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Steve Kanter, president of the Portland Baseball Group and the former dean as well as current professor at the Lewis & Clark School of Law, believes there has never been a better time for bringing MLB to Portland.
Steve writes:
"We have made enormous headway in our effort to bring MLB done right to Portland. We are working with HOK Sport of Kansas City, the premier stadium architect in the country, and with Game Plan LLC in Boston (whose one-third partner is Fleet Bank, the credit facility for MLB). We came razor close to getting a stadium bonding bill through the 2001 legislature, and have lots of momentum for passage in 2003. The bill relies on the fact that the bonds will be fully repaid by the ordinary Oregon income tax on player and top team management salaries. From this source alone, MLB will be a net addition to the Oregon General Fund, and of course will be an important economic and community development asset.
"The settlement of baseball's labor contract in Summer 2002 is very good news indeed for our effort. MLB took an important cooperative step toward salary restraint and improved revenue sharing. These moves are essential for the health of the game, improved competitive balance, and to maintaining baseball's position as by far the most family affordable major league sport.
Most significantly, the sides also agreed that there would be no contraction of teams until at least the 2007 season. This means that baseball will need to move at least two teams in the next several years, the first time baseball has moved a team in over 30 years. Now, more than ever, is the time for Portland to enter the big league of baseball."
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