Letter: Las Vegas has too many obstacles for baseball team

Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004 | 9:07 a.m.

Mayor Oscar Goodman is again yodeling about the potential for a Major League Baseball team to come to Las Vegas. Why do we need this, and where will the stadium be built are major questions I have about the whole affair.

We have heard the mayor's same discourse for years now and yet this town continues to prove that it will not support even high-quality Triple-A baseball. Major sports that have attempted permanent residence in Vegas have fallen by the wayside. Even UNLV has difficulty finding adequate support for college football and basketball, despite games with national opponents. The few college bowl games played in Vegas have proven to be less than financial successes and rated poorly in the ability to sustain large local fan interest.

The idea of a future baseball stadium in the downtown area is unrealistic because traffic congestion existing at the Spaghetti Bowl is horrendous beyond description. To place the stadium in an area near the Strip is a laughable and silly idea in light of the fact that traffic moves on the Strip at a snail's pace 24/7. Traffic congestion on Interstate 15 behind the hotels becomes a slow-moving parking lot daily between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and is even worse on holidays or during the NASCAR and NFR events. One can only imagine the nightmare of a baseball park in the area.

I say "bah, humbug" to the whole idea!

VIRGIL A. SESTINI