WILLIAM B. “BILL” “Bill” Troubh has long been acknowledged as an outstanding lawyer, highly respected municipal official, and exemplary Civil servant. Tonight the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame honors him for his role in returning professional baseball to Maine and for his recent election as President of the AA Eastern League.
Bill graduated from Portland High School in 1952, received his B.A. from the University of Maine at Orono in 1957, and his law degree from the University of Maine Law School in 1962.
He has served his fellow Portlanders well — Including three terms on the City Council 1971-74, 1978-81 and 1981-84. His colleagues on the Council elected him to the Mayor's post in 1974 and 1984.
While majoring in law, with a minor in politics, Troubh has never lost his enthusiasm for athletics. Throughout the 1980s, he was an active participant in the Casco Bay Youth Hockey Association. From 1984 to 1988, and again from 1992 to 1994, he was president of the Portland High Hockey Boosters. From 1992 to 1995 he supported the Portland High Baseball Boosters. He has also been an invaluable fundraiser for the Andrews Post American Legion Baseball Program.
More than a decade ago Bill, Mayor Troubh at the time, tried to obtain a minor league baseball franchise for Portland. Unsuccessful in this initial effort he did not pack up his tent and steal away. Undaunted, he founded the Citizens for Portland Baseball, and this enthusiastic group tirelessly went to work with Mayor Charlie Harlow, City Manager Bob Ganley, and leaders from the business community. The result: the birth in 1994 of Dan Burkes (HoF ‘94) popular Portland Sea Dogs.
Last year the Eastern League sought a new president for Its prestigious circuit and the choice was Bill Troubh, who now Joins Charlie Eshbach (Sea Dogs G.M.) (HoF ‘95) as Eastern League Presidents in the Maine Hall. Over 30 years ago, Bill married Nancy Shaw and the Troubhs have four sons Ken, Jed, Mike and Tom and a daughter-in-law, Bonnie.
“Surely a man whose unselfish vision was to bring a professional baseball franchise to the deserving baseball community In Maine is worthy of induction into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.” Don Douglas
Mr. Troubh’s focus while serving on the Portland City Council and afterward was making sure Portlanders had places to go and things to do. While in office, he was instrumental in creating the Portland Ice Arena. He brought together Daniel Burke, at the time a part-time Kennebunk resident and media executive, and city officials to help land the Portland Sea Dogs minor league baseball team. He then served as president of the Eastern League, which included the AA Sea Dogs, for six years and also was a trustee of the Cumberland County Civic Center, helping to oversee the recent renovation of the arena.
“He always thought big and wanted to see big things for the people of Portland,” said
