Big League Weekend to feature Cubs, A’s

The Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics will play two split-squad exhibition games March 13 and 14 at Cashman Field on Las Vegas’ 25th annual Big League Weekend.

Fans only can hope new Cubs manager Joe Maddon makes the 300-mile trek to Las Vegas from Mesa, Ariz., in the “Cousin Eddie,” his 43-foot Winnebago named after Randy Quaid’s character in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

The colorful Maddon, who agreed to a $25 million, five-year contract with Chicago on Nov. 3, said he interviewed for the job with team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer “behind the Cousin Eddie” at an RV park near Pensacola, Fla., where he and his wife, Jaye, were on a cross-country trip.

Maddon, who ended his introductory news conference at The Cubby Bear bar near Wrigley Field by offering to buy everyone a shot and a beer — which he said was “the Hazleton way,” a reference to his hometown in Pennsylvania — will try to steer the Cubs to their first playoff berth since 2008.

Chicago, which will make its 11th straight appearance in Las Vegas, features several promising young players — including No. 2 prospect Kris Bryant, a former Bonanza High School standout who last season led the minor leagues in home runs with 43 and had a total of 110 RBIs for Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa.

Bryant, expected to play for the Cubs at Cashman for the second straight year, hit a towering, walk-off two-run homer in the 12th inning last season to lift Iowa to a 6-5 win over the 51s. Las Vegas manager Wally Backman was blown away by his power.

“Wally called me right after he watched Bryant take batting practice. He hadn’t even played against him yet in Iowa,” 51s president Don Logan said. “He said, ‘This Bryant kid is a once-in-a-decade type talent.’ ”

Besides Bryant, a third baseman who will turn 23 in January and is expected to make his big league debut this season, Chicago features top prospect Javier Baez and National League All-Stars Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro.

“The Cubs have been rebuilding, but their young guys are hitting the big leagues now. They have some good, young pieces,” Logan said. “They’ve just got to add some pitching. Everybody feels they’re going to be a factor.”

The A’s long have been a factor, winning 278 games in the past three seasons with three playoff appearances. Oakland — which lost last season’s American League wild-card playoff game, 9-8 in 12 innings, to the Kansas City Royals — has advanced to the postseason eight times since 2000, the last time it played in Las Vegas.

The A’s, who will make their fifth Big League Weekend appearance, also played the first six games of the 1996 regular season at Cashman due to delays on the renovation of Oakland Coliseum.

“We haven’t had the A’s here in a while — not since Brad Pitt played Billy Beane in ‘Moneyball,’ ” Logan said of the Oakland general manager. “Back in the day, the A’s were here all the time.”

Last year’s Big League Weekend featured the Cubs and New York Mets, parent club of the 51s, whose spring training home is in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

“It’s just tough bringing them in across the country like that,” Logan said. “They were willing to come, but when we talked to the A’s, they wanted to. We like to bring different teams. Nobody here has seen this current version of the A’s.

“Billy does a heck of a job.”

Logan said he has known Beane for 25 years and considers him a good friend, so naturally he has given him grief about being portrayed by Pitt.

“I saw him a couple years ago at the winter meetings. We all gave him a bad time,” Logan said. “It’s fun. (‘Moneyball’) was great for baseball, not just for Billy.”

Oakland features AL All-Stars Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, Sean Doolittle, Derek Norris and Scott Kazmir, along with former Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

Game times are to be announced. Ticket packages can be purchased at 702-798-7825.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.