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A happy ending could still be in the offing for Richmond's baseball soap opera Date published: 6/3/2009 By Ed Jones MAYBE FORMER Mayor It's no slam dunk. But a team from Norwich, Conn., Erie, Pa., or some such place may well be calling Richmond home next year. Until a new or renovated stadium is completed, the team would play at The Diamond on The Boulevard. (Being a "holy city," Richmond likes landmarks and streets that begin with "the.") How could this be good, you ask? Wouldn't this be a demotion, since Richmond's baseball classification would drop from the AAA International League (which, by the way, no longer has any teams outside the United States) to the AA Eastern League? And wouldn't this mean that Richmond would lose its cherished affiliation with the Atlanta Braves in favor of a long-distance connection to the San Francisco Giants or the Detroit Tigers? Yes and yes. But that's not bad news. For starters, there's a strong argument that AA ball is the most entertaining level of the minor leagues. By contrast, major league teams often use their AAA franchises as way stations and rehabilitation outposts. That means a constant churn of the roster. It's hard to "root, root, root" for the home team when the players are changing on a daily basis. AA is high enough for quality baseball, but low enough for stability. As for the departed R-Braves, forgive me for saying so, but "good riddance." I have no love for Atlanta. Despite a remarkable streak of winning consistency over the past few years, highlighted by classic pitchers and powerful hitters, the parent A-Braves have been one of baseball's most boring teams. Up until the last couple of years, you could all but count on their making the playoffs--and then folding. And then there's the fan base in Atlanta, which has been anemic even in the glory years. I take that as a sign of a city that's still struggling with its identity, as waves of new arrivals mix with a dwindling base of native Southerners. So will San Francisco or Detroit be any better? Maybe not. But for most teams (though not for the Braves) affiliation agreements change all the time. The ideal scenario would be for a switch in Richmond to the Washington Nationals, whose AA team is now in Harrisburg, Pa. Should that happen, Fredericksburg-area fans will be able to drive 50 miles north to see the big-league Nats, 50 miles south to see the AA Nats and 25 miles north to see the Single-A Nats (the Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League). Who knows? By then, the big Nats might not be the worst team in the majors. And Richmond fans will have even fainter memories of the Doug Wilder fiasco. Ed Jones: 540/374-5401
Karma - thanks for the tip! Heading to FL this summer and making the drive down 95. We always try to work some minor league action into our travels. Many thanks!
TMV - You are so right! If you get a chance in your travels, go see the Charleston River Dogs. They are a blast and have a legendary offspring of Bill Veeck as their coordinator of entertain along with Bill Murray. Every game is an event.
AA ball is by far the most enjoyable -- having attended games @ the A, AA, and AAA level last summer, AA was the best baseball. A is much like watching HS ball, and AAA players are as lazy as their ML counterparts w/ the multi-million $$ contracts. Please, Richmond, bring it on ...
I would love to see the AA Nats down in Richmond.
I miss going to R Braves games.
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