Richmond, Va. --
In the early 1960s, Sam Cooke wrote and sang, "A Change is Gonna Come."
In 2011, a change needs to come to the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
The Washington Nationals' Double-A farm team in Harrisburg needs to move to Richmond and become the Flying Squirrels.
The San Francisco Giants' Double-A team, currently playing in Richmond as the Flying Squirrels, needs to fly to Harrisburg.
This can happen because both affiliations end after this season.
It should happen because Washington needs a stronger presence in Richmond.
And Richmond baseball fans, bereft of a team to care deeply about since the abdication of the Atlanta Braves, need a reason to be seriously interested in the Nationals.
Will it happen?
"We can't talk about affiliations," Nationals President Stan Kasten said earlier this summer.
Kasten will admit Richmond has the potential to be an important market for the Nationals. And Kasten knows Richmond. He was the president of the Atlanta Braves from 1986-2003.
None of that means the deal will get done. And there's one drawback.
This makes perfect sense.
When was the last time something that made perfect sense got done?
This switch is in the best interest of baseball.
The Nationals lack identity in Harrisburg. They are in the territory of the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles.
There are no major-league teams between Richmond and Washington.
The Atlanta Braves became the favorite team of many Richmonders because it was possible to watch former R-Braves perform in Atlanta via WTBS, then the superstation.
If the Nationals donned the Flying Squirrels uniforms, fans could watch future stars such as Bryce Harper play here.
When/if Harper lands in Washington, Richmonders still could follow him. Nationals games are available almost every night on the MASN network.
And when Stephen Strasburg isn't pitching, there are more than a few empty seats at Nationals Park.
If former Richmond players were on the field for the Nationals, more Richmond fans would make the drive to Washington, even when Strasburg isn't pitching.
Please don't misunderstand. We mean no disrespect to the current Flying Squirrels or the San Francisco organization.
But San Francisco is a continent away. Giants games rarely are seen on the East Coast. It's hard to get excited about Giants prospects when they'll never be seen again -- more or less -- once they leave Richmond.
And there is one other consideration. Building a multimillion-dollar stadium to replace The Diamond will not be an easy sell.
Getting area localities, which often give new meaning to the phrase "contentious relationship," together on a stadium will be more palatable if the major-league affiliate is nearby and has a long-term commitment to Richmond.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Giants want to stay with Richmond; Squirrels make no commitment
Richmond, Va. --
The San Francisco Giants want to extend the player-development contract with the Richmond Double-A franchise, but the Flying Squirrels aren't prepared to commit at this time.
Those positions were established yesterday, when William H. Neukom, the Giants' chief executive officer, met at The Diamond with Lou DiBella, the Flying Squirrels' president and managing general partner. The player-development contract linking the Giants and the Squirrels expires at the end of this season.
"It is a long way from Richmond to [Triple-A] Fresno, [Class A] San Jose and San Francisco," Neukom said, speaking of other Giants' farm clubs. "But the most important thing to us is that we have an affiliation with a well-managed franchise in a community that -- if we play good baseball, and if we become a part of that community -- will support us.
"We will always keep our eyes open for locations, but I think it is fair to say that we think both the community of Richmond and the management and ownership of the franchise have been positive for us."
The Giants' preference would be to remain affiliated with the Richmond franchise, Neukom said. "We're not down to short strokes yet," he added, speaking of additional discussions that will take place.
DiBella said the talks he had with Neukom yesterday involved "How are we doing by you, and how are you doing by us?" He categorized the meeting as "very positive and productive. I think the Giants are very happy with what's happening here."
Washington Nationals President Stan Kasten visited The Diamond on Monday, and the Nationals' player-development contract with their Double-A affiliate, Harrisburg, also ends this season.
"I wouldn't handicap anything at all right now," DiBella said. The Giants since 2003 have been the parent club for the franchise that relocated from Connecticut to Richmond last September.
"There is an affection, and a degree of loyalty," DiBella said. "But you ultimately have to look at your business model and what's best for your success in your market. We're going to consider everything in due course."
The San Francisco Giants want to extend the player-development contract with the Richmond Double-A franchise, but the Flying Squirrels aren't prepared to commit at this time.
Those positions were established yesterday, when William H. Neukom, the Giants' chief executive officer, met at The Diamond with Lou DiBella, the Flying Squirrels' president and managing general partner. The player-development contract linking the Giants and the Squirrels expires at the end of this season.
"It is a long way from Richmond to [Triple-A] Fresno, [Class A] San Jose and San Francisco," Neukom said, speaking of other Giants' farm clubs. "But the most important thing to us is that we have an affiliation with a well-managed franchise in a community that -- if we play good baseball, and if we become a part of that community -- will support us.
"We will always keep our eyes open for locations, but I think it is fair to say that we think both the community of Richmond and the management and ownership of the franchise have been positive for us."
The Giants' preference would be to remain affiliated with the Richmond franchise, Neukom said. "We're not down to short strokes yet," he added, speaking of additional discussions that will take place.
DiBella said the talks he had with Neukom yesterday involved "How are we doing by you, and how are you doing by us?" He categorized the meeting as "very positive and productive. I think the Giants are very happy with what's happening here."
Washington Nationals President Stan Kasten visited The Diamond on Monday, and the Nationals' player-development contract with their Double-A affiliate, Harrisburg, also ends this season.
"I wouldn't handicap anything at all right now," DiBella said. The Giants since 2003 have been the parent club for the franchise that relocated from Connecticut to Richmond last September.
"There is an affection, and a degree of loyalty," DiBella said. "But you ultimately have to look at your business model and what's best for your success in your market. We're going to consider everything in due course."
Friday, April 16, 2010
Quartet welcomes baseball’s return
When he was a kid, Jeff O'Flaherty liked to watch the first few innings of games at Parker Field and then hang out on the Boulevard chasing foul balls.
For O'Flaherty, those days of hunting down foul balls are long gone -- as is Parker Field and its tenants, the Virginians and the Braves -- but O'Flaherty still loves going to the ball yard.
When the Flying Squirrels debut tonight at The Diamond, you can find him in the seats behind home plate.
"I'm looking forward to seeing a full house and people having fun," said O'Flaherty, 57, who's in the banking business. "Baseball's back in Richmond."
O'Flaherty and three buddies from the box seats -- Ray Edwards, Ed Loyd and Tom Schaefer -- gathered at The Diamond on a recent afternoon to chat about the upcoming season.
The sun was shining, a tractor was tilling the infield dirt, and the lower deck's new, green seats -- equipped with cup holders -- were most comfortable.
All was right with the world.
"There's just something about sitting in a ballpark in springtime," O'Flaherty said.
The four were season-ticket holders for the Richmond Braves, and each has made the same investment for the Flying Squirrels.
They've become friends as they've watched games over the years, a tribute not so much to the pitches and hits on the field as to the power of the environment created by a leisurely paced game that lends itself to conversation.
"Always been a baseball fan," said Loyd, 69, who is retired from A.H. Robins Co. "But one thing I like is what we're doing now -- just sit and talk."
They missed getting together last summer at The Diamond after the R-Braves departed for a suburb of Atlanta, and the team that would become the Squirrels hadn't been secured.
"My wife found a lot for me to do around the house," Schaefer, 56, said with a laugh.
In truth, the guys occasionally traveled to see minor-league teams in other towns. Three of them took off to Arizona to watch some Fall League games, and Schaefer and Loyd went to spring training in Florida in March. These men are serious about their baseball.
But they also recognize that attending a ballgame should be fun, and they applaud the approach the Squirrels' ownership is taking toward promoting baseball at the ballpark and in the community.
"They're in the family-entertainment business," said Schaefer, who also is in banking. "You come in the door, you get greeted, you leave and say, 'Wow, that was a good time.' Even if the team loses 10-0.
"That's not really important. We're not in a race to win the World Series. It's a night out."
Said Edwards, 63, who's retired from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and was wearing a Flying Squirrels batting-practice cap: "We'd be here if they were 71-and-0, or 0-and-71."
The move to Double-A baseball compared with the Triple-A Braves and, before them, the Virginians, does not bother this quartet at all. In fact, they expect the players will be hungrier and more accessible to the fans.
And the Squirrels' affiliation with a team on the other coast, the San Francisco Giants, also is not an issue for them.
Schaefer remains an Atlanta Braves fan, and O'Flaherty has friends who remain New York Yankees fans because they were the parent club of the Virginians, who haven't played in Richmond in more than 45 years.
"We were sorry to see [the Braves] leave, but that's minor-league baseball," Schaefer said. "We understand how that works."
Edwards chimed in that he has been a Giants fan since Willie Mays roamed centerfield for them from the 1950s to the 1970s.
As the conversation veered into yesteryear, the four talked about players they remembered, for one reason or another, from years past: Horace Clarke, Felix Milan, Ralph Garr, Julio Navarro.
The list is almost endless. They hope to add new ones as the Squirrels create their own lore.
O'Flaherty's looking forward to seeing a lot of kids at The Diamond tonight. Schaefer is planning to bring his son to the game and eat a hot dog.
"I don't think there's any better place to be [tonight] than right here," Loyd said, "behind home plate."
For O'Flaherty, those days of hunting down foul balls are long gone -- as is Parker Field and its tenants, the Virginians and the Braves -- but O'Flaherty still loves going to the ball yard.
When the Flying Squirrels debut tonight at The Diamond, you can find him in the seats behind home plate.
"I'm looking forward to seeing a full house and people having fun," said O'Flaherty, 57, who's in the banking business. "Baseball's back in Richmond."
O'Flaherty and three buddies from the box seats -- Ray Edwards, Ed Loyd and Tom Schaefer -- gathered at The Diamond on a recent afternoon to chat about the upcoming season.
The sun was shining, a tractor was tilling the infield dirt, and the lower deck's new, green seats -- equipped with cup holders -- were most comfortable.
All was right with the world.
"There's just something about sitting in a ballpark in springtime," O'Flaherty said.
The four were season-ticket holders for the Richmond Braves, and each has made the same investment for the Flying Squirrels.
They've become friends as they've watched games over the years, a tribute not so much to the pitches and hits on the field as to the power of the environment created by a leisurely paced game that lends itself to conversation.
"Always been a baseball fan," said Loyd, 69, who is retired from A.H. Robins Co. "But one thing I like is what we're doing now -- just sit and talk."
They missed getting together last summer at The Diamond after the R-Braves departed for a suburb of Atlanta, and the team that would become the Squirrels hadn't been secured.
"My wife found a lot for me to do around the house," Schaefer, 56, said with a laugh.
In truth, the guys occasionally traveled to see minor-league teams in other towns. Three of them took off to Arizona to watch some Fall League games, and Schaefer and Loyd went to spring training in Florida in March. These men are serious about their baseball.
But they also recognize that attending a ballgame should be fun, and they applaud the approach the Squirrels' ownership is taking toward promoting baseball at the ballpark and in the community.
"They're in the family-entertainment business," said Schaefer, who also is in banking. "You come in the door, you get greeted, you leave and say, 'Wow, that was a good time.' Even if the team loses 10-0.
"That's not really important. We're not in a race to win the World Series. It's a night out."
Said Edwards, 63, who's retired from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and was wearing a Flying Squirrels batting-practice cap: "We'd be here if they were 71-and-0, or 0-and-71."
The move to Double-A baseball compared with the Triple-A Braves and, before them, the Virginians, does not bother this quartet at all. In fact, they expect the players will be hungrier and more accessible to the fans.
And the Squirrels' affiliation with a team on the other coast, the San Francisco Giants, also is not an issue for them.
Schaefer remains an Atlanta Braves fan, and O'Flaherty has friends who remain New York Yankees fans because they were the parent club of the Virginians, who haven't played in Richmond in more than 45 years.
"We were sorry to see [the Braves] leave, but that's minor-league baseball," Schaefer said. "We understand how that works."
Edwards chimed in that he has been a Giants fan since Willie Mays roamed centerfield for them from the 1950s to the 1970s.
As the conversation veered into yesteryear, the four talked about players they remembered, for one reason or another, from years past: Horace Clarke, Felix Milan, Ralph Garr, Julio Navarro.
The list is almost endless. They hope to add new ones as the Squirrels create their own lore.
O'Flaherty's looking forward to seeing a lot of kids at The Diamond tonight. Schaefer is planning to bring his son to the game and eat a hot dog.
"I don't think there's any better place to be [tonight] than right here," Loyd said, "behind home plate."
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Sold-out Diamond welcomes baseball back to Richmond
Lou DiBella led a group that purchased the Double-A Norwich Navigators in 2005 for about $10 million. During DiBella's five seasons as managing partner of the club renamed the Connecticut Defenders, there were only a handful of sellouts at 6,695-seat Dodd Stadium.
That's one reason DiBella said he looks forward to being at The Diamond tonight. Richmond's new Double-A franchise, relocated from Norwich and still owned by DiBella's group, will play its first home game in front of a sellout crowd. Reading, the Philadelphia Phillies' Double-A team, is the opponent of the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
"This is going to be a highlight of my years in minor-league baseball," said DiBella, a resident of New York City. "I'm thrilled. I'm pumped up. I can't wait to get there."
Bill Papierniak, the Squirrels' general manager, said that ticket sales for the remainder of the seven-game home-stand have been strong, with a sellout possible for Sunday's 2:05 matinee. DiBella referred to the franchise's general reception as "enthusiasm unmatched compared to anything I've ever seen in minor-league baseball."
Connecticut finished last, or next to last, among Eastern League clubs in home attendance each year that DiBella's group owned the franchise, and in 2009 was last (2,859) despite an 83-59 record.
Bleacher banners -- advertisements that cover the top nine rows of the upper deck -- and new box seats on the lower level have reduced The Diamond's capacity from 12,134 to 9,560. But the Squirrels sold out their first home game about a week after single-game tickets became available on March 15. That's a very encouraging sign of support for the new franchise, according to club management and Joe McEacharn, the Eastern League president.
Tonight's game represents the return of professional baseball to Richmond, which was without a team last year. The Richmond Braves, Atlanta's Triple-A club, played here 1966-2008, then moved to Gwinnett County, Ga., due to dissatisfaction with The Diamond.
New ownership and the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns the facility, during the off-season invested about $2 million in stadium upgrades. While the Flying Squirrels opened their season on the road with four games at Bowie and three at Altoona, work at The Diamond continued, and club operators maintained their marketing push that began Sept. 23, the day the franchise officially transferred to Richmond.
"If I had to give them a grade, it's a flat-out 'A'," McEacharn said. "They've absolutely met my expectations and probably even exceeded them."
Other members of the Squirrels' ownership group will be in attendance tonight, as will McEacharn and Tim Purpura, the executive vice president of Minor League Baseball. The Squirrels are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, who will be represented by Bobby Evans, vice president of baseball operations.
Clear skies and temperatures in the low 70s are expected. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with a 7:05 first pitch.
That's one reason DiBella said he looks forward to being at The Diamond tonight. Richmond's new Double-A franchise, relocated from Norwich and still owned by DiBella's group, will play its first home game in front of a sellout crowd. Reading, the Philadelphia Phillies' Double-A team, is the opponent of the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
"This is going to be a highlight of my years in minor-league baseball," said DiBella, a resident of New York City. "I'm thrilled. I'm pumped up. I can't wait to get there."
Bill Papierniak, the Squirrels' general manager, said that ticket sales for the remainder of the seven-game home-stand have been strong, with a sellout possible for Sunday's 2:05 matinee. DiBella referred to the franchise's general reception as "enthusiasm unmatched compared to anything I've ever seen in minor-league baseball."
Connecticut finished last, or next to last, among Eastern League clubs in home attendance each year that DiBella's group owned the franchise, and in 2009 was last (2,859) despite an 83-59 record.
Bleacher banners -- advertisements that cover the top nine rows of the upper deck -- and new box seats on the lower level have reduced The Diamond's capacity from 12,134 to 9,560. But the Squirrels sold out their first home game about a week after single-game tickets became available on March 15. That's a very encouraging sign of support for the new franchise, according to club management and Joe McEacharn, the Eastern League president.
Tonight's game represents the return of professional baseball to Richmond, which was without a team last year. The Richmond Braves, Atlanta's Triple-A club, played here 1966-2008, then moved to Gwinnett County, Ga., due to dissatisfaction with The Diamond.
New ownership and the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns the facility, during the off-season invested about $2 million in stadium upgrades. While the Flying Squirrels opened their season on the road with four games at Bowie and three at Altoona, work at The Diamond continued, and club operators maintained their marketing push that began Sept. 23, the day the franchise officially transferred to Richmond.
"If I had to give them a grade, it's a flat-out 'A'," McEacharn said. "They've absolutely met my expectations and probably even exceeded them."
Other members of the Squirrels' ownership group will be in attendance tonight, as will McEacharn and Tim Purpura, the executive vice president of Minor League Baseball. The Squirrels are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, who will be represented by Bobby Evans, vice president of baseball operations.
Clear skies and temperatures in the low 70s are expected. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with a 7:05 first pitch.
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