Columnist Ron Kantowski: Reminiscing with Dallimore always fun

Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2003 | 10:36 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's insider notes column appears Tuesday and his Page One column appears Thursday. He can be reached at ron@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4088.

The only negative about returning to Las Vegas to coach in the annual UNLV alumni baseball game was that former Rebels coach Fred Dallimore couldn't find his number among the borrowed jerseys hanging in the visitors' dugout.

Of course, there's a good reason for it -- it was hanging on the outfield wall.

Dallimore, who told it like it was from his shaded corner in the third-base dugout for some 23 seasons (1974-96), and Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Matt Williams (one of his former stalwarts) are the only baseball Rebels to have had their jerseys retired.

Williams' No. 15 hangs from the fence in left-center field at Wilson Stadium. Dallimore's lucky No. 13 adorns the wind screen in the right-center power alley.

It was the second year Dallimore was invited back to coach the guys with the snug jerseys and tight hamstrings, courtesy of current UNLV coach Jim Schlossnagle.

The current Rebels beat the old ones 13-2 Saturday afternoon, but the biggest highlight for many was sharing a yarn or two with Dallimore around the batting cage.

Now 58, gruff-but-lovable Fred, as some in the local media lovingly referred to him, has recovered nicely from one knee surgery but will soon have the other one operated on. So he's walking with a bit of a limp, although he can still handle a fungo bat with the best of 'em.

Other than following the career of his son, Brian, who recently signed a Triple-A contract with the Giants, Dallimore is out of baseball now. His full-time pastimes are hunting, fishing and golf, and if you don't mind sinking a Titleist or two, he can almost do all three from the deck of his new home on the Truckee River near Reno.

Dallimore won 794 games during his UNLV reign and sent 25 players to the big leagues. But his biggest legacy is picturesque Wilson Stadium. It may not be the House That Fred Built, but it certainly is the one that he arranged financing for.

"Everything we got, we got on our own," Dallimore said, once again telling it like it is.

In fact, Saturday might have been the first time I ever left the UNLV diamond without once seeing Fred on his trusty riding mower, manicuring the place.

"But I got out here at 9 o'clock (for a noon start), just in case they needed someone," he said.

The most recognizable face wearing the Old School colors at Saturday's UNLV baseball alumni game was T.J. Mathews, the veteran major league relief pitcher, who is trying to catch at least one more spring training invitation before he calls it quits. ... Jim Gemma, who has served as the Las Vegas Stars/51s official scorer for 18 of the past 20 seasons, has been awarded an extra base -- he has been named the 51s' media relations director. ... Ma Gian, the 6-foot-7 former Utah Ute and current star of the Chinese National basketball team now that Yao Ming is rejecting NBA jump shots, has an American wife, two little sons and makes his home in Henderson. ... And finally, is it just me, or does that Cubs fan who appears in an ESPN spot extolling the virtue of sport look like Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's stunt double?