Maddux Brothers-Las Vegas Chapter meeting recap – 8/22/2015
On August 22, 2015, six members of the Maddux Brothers-Las Vegas Chapter met at Cashman Field, home of the Las Vegas 51’s to enjoy the game between the Omaha Storm Chasers and the Las Vegas 51’s. Our group was welcomed to the park by the team’s President/COO, Don Logan, who had talked at our SABR Day event.
We were taken by part-owner and Chapter member Chris Kaempfer on the field to watch batting practice. We had the opportunity to talk with 51’s manager Wally Backman as he relaxed in the home dugout before the start of the game. He talked about how he used sabermetrics to manage.
We were treated to a ballpark meal and a talk with the team’s GM, Chuck Johnson, about his job. Johnson then gave us a tour of the press box. We then sat back and enjoyed the game, a 9-5 victory for the home team. What do they say, watch a game of baseball and you may see something you never saw before. All the members agreed with this when in the sixth inning Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a two-run triple and then stole home when the pitcher’s throw to second base to challenge that the runner missed the base. All the members agreed that it was a great night of baseball.
— Rick Swift