So whatever became of that Triple-A version of the San Diego Padres?... They wound
up here in Eugene Oregon. In 1969, the Padres packed up their things and headed
north up I-5. Problem was, though Bethel Park was a nice enough ball field,
it was not upto the standards for Triple-A baseball. After years of being banished
by the Eugene school district, professional baseball and the bureaucrats finally
shook hands on a deal. Civic Stadium would finally be allowed to host professional |
baseball, as the Pacific Coast League's San Diego Padres were officially renamed
the Eugene Emeralds. The Padres had been the Triple-A hosts of the Philadelphia
Phillies organization, and for the Em's tenure in the PCL, they would remain
under the umbrella of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were renown
at the time for having one of the most fertile systems in Minor League Baseball
and that impact was felt immediately in Eugene as several future Phillies stars
came to town including one future Hall of Famer! |