OT MLB to PDX: We're talking baseball to PDX

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by BigGameDamian, Apr 15, 2018.

  1. BigGameDamian

    BigGameDamian Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2012
    Messages:
    29,597
    Likes Received:
    11,352
    Trophy Points:
    113
    https://articles.oregonlive.com/spo...sf/2018/04/canzano_mlb_to_pdx_group_meets.amp

    [​IMG]
    The ownership group focused on bringing Major League Baseball to Portland met privately with city officials to discuss downtown Portland stadium plans.

    The ownership group focused on bringing Major League Baseball to Portland met privately with city officials to discuss downtown Portland stadium plans, The Oregonian/OregonLive has learned.

    A city hall source confirmed that Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is in communication with representatives of the group. A second source indicated that the group is engaged in talks to secure two potential stadium sites.

    I love the idea of baseball in Portland. A lot of you do, too. But the hang-up in our state and in the city of Portland has always been the notion of using public dollars to fund a stadium. The latest murmur is that the Portland-based group would use mostly private funds.

    There's an expected news release coming this week from the group. I'd target mid-week for that if you're following this closely. But it feels like this is a real effort with some real possibilities.

    Last September, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said that Portland would be on a list of potential expansion cities. The potential stadium would include funding from a $150 million grant that was approved by the state of Oregon in 2003 when the Expos were exploring relocation.

    In October, former Trail Blazers broadcaster Mike Barrett confirmed that he was part of the group. He said, "There is also a formally organized, sophisticated and seasoned management group running this initiative."

    Relocating a current MLB franchise such as the Oakland A's or Tampa Rays is also a viable option in this sports columnist's opinion. Maybe the more likely option in fact. Neither franchise has a viable stadium plan. There's a lot of posturing but no real action. Both could move, with Montreal and Portland ending up as the merry beneficiaries.

    The A's, who are seeking a new stadium, have emerged as a possible candidate for relocation to Portland in the last few months. It makes sense. They'd stay in the West. They've been forced to seek alternatives for a new stadium site after their initial choice in Oakland, a plot of land near downtown, became unavailable when talks broke down between the A's and the Peralta Community College District.

    The latest plan in Oakland involves the possibility of using an aerial tram as a mode of transportation from downtown Oakland into a new stadium on the waterfront.

    Aerial tram?

    Portland already has one of those, yeah?
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2018
  2. julius

    julius Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2008
    Messages:
    42,404
    Likes Received:
    30,000
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    singer songwriter
    Location:
    Washington
    In before tlong says that it'd never work here.
     
  3. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2018
    Messages:
    16,302
    Likes Received:
    26,279
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Business Owner
    Location:
    North Plains
    In terms of sporting events, it's hard to top going to a baseball game on a nice summer day/evening. I'm going to try not to get my hopes up on this one though even though by all accounts this group has their shit together. I think I'd prefer an expansion team over the A's especially if the current owners are just relocating and not selling the team to the Portland group.

    Question for baseball fans:
    Would you become a fan of the Portland team or keep your allegiances to your current team?

    I've been a Cincinnati Reds fan since my childhood in the 80's. My favorite player was Eric Davis. I've been extremely loyal to my favorite teams and have never wavered on rooting for anyone else but this would be one of the few times that I think it would be acceptable to change your favorite team as an adult. I think rooting for both would be lame, even lamer if they were both in the NL since that would mean the Reds would play a couple series here every year. Maybe it will depend on what they are called because if they have a stupid name or logo or colors that could factor in. I don't know, I'm torn. Hopefully I will know what to do if it happens. Damn it! Here I go getting all excited again.
     
  4. CupWizier

    CupWizier Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
    Messages:
    11,265
    Likes Received:
    7,664
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired
    It would be nice to get another professional sport in town and MLB would be fun (I would prefer an NFL though) but this has been discussed so many times in the past that it is hard to get very much hope up.
     
    julius and Natebishop3 like this.
  5. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2008
    Messages:
    90,157
    Likes Received:
    52,173
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I would support just about any pro team that comes here. NHL, NFL, MLB..... even the Seahawks, because it would be hilarious if we stole their team.
     
  6. KingSpeed

    KingSpeed Veteran

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2008
    Messages:
    60,908
    Likes Received:
    21,060
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    actor
    Location:
    New York
    I think I'd stay with the Yankees and Mets since I didn't grow up watching baseball in Oregon. Although if Portland was in the World Series, I'd pull for Portland.
     
    stampedehero, 3RA1N1AC and hoopsjock like this.
  7. barfo

    barfo triggered obsessive commie pinko Staff Member Global Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2008
    Messages:
    32,643
    Likes Received:
    22,674
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Blazer OT board
    Don't know why we'd build a baseball stadium before we build a roller derby arena?

    barfo
     
    RickyJoe, riverman and SportsAndWhine like this.
  8. CupWizier

    CupWizier Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
    Messages:
    11,265
    Likes Received:
    7,664
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired
    Just like when the Blazers came, my allegiance would be to our team. I was a huge Sixers fan growing up with Wilt, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham etc.
     
    stampedehero, dviss1 and hoopsjock like this.
  9. CupWizier

    CupWizier Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
    Messages:
    11,265
    Likes Received:
    7,664
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired
    We already have the perfect outdoor roller derby facility at Alpenrose Dairy. Imagine come flying off those banked curves.

     
    stampedehero likes this.
  10. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    Messages:
    66,303
    Likes Received:
    64,441
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Portland all the way if they get a franchise....!
     
    dviss1 and hoopsjock like this.
  11. julius

    julius Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2008
    Messages:
    42,404
    Likes Received:
    30,000
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    singer songwriter
    Location:
    Washington
    It's very similar to all the times when Portland was getting an NHL team and lo-an-behold, we don't.
     
  12. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

    Joined:
    May 7, 2015
    Messages:
    44,368
    Likes Received:
    38,405
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    I wish we could get a baseball team. I'm a Mariners fan who doesn't really enjoy watching games unless it's in the background but I know the sport and enjoy fomenting scores. A Portland MLB team would definitely have my fandom and itd be fun to go to games during the summer.
     
  13. UncleCliffy'sDaddy

    UncleCliffy'sDaddy We're all Bozos on this bus.

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2015
    Messages:
    6,650
    Likes Received:
    13,485
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Nope. Hardcore SF Giants fan, now and always. And since this whole “MLB to Portland” thing is nothing more than a pipe dream (not to mention an obvious effort by the A’s to leverage a new stadium in Oakland), my hope is for a National League team so I can see the Giants play up here numerous times during each and every season. As it stands now, we (BG and I) either have to drive/fly to SF or wait for the Giants to play in Seattle very 3 years. But if we get a team I can promise to root heartily for Portland over the Mariners and Dodgers.....
     
    riverman and hoopsjock like this.
  14. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

    Joined:
    May 7, 2015
    Messages:
    44,368
    Likes Received:
    38,405
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    I hope Paul Allen would consider buying a baseball team. With his money, we'd be set.
     
    SportsAndWhine likes this.
  15. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

    Joined:
    May 7, 2015
    Messages:
    44,368
    Likes Received:
    38,405
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    Portland over everything.

    I'd become a Portland NFL fan over being a Niners fan.
    I'd become a Portland MLB fan over being a Mariners fan.
     
  16. Lanny

    Lanny Original Season Ticket Holder "Mr. Big Shot"

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2008
    Messages:
    26,638
    Likes Received:
    16,945
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Elec. & Computer Engineer OSU Computer Science PSU
    Location:
    Lake Oswego, OR
    What's the baseball thing you talk about? Is it a sport? When channel flipping, I occasionally watch it 'cause it puts me to sleep and I have a really good nap.
     
    dviss1 likes this.
  17. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

    Joined:
    May 7, 2015
    Messages:
    44,368
    Likes Received:
    38,405
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    You're either with us or against us!
     
    dviss1, Orion Bailey and Hoopguru like this.
  18. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2014
    Messages:
    18,868
    Likes Received:
    19,668
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Definitely better than Kickball.
     
  19. Hoopguru

    Hoopguru Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2014
    Messages:
    19,591
    Likes Received:
    16,198
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Cup, If baseball comes here with a stadium privately financed, then it would possible for an NFL team to look at Portland if the stadium could work for both. Just a thought.
     
    dviss1 likes this.
  20. theprunetang

    theprunetang Shaedon "Deadly Nightshade" Sharpe is HIM

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2008
    Messages:
    11,497
    Likes Received:
    20,918
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Same.

    I'm a Dodgers fan, because my dad grew up in LA. He loves the Dodgers and I grew up rooting for them. But, if Portland got a team, I would drop that LA thing in a heartbeat. And I would feel much better about myself...haha
     

Share This Page