Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers | |
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Minor league affiliations | |
Previous classes | |
League | Pacific Coast League (1903–1917, 1919–1972, 1978–1993, 2001–2010) |
Conference | Pacific Conference |
Division | North Division |
Major league affiliations | |
Previous teams |
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Minor league titles | |
League titles | 1901, 1906, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1936, 1945, 1983 |
Division titles | 1965, 1983, 1993, 2004 |
Team data | |
Previous names |
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Mascot | Lucky (2008–2010) Boomer (2001–2007) Round Tripper (1979–1994) |
Previous parks |
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The Portland Beavers was the name of separate
Franchise history
Many baseball teams have been known as the Portland Beavers; the most recent club, which began operating in 2001, recognized the history of all previous incarnations as its own, stating it was established in 1903, the same year the Pacific Coast League was established. The "Beavers" originated in 1906 following a newspaper contest to rename the existing Portland team that had been created in 1901 when a group of Portland businessmen founded the Portland Baseball Club.
Along with the
Following the 2010 season, the Beavers were placed for sale and relocation because of the lack of a suitable stadium in Portland, as
Establishment of a Portland team: 1903–1918
On December 10, 1902, Henry Harris, the owner of the
Before the 1905 season, professional baseball player
The Beavers finished last in 1907, and second in 1908 and 1909. In 1910, Portland won another pennant behind the pitching of
During the 1910s, the Beavers developed some working relationships with other teams. From 1911 to 1914 the Portland Beavers had their own farm team which played in the
Portland played well in 1913 and 1914, winning the pennant both seasons. Though the 1915 Beavers featured future Hall of Famer Stan Coveleski, the team did not fare too well, and started into a tailspin that would last for over a decade. The year also marked the end of their relationship with the Cleveland Indians. With America's entry into World War I, restrictions were placed on travel, such that the Beavers withdrew from the PCL for the 1918 season, playing instead in the Class B Pacific Coast International League. The team was known as the Portland Buckaroos and finished their shortened season (play was stopped on July 7 due to the war) in second place 1½ games back of Seattle. Ironically, the PCL ceased play just a week later as they too were unable to continue play due to restrictions on travel.
Due to the Beavers' withdrawal from the PCL, the league offered Sacramento a franchise to replace the Portland team, while the McCredies continued to own the baseball club in Portland. The new team in Sacramento was known as the Sacramento Senators, and could be considered a continuation of the original Portland Baseball Club.
Return to the Pacific Coast League: 1919–1972
With the McCredies still at the helm, Portland was offered an expansion franchise and re-entered the PCL in 1919. The team finished in seventh place, only ahead of last-place Seattle who was also an expansion team that year. Portland finished in last place in 1920 and again in 1921. After the 1921 season, the McCredies sold the team to Walter Klepper who had been president of the Seattle team. Klepper brought in the 35-year old Jim Thorpe, who played outfield and first base with the Beavers in 1922,[9] paying him a then-unheard of minor league salary of US$1,000 per month.
It was not long before Klepper was in the middle of a dispute with Baseball Commissioner
After 1924, the Beavers officially became a farm team for a major league team for the first time when
Longtime head groundskeeper Rocky Benevento started working for the Beavers in 1927. Benevento was so popular with the fans that they took up a collection for him in 1956 to send him to the
In 1929, the Beavers changed their name to the Portland Ducks, bearing a duck on their uniform, and were also occasionally known that year as the Portland Rosebuds. The name change did not change the team's luck as they finished with a 90–112 record. Long–time radio broadcaster Rollie Truitt also joined the Beavers staff in 1929, and worked for the team for 35 years, spanning 28 managerial changes and five ownership changes. Truitt would later be known as the "Dean of Pacific Coast League broadcasters". In 1930, the team reverted to the Beavers name, but would occasionally be referred to as the Ducks for over a decade. The highlight of the Beavers last place 1930 season was William Rhiel's unassisted triple play, the last recorded in PCL history.
In 1931, team President Tom Turner bought the franchise from the Shibe brothers and the team took a turn for the positive. Ed Coleman led the PCL in hits and runs batted in, and the team finished in third, winning 100 games. The team continued to improve in 1932, winning Portland its first pennant since 1914. The team finished second in 1933. Turner brought Walter McCredie back to manager the team in 1934, but he died early in the season and the team fell to the bottom half of the league.
Following the 1934 season, E.J. Shefter bought the team from Turner. The team improved in 1935, finishing one game over .500, and then won the pennant in 1936, finishing 1½ games over runner-up Oakland, then winning the postseason series to capture the crown. In 1937, the Beavers finished in fourth place, but made it to the playoffs defeating San Francisco in the first round before losing to the San Diego team featuring a young Ted Williams. The team finished sixth in 1938 before finishing in last place in 1939–1942. The 1940 team was so bad, finishing 56–122, that they were still 25 games behind the seventh-place team (the league had eight teams at that time).
In 1943, William Klepper, with partner George Norgan buying a minority share, purchased the Beavers. The team came back that season with their first winning record since 1937. The management of the team began referring to the team as the "Lucky Beavers" and Vaughn Street Park was known as "Lucky Beaver Stadium". With the United States firmly involved in World War II, local radio station
In 1946, the Beavers fell to the bottom half of the league, finishing in seventh place, 41 games out of first. In 1947 Eddie Basinski joined the Beavers, and they finished third, losing to the Los Angeles Angels in the first round of the playoffs. The team drew, up to then, a team record of 421,000 fans that season. This record would stand for the Beavers until the 2001 season when Triple-A Baseball returned to Portland.
In 1948, the team finish fifth, followed by a sixth-place finish in 1949. The 1949 season began the integration of the Pacific Coast League as Frankie Austin and Luis Marquez became Beavers. Beginning with the 1950 season, the Beavers finished fourth for four straight years. Clay Hopper, who had been Jackie Robinson's manager when he played for the Montreal Royals in 1946, was named the team's manager in 1952. This year also marked the first year the Pacific Coast League was classified by the NAPBL as an "open league." The open league was a step above Triple-A, and was an attempt by the Pacific Coast League to be considered the third major league.
Plans for a new ballpark were announced by the team in 1953. Originally the team planned to build a new stadium at 82nd and Holgate in Southeast Portland. Due to the Korean War, among other issues, the stadium never came to fruition. In 1954 the team dropped again to the bottom of the league. After the 1954 season the team went up for sale to the community via public stock, which resulted in 2,400 new owners for the 1955 season. With the change the Beavers rose to fifth place, only nine games back of first.
In 1956, the Beavers left the now-demolished Vaughn Street Park to move into 25,000-seat
In 1961, the Beavers signed the 56-year-old Satchel Paige. He pitched 25 innings for the Beavers, striking out 19 and giving up 18 earned runs without recording a decision.
Following the 1972 season, principal owner Bill Cutler moved the team northeast to
Triple-A returns to Portland: 1978–1993
The PCL expanded in 1978 and added a new team in Portland, calling themselves the Beavers, displacing the single-A Mavericks. The new Beavers played in
A decade later, Beavers owner
After being without a team in 1994, the Class A Rockies of the Northwest League relocated from Bend for the 1995 season.[19] The Portland Rockies played in the Rose City for the next six seasons and served an important role for the city, whose demand for a major league team was growing. They were league champions in 1997. Portland's support for the Rockies paved the way for the return of the Triple-A PCL in 2001.[20]
The Beavers return: 2001–2010
Following the 2000 season, the
In 2007, owner Merritt Paulson announced that he was considering changing the name of the team to prevent confusion with the Oregon State University teams from Corvallis.[21] Possible new names and logos were unveiled, and a vote was staged on the team website. "Portland Beavers" won the contest,[22] and the team unveiled new logos and colors on January 29, 2008.[23] The Beavers emphasized their connection to the three prior franchises with the notation "Est. 1903" on their primary logo. The team also brought back the name "Lucky Beavers" as part of a sleeve patch on their alternate jersey.
Hunt for new stadium and team sale: 2009–2010
In 2009, the city of Portland was awarded a
Initial plans called for the new ballpark to be built at the site currently occupied by the
In June 2009, the Portland City Council voted to separate the soccer and baseball projects, allowing renovation of PGE Park to proceed without completed plans for a baseball stadium in place.
With no suitable Portland location available, in July 2010, Paulson announced that he was putting the team up for sale and relocation.[33] Padres owner Jeff Moorad formed a group to buy the team and talked of moving its home games to the Lake Elsinore Diamond in Lake Elsinore, California, until a new stadium in Escondido could be built.[34] Eventually, the group decided to move the team temporarily to Tucson in 2011, rename them the Tucson Padres, with plans to move again to Escondido when a new ballpark was built.[35] The plans in Escondido failed, and the team was sold again; they moved to west Texas prior to the 2014 season and became the El Paso Chihuahuas.[36]
The Portland area was without minor league baseball in 2011 and 2012. After the 2012 season, the NWL
Notable alumni
- Eddie Basinski, infielder, inductee in Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame
- Kyle Blanks, outfielder
- Craig Breslow, pitcher
- Mickey Cochrane, Hall of Fame catcher
- Shawn Estes, pitcher, pitched in 12 games of rehab between 2006 and 2008
- Ray Fosse, catcher, 1967–1968
- George Freese, infielder
- Josh Geer, pitcher
- Ramón Hernández, catcher, played 7 games of rehab
- Tommy John, pitcher, 1964
- Sam McDowell, pitcher, 8–0 1964
- Satchel Paige, pitcher, 5 starts, 2.88 ERA
- Lou Piniella, outfielder, 1966–1968
- Aaron Poreda, pitcher
- Jeff Richards, a.k.a. Dick Taylor, shortstop; then became an actor
- Richie Scheinblum, All Star outfielder
- George Stone, AL batting title champion[37]
- Luis Tiant, pitcher, 15–1 1964
- Jim Thorpe, outfielder and first baseman, 1922
- Ryan Webb, pitcher
See also
- Portland Beavers players
- History of baseball in Portland, Oregon
- McCredie Springs, Oregon
References
Notes
- ^ Corey Brock – MLB.com (October 14, 2010). "Moorad agrees to purchase Triple-A club". Major League Baseball. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
- ^ Smith, Dylan (December 18, 2010). "Tucson's new Triple-A team announces name: Tucson Padres". Tucson Sentinel.
- ^ Alameda, Damien (October 23, 2013). "Tucson Padres become El Paso Chihuahuas". kold.com. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Beavers History". minorleaguebaseball.com. Portland Beavers. Archived from the original on April 9, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ "Merry Fight Over Baseball". The Deseret News. The Deseret News. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ "1903 Pacific Coast League". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ "1905 Portland Giants". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ "Top 100 Teams". MiLB.com. 2001. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ "Jim Thorpe is Purchased by Beavers," Oregon Daily Journal [Portland], vol. 20, no. 291 (Feb. 10, 1922), p. 14.
- ^ a b Weiss, Bill and Marshall Wright. "Historians Weiss, Wright Rank 100 Best Minor League Baseball Teams." Minor League Baseball. 2001. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
- ^ "1983 PCL season". Baseball Reference. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- ^ "Pacific Coast League: final standings". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. September 2, 1983. p. 6D.
- ^ "Baseball: Minor League playoffs". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. September 7, 1983. p. 4B.
- ^ "Beavers capture title with 8-7 triumph". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. September 11, 1983. p. 12B.
- ^ "Baseball: Minor League playoffs". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. September 11, 1983. p. 10B.
- ^ "Triple-A World Series on tap". Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. Associated Press. September 15, 1983. p. 3B.
- ^ "Tidewater wins Triple-A Series". Times Daily. Florence, Alabama. September 20, 1983. p. 2C.
- ^ Baum, Bob (September 3, 1993). "No turning back for Portland's Salt Lake-bound Beavers". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. p. D2.
- ^ "Bend Rockies baseball moves over to Portland". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. Associated Press. September 14, 1994. p. 3B.
- ^ Fears, Shannon (July 23, 1995). "Fans flock to Rockies games". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 3E.
- ^ "Merritt Paulson, new owner of the Beavers and Timbers, stages a 'Grand Reopening' tonight at PGE Park." The Oregonian. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- ^ "Beavers to keep historic nickname." Archived May 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Portland Beavers. 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2008.
- ^ "Beavers unveil new logo, uniforms." Archived April 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Portland Beavers. 2008. Retrieved January 30, 2008.
- ^ "MLS awards 18th franchise to Portland". mlsnet.com. March 20, 2009. Archived from the original on March 19, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
- ^ James Mayer (February 3, 2010). "Portland City Council approves soccer deal for PGE Park". The Oregonian. oregonlive.com. Retrieved February 16, 2010.
- ^ Jackson, Josh (March 11, 2009). "Beavers' new stadium a step closer". minorleaguebaseball.com. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
- ^ Frank, Ryan; Mark Larabee (April 22, 2009). "Saving Portland's Memorial Coliseum may cost taxpayers". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
- ^ a b Larrabee, Mark (June 22, 2009). "Lents Park out as Beavers' home". The Oregonian. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
- ^ Larabee, Mark (June 24, 2009). "Major League Soccer plan still alive as Portland council endorses latest plan". The Oregonian. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
- ^ Larabee, Mark (July 21, 2009). "Beaverton in running for new Beavers baseball stadium". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ Schmidt, Brad (September 3, 2009). "Clackamas County added to list of possible future sites for Portland Beavers". The Oregonian. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ Brettman, Allan (November 10, 2009). "Vancouver now interested in wooing Portland Beavers". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 6, 2010.
- ^ Fentress, Aaron (July 28, 2010). "Portland Beavers owner Merritt Paulson prepared to sell team; several cities interested". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ Maffei, John; Leventhal, Josh (July 26, 2010). "Displaced Triple-A club likely to share Lake Elsinore ballpark in 2011". Baseball America. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ Breier, Michelle; J. Harry Jones (December 15, 2010). "Council votes to bring baseball to Escondido". Retrieved December 20, 2010.
- ^ "Greetings from Southwest University Park, home of the El Paso Chihuahuas - MiLB.com News - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball".
- ^ "George Stone Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
Sources
- Carlson, Kip & Andersen, Paul. The Portland Beavers. Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, South Carolina, 2004. ISBN 0-7385-3266-5
- O'Neal, Bill. The Pacific Coast League 1903–1988. Eakin Press, Austin TX, 1990. ISBN 0-89015-776-6.
- Snelling, Dennis. The Pacific Coast League: A Statistical History, 1903–1957. McFarland & Company, Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina, 1995. ISBN 0-7864-0045-5.
External links
- Baseball Reference – Portland teams