A chapter in Las Vegas baseball history closed on Monday, when the Las Vegas 51s (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) played their final game at Cashman Field.
The 51s are about to begin their transition to Las Vegas Ballpark, a new facility that will open in Downtown Summerlin in 2019. The new ballpark’s development comes after the 51s spent years seeking a replacement for Cashman Field, a facility that has had a unique run since opening in 1983, but had become out-of-date by modern Triple-A ballpark standards.
The 51s played their final game there on Monday, defeating the Sacramento River Cats by a final of 4-3 in a walk-off win. Beyond the game itself, Monday’s finale at Cashman Field gave 51s front office members and fans an opportunity to reflect on the ballpark’s impact on the franchise and Las Vegas sports a whole. More from Fox 5:
The season finale marked the 2,579th home game at Cashman Field and Monday saw the organization reach the 12 million fan threshold over 36 years.
“What we’ve done in this community is unprecedented,” said 51s President Don Logan. “It will never be replicated as great as the Knights are doing and the Raiders are coming, we’re it, we started this whole thing, what we’ve done to entertain people and be part of the community, those are the things that mean the most to me.”…
“It’s kind of sad that it’s going, there is lots of memories that are going to be lost,” said 51s fan, Emily Ebres.
The 2019 season will be a busy one when it comes to new ballpark openings, but the situation in Las Vegas is fairly unique. The 51s are also preparing to rebrand ahead of next season, and are slated to enter into a new affiliation in the coming weeks. The New York Mets have served as the 51s’ parent club since 2013, but their purchase of the Syracuse Chiefs (International League) will trigger a shift of their Class AAA operations for next season and beyond. With a new ballpark on the way, Las Vegas figures to be one of the more intriguing options for an affiliation at the Class AAA level. We will be tracking affiliation news on our Affiliate Dance page.
As for Cashman Field, it will remain open as an active venue for professional soccer. The Division II USL’s Las Vegas Lights FC are in the midst of a successful inaugural season at Cashman Field, and owner Brett Lashbrook seems fully committed to keeping the team in the facility.
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