Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

[tobin834]

The Portland Pioneers represent the culmination of years of hard work, vision, and determination to bring Major League Baseball to the Rose City. Announced as one of two new expansion teams to start in 1997, alongside the Charlotte Speed, the Pioneers are set to make their debut in the American League West in 1997, capitalizing on the popularity of baseball in the Pacific Northwest and fulfilling a long-awaited dream for the people of Portland.

For decades, Portlanders have supported their beloved Trail Blazers, but the excitement of Major League Baseball had remained just out of reach—until now. With the addition of the Pioneers, our city is about to be part of something much larger than sports; we’re joining the ranks of other great baseball cities and forging a new chapter in Portland’s sports history.

The Pioneers are more than just a team—they are Portland’s team, and this journal will be there to capture every moment of their rise to greatness.

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Before we begin:

- I have bumped the Active Roster size from 28 to 30.

- This journal is inspired by the look of artoodeetoo's clean look that I think he has perfected.

- I am a baseball fan, but not a genius by any stretch. I will make mistakes you think are stupid.

- This journal will begin in 1997, right before the Expansion Draft for both Portland and Charlotte.

- I'm also saving this space here for additional journal notes that may be relevant if the time comes.

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Reserved for future use.

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Reserved for future use..

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Reserved for future use...

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Tues. Jan 25, 1997

The MLB Expansion Draft took place last night at the Sun Hotel in Miami, Florida. Our Portland Pioneers are now an official team in Major League Baseball. Of course, there is a lot of minor league personnel and players to continue being signed, but the roster spots have started to be handed out.

For an Expansion Draft that wasn't loaded with players like the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies got some years back, both teams are just happy to have gotten that process over so they can start thinking of how to improve. Portland drafted Starting Pitcher Doug Drabek from Minnesota as their first pick overall, following it up with five positional players that all have great defensive skill.

“The strategy for us anyway was to stay within' our budget, and collect some players that could help us in the field. We're not dillusional enough to think we'll be competing for the division in the first year, but we are aggressive enough to know that goal starts today” said Pioneers General Manager Travis Thomas.

The complete list of draftees and what round they went for Portland is pictured below:

Number of protected players: 20 players
Auto-Protect players with 4 years or less
3 Picks from a single team.

1- SP Doug Drabek
2- 1B Scott Stahoviak
3- SS Tim Bogar
4- CF Chuck Carr
5- 2B Mark Lemke
6- 3B Mike Blowers
7- SP Pat Rapp
8- SP Geremi Gonzalez
9- SP Rich Robertson
10- C Kirk Manwaring
11- SS Pat Lennon
12- RF Dan Rohrmeier
13- LF Pete Incaviglia
14- RP Kent Bottenfield
15- SP Scott Kamieniecki
16- RP Stan Belinda
17- LF Marvin Benard
18- RP Jim Mecir
19- LF Rudy Pemberton
20- C Tom L Wilson
21- 2b Kurt Abbott
22- LF Ray Montgomery
23- 2B Keith Mitchell
24- LF Billy Ashley
25- C Brent Mayne
26- LF Phil Plantier
27- RH Tony Tarasco
28- C Chris Norton
29- 2B Craig Counsell
30- LF Curtis Pride
31- LF Mike Wolff
32- LF Tony Barron
33- LF Gerald Williams
34- SP Carlos Crawford
35-LF Mike Simms

Mon. Feb. 24th, 1997

The Portland Pioneers send 27-year-old LF Rudy Pemberton and 30-year-old LF Gerald Williams to the Detroit Tigers for 25-year-old LF Bubba Trammell, 29-year-old RHP Doug Brocail, 24-year-old RHP Marino Santana, a 29th round draft pick in next year's (1998) MLB Draft and $500,000 in cash. In addition, the Tigers will fully absorb Bubba Trammell's contract.

Towards the end of the Expansion Draft, Portland's strategy was to get the best available player to return the highest value upon trade. This resulted in a large number of Outfields, particularly Left Fielders. With this trade, Portland gets Trammell as a major cornerstone of the deal, but they also get rid of two Left Fielders who wouldn't have started. The deal is also a money priority for Portland who is $3Million over budget at the moment due to all of the signings. This deal helps gain $500k towards meeting that budget.


The Portland Pioneers send 26-year-old RF Tony Tarasco and 26-year-old LF Billy Ashley to the New York Mets in exchange for 26-year-old minor league SS Rey Ordonez and $600,000 in cash in return.

The move is a needed one for the Pioneers who are looking to get very defensive on the infield. Ordonez, while not supplying a hefty bat, will be a very solid defensive player for the club. The trade also brings back $600K in money to the Pioneers who are now just $1.7M in the red. (They started the day over budget by $3M.)

Tue Apr. 1, 1997

The Portland Pioneers send 28-year-old Catcher Brent Mayne to the Cincinnati Reds for 33-year-old RHP Jeff Brantley, 27-year-old RHP Hector Carrasco, and a 17th-round draft pick in the upcoming year's MLB Draft.

In need of Relief Pitchers of all things, nobody was available on the waiver wire and on the active roster there were only 4 somehow. Brent Mayne was someone who was getting ready to be sent down to El Paso (AAA) so we decided to trade him instead and get some value out of it.

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Tues April 1, 1997

Portland, We Have an Uh-oh!

Portland, OR - Portland Pioneers General Manager Travis Thomas sits alone in his office overlooking the field just behind home plate at PDX Park. A few hours from now his team, the Portland Pioneers will take the field for the first time in franchise history. Its something that seemed surreal to him – so was the moment the Baltimore Orioles arrived at the park, hours before the game.

This was a fanbase in Portland that would have been happy seeing a college team trot out there against the Orioles. It didn't matter. Baseball was back in Portland. But for Thomas, he knew better. He knew the team wasn't currently built for anything but holding all the others up. He had no development system, he had no roster worth winning.

He knew his best players, the Scott Stahoviak and Kurt Abbott's of the world were stars here, but on other teams were merely role players. In his opinion Major League Baseball allowed far too many protections for current teams, but he had no option to play along. He knew he would have to get on the phone with a lot off General Managers. He knew the process would be introducing himself to everyone of them, slowly building trust, and in the meantime waiting for the process to take place while getting absolutely shelled by his own fans who would be calling for his head by June.

He needed to build a roster, a minor league team, and he needed to do all of this with really no pieces to trade. But with Doug Drabek as a starter in your roation, you wouldn't sleep much either. Thomas was trying to enjoy the game tonight, but the creeping sense of insecurity was already nipping at his ankles.

“Lets just see how good Doug is” he though to himself. “Maybe, just maybe there is a way to turn this roster around. He just needed to be smart with it.

April 1, 1997

Baltimore Orioles at Portland Pioneers
Apr 1, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Extras	R	H	E
Baltimore (0-0)	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	5	9	16	2
Portland (0-0)	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	4	8	2
W: J. Orosco (1-0) L: M. Santana (0-1)

>

A heartbreaker tonight on Opening Night at the Stadium as Portland's efforts weren't enough for the Baltimore Orioles. A lot of effort from the boys tonight, but the Extra Innings proved just how shallow we are in the bullpen and overall as a team. I will be making more moves early to form us up a bit, but it's going to be a rocky year.


April 2, 1997

TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT: The Portland Pioneers send 26-year-old C Tom L Wilson and a 68th round draft pick to the Houston Astros getting 25-year-old RHP Chris Holt in return.

The Portland Pioneers send 27-year-old 2B Kurt Abbott and 26-year-old 2B Craig Counsell to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for 15-year-old minor league 2B Wilson Betemit, a 13th round draft pick, and $20,000 in cash considerations.

Baltimore Orioles at Portland Pioneers
Apr 2, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Baltimore (1-0)	1	3	0	0	4	1	0	0	1	10	16	1
Portland (0-1)	0	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	5	12	0
W: S. Erickson (1-0) L: G. Gonzalez (0-1)

Another loss to the Orioles tonight, 10-5. Brady Anderson hit 2 home runs and added 3 RBI to his total for the year as the O's take the series, and a possible sweep tomorrow night. Geremi Gonzalez picked up the loss for Portland who really seemed to struggle out there. The team as a whole had a bit of a struggle as they lose 10-5.

The Pioneers celebrated a win for the franchise though today, trading for youth and investing in a 15-year-old prospect who hasn't had much time to prove himself but now will get a chance to take his time and fully develop under the Pioneers.

Thurs. April 3, 1997

Baltimore Orioles at Portland Pioneers
Apr 3, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Baltimore (2-1)	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	9	0
Portland (1-2)	0	0	0	1	0	3	1	0	x	5	6	0
W: P. Rapp (1-0) L: J Key (0-1) S: H. Carrasco (1)

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Portland Pioneers at Seattle Mariners
Apr 4, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Portland (1-3)	0	0	0	1	2	1	0	0	0	4	11	0
Seattle (3-1)	1	0	0	2	2	8	0	0	x	13	12	1
W: B. Wolcott (1-0) L: R.Robertson (0-1)

Alex Rodriguez was the big factor in Game One of the Seattle/Portland series. A-Rod would have 3 RBI in the game in addition to scoring 2 himself and hitting a homerun in the route. I was happy that we were able to keep up half of the game, but our bullpen and pitching staff needs help. I'm trying.

Anytime you see Seattle on your schedule with Rodriguez and Grioffey and Buhner and - the whole team is good. We're hoping to be competitive in these upcoming games. The Seattle public won't like that honestly, so I won't tell it to them.

Pioneers at Mariners |
Apr 5, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Extras	R	H	E
Portland (1-4)	2	0	0	1	0	3	0	0	0		6	10	1
Seattle (4-1)	0	0	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	1	7	10	0
W: S. Sanders (1-0) L: K. Bottenfield (0-1)

This game looked so good for us - up until the 6th. In the 6th our lack of a bullpen reared it's ugly head again and cost us 6 runs in a singular inning. If we're being honest with ourselves, Seattle is going to beat us 9 out of 10 times - and that's giving us the benefit of it being possible. Ken Griffey Jr is still one of the best players in the sport and easily the most popular, and Alex Rodriguez is on his way up to stardom himself. Add in Randy Johnson as a Starter and this team is built to win a championship. Will they? Who knows, but I know it'll be before we ever sniff one at this rate.

I did like how our guys are staying in the game. In all honesty it is our lack of depth that is really getting us, and with no money in our pocket we're unable to fix that at the moment. It's why we trade.

Portland Pioneers at Seattle Mariners
Apr 6, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Portland (1-5)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0
Seattle (5-1)	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	x	2	4	2
W: R. Johnson (2-0) L: D. Drabek (0-1) S: S.Sanders (3)

Randy Johnson was a problem in this game. Allowing just 4 scattered hits over 8 innings of work while striking out 10. He goes 2-0 on the season and was a pre-season pick to pick up a Cy Young this year. For Portland, Chuck Carr provided 3 stolen bases for the speedy center fielder. Carr is looking like a player Portland will keep for a long time, but his lack of power remains a problem for the team completely building around him. He's one of the best defensive center fielders in the game, and for Portland that is very valuable - too valuable too trade. Portland remains close in this game, but they ultimately fall 2-1 to a very good Mariners team.

Our Bullpen continues to be a problem. We need to add some depth on our team and we're currently signing a lot of guys to contracts, but there is no real solid reliever to be had out there on the Free Agent market. We've been looking into trades (namely Bubba Trammell and a few other Left Fielders) that will shape our roster. Right now, we have a lot of Left Fielders and we need to see if we can trade some of them for other players. We're currently looking into all options throughout the season, especially in this first one.

Cleveland Indians at Portland Pioneers
Apr 7, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cleveland (6-1)	0	0	2	1	1	0	2	0	0	6	11	1
Portland (2-5)	1	0	0	0	4	1	0	0	1	7	14	0
W: M. Santana (1-1) L: M. Dewey (0-1)

What a win! A walk off double by Scott Stahoviak led to a great victory. We were hitting the ball well all day. Curtis Pride was the lead off hitter this game and as we're switching the lineup around I really do like him at the top of the lineup. He had a great game going 2-4 with an RBI. He's batting .286 for the year. Overall I thought we responded well and our bats were working all day. Again the relievers are stretched and we're trying to see what we can do to get help there, but that will be the last I mention it (it won't), but it's a problem every game until it's fixed.


Tuesday April 8, 1997

TRANSACTION

The Portland Pioneers send 30-year-old LF Mike Simms, 30-year old LF Tony Barron, and a 17th round draft pick (acquired earlier this year from the Reds) in exchange for 29-year old LHP Kent Mercker, 30-year old RHP Scott Service, 28-year old minor league RHP Rod Bolton, and 33-year old minor league LHP Jeff Tabaka.

This trade boiled down to having too many Left Fielders and putting our trust in Bubba Trammell to develop. This made Mike Simms, one of our better players to be expandable in the future. We wanted to trade Mike when we still had the highest value, and we also had the Reds thrown in bodies to help our farm system out.

Cleveland Indians at Portland Pioneers
Apr 8, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cleveland (7-1)	0	1	1	0	0	2	1	0	3	8	11	1
Portland (2-6)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	8	3
W: J. McDowell (2-0) L: P. Rapp (1-1)

The Cleveland Indians are going to go places this year. A jam packed team that is almost impossible to beat for most teams, and I'm saying it - impossible for Portland to defeat in 1997. I truly don't know if it is possible, outside of the Indians beating themselves. Portland sqaundered runs late in what seemed like a white flag forfeit after the 7th inning. Saving their pitchers, Portland decided to leave Pat Rapp out there too long in this one.

In good news, the franchise has made some deals acquiring Kent Mercker who should boost the pitching staff a little. The hitting continues to be few and far between but is getting better. Portland loses this one and falls to 2-6 on the year.


Wed. April 9, 1997

Cleveland Indians at Portland Pioneers
Apr 9, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cleveland (7-2)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	3	4	1
Portland (3-6)	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	x	5	13	3
W: K. Mercker (2-0) L: E. Plunk (0-1) S: K. Bottenfield (1)

It didn't take long for Kent Mercker to make himself valuable, picking up the win for Portland by coming in relief and overseeing a victory. Mercker wasn't all great though, he blew the save in the 8th that could have been a lot easier for Portland to secure the third win of the season.

Offensively for Portland, Pete Incaviglia was the hero with a bottom-of-the-8th RBI that would secure the victory. A win always seems to cloud the negative and shield it from any criticism however, one can't notice that Portland left a lot of men on base today. It's something that has to be worked on, and it's something that's also getting better at the same time.

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Early April 1997: MLB Standings and Key Performers
The 1997 MLB season is off to an exciting start, with teams already jockeying for position in their respective divisions. With only a handful of games played, several players and teams are making a strong early impression.

American League Standouts
AL East: The Detroit Tigers lead the pack with a 5-2 record, showcasing a strong start. Meanwhile, the Yankees, Orioles, and Red Sox are in a three-way tie at 4-3, trailing the Tigers by one game.

AL Central: The Cleveland Indians and the expansion Charlotte Speed are tied for the lead with a stellar 6-1 record. Both teams have been dominant in their early outings, while the rest of the division struggles to keep pace.

AL West: The Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers are tied at the top with 5-2 records, while the Athletics and Angels trail at 3-4. The Portland Pioneers and Angels share the bottom with 2-5 records, trying to find their footing.

National League Highlights
NL East: The Florida Marlins are off to a blistering 6-1 start, leading the division. The Phillies and Expos follow at 4-3, two games back, while the Braves and Mets struggle at 3-4.

NL Central: The Houston Astros lead the division with a 5-2 record. Sammy Sosa and the Chicago Cubs are close behind at 4-3, tied with the Pirates and Cardinals.

NL West: A tight race is unfolding, with the Padres, Giants, and Pirates all at 4-3. Meanwhile, the Dodgers and Rockies languish at 1-6, needing significant improvements.
Player Performances
American League Leaders:

Batting Average: Brian Giles (CLE) leads with an incredible .480 average, followed by Derek Jeter (NYY) at .467 and Jeffrey Hammonds (BAL) at .464.

Home Runs: A three-way tie features Brady Anderson (BAL), Juan Gonzalez (TEX), and Dean Palmer (TEX), all with four homers.

RBIs: Tony Clark (DET) and Bobby Higginson (DET) lead with 10 RBIs each, showcasing the Tigers’ offensive firepower.

Stolen Bases: Otis Nixon (TOR) tops the list with six steals, showing his veteran speed remains an asset.

On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): Jeffrey Hammonds (BAL) dominates with a 1.380 OPS, a testament to his all-around excellence at the plate.
National League Leaders:

Batting Average: David Segui (MON) leads at .462, followed by Tony Gwynn (SD) at .455.
Home Runs: Jeff Bagwell (HOU) leads with five homers, followed by Ellis Burks (COL) and Ken Caminiti (SD) with three each.

RBIs: Sammy Sosa (CHC) is off to a torrid start, leading with 12 RBIs.
Stolen Bases: Tony Womack (PIT) leads the league with seven stolen bases, followed by Derek Bell (HOU) with four.

Hitting Streaks
Rich Becker (MIN), Jeffrey Hammonds (BAL), and Bobby Higginson (DET) are among players with seven-game hitting streaks, signaling consistency at the plate.

Pitching Performances
ERA Leaders: Willie Blair (DET), Erik Hanson (BAL), and Jack McDowell (CLE) have perfect ERAs, emphasizing their early dominance on the mound.
Notable War: Ken Caminiti (SD) leads NL batters in WAR, contributing significantly to the Padres' solid start.

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Thurs. April 10, 1997

Portland Pioneers at New York Yankees
Apr 10, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Portland (3-7)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	2
New York (5-5)	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	6	0
W: M.Stanton (1-0) L: S.Kamieniecki (0-1) S: M. Rivera (3)

Better teams will lose to the Yankees when entering the 9th with a 2-run deficit. Mariano Rivera is an absolute shut down closer and we found that out here tonight. The Yankees hold on to beat us 3-1 tonight in front of 25,746 at Yankee Stadium. Nobody stood out in this game really, but Scott (Kamieniecki) played well for us tonight, despite a loss.

Our bullpen is starting to improve with Mercker and Scott Service acquired the other day in a trade with the Reds. Tough one to lose tonight but its the year for that.

Pioneers at Yankees |
Apr 11, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Extras	R	H	E
Portland (3-8)	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	7	8	2
New York (6-5)	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	8	15	0
W: W.Banks (1-0) L: K.Bottenfield (0-2)

A tough loss in a season that doesn't seem to be in our favor. Mark Whiten was the game's hero for the hometown Yankees as they rallied to score 4 runs in the bottom of the 10th to win the game from us. This was despite us scoring three runs the half-inning before them. I'll admit, I thought 3 runs in the extra frames would be enough to secure a victory, but I am just now learning what the first season of Pioneers baseball will be like.

Either way David Cone pitched well enough for the Yankees to get a complete game had it not gone into extra innings. Cone left the game with 9 innings pitched but no decision.

Trade Announcement

The Portland Pioneers send 31-year-old minor league 3B Dan Rohrmeier and 27-year old 2B Keith Mitchell to the Atlanta Braves for 27-year-old LHP Alan Embreee, 26-yea-rold RHP Paul Byrd, 25-year-old 2b Marty Malloy, 27-year-old SS Pablo Martinez and 24-year old LF Wonder Monds.

This trade was about getting rid of two guys who don't currently start for us and shaping our roster to get guys who might. Alan Embree was the real prize here for us in this draft, that and getting $190K closer to our goal of becoming a balanced budget team. We're currently $3.7M in the hole. In addition to Embree we picked up a lot of minor league speed and we're hoping at least one of those guys can make it to the show.


* April 12th's game versus the Yankees was rained out and re-scheduled for later in the year.

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Portland Trades for Tartabull

Portland, OR — The Portland Pioneers made a splash this morning with a major trade, sending fan-favorite left fielder Pete Incaviglia to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for veteran right fielder Danny Tartabull, along with two minor league prospects: 24-year-old outfielder Joe Barbao and 20-year-old right-handed pitcher Doug Aguiar.

The deal marks a significant shift for the Pioneers, who, despite the loss of Incaviglia's power bat, are betting big on the experience and leadership that Tartabull, 34, brings to the table. With his MLB tenure stretching over a decade, the seasoned right fielder is seen as a stabilizing force for a team still in its early expansion years.

Tartabull, who spent the last few seasons with the Kansas City Royals, brings a wealth of experience that the Pioneers hope will help anchor their outfield and boost their offensive production. Known for his powerful bat, which has consistently hit for power and average over his career, Tartabull will be expected to provide an immediate impact on a Pioneers lineup that is still searching for a consistent offensive identity.

“I’m excited to join a team that is building something special here in Portland,” Tartabull said after the trade was confirmed. “I’ve loved the energy of the fans in Portland, and I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to the club that’s on the rise.”

Despite being 34, Tartabull remains one of the most reliable players in the league. His steady presence and ability to hit in clutch situations are qualities the Pioneers were sorely missing. With a career batting average hovering around .280 and over 250 career home runs, Tartabull has proven time and again that he can still be a key contributor on a playoff-contending team.

The Pioneers' general manager, however, is looking at the long-term picture as well. By adding two young prospects in Barbao and Aguiar, the Pioneers are investing in their future. Barbao, an intriguing outfield talent, is known for his quick reflexes and developing bat skills, while Aguiar, a hard-throwing righty, has the potential to make an impact on the mound in the coming years.

Oakland Athletics at Portland Pioneers
Apr 14, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland (7-6)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	1
Portland (4-8)	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	x	5	6	0
W: P. Rapp (2-1) L: S. Karsay (2-1) S: A. Embree (1)

Our first shutout in Franchise history and the first game in which Danny Tartabull became a Pioneer. By the way, Tartabull went 1 for 4 in his Pioneers debut. We're expecting him to be better than most of the players on our team, so we're looking for Danny to swing and get back to his 1996 routine of hitting 27 in one season. Time will tell if he can or not (obviously).

Oakland Athletics at Portland Pioneers
Apr 15, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland (8-6)	0	2	0	2	1	0	0	0	1	6	10	0
Portland (4-9)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	3	0
W: M. Oquist (1-2) L: G. Gonzalez (0-2)

Not much to say here. Gonzalez is a young 22-year-old Pitcher and we're expecting him to lose games (especially with this roster), but tonight he had an off-day and we're just going to have to move on and try for the next one.

Oakland Athletics at Portland Pioneers
Apr 16, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland (8--7)	3	0	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	7	10	0
Portland (5-9)	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	8	10	0
W: S. Belinda (1-0) L: B. Taylor (1-1)

We seem to be playing well in this series. The Athletics are a bottom of the division team anyway but we'll take the wins anyway we can get them. In this case, it was Danny Tartabull who made his presence felt by driving in a 2-run single to tie the game. It was then up to Mike Blowers who sent one into the outfield to score the runner from 3rd and sending the 29,528 fans home happy. It was a good series, but I know we need to get much better. Luckily this first year isn't at all about wins or losses, but more about acquiring the players we think might help us get there. Great to see our fans leave happy for once.

[johnstone1987]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

I was born in Portland and grew up in Central Oregon so this is amazing. What are you using for this? OOTP?

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

I was born in Portland and grew up in Central Oregon so this is amazing. What are you using for this? OOTP?

Hey there thanks for checking this out!! Yes, OOTP 22 to be exact. I bought and have '25 but for some reason I can never get the simulation to go smoothly. When I play the game and it's playing, the players completely vanish for some reason. So I'm stuck playing the older game. Planning on making this my long term journal, so thanks for commenting!!

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Portland Fans Not Caring About Slow Start

Portland, OR — Since Portland announced that baseball was coming to the city, Jake “Dusty” Dawson has wore his Pioneers hat religiously. A longshoreman at the Port of Portland, Dusty is heard all day talking about the prospects of winning it all and bringing a championship from his favorite sport, to Portland. It was a feat that was deemed impossible as Portland had no franchise of their own. That was up until a few years ago when the Pioneers Baseball Organization announced itself as the newest Expansion team in Major League Baseball.

Decked out in a vintage Pioneers hat and Jacket that he custom ordered from the team store, it's safe to say that out of the gate at least, Dawson is the team's number one fan. He shows up early to each game, beer and a hotdog order before the first inning. He'll sit and score the game while listening to the broadcasters call it in his ear buds. He's tuned in.

But to not take away from Dusty, he's one of many residents in the Portland area that are excited for the team as well. A few of the restaurants downtown on the South Waterfront like Flying Elephants or King Tide Fish and Shell have been busy before and after games. The South Waterfront, the city's project to bring younger people downtown, is in a great relationship with the ballpark. More people come to the city, more people utilize businesses around it, and everyone leaves happy.

Well, with the exception of the usual loss by the Portland team. The team hasn't performed well out of the gate and that is absolutely expected – especially all year. When we caught back up with Dusty he told us the very thing.

“We're an expansion team so we're not really expected to do much this year on the field. I'm hoping the management knows what to do off of it. The real action this year is in the board rooms where deals are getting done. We don't have a lot of sports here in Portland, we got the Blazers, but as far as baseball this is the only ticket in town and I'm ride of die.”

It seems the city of Portland and it's local businesses would agree.

A Look at the Detroit Tigers this season:

The Tigers have had a middling season so far, playing .533 ball with a record of 8 wins and 7 losses. This puts them in 2nd place in the East Division, just half a game behind the division leader. While their offense shows promise, ranking 3rd in the AL with 91 runs scored, their .278 batting average is only 7th best in the league. The pitching staff has been a bigger concern, giving up 88 runs (14th in the AL). Starting pitchers hold a poor 5.64 ERA (12th), though the bullpen has fared somewhat better with a 4.15 ERA, ranking 10th.

Looking ahead, the Tigers have three pitching matchups on the horizon: R. Robertson (0-1, 4.09 ERA) faces O. Olivares (0-2, 8.47 ERA); S. Kamieniecki (0-1, 4.50 ERA) takes on G. Dishman (0-0, 7.36 ERA); and P. Rapp (2-1, 3.32 ERA) goes up against W. Blair (1-2, 3.45 ERA). Key players for the team include left fielder Bobby Higginson, second baseman Damion Easley, center fielder Brian Hunter, starting pitcher Justin Thompson, and relief pitcher Mike Myers.

Detroit Tigers at Portland Pioneers
Apr 17, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (9-7)	0	1	0	3	1	0	0	0	1	6	10	1
Portland (5-10)	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	9	0
W: O. Olivares (1-2) L: R. Robertson (0-2) S: M. Myers (1)

Rey Ordonez was playing his first game at second base today. We're hoping that we're able to develop him into the team's future second baseman since Mark Lemke is 31 and starting to age out for us who is looking to build a younger team. Ordonez's bat has got off to a fast start so he may end up playing his way into the starting role before the end of the year anyway. Of course, he's not a power bat by any means but he comes up as a defensive player – and a good one at that. Yep, another loss on the year. So used to it it's almost numb and we're not even in May yet.

Detroit Tigers at Portland Pioneers
Apr 18, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (9-8)	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	1	0	4	9	0
Portland (6-10)	1	4	0	0	0	0	1	2	x	8	14	1
W: S. Kamieniecji (1-1) L: G. Dishman (0-1) S: S. Belinda (1)

Danny Tartabull hit a solo-home run in the bottom of the first to put us up early, and then the bottom of the second happened. Detroit pitcher Glen Dishman couldn't find the plate and we knew it. Portland sat back and took pitches leading to Dishman throwing a few wild pitches and executing a balk. We never looked back after that. In other news, Rey Ordonez came in for Tim Bogar who left the game early. Word coming out of that ordeal is he'll be out for 3-weeks. Meanwhile Ordonez continues to hit the cover off the ball. In 6 games (I know, only 6), he's batting .462. Tonight he went 1-1 with a run scored.

Tim Bogar has been placed on the 15-game IL.

Detroit Tigers at Portland Pioneers
Apr 19, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (9-9)	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	8	0
Portland (7-10)	2	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	x	5	13	0
W: P. Rapp (3-1) L: W. Blair (0-1) S: C. Holt (1)

Well it was a great to get the win over the Tigers. A great beginning of the season by Rey Ordonez, who we got for his defensive skills, but is showing up with offensive ones instead. Ordonez started this game at third base in place of Tim Bogar. Ordonez went 2-4 with a run scored in this one. He sits at .471 on the year and is having some pretty productive at-bats. On the other side of things, I'm starting to think Chris Holt should be our closer. We won't do that just yet, but it could be on the horizon. This win also wins us the series over Detroit as we continue to climb out of the cellar.

[tobin834]

Re: Portland Pioneers: The Complete History

Portland, Charlotte Eye MLB Draft June 4th

New York, NY - Major League Baseball has released the list that both the Portland Pioneers and Charlotte Speed have been waiting for, the MLB Draft Prospects. Even though the draft class isn't particularly strong this year, teams with little to no farm system can never wait until the draft comes up.

Charlotte will receive the first pick of the 1997 MLB Draft which is largely believed to be Centerfielder JD Drew. Drew looks to have 5-tools as a player and hits from the left side of the plate. His speed is what MLB scouts like, but it's his power that brings him this far up the boards. The Centerfielder from Tallahassee, Florida is ready to go the MLB after skipping college where he could have been the star for local favorite Florida State.

Joining Drew among the top of the board is Leftfielder Matt Holliday. The 17-year-old from Stillwater, Oklahoma just completed his freshman year of college at the University of Arkansas and is already being touted as the first or second overall selection in the draft. It's assumed that whichever one of these two stars gets drafted to Charlotte, the other one is going to Portland.

The top-5 picks this year will belong to (1) Charlotte, (2) Portland, (3) Detroit, (4) Philadelphia, (5) San Francisco. Time will only tell as to who goes where, but that's the fun of the MLB Draft. The draft is slated to take place June 4th from New York City.

[IMG]

Pioneers at Rangers |
Apr 20, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Extras	R	H	E
Portland (7-11)	0	3	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	0	7	11	0
Texas (10-9)	0	0	0	0	1	4	1	1	0	1	8	17	1
W: T. Silva (1-0) L: K. Bottenfield (0-3)

A tough loss on Sunday Night Baseball for the Pioneers. We had the lead until Alan Embree came in and gave up 2 runs. It wasn't so much the number of runs he gave up but when they were given up. The Rangers seemed to roll after that and defeat us quite easily. We went to extra innings but it wasn't enough. Bottenfield is our closer and he gave up the winning run tonight. We asked him to go two innings in relief and he let up the winning run. This says more and more that he should be removed as our closer - something that is looking more and more likely.

Elsewhere, Rey Ordonez is hitting .409 this year even after going 1 for 5 in this game. Ordonez will be in the lineup for the next week or so when Tim Bogar recovers from an injury. Ordonez is starting at third, a position it's going to be hard to give up on him with. His bat seems to be producing and he seems to be doing well at third base. It will be interesting what we decide to do when Bogar comes back. Tough loss tonight.

Portland Pioneers at Texas Rangers
Apr 21, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Portland (8-11)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	9	0
Texas (10-10)	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	7	1
W: S. Service (1-0) L: E. Vosberg (0-1) S: C. Holt (2)

A nice win in Texas tonight. Texas is a powerful team and the fact we were able to hang with them, despite being an underdog in every single position on the field, we still managed to win the game. I still feel our Relief Pitching is the shakiest part about this team. Ordonez continued his hitting streak with a single but he was largely not apart of the end result. Marvin Bernard, who we rested tonight, pitch hit for Mark Lemke and delivered a game-winning sac-fly to Left Field to drive in a run to tie the game, an a wild pitch by Vosberg ended up scoring the runner from third and winning the game for us.

Portland Pioneers at Texas Rangers
Apr 22, 1997	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Portland (8-12)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	0
Texas (11-10)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	2
W: J. Burkett (4-1) L: R. Robertson (0-3) S: D. Patterson (1)

Well a heartbreaker to Texas as we left so many men on base in scoring position in this game that honestly, we deserved to lose this one. The difference in this game was as simple sac fly by Mark McLemore with the bases loaded that brought one run home and won the game for Texas.

On some better notes for us, loved how Robertson (5 IP, 1 ER) and Mercker (3 IP, 0 ER) both pitched tonight. I think Kent Mercker could become a better player. Not all-star or anything on that level as of yet (or maybe ever) but he's showing signs of improvement.

Portland Player Update