User:Halvorsen brian/Portland Beavers

The Portland Beavers, formerly known as the Portland Browns (1903–04), Portland Giants (1905), Portland Buckaroos (1918) and the Portland Ducks (1929) was the name of several minor league baseball teams based in Portland, Oregon for a total of 93 seasons (1903–1972, 1978–1993, 2001–2010).

1903: Inaugural season


It was announced that the upstart Pacific Coast League (PCL), which was to start in 1903, would have a franchise in Portland. The "Browns" was selected for the team's nickname, but it is unclear by whom. The Oregonian criticized the name, writing that it gave the team bad luck. J. P. Marshall served as the team's president and J. C. Ainsworth was the treasurer.

In 1903, Portland was represented by two baseball teams; the Browns of the PCL and the Portland Greengages of the Pacific National League (PNL). The PCL was an independent league, which led the president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues Patrick T. Powers, who classified leagues, to call for penalties towards players who played in the league. He wrote the president of the PNL in January 1903, "Whether I visit your country or not, you can rest assured that we will do everything in our power to help you win your fight and win your territory. For the information of those who insinuate that the National Association will take into its fold the California League and the Pacific Coast League, along with all the players that may jump from organized baseball this year, I want to go on the record now as saying I will positively oppose any such action by the National Association, and will insist [...] an extra penalty of one-year's suspension shall be imposed on each and every player that may jump the reserve or contact of a National Agreement club." In an attempt to handicap their opponent league, Pacific National League teams would sign players who were on the rosters of PCL clubs for a premium. This worked in short, but the PCL soon found players to fill their rosters. The PNL clubs on the other hand were strapped with the inflated contracts of the players they signed away from PCL teams.

The Browns' manager Sammy Vigneaux, who was also the team's catcher, held spring training in San Jose, California from February to March 1903. He attempted to keep the names of his players out of the papers before the start of the season in case the PNL tried to sign them away from the PCL.

The first game played by the Browns was an exhibition match against the San Jose California State League team. Portland lost 2–1. Their second exhibition game was against the Stanford Cardinal baseball team. Doc Andrews, Joe Kostal, Charlie Shaffer and Charlie Shields were known as the team's pranksters, with Carlos Smith and Deacon Van Buren being their favorite targets for shenanigans. Before the start of the season Pearce Chiles, who was an escaped prisoner from the Texas Department of Corrections, was released by the Browns after allegedly striking a woman in the face. Vigneaux said about incident that "I am determined to have none but gentlemanly players on the team".

The Browns first game of the PCL season was held on March 26 against the San Francisco Seals at Recreation Park in San Francisco. Ike Butler, Portland's pitcher, gave up seven runs to the Seals in a 7–3 loss. On July 20, 1903 Browns pitcher Bill Hogg was involved in a street fright in which he was stabbed. Manager Vigneaux suspended Hogg and he subsequently left the team without negotiating out of his contract, commonly known as "jumping ship". During a stockholders meeting on July 31, 1903 a new team executives were elected. Rudolph F. Prael was elected president, R. W. Schmeer was elected vice-president and treasurer and John F. Richards elected secretary.

By June the Portland Greengages were losing money. Dr. Emmett Drake, the Greengages president, announced that the team was re-locating to Salt Lake City, Utah. This left the Portland Browns as the only professional baseball team in the city.

The Oregonian wrote a scathing article about Vigneaux's tenure as Browns' manager on September 8, 1903. The article read, "[Vigneaux] is accused of favoritism, which if true, should be a reason for his release at once. His open hostility to [Tom] Hess is so patent, they say, that it is noticeable to the patrons. Admitting that Hess is something of a crab, he is a good player, and if Vigneaux, for personal reasons, places him under handicap, it's about time about time the officials of the club were taking a hand." Vigneaux resigned as the Browns' manager on September 21, 1903. Stocks of the team, which were given as a part of his contract, were forfeited back to the Browns executives. Frederick "Bones" Ely was hired to replace Vigneaux.

When the season ended on November 29 the Browns had 95 wins and 107 losses, placing them fifth of six teams in the Pacific Coast League. The Oregonian wrote that in "passing over the [season] of the Browns it is necessary to begin with management. [Sammy] Vigneaux did his best and failed utterly. His route was rough and difficult. It is true, but he fell down lamentably when it came to executive ability. He was strong when he should have been relenting, and relenting when he should have ruled with an iron hand. Because of his great kindness of heart, his desire not to hurt the feelings of his players, they took advantage of him, and when he attempted to bring them up with a sharp turn they simply ignored him and had no respect for his position."


 * Transactions
 * May 12, 1903 — Outfielder Frank Huelsman signed
 * July 29, 1903 — Pitcher Sammy Morris signed
 * September 21, 1903 — Sammy Vigneaux resigns as manager, Bones Ely is hired to replace him.
 * October 5, 1903 — First baseman Charles Elsey, catcher Tom Hess and pitcher Sammy Morris released; First baseman Jerry Freeman and catcher Arthur Anderson signed

1904: Ely and Dugdale at odds; McCredies purchase the team
After their first season, Rudolph F. Prael resigned as the Browns' president. The board of directors elected C. F. Swigert as the new president. John F. Richards and R. W. Schmeer were re-elected to their positions as secretary and treasurer, respectively. In January 1904 controlling shares of the Portland Browns was sold to the team's manager Bones Ely and his brother, Ben Ely. Ben Ely became the president of the club and Bones Ely assumed the role of vice-president as well as the team's manager.

Despite no official request was made by the PCL to join the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL), the governing body of the minor leagues, it was announced in February 1904 that the two sides had reached a working agreement. In order to become a Class A league, the agreement stipulated that PCL clubs could not sign players under contract with a NAPBL recognized team. The PCL was allowed to set its own salary cap and its players would be exempt from being drafted into Major League Baseball.

The team's training camp was held in Bakersfield, California.

Thirty-three games into the season, with an 11–22 last place record, Bones Ely resigned as manager of the Browns. Ben Ely, the team's president, announced that Daniel E. Dugdale was hired to fill the vacancy. Ed Gleason, who was formerly the groundskeeper of Dugdale Field in Seattle, Washington was hired by the Browns in July.

On October 16 Dugdale resigned as the Browns manager. He stated that he wished to expand the team's payroll, but found the team's owners apprehensive. He claimed Ben Ely told him that if the team lost they would make just as much as if they won. During an interview with The Oregonian Dugdale said, "There has been constant friction between [Ben Ely] and myself. You might say we never agreed." Dugdale also stated his intentions of purchasing the team in 1905. Pitcher Ike Butler took the reigns as the Browns manager for the remainder of the 1904 season. With Dugdale in charge of the team, the roster, which had prior only 14 players, was expanded to as may as 24 players. That meant the Browns were paying out more in salary and travel and boarding expenses to other cities. Ben Ely later told The Oregonian that he estimated the large roster during Dugdale's tenure cost $7,500.

Lou Castro, who had been released from the Browns on September 4, sued the team in October for $775 in withed wages.

On October 31, 1904, with 25 games left in the seasons, team owner Ben Ely announced that the remainder of the season was going to be played in California due to poor weather in Portland. This also kept travel expenses for the team low. Just before the season ended in late November, Ben Ely sold controlling interest of the Browns to the team's outfielder Walter McCredie and his uncle William Wallace McCredie, who was a superior court judge in Vancouver, Washington. Portland finished the season in last place with a 38–72 record.

1905: New ownership, new name
During the off-season Eugene F. Bert was elected president of the Portland PCL club and part-owner William Wallace "Judge" McCredie was elected vice-president. The Oregonian wrote that "Judge McCredie is untried, but he is a mam in love with clean sports of all kinds, and unless all signs fail, he is the right man in the right place." Despite being a first-time manager, McCredie was sure of his strategy in which he scouted lower level minor league players around the country from a Spading Baseball Almanac. He would then follow up with his scouted players via telegraph to gauge their interest in playing for a West Coast team.

McCredie announced that he was scrapping the name "Browns and the team colors, including the uniforms, would change from brown to blue. The Oregonian thought the choice was foolhardy because brown would more easily hide dirt stains and blue tended to fade of the long season. McCredie at first favored the name "Weebfooters" after the team from 1901–02. The Oregonian favored the "Mud Hens" or the "Mud Larks". The nickname "Giants" was ultimately chosen, but its unclear by whom. The Oregonian and The Oregon Daily Journal at first used the nickname Webfooters, but switched to Giants at the start of the regular season in April 1905. William G. MacRae of The Oregonian was the first to call the team the "giants" on April 1, 1905 and then five day later he capitalized the "G". MacRae also dubbed them the "Lewis and Clark city giants". Officially the team was incorporated as the Portland Athletic Company with $30,000 in capital.

Portland spent their 1905 spring training in Bakersfield, California. On March 26, Portland played an exhibition game against the Stockton team of the California State League.

Win French was selected by manager Walt McCredie to be Portland's opening day starting pitcher against the Los Angeles Angels in Los Angeles, California on March 30, 1905. Portland won the season opener to Los Angles, 6–5. During the game, fans for the Portland team presented McCredie with flowers before his first at-bat to wish him well in his first full season at the helm of the baseball club.

During a game on April 23 against the Los Angeles Angeles, Giants manager Walt McCredie was ejected from the game for arguing and fined $5. The Oregonian reported that the crowd was large and unruly. Children would wander onto the field and the game would have to be suspended until they could be returned to the parent. This happened, according to The Oregonian, on separate occasions causing a 20 minute delay.

The Giants went on an 11 game winning streak from late April to early June to improve their record to 27–27, placing them fourth in the Pacific Coast League on June 4.

During the eighth inning of a game in Los Angeles, California against the Angels on June 10, Portland pitcher Ned Garvin threw his baseball glove at umpire Bray. Garvin was ejected in the game which ended in a loss for Portland, 3–4.

After a game on October 19, 1905 owner Ben Ely was physically assaulted by the groundskeeper, Jointie Higgins, who reportedly bust into Ely's office demanding pay. Ely had to be taken to the hospital and was subsequently released to his home under the care of a doctor. Higgins was called before a grand jury in November who charged him with assault and battery, but did not return an assault with intent to kill conviction the prosecutors were looking for. Witnesses testified that on October 19 while Ben Ely was counting the receipts for that day's game, Higgins sucker punched Ely. The first police officer who was summoned to the scene stated that Ely was not badly injured. Ely testified that Higgins struck him with brass knuckles, which Ely's doctor E. D. Johnson, who was called as a witness by the prosecution, refuted. However, Johnson did testify that Ely had serious physical and mental injuries as a result of the incident. Portland owner Judge W. W. McCredie, who was a licensed attorney, represented Higgins in court. McCredie also allowed Higgins to keep his job as groundskeeper and assistant manager of the baseball team. It came to light in the court proceedings that the majority owners of the Portland club, the McCredies, had a strenuous relationship with minority owners Bones and Ben Ely The presiding judge fined Higgins the maximum $50 and released him.


 * Transactions
 * January 1905 — Signed first baseman Jack Doyle; second baseman Larry Schlafly; third baseman Louis Runkel; outfielder Ed Householder; outfielder Deacon Van Buren; catcher Dick Boetteger; pitcher Jim St. Vrain; pitcher Cowboy Jones; pitcher Bill Essick
 * January 1905 — Traded infielder Erve Beck and Phil Nadeau to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for shortstop John Atz and pitcher Win French
 * March 25, 1905 — Released utility player Jimmy Gleason and first baseman Charles Coe
 * May 29, 1905 — Released pitcher Win French
 * May 1905 — Signed pitcher Dad Clark

1906: Start of the McCredie dynasty
In December 1905 the Ely brothers sold their remaining interest in the Portland baseball club to Judge W. W. and Walt McCredie. A shareholder meeting of the Portland baseball team was called shortly after to elect new officers. Judge W. W. McCredie was elected team president and George S. Shepard was named vice-president and secretary. Walt McCredie returned as the manager and retained the services of Jointie Higgins as assistant manager and groundskeeper.

Walt McCredie took his team to Stockton, California for their 1906 spring training workouts. The weather was so poor in Stockton that Portland was forced to move their first exhibition game on March 18 to Lodi, California. The rain continued for several days making it nearly impossible for Portland to practice. Players had to find other ways to exercise leading Lou Castro, Sammy Vigneaux and Jack McLean to take up water polo.


 * Transactions
 * February 1906 — Signed first baseman Pete Lister; utility player Jim McHale; pitcher Bill Essick
 * March 21, 1906 — Signed pitcher Bill Essick
 * May 17, 1906 — Signed third baseman Jud Smith

Season-by-season leaders

 * Single season records
 * Batting average: .391, Bill Bagwell (1926)
 * Home runs: 46, Elmer Smith (1926)
 * Wins: 35, Doc Newton (1903)

Batting average
minimum 140 at-bats

Earned run average
minimum 60 innings pitched