A Ballyard in Sin City

Home plate entrance to Cashman Field, Jul-2008.

The seating bowl, which nowadays features a splash of color.

The view from the seats early in the game, with a few mountains barely visible.

• Location: Las Vegas Boulevard two blocks north of Bonanza Road, Las Vegas, Nev.
• Opened: 1983
• Home team: Las Vegas Stars (1983-2000), 51s (2001-present), Pacific Coast League
• Capacity: 9,334

Chronological Tour: Stop 71

Rating: 2 baseballs

“Surely,” I had written in the late 1990s, “the choice was based on the many activities that can be experienced in the city (let’s see: you can lose your shirt at a casino or a sports book ...)” I also acknowledged the near impossibility of a rainout.

At least on my return trip to the park, I got a better feeling from it. Oh, it has quirks. It has the deepest center field in the minors, at 433 feet, as center field comes to a near point rather than being tapered. This helps counteract the prevailing winds, which do blow straight out from home plate. It also has less foul territory in left field than in right field, as a picnic area has been added down the third-base line.

As someone at my 2008 game commented, “This is one of the few things in Las Vegas that doesn’t feel like, well, Las Vegas.” If you're looking for a good time and you’re tired of the casinos, this is certainly a good place to visit. Just be prepared to sit outside in the heat for three hours. Fortunately, the sun goes down quickly, and (repeat after me) it’s a dry heat.

I was advised at this game that the club is abandoning the 51s nickname at the end of 2008. The name was designed to evoke the legendary “Area 51” northwest of Las Vegas, and the club logos featured alien images and a typeface straight out of Star Trek. The team may revert to being the Stars, or they might become the Aces, depending on the result of an online poll.