Portland Pickles and Hillsboro Hops play ball

(AUGUST 2, 2019) Professional baseball is a popular sport in the United States. In fact, the game was invented in New York state in 1839. It quickly became known as "America's pastime."

Today, there are 30 Major League baseball teams in the Major League, and 256 Minor League baseball teams across the country.

Professional baseball was played nearly continuously in Portland from 1901 until 2010, except during the 1994 season. The original Portland Beavers was the longest lived team. They played every season from 1901 to 1972, though occasionally under a different name. Various Minor League baseball teams played in Portland thereafter.

Since 2010, there has been no professional baseball played within the city limits. However, there are two opportunities to watch up-and-coming baseball athletes at play. One is the Portland Pickles in Southeast Portland. The other is the Hillsboro Hops in the western suburbs.

Since 2013, the Hillsboro Hops have played at Ron Tonkin Field in the nearby suburb of Hillsboro, Oregon, about 15 miles west of Portland. They are part of the Northwest League. The team name is a reference to the plant used in beer brewing (Oregon is the second-largest hop-producing US state by volume), as well as to various baseball terms such as the short hop, bad hop, and crow hop.

Established in 2015, the Portland Pickles is an active team in the Great West League. The Pickles play at Walker Stadium located inside Lents Park in Southeast Portland. The team's website says, "The Pickles are all about FUN and are recognized for presenting the best live-sporting entertainment package in the Portland area."