Las Vegas managers linked in Cubs lore

If it wasn't for that Steve Bartman guy, Oct. 7, 1984, is the date that would live in infamy for Chicago Cubs fans, instead of Oct. 14, 2003.

That was the afternoon Leon Durham let a routine grounder go between his legs, enabling the San Diego Padres to score the tying run en route to a 6-3 victory over the Cubs in the fifth and deciding game of the National League Championship Series.

Three men who have managed the Las Vegas Triple-A franchise remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when Durham misplayed that ball.

Tim Flannery, who managed the Las Vegas Stars in 1995 (purple and teal uniforms), was the guy who hit it.

Larry Bowa, who managed the Stars in 1986 (brown and orange uniforms), was the Cubs' shortstop.

Dan Rohn, who is managing the 51s this year (blue and white uniforms), was in the visitors' dugout spitting sunflower seeds or tobacco juice.

"I was standing on the rail saying, 'What the heck is going on?' " said Rohn, a backup infielder on the 1984 Cubs. "Stuff happens."

Nineteen years later, that Bartman guy reached over the rail in left field for a foul ball off the bat of Florida's Luis Castillo, preventing Moises Alou, the Cubs' left fielder, from catching it. Leading 3-0 and five outs from their first World Series since 1945, the Cubs would allow eight runs in the eighth inning.

Stuff happens.

That's exactly what I was thinking two batters later, when Alex Gonzalez booted a routine double-play ball that would have gotten Bartman out of the inning.

THREE UP

■ SAVED BY ZEROES: Shutouts at Cashman Field are thought to be as rare as Albert Pujols laying down a sacrifice bunt. But when Brad Mills and three relievers blanked Salt Lake on Thursday on Opening Day, it was just a continuation of a trend that began last year when 51s pitchers recorded a franchise-record 11 shutouts. Pujols, by the way, has one career sacrifice bunt. It came during his rookie season in 2001. It was probably a brilliant move by Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.

■ HA-LO, WE SHOULD GO: Looking for a good reason to become a Los Angeles/California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim fan? Even though it won another American League West title last season, the team never quite sure what to call itself slashed ticket prices to a major league low average of $18.93. If you're looking for another reason to become an Angels fan, check out the Rally Monkey.

■ END OF THE INNOCENCE: Butler coming within inches of winning the NCAA men's basketball championship as a No. 5 seed is destined to be one of the feel-good sports stories of the year. But if Butler's coach didn't look like a boy scout and its best player didn't have rosy, red cheeks, we'd mostly hate the Bulldogs for having busted our brackets.

THREE DOWN

■ TICKET TO RESIGN: Being an associate athletic director seems like a good job, except when it comes to taking the fall and/or keeping your mouth shut when there's a ticket scam or other breach of fundraising at a major college basketball powerhouse such as Kansas. Then it's not such a good job.

■ CAN BIDEN THROW STRIKES? President Obama showed CBS basketball analyst Clark Kellogg a nice shooting stroke beyond the arc when they played P-O-T-U-S (a chief executive version of H-O-R-S-E) at the White House outdoor basketball court before the Final Four. But the ceremonial first pitch he threw out at the Nationals' game on Opening Day looked like an intentional walk thrown with eephus pitches.

■ GEEZERS' PALACE: I received an e-mail from James J. Braddock, the old heavyweight boxer, the other day. The Cinderella Man said although has been dead for 36 years, he wanted to fight the Evander Holyfield-Frans Botha winner.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ron Kantowski can be reached at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352.