Chuck Domino, Todd Parnell are Squirrels’ Barnum and Bailey

Chuck Domino and Todd Parnell are serious about their business.

But one reason they are successful in their business is that they never take themselves too seriously.

"Even when we have a rough day, we're able to put things into perspective," Domino said. "We don't carry problems to the next day."

Parnell, sitting across the office from Domino, nodded.

"That's right," Parnell said. "We just hammer them out."

And Parnell picked up the gavel he keeps at hand and pounded it on his desk several times.

That got Parnell going on another train of thought.

"He stole my gavel yesterday," Parnell said of Domino. "So I went and got a chain saw and started it up and threatened to cut his desk in half unless he gave it back."

"He really had a chain saw in the office," Domino said.

"And it was running and there were people out there . . . " Parnell nodded toward the ticket window outside his office at The Diamond.

"And they heard the 'ying, ying, ying,' of the chain saw," Parnell said.

Ah, just another day in the front office of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, starring Domino as the chief executive manager and Parnell as vice president and chief operating officer.

The Flying Squirrels of the Class AA Eastern League call The Diamond home.

Domino and Parnell are serious about their jobs. They work tirelessly to be successful. They are best friends.

Parnell, known as Parney, has promoted the team non-stop since his arrival.

And, as you might have guessed, they do things a bit differently from most minor-league baseball executives.

"They're incredibly hard working, and they're committed to do the right thing without taking themselves too seriously," said Chuck Greenberg, the incoming owner of the Texas Rangers.

Parnell worked for Greenberg in Altoona, State College, Pa. and Myrtle Beach, S.C. Greenberg knows Domino as a minor-league baseball colleague.

"They love to have fun," Greenberg said. "They love to see other people having fun, and they will go to great lengths to make that possible."

Domino, 50, and Parnell, 43, met in 1990 and soon became best friends.

"He was in my wedding," Parnell said. "His older son was the ring bearer in my wedding. Chuck was there when my kids were born.

"I was there when his second son was born. We're pretty close. We just don't act like it all the time."

Theirs is not an act, though. Their job is to make the Flying Squirrels successful. They don't control the product on the field. This year, that is the job of the San Francisco Giants.

Everything around the field, and even the field itself, is under the control of Domino and Parnell and the front office staff. And they settle for nothing less than first class.

The Diamond has undergone $2 million worth of renovations and upgrades since the franchise relocated.

That money was spent on a number of things, from new seats in the lower bowl, to an indoor air-conditioned batting cage, refurbished concession stands and a new souvenir store.

Domino, Parnell and their staff oversaw each improvement.

Parnell is employed by the Flying Squirrels and oversees day to day operations.

Domino is an independent contractor. He also oversees the Triple-A team in Lehigh Valley, Pa.

During the formative stages of the operation, Domino has been in Richmond on a weekly basis. Once the season begins, his visits will be less frequent.

"We are constantly in touch," Domino said. "Texting, e-mailing, phoning. We share the same office."

Parnell interrupted.

"No, no, no," he said. "This is my office. I allowed you to have a corner."

"Yeah," Domino said, "a corner."

"And he tells me to get on my side of the office every day," Parnell said.

Especially when Parnell is revving up a chain saw.

The two met when Domino had an opening for a sales and marketing director with the Reading Phillies. The interview went well, but Domino did not offer Parnell the job, not immediately anyway.

"Another person was recommended to me by someone I highly respected in the business," Domino said. "I interviewed him on the phone and hired him sight unseen because of the recommendation."

That man was supposed to start work on a Monday. He called Domino to let him know he was leaving Topeka, Kan., on Friday.

He never showed up. When Domino finally tracked him down, the man said he had changed his mind.

"I immediately called Parney and said if you're available, you're hired," Domino said. "He said, 'I'll be there in a minute.'"

Parnell laughed.

"I'm not good at hiding desperation," he said.

That began seven years of working side by side in Reading. In 1997, Parnell left to become general manager of the minor-league team in Kannapolis, N.C.

Soon after arriving in Kannapolis, Parnell wondered if he had made the right decision.

Parnell said as much to Domino one day in a 7 a.m. call.

"I said, 'I don't know. These people aren't listening to me. I'm trying to be like you, trying to do this, trying to do that, but these people are doing things the same old way,'" Parnell said

"He said, 'All right, dude, do this and this and this.' Nine hours later, outside my office, I hear, 'What's up you . . . ' and he called me a name we call each other that can't be put in the newspaper. He had driven nine hours to North Carolina because he was worried about me."

Soon, everyone was on board with Parnell in Kannapolis. Life was good. Parnell, his wife and two daughters lived in a house on Lake Norman.

Then, Greenberg, who had acquired the Altoona franchise, called. Domino had recommended Parnell for the general manager's job in Altoona.

Parnell took the job, even though it meant leaving Lake Norman.

When the Altoona franchise was sold, Parnell ran Greenberg's teams in State College, Pa., and Myrtle Beach, S.C. Parnell was on the road almost constantly.

Then, Domino called about Richmond.

"I've been doing this for 28 years, and the seven years that were the most fun were the years we were in Reading together," Domino said.

Parnell nodded.

"I've watched the Richmond story long enough to know it's a great market," Parnell said. "But the bottom line is it was Chuck Domino who called.

"This was a chance to start a franchise from nothing with your best friend. There's not too many people who get that opportunity. We felt like it was too much to look past."

Once the deal was struck to move the Connecticut Defenders to Richmond, Domino and Parnell went to work the only way they knew how to work.

"We're a little unorthodox in how we get things done," Domino said. "But we get things done better than most in our unorthodox way."

Nothing typifies that unorthodox thinking better than the name-the-team contest.

Parnell and Domino were overcome with traditional names such as Virginians, Rapids, Ravens, Raiders and Rivermen.

When the five finalists were announced, "traditional" was nowhere among them.

The list consisted of Flying Squirrels, Hambones, Rockhoppers, Flatheads and Rhinos.

Hush Puppies was added a few days later.

What were these guys thinking?

It soon became obvious Domino and Parnell would make the decision based on the name that got the biggest reaction, positive or negative, and offered the best marketing opportunities.

The fans' votes were more a guideline than a binding agreement.

Domino and Parnell knew from experience -- have you heard of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs? -- that even if people hated the name at first, eventually they would embrace it.

"They are incredibly creative," Greenberg said. "And that comes by letting go, not taking themselves too seriously, not judging others and letting the ideas fly."

Domino and Parnell enjoy their jobs so much and have so much fun that it is easy to overlook how hard they work.

Domino has no hobbies. He rarely takes days off, let alone a vacation. Domino and Parnell begin their days by 7 a.m. and end them . . . well, some days never seem to end.

"We have an insatiable desire to succeed," Parnell said. "There's a drive that not a lot of people have, and that drive is from my mentor over there."

And Parnell nodded toward Domino.

"One thing that gets to me sometimes," Parnell said, "is that my personality is so goofy people think all there is to me is stealing gavels and starting chain saws."

And wearing an adult diaper.

"When we first started in Altoona, we wanted to show people we were going to do things differently," Greenberg said. "Parney challenged a non-profit to raise $25,000. And he told them that if they did it, he'd sing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' wearing only an adult diaper.

"The non-profit came up short, but they worked really hard and did a good job. So, one night, Parney stood along the first-baseline, wearing only an adult diaper and sang. It wasn't a pretty sight, but he did it."

A few days later, Greenberg received an unusually large piece of mail. It was a photo of Parnell from that night, sent by Parnell.

"And he wrote, 'Chuck, Thanks for letting me operate the team in a first-class manner'" Greenberg said.

Domino has an almost relentless work ethic. Parnell is right there with him.

In March 1993, a huge snowstorm hit Pennsylvania. The governor told everyone to stay home unless there was an emergency.

Domino called Parnell and said he'd pick him up in 30 minutes.

"I said, 'Chuck, there's no way,'" Parnell said. "The governor told us to stay at home. He said, 'The governor doesn't have a ballgame in 30 days. We're going to work.'

"He picked me up and somehow we drove sideways to the ballpark and got to work."

How hard does Parnell work? Well, it seems as if he never stops working. He is in constant demand as a speaker. He will leave the office at the end of the day only to return at 11:30 that night and work for several more hours. And he still will be back at 7 a.m.

"Sleep seems to be the enemy of Parney," Greenberg said. "He's in the office every morning at 7. Sometimes, that's because he's never left the office from the night before. Sometimes, it means he's only been gone for a few hours.

"Parney and Chuck wouldn't know how to mail it in if you showed them. No matter is too small for their attention. To have been in the business as long as they have and to still sweat the details the way they do is a great predictor for success.

Greenberg expects nothing but success for the Flying Squirrels.

Squirrels’ foundation starts with ballpark

First, make The Diamond swing. Then consider a long-term solution to Richmond's ballpark situation.

Those who attended yesterday's Kiwanis Club of Richmond luncheon at the Virginia Historical Society received that pitch from Todd Parnell, the vice president and COO of the Flying Squirrels, Richmond's new Double-A baseball franchise.

"We're committed to making The Diamond the place where more people come to than any other place in the Eastern League," Parnell said. "And then, everything else will happen from there.

"I want to put as many rear ends in the seats as we possibly can, and that's what we're focused on doing."

The Flying Squirrels are investing about $1.5 million improvements to The Diamond, whose condition drove the Atlanta Braves' Triple-A franchise from Richmond following the 2008 season. A community decision on whether to build a new ballpark will depend partly on what the Flying Squirrels offer, Parnell suggested during his high-energy presentation of about 30 minutes.

"You've got to yell when it's time for me stop," Parnell told his audience. "I should have been a preacher, but there are certain things that got in the way of that."

Entertainment at The Diamond will start not with the first pitch, but when fans "drive into the parking lot," Parnell promised. "There are a few things as a consumer, just like you, that really get to me. It's parking, friendliness, pricing, friendliness, pricing and friendliness."

The last four digits of the Flying Squirrels' telephone number spell F-U-N-N. "We're so much fun we needed to add another N," Parnell said.

The Flying Squirrels will have a minimum of 10 fireworks nights a year, according to Parnell, who's been in the minor-league baseball business for 21 years. The R-Braves usually put on two fireworks shows per season. Each Richmond player will have a community-service requirement that may involve a reading program or some other activity related to Richmond's youth.

"Our philosophy is we start at 'yes,' and go backwards. We don't start at 'no,'" Parnell said. "We really want to do everything people ask us to do, or at least will attempt to do it

An unveiling with flying colors

Upgrades under way at The Diamond

Lower-deck benches are gone. Concession stands have been gutted. A former restaurant is being transformed into a merchandise store.

The Diamond is undergoing unprecedented renovation.

Before the Class AA Richmond Flying Squirrels open their home schedule April 15, 3,200 dark green box seats will be fitted into the lower bowl, which had aluminum benches and backrests. The concession operation will be reinvented. Flying Squirrels gear will be sold from one of the largest souvenir shops in the minor leagues.

"In terms of the [fans'] experience, being able to sit in a new, individual plastic seat with a cup-holder is going to be probably the first thing that makes the most lasting impression," said Mike Berry, general manager of the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns and operates The Diamond.

Franchise owners committed $1.5 million to renovation. The RMA contributed $75,500.

"The team with new ownership is looking to do whatever they can to make [fans] feel that this is going to be a fun place," Berry said. "There's going to be a lot of stuff going on, and they want to make this the best family experience they can make it."

No comparable upgrade took place at the 12,134-seat facility while Atlanta's Triple-A team, owned by the Atlanta Braves, played there from the ballpark's opening day in 1985 through the 2008 season. There also are improvements fans won't see. The front office has been remodeled. The home clubhouse was gutted and expanded. It will include a weight room. The press box is getting new windows.

More comfortable seats and better concessions were priorities, according to Todd Parnell, the Flying Squirrels' vice president and COO.

"People are really going to be able to have a full food and beverage experience here at The Diamond," he said. "They'll be able to see the food being prepared. They'll be able to smell it. They'll be able to enjoy the taste of it.

"There's a lot, in my opinion, that goes on with food and beverage as part of the experience a family has wherever they go. It's our plan to make sure the food and beverage experience here is a big part of coming to the game."

There is no resolution concerning Connecticut, the sculpture of the American Indian that peers out over The Boulevard, Berry said. His staff is exploring options apart from the ballpark perch for Connecticut because "I don't know that the team necessarily feels like he really fits into what they're doing," said Berry. He chose not to elaborate on what options are being considered.

The RMA and the franchise agreed to a two-year lease for use of The Diamond, with three one-year renewals possible. During the period to which the lease applies, the RMA and the franchise will explore the possibilities of a major renovation of The Diamond and a new ballpark, at that site or elsewhere.