Salt Lake Bees

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Triple-A All-Star game is a perfect microcosm of minor league baseball -- the final score mattered less to the fans than getting to say they saw the stars of tomorrow.

In that respect, Wednesday's midsummer classic was a rousing success for Salt Lake and the crowd of 12,439 at Spring Mobile Ballpark. Where else can you see Sky Sox, Storm Chasers, River Cats and Bees band together in competition against IronPigs, Mud Hens, Clippers, Zephyrs and Knights?

SALT LAKE CITY -- The chance to compete with some of baseball's top rising stars was enough for Bonneville High slugger Sam Hall.

Hall was eliminated in the first round of the 2011 Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday, but he was grateful for the experience.

"It's awesome to be out there with them and I'm really honored to be chosen to be out there with them," the 2011 Standard-Examiner All-Area MVP said. "They're really nice guys, down-to-earth guys."

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Scott Kazmir, who has spent the last month at the team's extended spring-training camp in search of a consistent delivery and release point, may rejoin the Angels within the next month, but it might not be as a starting pitcher.

Manager Mike Scioscia said the team could bring the left-hander back as a long reliever, even though Kazmir has made only one relief appearance in his 6 1/2 seasons in the major leagues.

"No doubt, we need starting pitching depth, and we're looking at him as a starter," Scioscia said. "But I wouldn't rule out anything."

Kazmir's future with the Angels could hinge on how 21-year-old right-hander Tyler Chatwood, who has gone 2-2 with a 4.50 earned-run average in eight games as the fifth starter, pitches over the next few weeks.

LAS VEGAS -- The sale of the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s is part of a plan by a Texas developer to build a three-stadium complex west of the Las Vegas Strip.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Chris Milam bought the minor league team with plans to put it in a 9,000 seat park across Interstate 15 from the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino.

The $1.95 billion project would be called the Las Vegas National Sports Center.

The newspaper reports the complex would include a 17,500-seat basketball arena and a 36,000-seat stadium for Major League Soccer.

The proposal would be privately financed. It is separate from others that have been put forth in hopes of bringing professional sports to Sin City.

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Salt Lake Bees announced Thurday that two Utah high school baseball players will have the opportunity to participate in the 2011 Triple-A Home Run Derby presented by Papa John's, which will take place on July 11 at 7:05 p.m. as part of the 2011 Triple-A All-Star Game at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

Following the Bees home games this Saturday and on May 7, several of Utah's top high school sluggers will compete for a chance to represent their schools in the 2011 Triple-A Home Run Derby, an annual competition featuring the top power hitters of the Pacific Coast League and International League.

All Utah high school baseball teams received an invitation to enter one participant determined by each school's head baseball coach.