51s Notebook: Spoonhour does radio stint

Nick Christensen

Wednesday, April 28, 2004 | 9:05 a.m.

No need to adjust your dial -- that was Charlie Spoonhour on the 51s radio broadcast Tuesday.

Spoonhour, who resigned as the UNLV men's basketball coach in February, is an avid baseball fan abd will provide color commentary on several televised Las Vegas 51s games this year. He made a trial run on Tuesday's radio broadcast with veteran play-by-play man Bob Blum.

Largely silent since the media since his resignation -- his only interview was granted to the Sun in March -- Spoonhour will broadcast his first television game May 8 at Sacramento. Russ Langer will handle play-by-play on television for that game, which will air on cable channel 96,

"I enjoy it. I enjoy the games. I'm a fan, and the things I see are the same as any other fan sees. I found out from some great minds -- Whitey Herzog and (Joe) Torre. My ideas are pretty elementary, but it doesn't keep you from enjoying the games," he said. "It's not something I've done that much of. I'm a rookie. Only three innings in tonight."

Spoonhour has extensive radio experience, but mostly talking about basketball, even when visiting the late Jack Buck, former broadcaster of Spoonhour's beloved St. Louis Cardinals.

Shortly after resigning as head coach of the Rebels in February, Spoonhour spent a week at the Cardinals' training camp in Jupiter, Fla., and has been to Milwaukee Brewers games this season.

He said he's gotten plenty of opportunities this year to watch more 51s games than he has in past seasons.

"This for me is good recreation. I can go to games with my wife or Jay and enjoy it, and that's fine, or I can go by myself and enjoy them," Spoonhour said.

Less handsome was when the 51s opened up offensively in the third inning, after a baserunning error by Shane Victorino. Victorino hit the ball into left-center, giving Jose Flores ample time to run to third. But Victorino kept on running past first, and Sacramento left fielder Matt Watson caught Victorino in a pickle between first and second. He tagged Victorino out, but not before Flores used the diversion to run home.

Afterward, Chin-Feng Chen hit a sky-high fly ball straddling the third base line with two outs in the inning. Nick Theodorou, who was at first, began to run out the play, and following Murphy's Law, Sacramento third-baseman Mike Edwards failed to catch the pop-up. Theodorou scored, but Chen, inexplicably, was still at first base when the play ended.

"These are things that don't take talent," 51s manager Terry Kennedy said of Chen's not getting to at least second on the pop-up. "You run hard out of the box, and when a ball is popped up, you try to run for second. It's one of my pet peeves."