This article is a guest commentary from OregonLive.Com. The article is from 07/23/02

Jeffrey Larson: Bring Major League Baseball to Portland

07/22/02 - Guest Commentary
OregonLive.com


Now is the time and Portland is the place for Major League Baseball.

As the dog days of summer approach us in the beautiful Pacific Northwest,
many Portlanders feel like we're missing something. That something is Major
League Baseball, and now our opportunity to get a team could be on the
horizon. Although Triple-A ball is fun, it lacks the glory of the Big Show.
Major League Baseball is filled with interesting individuals, exciting
match-ups, and compelling history. However, in addition to featuring
spectacular play, the recent All-Star game highlighted many of the problems
that Major League Baseball currently faces. For example, rampant steroid use
negates many of the games' unbelievable personal triumphs, the current
miniscule revenue-sharing gives large-market teams an unfair fiscal
advantage, and the lack of a salary cap has lead to sky-rocketing salaries
for players and decreased fan support.

This month has also brought to light the fact that several teams are
struggling to make payroll. These problems are real, as could be the
impending players' strike this August. However, there are solutions to these
problems, and Portland is a part of the solution.

During this past half-season, the commissioner, Bud Selig, has often
mentioned either contracting one or several teams, or relocating them. These
threats' validity has been questioned as many wonder if it is simple
jockeying for position before the lockout. Others believe that the current
financial woes require a real and radical response, one that would happen
very soon. Although contraction has been mentioned a lot lately, there are
several problems with completely eliminating major-league teams.

Obviously a dispersal draft of current Expos, for example, would be unfair,
with some teams getting superstars like Vladimir Guerrero and others
receiving lesser players. In addition to such an inequity, there is still
the problem of what to do with their entire minor-league system. Montreal
currently has 6 minor league teams and over 100 minor-league players. The
logistics of such a radical action make relocation a much more viable
solution.

Recent moves by the Expos also point to something other than contraction.
Montreal, instead of dumping high-salaried players in the first steps of
dissolving their franchise, has added several big-name players like pitcher
Bartolo Colon and outfielder Cliff Floyd, moves that make the franchise more
appealing to would-be owners in potential relocation cities such as
Portland.

During the next few months, baseball will have to face many of the issues
that currently plague it. During negotiations, many solutions will be looked
at including possible relocation of franchises. Several teams have been
mentioned, including Montreal, Florida, Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Oakland,
and Portland is always at or near the top of the list of potential
relocation sites. These next few months present Portland with an
unparalleled opportunity to attract a team, and given the current financial
woes that baseball faces, relocation is a very real and attractive solution.
Now is the time for such a solution.

Here is the place. But why Portland? According to the Oregon Baseball
Campaign, Portland is the largest city without Major League Baseball, and is
larger than three cities that currently have teams. The weather during
baseball season, as we Portlanders know, is wonderful, actually the best in
the nation from June through September. Portlanders too are avid
baseball-watchers, and television ratings for baseball is higher here than
in many other cities with MLB teams. In addition to these attractions,
funding for a stadium is in the works and will probably be approved during
the next session of the Oregon Congress. Portland presents baseball with an
unrivaled option for success. Relocation will bring difficulties, but Major
League Baseball needs a solution, and fast.

As we enjoy our sunny weather and root on our Mariners, we all know that
having a team in Portland would be great for the city, and that the city
would be great for baseball. The time for decision-making is nearing, and
Portland presents a wonderful solution to some of baseball's problems.
Hopefully, the remainder of worries will eventually be solved and baseball
will emerge stronger than ever. Maybe next year as the long days of summer
approach, instead of talking about steroid use, salary-caps, and revenue
sharing, we could be discussing no-hitters, Golden Gloves, and pennant
races. Under the bright lights of baseball's future we could be rooting on
our team with peanuts in our hand and a smile on our face. Now is the time,
and here is the place for major league baseball.

(Jeffrey Larson of Southwest Portland is a sophomore at Santa Clara
University.)