The Elevator: Big League Weekend edition

Leila Navidi

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen greets Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority showgirls Tala McDonnough, left, and Jennifer Gagliano before the White Sox vs. Cubs exhibition game at Cashman Field in Las Vegas Wednesday.

By Ron Kantowski (contact)

Saturday, March 7, 2009 | 2 a.m.

GOING UP

Friendly skies: The White Sox and the Cubs, perceived as hated rivals, traveled on the same charter airplane to Las Vegas, which could never happen during the regular season — unless, perhaps, Sox catcher and chief instigator A.J. Pierzynski were on the 15-day disabled list. “Some of us were saying we hope there’s not a bench-clearer on the last day and then we have to go home on the same plane,” said Cubs center fielder Reed Johnson, who makes his home in Green Valley.

22,633: That was the paid attendance for the two games, both sellouts, proving once again that Las Vegas is a Cubs town and sort of a White Sox town, too. John Danks, who started Wednesday night’s game for the Sox, called the atmosphere “amazing” and couldn’t believe that many baseball fans from Chicago had made the trip out. Actually, most of the fans with whom I talked only used to live in Chicago and had made the trip out from Summerlin, Henderson and Boulder City. But unlike Danks, why nibble at corners?

Ozzie being Ozzie: “If Ozzie hit five home runs in one season here, you know how easy it is to hit in this ballpark,” said colorful White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who hit five home runs during his lone season with the Las Vegas Stars in 1984 — all of them, we assume, in the first person instead of the third.

Mike Fontenot: The Cubs infielder was the only almost household name from either side to play almost every inning of the two games featuring split squads. He had four hits in eight at-bats including a triple and is surely a lock for the All-Big League Weekend team, if there were such a thing.

GOING DOWN

6-inch fastballs: The great Warren Spahn once said of a long home run he gave up that for the first 60 feet, it was a helluva pitch. Well, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman took care of the final six inches when he attempted to throw out the first pitch before Wednesday night’s game. Instead of throwing out the first pitch, it was as if hizzoner dropped it out.

No. 91: The White Sox put a guy into the game in right field Thursday afternoon who apparently was so far down on the depth chart that he was identified over the public address system only as “No. 91.” Maybe he’s the mysterious “player to be named later.”