Hillsboro Hops

Last updated
Hillsboro Hops
Hillsboro Hops.png Hops cap.png
Team logoCap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class High-A (2021–present)
Previous classes Class A Short Season (2013–2020)
League Northwest League (2022–present)
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Team Arizona Diamondbacks
(2013–present)
Minor league titles
League titles (3)
  • 2014
  • 2015
  • 2019
Division titles (3)
  • 2014
  • 2015
  • 2019
Team data
NameHillsboro Hops (2013–present)
ColorsNavy blue, green, light blue, white
    
MascotBarley
Ballpark Ron Tonkin Field (2013–present)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Short Season, LLC
General managerK.L. Wombacher
ManagerJavier Colina

The Hillsboro Hops are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, a city in the Portland metropolitan area. The Hops are members of the Northwest League as an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They play their home games at Ron Tonkin Field, which opened in 2013.

Contents

History

As early as 2011, the Yakima Bears, a team of the Northwest League in Yakima, Washington, started exploring options to relocate after a lack of progress on a new ballpark to replace their below-standard Yakima County Stadium and to escape a declining local economy. [1] Following a failed proposal to move to Vancouver, Washington, the team received an offer to move to Hillsboro, Oregon, in June 2012, with plans to start play in 2013. [2] The city and team reached a deal, with city council approval on June 5, [3] and approval by the league and the franchise on June 8. [4] The city signed the agreement with the team on June 26, [5] [6] with approval by Major League Baseball coming in August. [7] Groundbreaking for a new 4,500-seat stadium took place on September 21, [8] and the team's name, Hillsboro Hops, was announced on October 16. [9] The Hops replaced the Triple-A Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League, who relocated to Tucson at the end of the 2010 season. [2] The Portland area went without minor league baseball in 2011 and 2012.

The Hillsboro Hops' first game was played on the road against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes on June 14, 2013, a 3–2 loss. [10] Ryan Gebhardt had the team's first hit and Brian Billigen earned the first RBI. [10] Their first win came on June 17 in the Hillsboro Ballpark home opener against the Eugene Emeralds. [11] The inaugural home opener was attended by a sellout 4,710 fans, who watched Jordan Parr hit the first home run in the Hops' history. [11] [12]

Barley, the team's mascot, was introduced on June 28, 2013. [13] The Hops set the franchise attendance record in 2014, when their games were attended by 138,732 people. [14] They also won their division and the league championship. [15] The team was managed by J. R. House, whose coaching staff included fellow-former major leaguers Doug Drabek and Mark Grace. Hillsboro swept the championship series against the three-time NWL defending champion Vancouver Canadians. The team set another franchise attendance record in 2015 with 143,412 (an average of 3,774 for 38 dates) while winning a second consecutive league title. [16] [17]

The Hops hosted the NWL All-Star Game in 2017. [18]

On August 28, 2019, the Hops clinched a playoff berth for the sixth straight season breaking the Northwest League record previously held by Vancouver at five straight seasons. [19] They faced the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in the divisional round, were they won the series 2–0, and advanced to Northwest League finals for the first time since 2015. [20] In Game 1, Hillsboro entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing 3–1 but put up four runs in the inning including a walk-off 3-run home run by Andy Yerzy. The Hops were defeated in Game 2, losing 9–1, but bounced back in Game 3 with a two-run ninth-inning rally to snag the win. The Hops were shut out in Game 4, losing 6–0. Then in Game 5, Hillsboro captured their third NWL title, and their first since 2015, winning the series 3–2. [21]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minor League Baseball season was cancelled. In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Hops were organized into the High-A West along with five other teams previously of the Northwest League. [22] They continued as the High-A affiliate of the Diamondbacks. [22] In 2022, the High-A West became known as the Northwest League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization. [23]

In January 2023, it was announced that Veronica Gajownik had been hired to manage the Hops, which made her the first woman to manage a minor league Class High-A baseball team, [24] and the first openly LGBTQ manager in minor or major league baseball history. [25]

The team competes as the "Sonadores de Hillsboro" as part of minor league baseball's "Copa de Diversion" program. [26]

Season-by-season records

Northwest League (2013–present)

SeasonPDC Division Finish Wins Losses Win% Post-seasonManagerAttendance
Hillsboro Hops
2013 ARI South3rd3442.447—Audo Vicente135,167
2014 ARI South1st4828.632Defeated Boise in division series 2–1
Defeated Vancouver in championship series 2–1		 J. R. House 138,732
2015 ARI South1st4531.592Defeated Salem-Keizer in division series 2–1
Defeated Tri-City in championship series 2–1		 Shelley Duncan 143,412
2016 ARI South2nd4233.560Lost to Eugene in division series 2–1 Shelley Duncan 131,851
2017 ARI South1st4135.539Lost to Eugene in division series 2–0Shawn Roof128,416
2018 ARI South1st5125.671Lost to Eugene in division series 2–0Shawn Roof130,286
2019 ARI South1st4828.632Defeated Salem-Keizer in division series 2–0
Defeated Tri-City in championship series 3–2		Javier Colina133,605
2021 ARI West4th5260.464—Vince Harrison110,384
2022 ARI N/A4th6070.462—Vince Harrison150,792
Division winnerLeague champions

Ballpark

Ron Tonkin Field scoreboard Hillsboro Ballpark June 2013 scoreboard - Oregon.JPG
Ron Tonkin Field scoreboard

The Hops play their home games at Ron Tonkin Field. [27]

Radio

Rich Burk was signed as the team's radio announcer on KPOJ (620 AM). [28]

Roster

Hillsboro Hops roster
PlayersCoaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 12 Zach Barnes
  • 29 Billy Corcoran
  • 30 Yilber Diaz
  • 20 Spencer Giesting
  • 45 Gunnar Groen
  • 31 Dillon Larsen
  •  9 Yu-Min Lin
  • 24 Will Mabrey
  • 10 Carlos Meza
  • 15 Junior Mieses
  •  7 Peniel Otano
  • 25 Dylan Ray
  • 41 Eli Saul
  • 17 Avery Short
  • 23 Listher Sosa

Catchers

  •  8 J.J. D'Orazio
  • 27 Gavin Logan
  • 28 Shane Muntz

Infielders

  • 39 Julio Carrion
  • 37 Sheng-Ping Chen
  •  4 Joshua Day Injury icon 2.svg
  • 38 Jonathan Guzman
  • 11 Gary Mattis
  • 43 Ivan Melendez
  • 14 Channy Ortiz
  •  5 Jesus Valdez

Outfielders

  • 35 Kevin Graham


Manager

Coaches

  • 18 Gabriel Hernandez pitching
  • 19 Ronald Ramirez (coach)
  • 33 Ty Wright (hitting)

60-day injured list

  • -- Jhosmer Alvarez
  • -- Diomede Sierra

Injury icon 2.svg 7-day injured list
* On Arizona Diamondbacks 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated June 18, 2023
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB  •  Northwest League
→ Arizona Diamondbacks minor league players

Branding

The team name is a reference to the plant used in beer brewing (Oregon is the second-largest hop-producing US state by volume), [29] as well as to various baseball terms such as the short hop, bad hop, and crow hop. [9] No previous professional or collegiate sports team has ever been called the "Hops". [30] The team's logo includes a hop cone wearing a baseball hat, evergreen trees, and Mount Hood. [31] Team colors are green, navy blue, and light blue. [29] The Hops' mascot is Barley, who is green with a blue baseball cap. [13] (Barley is another plant used in beer brewing.) The team's branding and logo was named by Ballpark Digest as the best in Minor League Baseball for 2013. [32]

Sponsorships

In March 2013, the team announced a three-year deal with BridgePort Brewing Company to be the official beer of the Hops. [33] [34] Advantis Credit Union, Les Schwab Tires, Nike, Tuality Healthcare, and The Oregonian were the founding sponsors. [35]

Minor league affiliations

LevelTeamLeagueLocationManager
Triple-A Reno Aces Triple-A West Reno, Nevada Blake Lalli
Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles Double-A Central Amarillo, Texas Shawn Roof
High-A Hillsboro Hops High-A West Hillsboro, Oregon Vince Harrison
Low-A Visalia Rawhide Low-A West Visalia, California Javier Colina
Rookie AZL D-backs Arizona League Scottsdale, Arizona Rolando Arnedo
DSL D-backs 1 Dominican Summer League Boca Chica, Santo Domingo Jaime Del Valle
DSL D-backs 2 Ronald Ramirez

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest League</span> Minor League Baseball Class High-A league based in the Pacific Northwest

The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. The league operated as the High-A West in 2021, then resumed its original moniker in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Canadians</span> Minor league baseball team

The Vancouver Canadians are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bailey Stadium. They are currently the only MiLB team based in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugene Emeralds</span> Minor league baseball team

The Eugene Emeralds are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays their home games at PK Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem-Keizer Volcanoes</span> Minor league baseball team

The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a baseball team located in Keizer, Oregon, who are charter members of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, a four-team league entirely based in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area and playing all their home games at Volcanoes Stadium. From 1997 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Northwest League as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. With the reorganization of baseball after the 2020 season, the Volcanoes were not offered a player development license with any Major League Baseball club, though the Volcanoes promised to continue play in 2021, a promise they kept in forming the Mavericks League.

Benjamin Wayne Petrick is an American former Major League Baseball player. A native of Oregon, he grew up in Hillsboro, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area. After reaching the Majors, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and retired in 2004, returning to Hillsboro to coach at his old high school. As of 2013 he has been a consultant for the Hillsboro Hops, a minor-league affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, helping the team's young players acclimatize to life as a professional baseball player. He is the author of the book 40,000 to One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Mavericks</span> Minor league baseball team

The Portland Mavericks are a baseball team located in Keizer, Oregon, who are charter members of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, a four-team league created in 2021. The entire league, including the Mavericks, will play their games at Volcanoes Stadium in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area. The owners of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a former San Francisco Giants' Minor League Baseball affiliate, bought the rights to the Mavericks to help create the league after the Giants ended the affiliation in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everett Memorial Stadium</span> Stadium complex for football and baseball in Everett, Washington

Everett Memorial Stadium is an outdoor sports complex in Everett, Washington, which includes a stadium for football and a ballpark for baseball. Opened in 1947, it has been the home field of the Everett AquaSox, a Minor League Baseball team in the High-A West, and its predecessor, the Everett Giants, since 1984. In 2019, the ballpark became known as Funko Field. The football stadium has been home to the Everett Reign, a women's football team, since 2013. The complex is owned by the Everett School District, whose schools use both stadiums for their athletic programs. It is also home to the Puget Sound Festival of Bands, an annual marching band competition. The facility was remodeled in 1998 to have a seating capacity of 3,682 people for baseball and 12,000 for football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillsboro Stadium</span> Sport stadium in Oregon, USA

Hillsboro Stadium is a multi-sport stadium in the northwest United States, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb west of Portland. Opened 25 years ago in 1999 and owned by the city of Hillsboro, the award-winning stadium is part of the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex located in the northeast part of the city, adjacent to the Sunset Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of baseball in Portland, Oregon</span>

Portland, Oregon, has been home to many baseball teams, dating back to the 19th century. Despite this, Portland has never fielded a Major League Baseball team.

Below is a partial list of minor league baseball players of the minor league affiliates of the Arizona Diamondbacks:

Portland Beavers Ballpark was a description of a new stadium in Portland, Oregon, or in an outlying city that was being planned for the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League of Minor League Baseball. The ballpark idea was abandoned in October 2010, with no location ever determined for it; several locations were rejected due to public criticism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Beavers</span> Minor league baseball team

The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Tonkin Field</span> Baseball park in Oregon

Ron Tonkin Field, originally Hillsboro Ballpark, is a baseball park in the northwest United States, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb west of Portland. The stadium has a capacity of 4,500 spectators and is the home for the Hillsboro Hops of the Northwest League and the Post 6 Barbers of the American Legion Oregon Zone 2 Division. Groundbreaking for the $15.55 million venue was on September 21, 2012, with the first game played nine months later on June 17, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yakima Bears</span> Minor league baseball team

The Yakima Bears were a minor league baseball team in the northwest United States, located in Yakima, Washington. The Bears competed at the Class A Short Season level as members of the Northwest League from 1990 to 2012. Following the 2012 season, the franchise relocated to Hillsboro, Oregon, and became Hillsboro Hops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem Senators</span> Minor league baseball team

The Salem Senators are the longest lasting name used by several minor league baseball teams based in Salem in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team name derived from Salem being the capital of Oregon. The team was founded in 1940. The current incarnation competes in the Mavericks Independent Baseball League.

<i>Barometer</i> (sculpture) Sculpture in Hillsboro, Oregon, U.S.

Barometer is a 2013 sculpture by Devin Laurence Field, to be installed at the newly constructed Hillsboro Ballpark in Oregon, United States. The stainless steel sculpture, commissioned by the City of Hillsboro, stands fifteen feet tall at the stadium's entry plaza. Installation of the work began on June 10, 2013.

Stryker Louis Trahan is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Trahan in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft out of Acadiana High School in Scott, Louisiana, as a catcher, and shifted him to the outfield in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orenco Woods Nature Park</span> Park in Hillsboro

Orenco Woods Nature Park is a park located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The site was formerly nine-hole Orenco Woods Golf Course in the Orenco neighborhood owned by the Hillsboro Elks. The eastern edge is bounded by Cornelius Pass Road and the tracks for the MAX Blue Line form the northern boundary. Rock Creek flows through the 42-acre (17 ha) site between Orchard Park upstream and Noble Woods Park downstream, with the Rock Creek Trail planned to connect all three parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Timbers 2</span> Soccer team

Portland Timbers 2 is an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon. The team, often referred to as "T2", serves as the reserve squad for the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer (MLS).

Andrew Jacob Yerzy is a Canadian professional baseball catcher and first baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.

References

  1. ↑ Courtney, Ross (May 27, 2011). "Bad news, Bears: Team takes one step closer to relocation". Yakima Herald-Republic . Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2012. Alt URL
  2. 1 2 Theen, Andrew (June 6, 2012). "Hillsboro sets stage for baseball's return to the Portland metro area". The Oregonian . Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ Stevens, Suzanne (June 6, 2012). "Hillsboro OKs baseball deal with Yakima Bears". Portland Business Journal . Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  4. ↑ Ho, Sally (June 19, 2012). "Yakima Bears agree to Hillsboro's terms for baseball deal". The Oregonian . Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  5. ↑ Ho, Sally (June 27, 2012). "Hillsboro's baseball deal is approved". The Oregonian . Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  6. ↑ Manning, Rob (June 27, 2012). "Hillsboro Approves Deal To Bring Baseball To City". News. Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ Theen, Andrew (August 21, 2012). "Hillsboro and Yakima Bears clear final hurdle for baseball relocation". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  8. ↑ Giegerich, Andy (September 21, 2012). "Hillsboro breaks stadium ground, name comes next". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  9. 1 2 Giegerich, Andy (October 16, 2012). "Hillsboro has the Hops: Baseball team name honors agricultural roots". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  10. 1 2 Smith, Jeff (June 14, 2013). "Hillsboro Hops: Even in defeat, history made as Portland area's new team opens season". The Oregonian. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  11. 1 2 Smith, Jeff (June 18, 2013). "Hillsboro Hops: After home-opening party, Hops ready for 'Tony Gwynn Opening Day'". The Oregonian. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  12. ↑ Canzano, John (June 17, 2013). "Canzano: Baseball's triumphant return with Hillsboro Hops comes with big-time lessons". The Oregonian. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  13. 1 2 Alger, Tyson (June 28, 2013). "Hillsboro Hops: Meet "Barley", Hillsboro's new mascot (photos)". The Oregonian. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  14. ↑ Nemec, Andrew (September 1, 2014). "Hillsboro Hops win 48th game in regular season finale, best in short-season baseball". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  15. ↑ Nemec, Andrew (September 7, 2014). "Hillsboro Hops clinch Northwest League championship". The Oregonian. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  16. ↑ "Northwest League: Attendance 2015". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball.
  17. ↑ Tokito, Mike (September 10, 2015). "In Year 3, Hillsboro Hops continue to grow on and off the field". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  18. ↑ "Hillsboro Hops want to 'show off,' awarded 2017 Northwest/Pioneer League all-star game". 8 September 2016.
  19. ↑ "Hillsboro Clinches Playoffs for Sixth Straight Year!". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  20. ↑ "2019 Northwest League Playoffs | MiLB.com Events | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  21. ↑ "Hillsboro Hops take home the 2019 NWL Championship". NBC Sports Northwest. 2019-09-11. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  22. 1 2 Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Diamondbacks affiliate Hillsboro names woman as manager". Laredo Morning Times. January 21, 2023.
  25. ↑ Schultz, Ken (February 2, 2023). "Ronnie Gajownik becomes the first out LGBTQ manager in MiLB". Outsports .
  26. ↑ "Copa | Hillsboro".
  27. ↑ "Visit Ron Tonkin Field home of the Hillsboro Hops". MLB.com .
  28. ↑ Smith, Jeff (March 11, 2013). "Rich Burk named radio broadcaster of Hillsboro Hops baseball". The Oregonian. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  29. 1 2 Theen, Andrew (October 16, 2012). "Hops to the future: Hillsboro Hops baseball era begins". The Oregonian. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  30. ↑ Redden, Jim (October 16, 2012). "Baseball team now Hillsboro Hops". The Portland Tribune. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  31. ↑ Theen, Andrew (October 16, 2012). "Hillsboro Hops release name via social media, drawing both praise and disappointment (with poll)". The Oregonian. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  32. ↑ "2013 Logo/Branding of the Year: Hillsboro Hops". Ballpark Digest. September 17, 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  33. ↑ Theen, Andrew (March 6, 2013). "BridgePort named official beer of the Hillsboro Hops, will create special beer for the ballpark". The Oregonian. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  34. ↑ Stevens, Suzanne (March 6, 2013). "Hillsboro Hops sign BridgePort Brewing as official beer". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  35. ↑ Goldfield, Robert (June 6, 2013). "Credit union 'Hops' to it". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
Preceded by Northwest League franchise
2013–present		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.