User:Stolilv87/Sandbox/2009 Las Vegas 51s season

The 2009 Las Vegas 51s season will be the franchise's 27th year of existence and first as the top minor league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. It will involve the 51s attempting to win the Pacific Conference - South Division and improve on their 74-69 record and 2nd place finish. The 51s will attempt to have consecutive winning season for the first time since the 2002 and 2003 seasons. The 2009 season will be Las Vegas' final season with the 51s moniker, as the new owners of the team plan to change the team's name before the 2010 season.

Off-season
The 51s and the Los Angeles Dodgers severed relations after eight years of affiliation. The Dodgers stated that the Cashman Field's lack of adequate facilities, including an on-site weight room and indoor batting cage, were reasons for not renewing the player development contract (PDC) for a ninth and tenth year. Los Angeles would subsequently sign a two-year PDC with the Albuquerque Isotopes.

The 51s would eventualy sign a two-year PDC with the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto became Las Vegas' third major league affiliate in the club's 27 year history and the 51s became Toronto's only the second Triple-A affiliate in the Blue Jays 33 years of existence.

On October 8, 2008, the Toronto Blue Jays named Mike Basso as the 51s manager for the 2009 season. Basso becomes the 19th manager in the club's history. Basso replaces Lorenzo Bundy who had a 141-146 record in two seasons. Basso had played for the Las Vegas Stars over 4 seasons (1988, 1990, 1992-93). Basso had previously managed Toronto's High Single-A affiliate, the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2003 recording a 78-62 record and leading Dunedin to the Florida State League Finals. Basso would then coach Toronto's previous Triple-A affiliate in 2006, recording a 64-79 and a sixth place finish. Before being appointed as Las Vegas' manager, Basso had spent 2007 and 2008 as Toronto's Coordinator of Instruction for the club's minor league system.

On January 16, 2009, the Iowa Cubs announced that their August 9th game against the 51s would be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois; home of their major league affiliate, the Chicago Cubs. This will be the second time (first with Triple-A teams) that the Chicago Cubs would host a minor league game at their ballpark. The Cubs organization uses the annual game to promote their minor league affiliates, while the Cubs are playing out of town. The first edition saw Chicago's Single-A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs play the Kane County Cougars (Oakland Athletics affiliate) in front of nearly 26,000 fans.

Regular season
The Las Vegas 51s will begin their 27th season on an eight game road trip against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and defending Pacific Conference - North Division champion Salt Lake Bees, beginning on April 9th in Colorado Springs. The 51s will open their 27th season at Cashman Field on April 17th against Colorado Springs.

The 2009 All-Star Break will run from July 13th–15th, with the 2009 Triple-A All-Star Game being played on July 14th at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon, featuring the Pacific Coast League All-Stars against the International League All-Stars.

The 51s final home game of the season will be on September 3rd against division rival, the Fresno Grizzlies, followed by their season finale series on the road against the Portland Beavers from September 4th–7th.

Game log

 * {| align="center" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" style="border:1px solid #aaa"

! colspan="3" | Legend ! bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 51s Win ! bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 51s Loss ! bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | Game Postponed
 * }

Detailed record
updated to games played -

Batting
''Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In''