The view from the press box
The Richmond Braves won their last game at the Diamond, trouncing the Norfolk Tides by a 9-3 score in front of a sell-out crowd. Afterward, a group of former R-Braves, which included Javy Lopez, Dale Murphy and Ralph Garr, unfurled a banner that said “Thanks for the Memories.”
After 43 seasons, 19 at Parker Field and 24 at the Diamond, the Atlanta Braves’ Triple A farm team is leaving its home on the Boulevard. Next season they will be the Gwinnett Braves.
The last putout of the game was made by Carl Loadenthal, who caught a fly ball in centerfield. The R-Braves record for their last season was 63-78.
Currently, there is no consensus as to how to go about getting a new professional baseball team to play at the Diamond, or at some imaginary new stadium. How to go about fostering the regional cooperation it will take to build a new baseball field, somewhere, anywhere, remains a mystery.
Updates:
To read my story on this game at Richmond.com, click here.
To read Paul Woody’s piece on the way Richmond lost the R-Braves at inRich, click here.
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