Portland Beavers
From SoSH
| Location: | Portland, Oregon |
| Established: | 1903 |
| MLB Affiliation: | San Diego Padres |
| League: | Pacific Coast League |
| Level: | AAA |
| Ballpark: | PGE Park |
| Championships: | 9 (1901, 1906, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1936, 1945, 1983) |
| Division Titles: | 4 |
| Wild Card: |
The Portland Beavers are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, OR. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the AAA affiliate of the San Diego Padres.
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Franchise History
Although the name has been used by multiple franchises, the current club, operating in Portland since 2001, recognizes the history of all previous incarnations as its own, stating they were established in 1903, the same year the Pacific Coast League was established. The actual team name, the Beavers, originated in 1906 following a newspaper contest to rename the existing Portland team that was created in 1901 when the Portland Baseball Club was started by a group of Portland businessmen.
Along with the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Oaks, Sacramento Solons, San Francisco Seals, and Seattle Rainiers, a Portland Beavers club was a charter member of the Pacific Coast League in 1903. Along with Sacramento, Portland is one of two charter cities that still has a team in the PCL, the other cities having been taken over by Major League Baseball franchises.
The PCL expanded in 1978 and added a new team in Portland, calling themselves the Beavers. The new Beavers played in Civic Stadium through 1992. In 1983, the Beavers won the PCL pennant, the first for Portland in 47 years. Though finishing fourth overall that year, the Beavers defeated the Edmonton Trappers to win the Northern Division title, then bested the Albuquerque Dukes in the finals to capture the league championship.
After the 1993 season, Beavers owner Joe Buzas moved the team to Salt Lake City, Utah, where they became the Salt Lake Buzz, and later the Stingers. They are now known as the Bees.
Before the 1994 season, the Class A Bend Rockies relocated to the now available market of Portland in 1995. 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. Portland's support for the Rockies paved the way for the return of Triple-A Baseball in 2001.
Following the 2000 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres swapped Triple-A teams. The Albuquerque Dukes (a charter franchise of the PCL under the name Los Angeles Angels) moved to Portland, becoming the Beavers, as the San Diego Padres affiliate. As part of the relocation agreement, Civic Stadium was renovated in 2000 and renamed PGE Park. The Dodgers took control of the Padres' Las Vegas Stars, who would be renamed the 51's. The Portland Rockies would move up the Columbia River to Pasco and become the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2001.
In 2007, owner Merritt Paulson announced that he was considering changing the name of the team to prevent confusion with the Oregon State University Beavers teams. Possible new names and logos were unveiled, and a vote was staged on the team website. "Portland Beavers" won the contest, and the team unveiled new logos and colors on January 29, 2008. 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.
Major League Affiliations
- San Diego Padres (2001–Present)
- Minnesota Twins (1987-1993)
- Philadelphia Phillies (1983–1986)
- Pittsburgh Pirates (1979–1982)
- Cleveland Indians (1972, 1978)
- Minnesota Twins (1971)
- Milwaukee Brewers (1970)
- Cleveland Indians (1964–1969)
- Kansas City Athletics (1962–1963)
- St. Louis Cardinals (1961)
- Kansas City Athletics (1959)
- Chicago Cubs (1957–1958)
- Brooklyn Dodgers (1956)
- Detroit Tigers (1935)
- Philadelphia Athletics (1925–1932)
- Cleveland Indians (unofficial) (1910–1915)
Franchise Names
- Portland Beavers (1906–1917, 1919–1928, 1930–1972, 1978–1993, 2001–Present)
- Portland Rockies (1995–2000)
- Portland Mavericks (1973–1977)
- Portland Ducks (1929)
- Portland Buckaroos (1918)
- Portland Giants (1905)
- Portland Browns (1903–1904)
- Portland Webfoots (1903–1902)
Notable Alumni
Notable Red Sox Who Played Here
Trivia
- In 1961, the Beavers signed the 56-year-old Satchel Paige. He pitched twenty-five innings for the Beavers, striking out 19 and giving up 18 earned runs, without recording a decision.
