Gorman aims to be 'home' for series

When Bishop Gorman heads to Las Cruces, N.M., for next week's American Legion Western Regional Tournament, the Gaels won't have just their families and friends rooting for them.

The organizers of the American Legion World Series, which will be held at Cashman Field Aug. 21-25, also will be keeping a close eye on Gorman's run through regionals.

That's because unlike the nation's eight regional tournments, the Legion World Series does not guarantee a spot to an entry from the host state.

Co-organizers Frank Brusa and Art Besser acknowledge that a local representative would translate to a huge attendance boost for Las Vegas' first World Series.

"From my standpoint, if we could get a local team out of Region 8, it would be like dying and going to heaven," Brusa said. "I know we'd have much better crowds."

Besser added: "I think if Gorman comes through, that will help our attendance immensely. There will be more excitement locally."

According to Brusa, American Legion provided an automatic Series berth for one local squad per event back in the 1950s. But over the years, the organization changed its approach to the eight-team tournament.

"They decided they wanted to make it all on a qualifying basis," Brusa said.

To qualify for the Series, Gorman will need to emerge from a perennially tough, eight-team field that will include state winners from Southern California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Hawaii, along with the local entry from Las Cruces.

Although Gaels coach Tim Chambers is keeping his charges focused on next Thursday's opening game against West Oahu (Hawaii), he said having the World Series in town has provided extra motivation.

"If we can make it back up, I would think it would even double the attendance," Chambers said.

Still, Series officials expect a solid turnout for the five-day event with or without a Southern Nevada team. Early ticket sales, according to the organizers, suggest as many as 15,000 fans turn out for the 15-game tournament.

"I think there's a hard-core group of baseball fans in this town," Besser said. "It's the same group that comes to see the Stars every game, and they'll probably be here to see this."

"You'd like to have you Gorman supporters there. But for the diehards I don't think it matters," Brusa said.

* NOTES: Former major leaguer Steve Garvey, who played American Legion baseball in Tampa, Fla., in the 1960s, will be the guest speaker at the World Series banquet Aug. 20 at the MGM Grand. "It was a pretty good hotbed of talent," said Garvey, whose team qualified for the regionals once. "And at that time, the most important thing was that it was so well organized." ... Tickets for the American Legion World Series can be obtained by calling 798-6653.

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