Bing Russell

Although best known as the deputy on Bonanza 1959 and Robert in The Magnificent Seven 1960 Russells was also well known on a national level as the owner of the Portland Mavericks Baseball Club Helming the only independent team in the class A Northwest League Russell was an innovator Before Bull Durham 1988 there were the Mavericks Russell kept a 30 man roster because he believed that some of the players deserved to have one last season His motto was simply one three lettered word not WIN although the Mavericks did just that no the word was FUN He created a park that kept all corporate sponsorship outside the gates hired the first female general manager in professional baseball and the following year hired the first Asian American GMManager That same season his team set a record for the highest attendance in Minor league history and went on to win the pennant Exmajor leaguers and neverweres who couldnt stop playing the game flocked to his June tryouts which were always open to anyone that showed up From as far away as Capetown and France players would head to Portland for a chance with Russells Mavericks