Opening Day in Portland

April 2021 - The Oregonian

Opening Day has arrived! In a few days the Portland Beavers will take the field at Waterfront Park. Ushers have been hired and trained. Sponsors have been secured. Concession businesses are eager to ply their fare at the park. Season ticket holders and baseball fans in general can hardly wait to enjoy ABL baseball right here in the City of Roses.

But, wait!! The Beavers open the season in San Francisco and then travel east to face the Maple Marauders before returning home. Opening Day in Portland must wait until Monday, April 12, when the Kansas City Tornadoes come to town.

While the players on the roster are new to most fans in the area, the Beavers will field a team that is very similar to the team that won 90 games, captured the Weaver Division pennant, and advanced to the TML championship series in the final season playing in Boston. Let's take a look at our new team.

Starting Pitching - The Beavers will open the season with Nolan Lyons, Nate Gary, Elvis Sharp, Fred Watson, and Carlos Rubio in the rotation. Gary and Watson hope to improve after solid rookie seasons. Sharp signed as a free agent in the off season. A former 20-game winner while pitching for Montreal, Sharp hopes to return to form after two poor seasons. Acquired from the Republic in an off-season trade, Rubio earned a starting role on the strength of an excellent performance (13-4, 4.09 ERA) pitching in AAA last season. If any of these pitchers fail to produce, the organization has many pitchers with suspect upsides ready to jump in and attempt to stop the bleeding.

Relief Pitching - Expectations are that the relief corps will continue to deliver solid support in the late innings. Closer Troy Fountain is eager to demonstrate to management and the fans that the inconsistency he exhibited after being acquired in a mid-season trade last season was an aberration. He will be supported by Larry Foley and Mark Huber, two pitchers who were outstanding in 2020. Colby Hoffmann, a former closer, hopes to rebound after a poor season. Eric O'Farrell, Tommy Martin, and rookie Wilson Cruz round out the bullpen.

Catchers - The Beavers again will platoon Miguel Leon and Maxime Gras behind the plate. Leon is an outstanding defensive catcher who launches an occasional tater when at bat. Gras joined the team during the season, last year, and crushed left-handed pitching. The duo is projected to combine to provide adequate production at the backstop position.

Infielders - Primary starters at the infield positions will be Jose Escobar (1B), Pat Thompson (2B), Donald Cameron (SS), and John Kelly (3B). Escobar and Kelly delivered Gold Glove performances in 2020. Escobar also knocked in 109 runs. Thompson batted .308, led the team in stolen bases with 26, and consistently set the table for the big hitters while batting second. Cameron provides an excellent glove at shortstop, is a good contact hitter, and swipes an occasional base.

Kazutoshi Samurakami continues to improve at bat and in the field. In fact, he is pushing hard to crack the every day starting lineup. Going into the season he is projected to platoon at second base against southpaws. If he continues to crush opposing pitchers, it may be impossible to keep him out of the lineup. Slick fielding, poor hitting Peter Boyd will provide backup support, primarily at shortstop.

Outfielders - The outfield positions again will be manned by very talented players. Most Valuable Player Nick Holmes (RF-CF) clearly is the star that shines the brightest. One of the most talented, young players in the ABL, Holmes has averaged .338 with a .943 OPS during his first three seasons. The Beavers are anticipating more of the same in 2021. Slugger Bob Hayes (CF-DH) hammered 40 home runs and registered 134 runs batted in while batting .299. The Portland front office team would like to see Hayes duplicate the performance at the plate, but they also would like to see him improve upon his pathetic play in the outfield. Alberto Reyes (LF) again will lead off, steal bases, set the table for the power bats, and flash some fine leather while patrolling left field.

After three years of .300+ batting averages and 200+ hits per season, Pat Bancroft had a down year and should bounce back while serving as the designated hitter and fourth outfielder. Ryan Johnson again provides depth in the outfield.

The Bottom Line - The Portland Beavers should treat fans to an explosive offensive show throughout the season. The relievers should again be strong. The starting pitchers are the key to the season. If newcomers Elvis Sharp and Carlos Rubio deliver solid seasons, the pitching staff should reduce the number of runs allowed to a total that is low enough to enable the Beavers to win 90+ games and repeat as Weaver Division pennant winners.

Go, Beavers!!