On Thursday night, before a capacity crowd of 9,560, a new chapter of local sports history was written at The Diamond. The brand new Richmond Flying Squirrels won the first game played on their home field, shutting out the visiting Reading Phillies: Richmond 3, Reading 0.
Weather-wise, it was a perfect evening for early-spring baseball. Happily, the Flying Squirrels management, staff and ballplayers performed their duties in near-perfect fashion. The concession lines may have been too long and time-consuming, but otherwise, so far … so good.
A quartet of politicians threw simultaneous ceremonial first pitches from positions in front of the pitchers mound to four squatting Squirrels players lined up behind home plate. The hurlers were Gov. Bob McDonnell, Mayor Dwight Jones, Henrico Board of Supervisors member Patricia O'Bannon and Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors member Art Warren.
With four baseballs in the air at one time, the likelihood for blooper was a good bet, but it all went quite smoothly. Regional cooperation returned to The Diamond, at least for one festive night.
A moment of silence was announced before the game for Leonard Alley, who died at the age of 60 last Sunday. Alley would have been the official scorer for the Squirrels this season. A longtime figure in the local sports scene, he had served the Richmond Braves in the same capacity from 1976 through 2006. It was a classy move to recognize Alley in that way.
And, in spite of what you may have heard, baseball on The Boulevard still works. Counting the Parker Field years, with the exception of two years without it --1965 and 2009 -- professional baseball has been played at that location since 1954.
The game's first pitch was thrown by the Richmond starter, right-hander Daryl Maday, at 7:13 p.m. It was a ball, but Maday eventually struck out Reading’s Tyson Gillies. It was a good sign.
First Squirrels base hit at The Diamond: Leftfielder Thomas Neal hit a single in the second inning.
First Squirrels run-batted-in at The Diamond: Also in the second inning, second baseman Nick Noonan knocked in Neal with a double.
First Squirrels home run: Catcher Jackson Williams cleared the leftfield wall in the bottom of the fifth, to push the home team’s lead to 2-0.
Maday shut down the Phillies lineup for five-and-two-thirds innings, to earn the first Squirrels win at home. Acting as the closer, Rafael Cova picked up the save, his second of the season.
In the sixth inning in the grandstands on the third-base side, Stuart Kaplan, who expects to attend more Squirrels games this season, said, "They’re more fun than the Braves."
The good news: the Squirrels are not your Daddy's minor league Richmond ball club. Throughout the evening costumed characters appeared on the field and roamed the grandstands. Free hot dogs and T-shirts were thrown into the crowd.
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Between each inning there were goofy on-field promotions involving children. All sorts of games were played, including a three-legged race around the bases. At one point kids were shooting stuffed flying squirrels at other kids who tried to catch them in baggy pants … you had to be there.
They even auctioned off the uniform shirts from the backs of the starting Squirrels players. Fans bid on whichever shirt they wanted during the game.
"The trumpet was shaky," chuckled Matt Zoller in the seventh inning. He was referring to a sputtering solo performance that was part of the opening ceremonies. "The baseball is fabulous."
During the seventh-inning stretch the crowd stood and sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" with gusto.
Play of the game: Squirrels shortstop Brandon Crawford took flight in the top of the eighth to make a bases-loaded, diving catch of Michael Spidale’s softly-hit fly into centerfield. It was a clutch play with two outs to preserve Richmond’s 3-0 lead.
Perhaps Richmond's winning pitcher, Maday, owes Crawford a steak dinner.
"Everybody’s excited to just see baseball again," said Ralph Hyatt, who was a regular attendee of R-Braves games, and the pinstriped Richmond Virginians before them.
The last batter of the first game was the Phillies No. 48, Tagg Bozied.
Stating the obvious: The post-game fireworks show was a huge crowd-pleaser!
Bottom line: Reading scored no runs on four hits. The Phillies committed no errors. Richmond scored three runs on six hits. The Squirrels committed no errors.
The same two Eastern League baseball clubs will meet at The Diamond tonight at 7:05 p.m. Play ball!
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