51s promise a whole new look for fans

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, April 4, 2001 | 10:46 a.m.

Attending a Las Vegas 51s game should be a markedly different experience for baseball fans this season.

And that's just the way team officials want it.

A party zone along the leftfield line with a pool expected to be done by Thursday's opener, two new mascots and a three-row section of seats about 40 feet behind home plate (on the field) are some of the improvements that have been made in hopes of luring more fans to Cashman Field.

"The ballpark is going to look different," 51s president and general manager Don Logan said. "That's something everybody is going to notice.

"I think that speaks to the desire we have to do things differently. We've changed the color scheme before in the past and made other changes, but we've never really made it an organization-wide commitment like we have now."

The commitment to change seems to be a result of the team's new affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers and its desire to cram Cashman Field with as many Dodger fans as possible. Previously, the team (formerly called the Stars) was the triple-A club of the San Diego Padres.

"(51s owner) Mandalay Sports Entertainment has spent a lot more money than they have before," Logan said. "This is a company that is motivated to do things better and to not let a few dollars get in the way.

"The entertainment components when people go to the games are going to be dramtically different simply because of the amount of resourcses we've invested. The fans are going to be the beneficiaries of a lot more emphasis placed on entertainment aside from baseball."

One of the two as-yet-unnamed mascots that will play off the alien theme of the team's new nickname -- inspired by the storied area northwest of Las Vegas called Area 51 where secret government testing supposedly takes place -- will be on the field to dance around and perform in skits while the other mascot will patrol the stands and handle most of the fan interaction.

In addition, the team has brought back the Famous Chicken to entertain fans for a game, and it has added more fireworks nights.

Another popular mascot, the Phillie Phanatic, will make two appearances at Cashman Field, as will the Zooper Stars, a cast of inflatable characters modeled after some of baseball's most recognizable figures.

"We've basically completely put Las Vegas Stars in the past," 51s public relations director Chuck Johnson said. "Even though technically we're the same organization, our philosophy is to do everything new.

"If there ever was a stigma attached to Stars baseball, this is a way we want to eliminate it. We want to provide a large amount of entertainment in and around the ballgame so regardless of the final score, people will walk away and have had a good time."

On the field, fans will undoubtedly notice the team's new uniforms.

Although 51s officials considered calling the team the Dodgers so fans would readily identify with the parent club, they voted against it.

"We still look like the Dodgers," Logan said. "From a color standpoint, (it's) Dodger blue.

"The uniforms are clean and crisp. The look is similar with the script writing. It doesn't say Dodgers because we're not the Dodgers.

"The key thing is we felt it was important to keep your own identity."

But Dodger fans can take heart.

The concession stands at Cashman Field will now offer "Dodger Dogs."