Keeping ballparks like Richmond’s McBride Stadium is why we love the summer-collegiate leagues: a ballpark once hosting the likes of Bob Feller and Satchel Paige is still a valuable community resource.
In the past, once pro ball left an old ballpark, a community had to make some pretty serious choices about maintaining a facility that wasn’t going to bring in revenue and be used mainly for high-school and amateur matches. It wasn’t unusual for a city to tear down an old grandstand, maintain the playing field and augmenting the setup with cheap (and maintenance-free) aluminum bleachers.
But with the summer-collegiate leagues like the Prospect League moving into cities like Richmond and paying actual rent, ballparks like McBride Stadium have a new lease on life. The Palladium-Item has a nice, long article on the history of the former Municpal Stadium and what its presence means in Richmond.
RELATED STORIES: McBride Stadium damaged by heavy winds; Prospect League nirvana for ballpark junkies
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