don Logan checked his voice mail.

There were two messages.

One was from a reporter.

One was from the Toronto Blue Jays.

No runs, no hits, one error -- the Dodgers were leaving Las Vegas.

It had become official, just as Logan predicted it would a couple of weeks ago. The Los Angeles Dodgers are moving their Triple-A affiliate back to Albuquerque, where they have nice batting cages and huge fan support.

But Logan says not to worry, there will be baseball at Cashman Field next year, because there are still two years left on the lease.

After that, who knows?

If they keep building modern triple-A baseball stadiums in other cities -- and Las Vegas doesn't -- we may lose the 51s, or whatever they are going to be called, faster than right fielders lose fly balls in the sun at Wrigley Field.

"I think this could be the impetus" of a new ballpark being built, Logan said.

Let's hope so. I like drinking dollar beers on Thursday night when I get off work and the 51s are playing Fresno.

The Dodgers-Las Vegas pairing was thought to be a match made in heaven, because the Dodgers are Las Vegas' favorite team.

But the Dodgers also are Albuquerque's favorite team. And several years ago, when the Dodgers moved their Triple-A team from there to here, Albuquerque built a beautiful new ball yard, to make sure it wouldn't happen again.

So now the 51s are left holding an empty ball bag.

"At the higher levels," Logan said of the Dodgers' front office, "they were adamant about the facilities. The facility here is sub-standard. In Albuquerque, they've got a beautiful new ballpark."

Logan said he'd get on the phone, starting the process of finding a new major league partner. There are four available: the Florida Marlins (who have been displaced by the Dodgers in Albuquerque), Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians and the Blue Jays.

"We'll try to talk to everybody tomorrow," Logan said.

THEN:

When I was a kid, I had no idea that Tacoma and Spokane were cities in Washington. I just thought they were some place ball players went when they couldn't throw a curveball very well. Or hit one.