Some matches are made in heaven. The one that led the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rookie pitcher Phil Bickford to sign with the College of Southern Nevada was consummated at a Coco’s Bakery restaurant in Victorville, California.
Coyotes coach Nick Garritano traveled to Ventura County with a letter of intent when a dangerous freeway north of Baker closed Interstate 15 on the final day of the signing phase.
“I called Phil’s mother, Barbara, and said we had a problem,” Garritano recalls. “Is there any way you can meet us in Barstow or Victorville? We get him to hand over a nice breakfast; we get back in the truck and pick up the letter of intent from the office at 4 p.m. You needed it at 5. “
The lanky right-handed man with the surfer dude hairstyle and mentality began his college career at Cal State Fullerton. But after dominating the Cape Cod Baseball League that summer, he moved to CSN to expedite his eligibility for the major league draft. In 86 innings for the Coyotes, Bickford beat 166.
He was selected in the first round with the San Francisco Giants’ 18th overall pick in 2015.
After making his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020, Bickford, 26, had a breakout season in 2021, appearing in 58 games for the Dodgers, hitting 59 thugs in 51⅓ innings with a 2.36 ERA.
“He had a great year and was outstanding in the playoffs,” said Garritano. “He was a great teammate, a great kid, loved having him, missed him to death – he’s one of those guys who you don’t know if you’re going to coach a kid with that kind of talent again.”
Rookie Phil Bickford scores 2 Ks as part of a 1-2-3 frame for the @Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/eQqdvP4acP
– MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 17, 2021
More F1 to LV rumors
With the global Formula One series racing in Texas this weekend and recently announcing a second U.S. race in Miami for 2022, another round of speculation has surfaced suggesting that Las Vegas will be next in line could be.
A local tourism official said she was unaware of any formal discussions. But after the NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last month couldn’t fill the local hotel rooms and last week in Texas was also poorly attended, the F1 stop on Sunday is at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin , Texas, sold out.
For the three-day weekend, more than 360,000 viewers from all over the world are expected with freely available dollars. So if local officials went to the luxury suites to enjoy free wine and cheese, this would explain it.
Around the horn
■ Shane Steichen, who once played quarterback for UNLV with his injured arm wrapped in an apparatus resembling a jai alai cesta, returns to Las Vegas on Sunday as the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, which meet the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
■ Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the death of former Detroit Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes – the only NFL player to die in a game. On October 24, 1971, the 28-year-old product from Texas-El Paso suffered a heart attack on the way back to the huddle against the Chicago Bears. I will never forget Dick Butkus, who desperately calls for help, and the grim faces on the sidelines.
In the more than 100-year history of the NFL, Lions WR Chuck Hughes remains the only NFL player to die during a game.
The 28-year-old made his last catch just before his last breath that Sunday 50 years ago.
Sporting News remembers that tragic day. https://t.co/lTIAxjdQee
– The Sporting News (@sportingnews) October 22, 2021
■ Approximately $ 5,700 in equipment, food and cash were stolen from the Little League equipment room and concession booth in Mountain Ridge Thursday. Anyone with information or interested in helping replace the retrieved material is asked to contact League President Jimmy Belanger at 702-204-8306 or jimmyb@mrll.org.
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A photo in the area last week showed former UNLV quarterbacks Steve Stallworth and Derek Stott and mentioned the former’s intention to start a club for ex-Rebels QBs.
On their way to Friday’s high school games, Stott’s nephew, Tyler, a senior at Desert Oasis, and Stallworth’s nephew, Richard, who plays for Yuma, Arizona Catholic, got 2,980 and 2,941 from Max Preps, respectively.
“And just like in UNLV history, a Stott is just ahead of a Stallworth,” Steve wrote in an email.
Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.
