Two familiar names in the Minor League Baseball world are moving to new positions: Jay Burnham joins the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) broadcast team, while Laura Verillo is the new PR director for the Albuquerque Isotopes (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). Burnham, a 10-year veteran of minor league broadcasting, will join Squirrels’ […]
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Flying Squirrels: New ballpark still a priority
Despite an agreement by local municipalities to spend $300,000 on ballpark improvements, the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) front office says a new facility should be a priority after the fall elections. It seems like ballpark discussions in Richmond go in fits and spurts; city officials will pay heed to the team’s needs […]
Flying Squirrels extend Diamond lease, setting stage for ballpark improvements
With a new ballpark several years down the road, the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) signed a lease extension for The Diamond through 2015, with options through 2017. With the lease extension in hand, the Richmond Metropolitan Authority will accede to the team’s wish for new lighting at the ballpark, with a new […]
The Week That Was: October 14
The future of Richmond baseball, spring training, new ownership in affiliated and indy ranks, and the new-ballpark efforts in Tampa Bay. The top stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. Coca-Cola Field / Buffalo Bisons Glendale: We need to rework spring-training leases Spat between Cubs, Mayor Rahm continues Canal […]
Experts: Downtown ballpark could revitalize Richmond
As Richmond officials continue to debate the best course of action regarding a new Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) ballpark, experts advise a downtown location for the most impact. Former Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy was on a panel discussing new ballpark at the Real Estate Trends Conference, and his advice was clear: build […]
Squirrels: No plans to leave Richmond “at the present time”
Sounding an ominous note, reps from the Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Eastern League say there’s no plan to leave Richmond “at the present time,” as the team girds for what’s sure to be a contentious ballpark quest. The team will end the season leading the Class AA Eastern League in attendance, but seemingly no […]
Didn’t take long: Opposition rises to Shockoe Bottom ballpark site
We predicted this would happen when Shockoe Bottom was revived as a Richmond ballpark site: local proponents of a slave-trading museum don’t see baseball as an appropriate use of the historic site. Former Mayor Doug Wilder pushed Shockoe Bottom as the site of a ballpark for the Richmond Braves (Class AAA; International League), but it was opposed […]
MilB attendance still up in 2012
Despite taking a hit on the weather front and losing 100 games to weather, Minor League Baseball announced today that its 176 clubs in 15 leagues drew 9,221,023 fans in July, bringing the season total to 31,567,709. “It is encouraging that our attendance remains ahead of last year, despite losing more than 100 games to […]
Richmond ballpark discussion shifts back to Shockoe Bottom; Manchester in play as well
Shockoe Bottom, the controversial area near downtown Richmond once eyed as a ballpark site, is back in the running as the potential site of a new Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) ballpark, as is the city’s industrial Manchester area. Former Mayor Doug Wilder pushed Shockoe Bottom as the site of a ballpark for […]
Giants, Flying Squirrels extend affiliation
The Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) and the San Francisco Giants extended their player-development contract through the 2014 season. Giants’ Vice President of Baseball Operations Bobby Evans and Flying Squirrels’ Vice President & COO Todd “Parney” Parnell announced the extension during a special pregame ceremony prior to Saturday’s game. “Our ownership group and […]
MiLB attendance up again in June 2012
Minor League Baseball continued a strong 2012 on the attendance front after attracting 8,407,103 fans last month, bringing the industry’s season total to 22,346,686 through June — up 4.2 percent from June 2011. The 176 clubs in 15 leagues attracted 901,800 more fans than they did through June last year. “Our attendance remained strong through […]
Thunderstorm rips through Richmond’s Diamond
Severe weather hits The Diamond, home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) during a Monday matinee, causing significant damage to the outfield fence. The game between the Squirrels and the New Britain Rock Cats was called in the eighth, with the Rock Cats winning 6-2. Then came the deluge: 60-mph winds tore […]
Parney: Richmond deserves a first-class ballpark
It’s been a little quiet on the ballpark front in Richmond, but the front office of the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) continues to press for a new facility. This interview with Todd “Parney” Parnell doesn’t cover much new ground; the Flying Squirrels are still working with the city on a new ballpark […]