Portland Webfoots

The Portland Webfoots were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Northwest League. They were based in Portland, Oregon and were active for only two years, 1901 and 1902. They played at Vaughn Street Ballpark.

Not to be confused with Portland Webfeet.
Portland Webfoots
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesClass B
LeaguePacific Northwest League
Major league affiliations
Previous teamsNone
Minor league titles
League titles 1901
Team data
Previous names
Portland Webfeet
Previous parks
Vaughn Street Ballpark

When the Pacific Northwest League and the California League merged to create the Pacific Coast League in 1902 the Webfoots disbanded and the Portland Browns were created.

History

In the Webfoots first year of competition, it was reported that they had trouble keeping attendance up at their home field.[1] This began a debate over whether or not Portland should hold a team in the 1902 league expansion with the California League into the Pacific Coast League, something that the Webfoots President Jack Marshal opposed.[1] Some newspapers claimed that Marshal's opposition was due in large part to his personal dislike of Pacific Northwest League President William Henry Lucas.[1]

This led to a long debate over the inclusion of the Portland team in the Pacific Coast League.[2] Both the Portland and Seattle clubs first wanted to create a rival league to the Pacific Coast League.[3] The Portland team was accepted into the Pacific Coast League but not before a lawsuit filed by the Portland team against the Pacific Northwest League that said the league harassed the Portland team into throwing the league pennant to the Butte, Montana baseball team.[4]

Year-by-year record
A photograph of the 1902 Portland Webfoots baseball team as they were boarding a train to Tacoma, Washington. From left to right: Andy Anderson, Joseph Mahaffey, Max Muller, Deacon Van Buren, George Engel, George Witbeck, Jacob Deisel, Sammy Vigneaux, Lou Mahaffery, Fred Weed, Marshall, Daniel Hupp.
YearLeagueAffiliationRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs
1901Pacific Northwest Leaguenone73-351stJohn GrimLeague Champions
1902Pacific Northwest Leaguenone58-624thSam Vigneuxnone

Notable players

See also

References
  1. "Merry fight on over baseball". The Deseret News. December 12, 1902. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
  2. "Bolters given pretty hard jolt". The Deseret News. January 6, 1903. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
  3. "Magnates talk baseball merge". The Deseret News. February 19, 1903. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
  4. "Carried into court". The Deseret News. March 10, 1903. Retrieved January 10, 2010.


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