LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As Las Vegas prepares to welcome Major League Baseball with the A’s relocation, one of the franchise’s legends says the city’s baseball future is already taking shape.
In a one-on-one interview with Channel 13’s Taylor Rocha, former World Series MVP Dave Stewart praised Summerlin South’s Little League team for capturing the U.S. championship at the Little League World Series and inspiring young players across Nevada.
VIDEO: Taylor Rocha talks to former World Series champion about the future of baseball in Las Vegas
“Anytime you can get homegrown in the championship round representing the whole United States, I think it's an absolutely outstanding thing,” Stewart said.
For Stewart, who grew up in the Bay Area and became a four-time World Series champion, the story felt personal. He said watching A’s games as a kid shaped his love for the sport — and he sees the same potential now in Las Vegas.
“I can honestly say that if I did not have the opportunity to go to Oakland A’s games in 1968 from day one, I’m not sure how big of a baseball fan I would have been, or for that matter, if I would have even pursued the game,” Stewart said. “I think it’s outstanding when you can get a youngster, get them involved in a game. Get them to love the game and eventually become Major League players.”
As a longtime player and front-office executive, Stewart knows the challenges young athletes face. His advice to Summerlin South’s players: keep the joy in baseball.
“I didn’t become a good baseball player until I realized that baseball is a game and that you have to keep the fun in it,” Stewart said. “If you don’t keep the fun in the game, it becomes a job and it becomes pressure, and those aren’t what baseball is about.”
Looking ahead, Stewart said the A’s move to Las Vegas will give local fans — and young players — a team to rally around for years to come.
“We’re committed to the growth of our players starting from development to the big leagues,” he said. “You’re going to see a lot of players in this organization that were drafted homegrown players that are going to play at a high level of baseball once the team is here in Las Vegas.”
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