Portland Beavers Special Assistant Jack Cain presented Merit Award

Published on January 26, 2004 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland Beavers Special Assistant Jack Cain and his wife, Mary, were presented with a special merit award at the annual Oregon Sports Awards, held in the Tiger Woods Center at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., Sunday night.

The Cains were recognized for their longstanding contributions to sports in Oregon, particularly with minor league baseball teams in Bend and Portland, Ore.

"It's a very humbling experience, and we're both very honored to have been chosen for the award," Jack Cain said. "We're so appreciative of the whole athletic community in Oregon, especially in Portland."

The 2004 Oregon Sports Awards, the successor to the former Hayward Banquet held from 1949-1997, again saluted the state's finest sporting performances from the past year. Beavers' play-by-play broadcaster Bill Schonely, a former merit recipient, served as master of ceremonies for the show, which was aired live on KATU-TV, Portland's ABC affiliate.

Detroit Lions quarterback and former University of Oregon standout Joey Harrington, former Portland Trail Blazer forward Jerome Kersey, former NBA All-Star and one-time Duck guard Terrell Brandon, and distance runner Mary Slaney were among this year's presenters.

The Cains got their start in baseball as owner/operators of the Class A Bend Phillies in 1981. There, they ran the team for 14 seasons before moving the club to Portland in 1995. Upon the team's arrival in Portland, the Cains led the Class A Portland Rockies to unprecedented success. Drawing nearly 250,000 fans a year during the team's first two seasons, the Rockies paced all short-season minor league teams in attendance and ranked among the top-drawing clubs in Minor League Baseball all six years of the club's operation.

"We couldn't have done it without the great staff we had," Jack Cain said. "To be recognized so far after the fact is really an honor."

For his efforts, Jack, a three-time Northwest League Executive of the Year and president of the circuit from 1985-1990, won Baseball America's Bob Freitas Award in 1999, presented annually to one minor league team per classification citing overall operational excellence. Cain also garnered Sporting News' Executive of the Year honor in 1995.

After a brief hiatus from baseball after selling the Rockies prior to the 2001 season, Jack returned in January 2002 when he was named special assistant to the Beavers.

For her part, Mary Cain was singled out as the Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year in 1995, an award presented annually by Minor League Baseball recognizing the top female executive among all minor league teams.

Mary was also a two-time Northwest League Woman of the Year recipient.

Locally, the Cains were presented with the Rollie Truitt Baseball Award at the 1996 Banquet of Champions for their significant contributions to baseball. The award was designed to honor those who have worked behind the scenes to improve the game and its values.

In 2002, the Cains were honored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Portland Rose Festival for their exemplary dedication and commitment to children, family and community. The honorees were chosen as examples of the importance of parenting and to recognize those supportive of raising funds for the cure of the disease.

Jack has always been an active part of the community, having served on the boards of Portland Youth for Christ, Salvation Army and Portland Rotary. Many area sports fans know him best for his work on the local gridirons, where he has been a high school football official for the past 30 years.

The Cains have been married for 39 years and have raised three children.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from January 26, 2004


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