Eugene Emeralds GM Allan Benavides on Exploding Whales, minor league promotions and the future of Eugene baseball

When the Eugene Emeralds announced that they would play as the Exploding Whales for a few games this season, general manager Allan Benavides was unsure how people would react to the club’s nod to the famous 1970 incident on an Oregon beach.

The club had ordered merchandise with the new, alternate logo. Enough shirts, jerseys and hats, Benavides thought, to last through Christmas.

It sold out in 90 seconds.

Benavides, who has worked in minor league baseball for two decades, joined Sports by Northwest this week to discuss the Exploding Whales debut this weekend and also the future of professional baseball in Eugene.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

· What fans attending an Exploding Whales game can expect to see

· The recent promotion that MLB executives disapproved of

· The future of the Emeralds hinges on construction of a new stadium by 2025

· Is there any hope of Major League Baseball landing on Portland for a new team in expansion?

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