W after news broke that the city of Portland was getting an expansion team in 2040 to be named the Lumberjacks, majority owner David Wallace announced that stadium construction has been going well and would be completed in time for the 2040 season. At a luncheon held near the construction site for potential season ticket buyers, Wallace unveiled the stadium designs and some plans with the public.
One of the major features unveiled today to the public would be the fact the ballpark would have a retractable roof. "We felt it was a necessity playing in the Pacific Northwest" said Wallace today to the crowd of hundreds at the luncheon. "We know those aren't always the most visually appealing stadiums and can cut down on site lines to the beautiful city, but eliminating weather issues was a major concern to us when examining plans for the stadium. It will also be a natural grass surface of course. We felt the weather here allows for that also"
The dimensions to the field itself seem to be a slightly neutral ballpark that may favor hitters slightly over pitching. Wallace listed the field dimensions:
Left Field Line: 330 feet with a 10 foot wall
Left Field: 350 feet with a 10 foot wall
Left Center: 380 feet with a 10 foot wall
Center Field: 405 feet with a 10 foot wall
As we move towards right field, the dimensions shrink but a taller wall will be utilized that will display out of town scores.
Right Center: 365 feet with 16 foot wall
Right Field: 345 feet with a 16 foot wall
Right Field Line: 320 feet with 16 foot wall
When broken down by park factors, it shows a relatively neutral design but again the favor goes to the hitter, especially lefty hitters.
avgLHP 1.025
avgRHB 0.999
Doubles: 1.002
Triples: 0.914
hrLHB 1.031
hrRHB .940
AVG .999
Homeruns .970
"Some teams have gone extremely gimmicky with their ballparks these days" added Wallace. They go all in for pitching. Or they give the hitters a huge advantage. We decided to look at what we are doing here as something that's just fair to both sides. Designs dictated that right field dimensions be slightly shorter due to the Willamette River flowing outside the stadium. The stadium and the river should provide a huge bonus for the city landscape of Portland"
The final bit of information that Wallace shared with the group was over the naming of the stadium. Wallace indicated that several corporations had been vying for naming rights to the stadium but Wallace said that after all that has happened with expansion and Portland in the past, he wanted this park to belong to the fans and feel like it was their own. So the club refused initial funds from corporations and the stadium will be named The Trail in Multnomah. Wallace indicated "that naming of the stadium pays homage to the history of Portland and the state of Oregon while also giving back to the people of Multnomah County who helped pay for and bring baseball to Portland."
