WGN, NBC Sports Chicago & SportsTime Ohio to Televise BLW!

LAS VEGAS: The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and the Las Vegas 51^s professional baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, announced today that WGN & NBC Sports Chicago will televise the games, respectively on Saturday, March 17 at 4:05 p.m. and Sunday, March 18 at 1:05 p.m. at Cashman Field. The Indians will also televise both games on SportsTime Ohio.     
   
The Big League Weekend two-game Spring Training series will feature a rematch of the 2016 World Series at Cashman Field. The Cubs captured the World Series championship for the first time in 108 years (1908) in a thrilling seven-game series against the Indians.
Len Kasper (play-by-play) and Jim Deshaies (analyst) will call the action for both games from the Silver State. Deshaies played for 12 seasons in the Major Leagues with New York Yankees (1984), Houston (1985-91), San Diego (1992), Minnesota (1993, 1994), San Francisco (1993) and Philadelphia (1995). He was also a member of the Triple-A Las Vegas Stars in 1992.
Matt Underwood (play-by-play) and Rick Manning (analyst) and Andre Knott (reporter) will call the action for SportsTime Ohio. Manning was a first round pick (second overall) by Cleveland in the 1972 June draft. He spent his first 8 ½ years of his 13-year Major League career with the Indians (1975-83), where he won the Gold Glove in 1976. He also caught for the final out in Len Barker's 1981 perfect game. He played in a career 1,555 games with Cleveland and Milwaukee (1983-87).
In addition, WSCR The Score 670 AM Radio (Chicago) will broadcast Sunday's contest (March 18) from Las Vegas with Pat Hughes (play-by-play) and Ron Coomer (color analyst).
"We are excited that the Chicago Cubs will televise both games from Las Vegas on WGN & NBC Sports Chicago and the Indians on SportsTime Ohio," 51^s President/COO Don Logan said. "The television broadcast will provide tremendous exposure for Las Vegas and the opportunity for the LVCVA to advertise into a key tourism markets.
               
"These two games will also provide a great atmosphere in the ballpark for all of the Cubs and Indians fans, both locally and the tourists that will visit during this event."
The Cubs will be returning to Cashman Field for the 14th straight season and 17^th all-time appearance in Las Vegas for Big League Weekend (1993, 1994, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017).
The Cubs have recorded a total of 20 sellouts over the past 13 seasons (2005-17) for their annual Big League Weekend visits to Cashman Field.
 
In 2017, the Cubs total attendance for the Big League Weekend two-day event was 22,740. The Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 11-7, on March 25 before a sellout crowd of 11,455. The Cubs then defeated the Reds, 22-4, on Saturday, March 26 before another sellout crowd of 11,285.
The Cleveland Indians will make their second all-time appearance in Las Vegas for Big League Weekend. Cleveland defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 13-7, on March 29, 1998 before a sellout crowd of 12,974 at Cashman Field.    
         
The 51^s, under manager Tony DeFrancesco, will open their 36^th season in the Silver State on Thursday, April 5 against the El Paso Chihuahuas, Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, at Cashman Field at 7:05 p.m.
2018 season tickets and mini-plan packages (11, 22, 35-game plans) are available by calling the 51^s office at (702) 943-7200. Individual game tickets for the 70-game home schedule are on sale now at the SCE Federal Credit Union Box Office at Cashman Field. The box office is open Monday-Friday from Noon to 4:30 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster (1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com).
Official licensed 51^s team merchandise is available on the "Team Shop" section of the website.