Stauffer is Tucson's opening-night starter

[BeavCowboy]

Tim will be Tucson's opening-night starter on Thursday when it begins the PCL season at Salt Lake City. He is no longer on the Padres' 40-man roster but I'd think if he pitches well he'll get promoted at some point.

Tucson Padres

 

[SpiderFan]

I see they changed their Triple A affiliate to Tucson--it used to be Portland.

 

[BeavCowboy]

PCL left Portland after 2011.

Portland re-configured former PGE Park (now JELD-WEN Field) to be soccer/football-specific when the Timbers joined the MLS. It was supposed to build a baseball-only stadium for the Beavers on the site of the old Memorial Coliseum, which is largely abandoned since the Rose Garden was built next door, but the mayor folded when a couple of preservationists started complaining that the Coliseum had to be preserved because it was "historic."

Plans to build in several other locations failed and the franchise was moved to Tucson as a stopgap measure. It was supposed to relocate in suburban San Diego to be close to the parent club (like the R-Braves did to suburban Atlanta) but funding problems quashed a potential stadium there, so they're still in Tucson.

Since Portland wouldn't do anything, a 4,500-seat stadium is being built in Hillsboro, a west suburb of Portland, and a short-season single-A Northwest League team that was moved from Yakima will play there this summer. Short-season A should be very successful in Portland, because the weather is so much better and there are not 30 games played in April and May, when it still rains some.

Chesterfield County should do something like that and steal the Squirrels from the city of Richmond, which can't seem to find its butt with either hand when it comes to building a new ballpark to replace the Diamond.

 

[SpiderVol]

Re: PCL left Portland after 2011.

Beav, while I agree with your thoughts on the City of Richmond, the last thing we should want is for Henrico or Chesterfield to find away to build there own stadium. That is the problem with this entire area, each county has only thought about themselves and not done things for the good of the entire metro area. The City of Richmond owns a lot of that blame but the counties are at fault as well.

This area is finally starting to get it (outside of baseball) and doing so many more things to build up the city, reduce crime, and make the entire area a better place to live. As much as I hate to admit it SOBS has done a ton to make Broad St, Downtown, the Fan, and Jackson Ward a better place to live, work, and play. Festivals like the Richmond Folk Festival and Sportsbackers Dominion Riverrock and brought tons of new venues, amentiies and fun to downtown on the river. They ahve soem serious plans to continue to grow that area and baseball should be in those plans.

Their biggest issues is that they know the diamond is a crapy place for the new stadium. It is convienent and easy because they have the land but it is a crappy place because the highway cuts it off from any promise that Blvd brings and they will never get rid of the Greyhound bus station across the street because it is one of the largest transfer stations on the entire east coast.

They keep talking about moving it to Shockoe Bottom which is a mistake for several reasons (flooding, historical site, etc.). They should really just focus that area in being a different entertainment space (historical slave trail, arts disctrict, etc.). IMO, I think they should put a new baseball stadium down on the river near Legend Brewing. They have already demolished the old reynolds plant. It would give a view of the river and skyline like PNC Park in Pittsburgh. There is also a lot of other things that could be built up around there, they ahve plenty of space for parking decks and realtively easy access from the city (Manchester bridge) and I95 right there.

 

[URPike]

Re: PCL left Portland after 2011.


+1 on hoping one of the counties builds a ballpark for the Squirrels. The City has had plenty of time to find a solution and is unable or unwilling to do so. Like Vol said, if it wasn't for VCU basically gentrifying the city by themselves it would be a disaster. There is a lot of cool stuff going on in the city but it is in spite of the city, not because of it. We will lose our baseball team if we wait on city leadership to make this happen.

 

[WebSpinner]

Re: PCL left Portland after 2011.

the last thing we want is for one of the counties to build a park? that would be great and huge if they did. there is no reason the ballpark should be in the city at all, look at who goes to see baseball, who does not, look at the demographics of the city as opposed to the counties. that is exactly where a new baseball park should go.

 

[BeavCowboy]

What ablout City Stadium site?


Couldn't you build a minor-league ballpark on the current site of City Stadium? Certainly not much going on there these days, is there? But I expect there would be considerable NIMBY opposition.

 

[WebSpinner]

Re: What ablout City Stadium site?

there are plenty of thing that could be done, the question is, will they do anything. the city could screw up a one car funeral.

 

[SpiderVol]

Re: PCL left Portland after 2011.

Web, I guess you and I can agree to disagree on this one. I think this area is finally starting to figure it out and is fostering growth in the city. This is what we as a metro area need to continue to do. Lets not get back to the 70-80's were we had a growing suburbia and a decaying city. That really ended up hurting the entire area and halted a lot of economic growth that ended up in places like Raleigh and Charlotte and NOVA. This would be another huge step for the city.

 

[WebSpinner]

Re: PCL left Portland after 2011.

Vol, no argument there but when you are talking about the city and those who make decisions, you still have to utilize words like would, could, might, should. a lot of what is going on there is in spite of how inept they are. a strong city is good for the area and needed but still contend that a new baseball park does not have to be in the city, just in the area. if the area/city could think big, they would be looking at big college football games, the acc tourney, ncaa opening rounds, regionals and final fours not just a larger arena, they have no vision, they think small.