Final Thoughts on PDX

Greetings everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying the Labor Day weekend in style! Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are having some problems with our weather. Cloudy, rainy and low-60's. Kinda reminds me of the fall, huh?

Today, I went up to Portland for the last time this summer. All in all, I visited PGE Park a total of seven times during Baseball Extravaganza 2009. Every single time I went up, I had a great time and never wanted to leave. It is a shame that this was my last trip up to Portland as it signals the impending conclusion of the summer and the end of BRTs. Anyways, I wanted to share with all of you some thoughts I had during this BRT and what is in store for my last game.

I got up to Portland, and the weather Gods seemed to dislike my arrival by dumping a massive deluge of rain onto the city. I was worried for a time that the game may be cancelled, but, being Oregon, I just had to wait 30 minutes and the skies cleared. Even so, there was a 37 minute rain delay to start the game.

The Beavers got a home run from Russ Adams, but it wasn't enough as they fell to the Las Vegas 51s 3-2 in ten innings.

Earlier this summer, after the AAA All-Star Game, I went off on how the Beavers couldn't ever leave PGE Park. I still stand by that statement, but I wouldn't have the same depressionary reaction if the Beavers were to leave PGE as I did with the whole Civic thing this past week. Let me tell you why: The Beavers are actively searching for a property to build a new park. If they are successful in attaining their number one choice of properties, the Memorial Coliseum site, it can open up some interesting doors for the Beavers. The location where they want to build ins on the river, looking over the many bridges, and facing the downtown. Kinda sounds a little like the setting for PNC Park in Pittsburgh...If the Beavers are smart, they can get their own ballpark and make a gem of the stadium if they know what to base a template on. I am confident that the management of the Beavers can make this happen. Let us not forget either that PGE Park will still be used, albeit for MLS Soccer. It is not facing an uncertain future.

The biggest thing, however, is that the Beavers will be getting their OWN ballpark. One with their OWN identity and charm. The Ems are moving into a ballpark that isn't theirs. When you go to games next year at PK Park, there are going to be Oregon logos and billboards all over the stadium. You won't know what team is playing there unless you look at the actual uniforms. The Beavers are smart enough to not enter into any agreement where this is going to happen. They should be commended for their dedication to the franchise.

Enough about the ballparks, let's talk about the team. I am so sick and tired of the horribly ran organization that is the San Diego Padres. Being die hard fans of both their AAA and A farm clubs, I can tell you that their method of player development is flawed and does not work. Here is how the Padres operate their farm system: whenever a player starts to get good, they automatically move them up in level. When they cool off, they send them back down. This happens multiple times during the years. There is no team continuity and has even spread to the management. The Beavers are on their third manager since the beginning of the season. How can you breed a winning attitude and mindset if you do not honor the concept of team building, cohesiveness, and unity? The majority of all the Padres farm teams, especially the Ems and Beavers, finished dead last in their respective leagues. It is no wonder that the Padres themselves are one of the worst teams in all of baseball. The talent is there, but the organization has zero clue on how to develop it. Their mistakes are now coming back to hurt them.

Well, it has come down to one final game. The last game of Baseball Extravaganza will happen two weeks from today in Seattle as the Mariners entertain the visiting New York Yankees. I am going to be going up with a buddy of mine from high school who has never been to Seattle. We're going to go up a day early and see the sights of Seattle. We might meet up with a few other folks and all go to the game. It should be a load of fun.

I will probably not update until the day before I leave.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)