Fingers, MLB legends to tell tales during charity golf event

Rollie Fingers saved a ton of games during his Hall of Fame baseball career. But when it comes to athletic endeavors these days, about the only thing Fingers is saving is par on the golf course.

And that’s just fine with the 76-year-old Fingers, who is hoping to meet as many local golfers as possible on Nov. 7 at Revere Golf Club in Henderson, where Fingers and a bunch of his friends will be playing in a Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association charity golf tournament.

Fingers will be joined by Amos Otis, Jose Canseco, Aaron Roward, Shane Victorino, Trenidad Hubbard, Mike Gallo, Chad Hermansen, Chasen Shreve and many other past and current MLB stars. They’ll play 18 holes with participants, take part in meet-and-greets, tell stories and raise funds for two charities: Youth Futures International and The Shade Tree. The players will also take part in a free youth baseball clinic the day before from 1 to 4 p.m. at UNLV’s Earl Wilson Stadium.

For Fingers, events like this allow him to reconnect with peers he hasn’t seen in a while and relive his career through the eyes of fans during the round.

“I don’t think any of the players mind going back and jumping into history and telling stories about what they’ve accomplished or did in certain ballgames,” Fingers said. “It’s kind of fun.”

Fingers is big on the charity aspect of these tournaments. He says anyone who plays will know they are doing good for the community.

“If you come out you’re going to be helping some kids and young women get their lives back together from the bad stuff that they’ve gone through, and you’re going to get a chance to play some golf with some baseball players,” he said. “Helping the kids, that’s what we’re going to be out there for.”

Proceeds benefit YFI and its mission to eliminate the barriers to success for all youth through education, sports and the arts. The Shade Tree is a Las Vegas shelter for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.

Helping a Las Vegas charity is important to Fingers, who has called the area home for more than 20 years. He lives in a small home overlooking the golf course at Lake Las Vegas, where he plays golf and enjoys retirement. A scratch golfer at one point, Fingers is now about a 10 handicap who has shot his age on several occasions.

He also serves as a special assistant to the Oakland Athletics and makes appearances for the team a few times a year. Fingers has a keen interest in whether his former team might soon make Las Vegas its new home.

Fingers has no insight into a possible move by the A’s, but he thinks Las Vegas would be a great location for baseball. Much like the Golden Knights and Raiders, Las Vegas is a destination city for fans of the opposing team, he said.

“If you put a baseball team here, you’re going to have 81 games, and if you have 81 games you’re going to have 81 teams that are going to be in town for a three-game series or four-game series, and I believe that’s what Major League Baseball is looking at and maybe wanting the Oakland A’s to move here,” he said.

He believes landing the A’s would be great for Las Vegas and could have a similar effect as the arrival of the Golden Knights.

“I think they would probably draw very well,” he said. “When the hockey team came, the place went bonkers.”

Anyone interested in meeting Fingers and the other baseball stars and playing in the tournament can register at www.experienceyfi.org/vegas-golf. Cost is $250 per person, or $350 to guarantee one of the baseball stars in the foursome.

Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. Reach him at grobertson@reviewjournal.com.