Welcome to Eugene’s PK Park, where Giants play before they’re fully grown. The hometown Emeralds share their stadium with the Ducks, an amiable bear and a perhaps not-so-amiable sasquatch.
Eugene Emeralds (High-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants since 2021)
Established: 1955
League: Northwest League
Ballpark: PK Park (since 2009)
Championships: 1955, 1974-’75, 1980, 2016, 2018, 2021-’22
Notable alumni: Mike Schmidt, Kevin Appier, Bob Boone, Eric Davis, Tom Gordon, Corey Kluber, Trea Turner
PK Park is located north (and across the Willamette River) from the University of Oregon’s campus, in the shadow of gargantuan Autzen Stadium.
The Emeralds were established in 1955 as a charter member of the Northwest League, the same circuit that they compete within today. The Emeralds – or Ems, for short – haven’t played in the NWL for the entirety of their existence, however, as from 1969-’73 they were members of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Eugene was a Phillies affiliate during this time, with Mike Schmidt suiting up for the Emeralds in 1972 prior to making his Major League debut late that season.
The Emeralds returned to the Northwest League in 1975, affiliating with Cincinnati (1975-’83), Kansas City (1984-’94), Atlanta (1995-’98), the Chicago Cubs (1999-2000; 2015-’20), San Diego (2001-’14) and, finally, San Francisco. The Northwest League was a Class A Short-Season circuit from 1974-2020, playing a 76-game schedule. In 2021, the same year in which the Emeralds’ affiliation with the Giants began, the NWL was reclassified as a High-A (full-season) league.
Photo: Paul Giehart
PK PARK
Ballpark Location (via Google Maps)
Eugene Emeralds Schedule
Eugene Emeralds Roster
2800 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-342-5367
Capacity: 4,000
Dimensions: left field, 335 feet; center field, 400 feet; right field, 325 feet
PK Park is the third stadium that the Emeralds have called home, following Bethel Park (1955-’68) and Civic Stadium (1969-2009). The Emeralds share the facility with the University of Oregon, who built it in conjunction with the revivification of their moribund baseball program. The Oregon Ducks played their first season there in 2009, with the Emeralds moving in the following year. The ballpark’s “PK” moniker is an homage to former University of Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny, whose donations helped fund its construction.
PK Park is located north (and across the Willamette River) from the University of Oregon’s campus,…
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