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Timberjacks bound for B.C.? Newspaper says team is headed for Vancouver By KRIS HENRY For three years, a move by the Southern Oregon Timberjacks has appeared to be only a matter of time and location. That time will be next spring and the location will be Vancouver, British Columbia, according to newspaper reports today. The Vancouver Province is reporting in today's edition that Timberjacks president and majority owner Fred Herrmann and the Vancouver Parks Board have settled on a lease agreement to use the stadium vacated by the Triple-A Vancouver Canadians for the 2000 season. A press conference has been scheduled Thursday to announce the agreement. Herrmann did not respond to messages left for him Monday, but Timberjacks general manager Dan Kilgras said Herrmann had plans to openly discuss the reports soon. "Fred is working on some things so that he can get to a point to have a press conference on that matter," Kilgras said when contacted Monday, adding that he could not confirm or deny the relocation. Kilgras said Herrmann had hoped to finalize all matters of any move before making an announcement. One of those matters could be finding a replacement team for Medford. "I know that he's working very hard to keep professional baseball in Southern Oregon and is planning to have that information ready to have a press conference in the next couple weeks," said Kilgras. "If anything were to happen, he's always said he would work something out for Medford. Until he does his press conference, I don't think he's going to let people know exactly what his plans are." The Province reports that Herrmann had been working with Canadians owner Art Savage on the move since it became clear the Triple-A Canadians would relocate to Sacramento. The Mail Tribune reported in August that Herrmann had run into difficulty in his efforts to move the short-season Class A team from Medford to Vancouver, Wash. The lack of a new stadium guarantee and the purchase of the Triple-A Calgary Cannons by a Portland group made the Washington option increasingly unlikely. PFE, a partnership of 16 investors headed by Marshall Glickman, finalized the deal to take the Cannons to Portland in August. In that deal, the Class A Portland Rockies and Civic Stadium were also purchased by PFE, supplying a considerable obstacle for Southern Oregon's move to Washington. The Portland Rockies will play at Civic Stadium this coming season, then the Northwest League team will be relocated in 2001, most likely across the river in Vancouver. The Cannons begin play in Portland in the 2001 season. The Timberjacks will replace the Triple-A Vancouver Canadians at Nat Bailey Stadium, and the Province reported the team will pick up the remaining three one-year options on the Canadians' former lease. The Province reported that the new team would remain a Class A Northwest League team and would continue its affiliation with the Oakland Athletics. Southern Oregon finished 38-38 this past season in the Northwest League, one game behind Portland for the Southern Division title. The Timberjacks led the division for all but two days of the season, but finished last in attendance in the eight-team league. Former owners Doug and Judy Emmans brought the Timberjacks to Medford from Bend in 1979. The Emmans sold their interest a few years later to a group that included Herrmann, who became general manager. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.