Hillsboro Hops

Hillsboro Hops
Hillsboro, Oregon
Founded in 2013
Team logoCap insignia
Class-level
Current Class A-Short Season (2013–present)
Minor league affiliations
League Northwest League (2013–present)
Division Southern Division
Major league affiliations
Current Arizona Diamondbacks
(2013–present)
Minor league titles
League titles (2)
  • 2014
  • 2015
Division titles (2)
  • 2014
  • 2015
Team data
Nickname Hillsboro Hops (2013–present)
Previous names
Colors

Navy blue, green, light blue, white

                   
Mascot Barley
Ballpark Ron Tonkin Field (2013–present)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
 Short Season, LLC
Manager Shelley Duncan
General Manager K.L. Wombacher

The Hillsboro Hops are a minor league baseball team in the northwest United States, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb northwest of Portland. The team was founded in 2013 after the Yakima Bears moved to Hillsboro after the 2012 season.

The team is in the short-season Class A Northwest League, is a farm team of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Home games are played at Ron Tonkin Field, a new stadium opened in 2013.

History

Main article: Yakima Bears

As early as 2011, the Yakima Bears started exploring options to relocate after a lack of progress on a new stadium that would meet minor league standards, and a declining local economy.[1]

After a proposal to move to Vancouver, Washington, fell through, the team received an offer to move to Hillsboro, Oregon, in June 2012, with plans to start play there in 2013.[2] The city and team reached a deal, with city council approval on June 5,[3] and approval by the league and the franchise on June 8, 2012.[4] The city signed the agreement with the team on June 26,[5][6] with approval by Major League Baseball coming in August.[7] Ground breaking for a new 4,500-seat stadium took place on September 21, 2012,[8] and the new name of the Hops was announced on October 16, 2012.[9]

The Hillsboro Hops replaced the Triple-A Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League, who relocated to Tucson at the end of the 2010 season.[2] The Portland area went without minor league baseball in 2011 and 2012. The Hops opened the 2013 season at Salem on June 14 followed by the home opener on June 17.[10]

The team's inaugural game was a road loss at Salem.[11] and the first win came on June 17 in the home opener against Eugene.[12] Barley, the team's mascot, was introduced on June 28, 2013.[13] The Hops set a franchise record for attendance for the 2014 season with 138,732,[14] and won their division and the league championship.[15] The team was managed to the title by J. R. House, whose coaching staff included former major leaguers Doug Drabek and Mark Grace. Hillsboro swept the championship series with the three-time NWL defending champion Vancouver Canadians. The team set another franchise attendance record in 2015 with 143,412 (average of 3,774 for 38 dates) while winning a second consecutive league title.[16][17]

Team firsts

The Hops' first game was on June 14, 2013, on the road at the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a 3-2 loss.[11] Ryan Gebhardt had the team's first hit and Brian Billigen earned the first RBI.[11] The team's first sellout came in the 2013 home opener with 4,710 fans, who watched Jordan Parr hit the first home run in the Hops' history.[12][18] The Hops won their first division title and league championship during the 2014 season.[15]

Yearly records

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
2013 34–42 3rd Audo Vicente
2014 48–28 1st J. R. House League Champions
2015 45–31 1st Shelley Duncan League Champions

Branding

The team name is a reference to the plant used in beer brewing (Oregon is the second-largest hop-producing US state by volume),[19] as well as to various baseball terms such as the short hop, bad hop, and crow hop.[9] No previous professional or collegiate sports team has ever been called the "Hops".[20] The team's logo includes a hop cone wearing a baseball hat, evergreen trees, and Mount Hood.[21] Team colors are green, navy blue, and light blue.[19] The Hops' mascot is Barley, who is green with a blue baseball cap.[13] (Barley is another plant used in beer brewing.) The team's branding and logo was named by Ballpark Digest as the best in Minor League Baseball for 2013.[22]

Sponsorships

Ron Tonkin Field scoreboard

In March 2013, the team announced a three-year deal with BridgePort Brewing Company for the latter to be the official beer of the Hops.[23][24] Advantis Credit Union, Les Schwab Tires, Nike, Tuality Healthcare, and The Oregonian were the founding sponsors.[25]

Media coverage

Rich Burk was signed as the team's radio announcer on KPOJ (620 AM).[26]

Roster

Hillsboro Hops roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 33 Kirby Bellow
  • 34 Tyler Mark
  • 45 Jeferson Mejia
  • -- Drew Muren
  • 38 Tucker Ward
  • 16 Breckin Williams

Catchers

  • 35 BJ Lopez
  • 24 Alexis Olmeda

Infielders

  • 10 Sergio Alcantara
  •  9 Fernery Ozuna

Outfielders

  • 19 Stephen Dezzi
  •  4 Gerard Hernandez
  • 23 Dane McFarland

Manager

Coaches



7-day disabled list
* On Arizona Diamondbacks 40-man roster
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporary inactive list
Roster updated May 7, 2016
Transactions
→ More MiLB rosters
→ Arizona Diamondbacks minor league players

References

  1. ↑ Courtney, Ross (May 27, 2011). "Bad news, Bears: Team takes one step closer to relocation". Yakima Herald-Republic. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Theen, Andrew (June 6, 2012). "Hillsboro sets stage for baseball's return to the Portland metro area". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ Stevens, Suzanne (June 6, 2012). "Hillsboro OKs baseball deal with Yakima Bears". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  4. ↑ Ho, Sally (June 19, 2012). "Yakima Bears agree to Hillsboro's terms for baseball deal". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  5. ↑ Ho, Sally (June 27, 2012). "Hillsboro's baseball deal is approved". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  6. ↑ Manning, Rob (June 27, 2012). "Hillsboro Approves Deal To Bring Baseball To City". News. Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ Theen, Andrew (August 21, 2012). "Hillsboro and Yakima Bears clear final hurdle for baseball relocation". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  8. ↑ Giegerich, Andy (September 21, 2012). "Hillsboro breaks stadium ground, name comes next". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  9. 1 2 Giegerich, Andy (October 16, 2012). "Hillsboro has the Hops: Baseball team name honors agricultural roots". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  10. ↑ Culverwell, Wendy (November 19, 2012). "Hillsboro Hops debut $11M stadium June 17". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 Smith, Jeff (June 14, 2013). "Hillsboro Hops: Even in defeat, history made as Portland area's new team opens season". The Oregonian. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  12. 1 2 Smith, Jeff (June 18, 2013). "Hillsboro Hops: After home-opening party, Hops ready for 'Tony Gwynn Opening Day'". The Oregonian. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  13. 1 2 Alger, Tyson (June 28, 2013). "Hillsboro Hops: Meet "Barley", Hillsboro's new mascot (photos)". The Oregonian. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  14. ↑ Nemec, Andrew (September 1, 2014). "Hillsboro Hops win 48th game in regular season finale, best in short-season baseball". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  15. 1 2 Nemec, Andrew (September 7, 2014). "Hillsboro Hops clinch Northwest League championship". The Oregonian. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  16. ↑ "Northwest League: Attendance 2015". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball.
  17. ↑ Tokito, Mike (September 10, 2015). "In Year 3, Hillsboro Hops continue to grow on and off the field". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  18. ↑ Canzano, John (June 17, 2013). "Canzano: Baseball's triumphant return with Hillsboro Hops comes with big-time lessons". The Oregonian. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  19. 1 2 Theen, Andrew (October 16, 2012). "Hops to the future: Hillsboro Hops baseball era begins". The Oregonian. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  20. ↑ Redden, Jim (October 16, 2012). "Baseball team now Hillsboro Hops". The Portland Tribune. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  21. ↑ Theen, Andrew (October 16, 2012). "Hillsboro Hops release name via social media, drawing both praise and disappointment (with poll)". The Oregonian. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  22. ↑ "2013 Logo/Branding of the Year: Hillsboro Hops". Ballpark Digest. September 17, 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  23. ↑ Theen, Andrew (March 6, 2013). "BridgePort named official beer of the Hillsboro Hops, will create special beer for the ballpark". The Oregonian. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  24. ↑ Stevens, Suzanne (March 6, 2013). "Hillsboro Hops sign BridgePort Brewing as official beer". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  25. ↑ Goldfield, Robert (June 6, 2013). "Credit union 'Hops' to it". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  26. ↑ Smith, Jeff (March 11, 2013). "Rich Burk named radio broadcaster of Hillsboro Hops baseball". The Oregonian. Retrieved 11 March 2013.

External links

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