No, really: the city of Beaverton is making a pitch to house a new ballpark for the Portland Beavers, and owner Merritt Paulson is reportedly interested.
It would be so poetic if the Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) ended up at a new ballpark in Beaverton, a Portland suburb. Imagine the marketing possibilities: the Beaverton Beavers playing at baseball at Beaverton Ballpark, laying down bunts and stealing bases.
We're a long way from a Beaverton ballpark, but the mayor of that fine community — the Beaverton head beaver, so to speak — wants to see the Bevos at a ballpark on city-owned land. Not quite sure there's any offer of money for a new ballpark, but the offer of free land has certainly attracted the attention of the Beavers' head beaver, Merritt Paulson, who apparently has told a Portland city officials or two about the suburb's interest in baseball. Said Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle in a statement: "If Portland is unable to find a suitable location for the team, we'd like to be considered as a potential regional solution to not only keep the Beavers in Oregon but in the immediate Portland metropolitan area."
Of course, in politicalese, regional solution is a signal to other cities and governmental bodies that they need to kick in to make a ballpark work. And we just don't see Sam Adams and Randy Leonard to be too darn eager to be kicking some tax dollars out to Beaverton so the Beavers can leave Portland.
RELATED STORIES: Paulson withdraws request for Bevos ballpark in Lents; Portland to move ahead with soccer renovation, put off plans for Bevos ballpark; Thursday vote could determine Bevos ballpark fate; New Beavers ballpark lacks support on City Council; Bevos, city close to final funding proposal for new ballpark; Rose Quarter location officially off the table for new Bevos ballpark; Bevos ballpark plans back up in the air — and maybe doomed; Portland ballpark vote delayed as mayor adjusts site, financial plans; New Beavers ballpark wouldn't happen until 2012 — at the earliest; Cost of Portland redevelopment mushrooms to almost $300 million; Crunching the numbers on a new Bevos ballpark; Portland proposes tearing down Memorial Coliseum for new Bevos ballpark; Portland City Council votes to move ahead with new Bevos ballpark — but takes $15 million from the equation; Paulson agrees to Portland's financial demands; still may not be enough; Bevos ballpark plan runs into serious financial obstacles; Portland task force gives preliminary approval to new Bevos ballpark — with plenty of conditions; Portland ballpark discussion shifts to Rose Quarter; Decision on new Bevos ballpark location delayed; Will new ballpark fly in Lents?
Subscribers to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter see articles, such as this one, before they're posted to the site. You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!