If you haven't visited the Portland Lumberjacks Museum of Baseball yet, you are missing out on one of the best team collections of history and tidbits in the Brewster Baseball Association. This record keeping building has been open since the franchise began in 2040 and has kept track of every All-Star recipient, award winner, and milestone ever accomplished by the Portland Lumberjacks franchise. Well, the museum is about to take another step forward in 2060. Sandy Mounds discussed the details.
"We're excited to announce that in 2060, we will induct our first team Hall of Fame member" she stated. "At the conclusion of this season, the Portland organization will have been in existence for 20 seasons. We feel that with that amount of time under our belts, we have managed to get a collection of great ballplayers to have played here in Portland and the time has come for one of them to be the first ever inductee to the Hall of Fame section of the Portland Lumberjacks Museum of Baseball."
Sandy also went on to discuss the criteria for which a person would be selected.
"For starters, the player must be retired from professional baseball. They can't be a member of the BBA or the GBA or any of its minor league affiliates. Completely retired from the game in a playing capacity. Secondly, the player must have been with the organization for at least 3 seasons and or have made a significant impact on a team he played on. This gives us a little wiggle room. We want the player to have been with the organziation for some time, but at the same time, we know there may come a time where a player comes in and makes a huge impact in just one season and that person may endear himself to being hall of fame worthy."
As for how the players will be selected, Sandy stated "it'll be part fan vote here in Portland and a decision made by the ownership and front office group. We're looking at the possibility of a ballot system where the ownership and front office select the players and let the fans decide who is worthy. Granted if there are years where there is only one true candidate, then the organization will make the decision solely."
As for when the first inductee will take place, Sandy indicated the organization will wait until the 2060 schedule is released and pick a hall of fame induction weekend. The player to be inducted will be announced sometime around opening day in April. As for who the inaugural inductee may be, Sandy wouldn't say. She only hinted that there were several worthy candidates to be the first but at this time she felt one individual "stood out above the rest."
