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It’s been a long summer without baseball in Richmond

It's been a long time since Richmond residents went through a summer without baseball. Does absence make the heart grow fonder? Apparently it does.

It's been a long time since Richmond residents went through a summer without baseball. Does absence make the heart grow fonder? Apparently it does, if this article by Michael Paul Williams is any indication.

With the Richmond Braves (Class AAA; International League) moving to Georgia's Gwinnett County this season, there was no baseball at The Diamond. Some local residents are open about their desire to see baseball return.

Which, we continue to hear, will most likely happen with the move of the Connecticut Defenders (Class AA; Eastern League) to Richmond. It's a deal that's proven harder to put together than many anticipated — the original announcement date was slated for Aug. 1, a date that obviously came and gone — but the league is still working on a plan. Todd Parnell, the former GM of the Altoona Curve (Class AA; Eastern League) and a promotional whiz, has reportedly signed on if a move happens. No matter what, MiLB has managed to freeze the market; many think Peter Kirk has put together a much superior plan for the future of baseball in Richmond, but the allure of affiliated ball is a powerful one.

RELATED STORIES: DiBella to keep Defenders, move team to Richmond; Opening Day Partners, HNTB propose radical overhaul of Richmond's Diamond; Sale of Connecticut Defenders scrapped; New Richmond ballpark can't happen without city assistance: consultants; Community support lacking for Richmond ballpark proposalMiLB: New ballpark still preferred route in RichmondBostic: It makes no sense to renovate The Diamond; Richmond baseball study didn't consider renovated Diamond, stacks deck for new downtown ballpark; Richmond ballpark consulting deal draws criticism; Norwich approves Defenders lease transfer; Richmond to study new ballpark; Defenders ballpark lease transfer on tap for next week; new team for Norwich chosen?; Renovated Diamond may do in RichmondMiLB to Richmond: Show us the ballpark plan; Richmond group applies for permission to buy team; New Richmond ballpark would rely on sales-tax rebates; Richmond group says it's close to buying team

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