Portland Beavers

From BR Bullpen

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  • Ballpark: Vaughn Street Park 1906-1917, 1919-1955; PGE Park (formerly Multnomah Field, Multnomah Stadium, and Civic Stadium) 1956-2010

Team History[edit]

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Portland was a charter member of the Pacific Coast League and has competed in that league for more seasons than any other city. After the Portland Browns (1903-1904) and Portland Giants (1905), there was the Portland Beavers. The Beavers won PCL pennants in 1906, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1932, 1936, and 1983. The first five of those pennants were under longtime manager Walter McCredie who managed Portland from 1905-1917, and 1919-1921. Ad Liska pitched for the Beavers from 1936-1949, winning over 10 games 10 times including 20 3 times, leading the league in wins in 1937 (24) and had a 198-194 record in Portland. Roy Helser pitched in Portland for 11 years (1942-1952), winning 20 3 times and 10 4 other times, going 122-105 overall. Eddie Basinski manned 2B for 12 years (1947-1957) and Gus Fisher was the catcher for 9 years (1909-1910, 1912-1917, 1921). Buddy Ryan (1908-1911) led the league in HR, H, and Avg in 1911, before managing the Sacramento Senators for 9 years (1924-1932). Jim Poole (1921-1924) led in HR in 1924, while Elmer Smith (1926-1928) led in HR in 1926 and 1927. Moose Clabaugh (1934-1937, 1940) led in 2B in 1935, and Ted Norbert led in HR both years on the team (1941-1942) and AVG the second year. The majors first 30/30 man Ken Williams spent two stints in Portland (1916-1917, 1930-1931) and led the league in HR in 1917. Jim Thorpe spent part of 1922 in Portland Mickey Cochrane in 1924, Luis Tiant in 1964, and Lou Piniella in 1966-1968, were in Portland on their way to major league careers. After the 1972 season the Beavers moved to Spokane, WA to become the Spokane Indians. It would be the first time since 1918 that Portland would not have an entry in the Pacific Coast League.

In 1978 the city was granted one of the two Pacific Coast League expansion teams, along with the Vancouver Canadians, and the Beavers were reborn. This version of the Beavers would last 16 seasons before an eventual move to Salt Lake City, UT to become the Salt Lake Buzz for the 1994 season.

In 2001 the PCL left the southwest to return to Portland. The Albuquerque Dukes moved up to Portland and became the newest incarnation of the Beavers. The club would play in their old home of PGE Park through the 2010 season when the stadium would be converted to a soccer only facility for the city’s new Major League Soccer team, the Portland Timbers. With no other facility available for the team within the city the club was returned to the southwest, this time going to Tucson, AZ to become the Tucson Padres.

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Coach
1906 115-60 1st Walt McCredie none League Champs
1907 72-114 4th Walt McCredie none
1908 95-90 2nd Walt McCredie none
1909 112-87 2nd Walt McCredie none
1910 114-87 1st Walt McCredie none League Champs
1911 113-79 1st Walt McCredie none League Champs
1912 85-100 4th Walt McCredie none
1913 109-86 1st Walt McCredie none League Champs
1914 113-84 1st Walt McCredie none League Champs
1915 78-116 6th Walt McCredie none
1916 93-98 5th Walt McCredie none
1917 98-102 4th Walt McCredie none
1919 78-96 7th Walt McCredie none
1920 81-103 8th Walt McCredie none
1921 51-134 8th Walt McCredie none
1922 87-112 7th Bill Kenworthy (3-6) / Thomas L. Turner (43-59) /
Al Demaree (8-13) / Jim Middleton (33-34)		 none
1923 107-89 3rd Jim Middleton none
1924 88-110 7th Bill Kenworthy (49-65) / Frank Brazill (39-45) none
1925 92-104 5th Duffy Lewis (72-80) / Truck Hannah (20-24) none
1926 100-101 4th Ernie Johnson none
1927 95-95 5th Ernie Johnson none
1928 79-112 7th Ernie Johnson (35-50) / Bill Rodgers (44-62)
1929 90-112 6th Bill Rodgers
1930 81-117 8th Larry Woodall
1931 100-87 3rd Spencer Abbott
1932 111-78 1st Spencer Abbott none League Champs
1933 105-77 2nd Spencer Abbott none
1934 66-117 8th Walt McCredie (26-49) / Thomas L. Turner (8-23) /
George Burns (25-32) / George Blackerby (7-13)
1935 87-86 4th Buddy Ryan (23-29) / Bill Cissell (64-57)
1936 96-79 1st Max Bishop (21-19) / Bill Sweeney (75-60) League Champs
1937 90-86 4th Bill Sweeney Lost League Finals
1938 79-96 6th Bill Sweeney
1939 75-98 8th Bill Sweeney
1940 56-122 8th Johnny Frederick
1941 71-97 8th Ossie Vitt
1942 67-110 8th Frank Brazill
1943 79-76 4th Merv Shea Lost in 1st round
1944 87-82 2nd Marv Owen Lost in 1st round
1945 112-68 1st Marv Owen Lost in 1st round
1946 74-109 7th (t) Marv Owen
1947 97-89 3rd Jim Turner Lost in 1st round
1948 89-99 5th Jim Turner
1949 85-102 6th Bill Sweeney
1950 101-99 4th Bill Sweeney none
1951 83-85 4th Bill Sweeney Lost in 1st round
1952 92-88 4th Clay Hopper none
1953 92-88 4th Clay Hopper none
1954 71-94 8th Clay Hopper
1955 86-86 5th Clay Hopper none
1956 86-82 3rd Tommy Holmes (44-48) / Bill Sweeney (42-34) none
1957 60-108 8th Bill Sweeney (1-5) / Frank Carswell (1-10) / Bill Posedel (58-93) none
1958 78-76 4th Tom Heath (39-45) / Larry Jansen (39-31) none
1959 78-77 6th Tom Heath none
1960 64-90 8th Tom Heath none
1961 71-83 5th Vern Benson (42-36) / Ray Katt (29-47) none
1962 74-80 6th Les Peden none
1963 73-84 7th Les Peden (28-28) / Dan Carnevale (45-56)
1964 90-68 3rd John Lipon
1965 81-67 3rd John Lipon Lost League Finals
1966 69-79 9th John Lipon
1967 79-69 3rd John Lipon
1968 72-72 7th Red Davis
1969 57-89 8th Red Davis
1970 68-78 5th Al Federoff
1971 71-71 4th (t) Ralph Rowe
1972 61-87 7th Ray Hathaway (5-8) / Clay Bryant (2-4) / Dan Carnevale (69-50)
1978 76-62 3rd Gene Dusan Tied with Tacoma when series cancelled due to rain.
Albuquerque and Tacoma declared co-champs
1979 73-74 6th John Lipon
1980 69-76 7th Jim Mahoney
1981 72-65 3rd (t) Pete Ward
1982 65-79 8th Jim Saul (45-55) / Tom Trebelhorn (20-24)
1983 75-67 3rd (t) John Felske League Champs
1984 62-78 9th Lee Elia
1985 68-74 5th Bill Dancy
1986 68-73 6th (t) Bill Dancy
1987 45-96 10th Charlie Manuel
1988 76-66 3rd Jim Mahoney (36-32) / Jim Shellenback (40-34) Lost in 1st round
1989 72-72 6th Phil Roof
1990 56-83 9th Jim Shellenback Dan Rohn
1991 70-68 6th Russ Nixon Lost in 1st round
1992 83-61 2nd Scott Ullger Lost in 1st round
1993 87-56 1st Scott Ullger Lost League Finals
Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Hitting Coach Pitching Coach
2001 71-73 8th Rick Sweet Roy Howell
2002 72-71 8th (t) Rick Sweet Roy Howell Dave Rajsich
2003 69-75 12th Rick Sweet Rob Deer Mike Couchee
2004 84-60 1st Craig Colbert Lost in 1st round Tommy Sandt Tom Brown
2005 70-73 10th Craig Colbert Jose Castro Gary Lance
2006 68-76 11th Craig Colbert Jose Castro Gary Lance
2007 58-86 15th Rick Renteria Jose Castro Gary Lance
2008 70-74 9th Randy Ready Glenn Abbott
2009 60-84 16th Randy Ready Glenn Abbott
2010 59-85 15th Terry Kennedy


6/11/31 TSN Shibe talking about Portland "as a farm for developing talent"

Further Reading[edit]

  • Paul Andresen and Kip Carlson: "'Lucky Beavers' carve sole link to PCL's earliest days", in Mark Armour, ed.: Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest, Society for American Baseball Research, Cleveland, OH, 2006, pp. 95-98.


Source: 7/21/82 Palm Beach Post

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