Las Vegas Aviators Ballpark To Host Mexican Winter League Teams For Two Games Next Month
By Alan Snel
LVSportsBiz.com
Two Mexican Winter League baseball teams are scheduled to play each other in a two-game “spring training” series at the Las Vegas Aviators ballpark owned by Howard Hughes Corporation in Downtown Summerlin in September. It’s being called the Mexican Baseball Fiesta.
The two teams are Los Naranjeros de Hermosillo and Aguilas de Mexicali of the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico and they will play Sept. 20 and 21, with each game starting at 7:05 p.m. Ticket sales start Wednesday at 10 a.m. Las Vegas Aviators season ticket holders can purchase tickets starting Tuesday. Fans can purchase at the Las Vegas Ballpark box office or through Ticketmaster. Individual game tickets are priced at $11 (general admission/berm); $17 (outfield box); $22 (infield box); $30 (home plate box) and $40 (club level).
“The Mexican Pacific League is as popular in Mexico as Major League Baseball is in the U.S., if not more so,” said Don Logan, president/chief operating officer of the Aviators.
The Águilas de Mexicali boasts past players including Fernando Valenzuela, John Kruk, Mike Piazza, and current Major League Baseball pitcher Jeff Samardzija. Los Naranjeros de Hermosillo has won the league 16 times with notable alums featuring Curt Schilling, Larry Walker and Vinny Castilla. The Pacific League of Mexico was founded in 1945 and plays from October through February. The champion of the league, also referred to as the Winter League of Mexico, plays in the Caribbean World Series.
The Tuesday’s announcement comes one day after news that the Aviators ballpark will also host a championship game Sept. 22, 2020 between the champs of the Pacific Coast league and the International League — the two Triple A baseball leagues. The Triple A World Series was held in Las Vegas at Cashman Field from 1998-2000.
The baseball park is also holding movie nights called Flicks on the Field, which started Aug. 8 with admission of $2.
WHEN: Schedule of films includes:
- Aug. 22 – The Sandlot
- Sept. 12 – Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
- Sept. 26 – The Goonies
- Oct. 3 – Ghostbusters (original version)
- Oct. 17 – Jurassic Park (original version)
- Nov. 14 – Pick-A-Flick holiday movie to be selected by the general public. Information and details forthcoming.
On Monday night, the Aviators rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Reno Aces, 6-5, with the team announcing attendance at 7,372. After 64 home dates, the Aviators have attendance of 592,953 — which averages out to 9,265 per game, tops in the minors. The team’s record is 74-52 with 14 games left. The Aviators are tied with El Paso for first place in the Pacific Coast League’s southern division.
*
Follow LVSportsBiz.com on Twitter and Instagram. Like LVSportsBiz.com on Facebook.
