Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish addressed an imperative question last week when I asked him about the efforts of the Portland Diamond Project to bring Major League Baseball to our city.

"Show me the money," Fish said.

Really, he didn't say that. But he meant it. What Fish really said in the interview was, "We're not going to know how real this is until we know who is the financial backing. It's wonderful to have the starting quarterback of the Seahawks on board, but we don't know where the real money is.

"We're talking about a stadium that will cost $1 billion so it's going to take some deep pockets."

Does Portland deserve to know where the money would come from? Or given that it's a privately funded project, is that revealed on a need-to-know basis?

A few thoughts while we wait to see where this goes...

A) The Portland Diamond Project surfaced in Kansas City this week. It was the group's fourth visit to KC in the last year, per a source at the design firm Populous. Populous did $622 million SunTrust Park in Atlanta, $555 million Target Field in Minnesota, and the $575 million Wrigley Field renovation. Populous is working in collaboration with TVA Architects in Portland on the stadium design for the new ballpark. I'm told by multiple people on the project that there isn't another ballpark like the one they're designing for Portland anywhere in the country. The original renderings I saw had natural grass and a translucent, retractable roof.

B) Having Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and wife Ciara on board gives the effort immediate credibility. I've heard rumblings, too, about other high-profile entertainers and athletes who now want in on the project. One of the more interesting names I've heard is an NBA All-Star but again, Fish is right, if the aim of Craig Cheek and his lieutenants is to bring MLB to PDX, it's going to take major financial backing.

C) I'm told by a MLB source that Commissioner Rob Manfred only requires about 10 percent of the financing for a potential Portland team (or any other expansion/relocation candidate) to come from local ownership. That means the bulk of the financing feels like it would come from outside investors looking to get into sports, or even current minority owners of other sports franchises (which would have to divest in those franchises to take a larger stake in Portland). It also means that the Portland Diamond Project's real play is probably a stadium-development angle vs. majority-ownership angle.

D) If the Portland Diamond Project is going to privately finance the stadium, and only ask the city for the essential investment in infrastructure around the stadium, why should it have to reveal its financiers until it absolutely needs to? I hear that "Show me the money!' demand from more than just Fish and really what I hear is, "I'm afraid to believe in this project until I know it has real money behind it... so can you tell me it does?"

E) Relocation vs. Expansion. That's an important question that needs to be answered. Because if it's a relocation, there might not be an ownership change at all. It could simply be a shuffling of minority owners, and the Portland Diamond Project could end up with a minority stake in an existing team. If it's an expansion operation, it might very well be that an existing minority ownership partner in another MLB franchise is ready to take on its own entity.

F) That might explain why the group has been reluctant to divulge more than it has. It might also be that the group believes it's none of our business given that it's not asking for public dollars. One of those two things is likely true.

G) I'm told that Dale Murphy's role in the Portland Diamond Project is expected to expand. I've noticed an uptick in Murphy sightings. But it feels like he's another happy public face to add to the effort.

H) I spoke with former MLB umpire Jim Joyce on Monday. He's retired now and is going to attend his first game as a fan this weekend in Seattle. I asked him if Portland would make a good MLB city. After all, he's visited them all. Joyce said of Portland: "It's a Major League Baseball city without a team. There's no doubt in my mind with the surrounding area, Vancouver on the other side of downtown, the Portland downtown area is 100 percent a Major League Baseball city."

I) Joyce also suggested a view from home plate that faced Mount Hood. He said, "there wouldn't be a better view in baseball."

J) A's fans are understandably anxious about what's happening in Portland. There's movement here. There's hope here. There's a group working in smart, shrewd steps to get something done. The announced attendance on Monday night in a huge game against the Mariners was 10,400. Looked more like 7,000. Tuesday, the A's gave away free parking ("Free Parking Tuesdays") and announced 17,419. The A's are 28th in the league in attendance (18,392).

K) I expect we're going to soon get some renderings on a stadium, and a site announcement. Just a hunch. Commissioner Fish said, "If I were a betting person I think that something along the river is likely to be the most attractive for a variety of reasons... it's very smart. You acquire the land. You put together the financing. You work with Major League Baseball... and then you come to the city and say, 'We want you to be a full partner.'"

So that's where this stands...