Quote should be attributed to Portland Baseball Group president, Steve Kanter. Kanter is also a professor at law and the former law school dean at Lewis & Clark College:
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"While we know Mr. Loria's primary intention is to keep the Marlins in South Florida, we've always believed the team would be a perfect fit for Portland.

The biggest hurdle his organization has faced has been in securing a baseball-only stadium. Thanks to Senate Bill 5, which passed in August 2003, we already have the public's and Governor Kulongoski's support to build such a facility. And the legislation has no sunset.

Since that time, and even after the Expos moved to DC, we've worked tirelessly behind the scenes with such baseball-savvy partners as HOK Sport, Gameplan LLC -- and in a united effort with the Oregon Sports Authority. Among these positive, proactive steps: working toward the relocation of the main post office, a prime place for a possible ballpark, with perfect views of Mt. Hood.

In the end, we hope Portland's enthusiasm for baseball, its regional assets and our group's community efforts on behalf of a professional franchise -- including an ongoing outreach to students and schools -- are all strongly considered."
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**PLEASE NOTE: In May 2005, Sports Illustrated listed Portland ahead of all cities (including Las Vegas, San Antonio and Hartford) for MLB expansion consideration.

To find out more about the organization, or specifics on why Portland would make a great MLB city (city's summer weather patterns, who will pay for the stadium), please go to PBG's web site: www.portlandbaseballgroup.org.

Media contacts:

Zack Smith
503.519.7186

Julie Edwards
503.407.6286

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