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The Portland Colts were a minor league baseball team based in Portland, Oregon for five seasons (1909, 1911–14) in the Class B Northwestern League. The Colts served as an unofficial farm team for the Portland Beavers and the Cleveland Indians. (2004). 9780738532660, Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738532660 The Colts and Beavers shared Vaughn Street Park. The franchise was established in 1909 by William Wallace McCredie, who was the owner of the Beavers and a sitting Congressman. The team was disbanded after their first season, with McCredie selling several players to the Beavers. McCredie originally said he did not want to run two teams, but changed his mind in 1911 when he placed a bid for a Northwestern League franchise. The league penalized McCredie with a US$1,000 re-entry fee and adopted new rules when it came to selling players from your team.
In 1911, the Portland team was not officially named, but the "Colts" nickname returned at the start of the 1912 season. The Colts had two managers over their five seasons, Pearl Casey (1909) and Nick Williams (1911–14). Towards the end of the 1914 season, McCredie sold the team to timber mogul Quinn Farr who relocated the team to his native Ballard, Washington and changed their name to the Ballard Pippins. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum members Harry Heilmann and Dave Bancroft played for the Colts. Several other Major League Baseball alumni graced the Colts roster throughout their five seasons of existence. Aside from playing in the Northwestern League the Colts also played several exhibition games including one during the 1913 season against the Chicago American Giants of the Negro leagues.
Despite giving the Northwestern League franchise up in 1910, William W. McCredie looked to return a second team to Portland for the 1911 season. It was agreed upon by the league after Portland paid a US$1,000 entry fee. To avoid conflicts with Pacific Coast League games played at Vaughn Street Park the Northwestern League agreed to let PCL games get higher priority if any scheduling errors arose. McCredie agreed to a waiver clause that stated if he was to disband his team again, other Northwestern League teams would be able to buy their players before an outside league. The reason for this rule was because McCredie dumped all of his players from the 1909 season, even adding some to his PCL team for discounted prices. The team held work outs at Columbia University before the start of the 1911 season. Due to conflicts with the PCL schedule, the Northwestern League team played 15 weeks in other cities as opposed to nine weeks at home in 1911. Portland played at McKenna Park in the University Park neighborhood on Sunday exhibition games during the season.
At the end of the 1912 Northwestern League season the Colts played an exhibition game against the Portland Beavers at Vaughn Street Park. Colts owner William W. McCredie requested an exhibition game be played against the Negro league Chicago American Giants in 1913. Later, the Northwestern League scheduled every team in the league play an exhibition game against the Negro league team. In 1914, the Colts held their annual training camp in Santa Rosa, California. During the 1914 mid-season, McCredie sold the Colts to timber mogul Quinn Farr who announced his intention of relocation the team to Ballard, Washington. The reason for the sale of the team, McCredie claimed, was due to the fact Portland's franchise was going to be revoked for the 1915 season because opponents travel expenses to the city were too high.
| Indicates a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
| Dave Bancroft | Shortstop | ||
| Jack Bradley | Catcher | ||
| Ray Callahan | Pitcher | ||
| Al Carson | Pitcher | 1913 | |
| Jack Fournier | First baseman | ||
| Howie Haworth | Catcher | 1914 | |
| Harry Heilmann | Outfielder | 1913 | |
| Oscar Jones | Pitcher | ||
| Jack Kibble | Infielder | 1912 | |
| Ed Kinsella | Pitcher | 1909 | |
| Fred Lamlein | Pitcher | 1911 | |
| Chris Mahoney | Outfielder | 1912 | |
| Carl Mays | Pitcher | 1913 | |
| Kid Mohler | Second baseman | 1913 | |
| Charlie Mullen | First baseman | 1909 | |
| Milo Netzel | Outfielder | 1913–14 | |
| Ned Pettigrew | Outfielder | 1911 | |
| Ed Pinnance | Pitcher | 1909 | |
| Tom Seaton | Pitcher | 1909 | |
| Buck Stanley | Pitcher | 1913 | |
| Jesse Stovall | First baseman | 1911 |
| Harry Heilmann | Batting average | .305 | |
| Howard Mundorff | Hits | 184 | |
| Edward Fries | At-bats | 660 | |
| Howard Mundorff | Doubles | 36 | |
| Bill Speas | Triples | 11 | |
| Lee Strait | Home runs | 21 | |
| Ed Kinsella | Wins | 23 | |
| , | Ed Pinnance, Elmer Leonard | Losses | 18 |
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