Richmond Braves

Defunct MiLB infobox
name = Richmond Braves
firstseason = 1966
lastseason = 2008
city = Richmond, Virginia
misc =

cap
lastclasslevel = Triple-A (1966-2008)
past class level=
lastleague = International League (1966-2008)
conference =
division = South Division
pastleague =
lastmajorleague = Atlanta Braves (1966-2008)
pastmajorleague =
uniform =
lastnickname = Richmond Braves (1966-2008)
lastballpark = The Diamond (1985-2008)
pastparks = Parker Field (1966-1985)
leaguechamps = 1978, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2007
divisionchamps =
misc6 =

The Richmond Braves were the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and played in the International League. Colloquially referred to as the R-Braves, they were based in Richmond, Virginia, where they played from 1966, when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta where their AAA team, the Crackers, had been playing for four years, until 2008. They played their home games at a stadium called The Diamond, which is currently home to the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team. The Diamond is located on Boulevard and features a sculpture of a gigantic Native American brave (named "Connecticut") on the outside walkway. The current stadium was established in 1985 at a site that had been used for minor league baseball since 1954. The former stadium was called Parker Field.

On January 14, 2008, "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" reported that the Richmond Braves will relocate to Gwinnett County, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, in 2009. [O'Brien, David. [http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/01/14/gwbraves_0115.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab "Richmond Braves coming to Gwinnett."] "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution". 14 January 2008.] [Ress, David, and Michael Martz. [http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-01-16-0138.html "Braves strike out . . . for new home in Ga.".] "Richmond Times-Dispatch". 16 January 2008.] The Gwinnett Braves will play in a new ballpark, Gwinnett County Ballpark.

Upon news of the move, a fan-run website started a petition to keep the Braves in Richmond. [http://www.savetherbraves.com SavetheRbraves.com] set up an online petition, hoping to convince Atlanta officials that Richmond would rally to support the Braves. The group hoped to spur enough support in order to make the Braves rethink their plans before it is too late to stop the construction process in Gwinnett. Multiple local radio stations, including ESPN Radio 950, as well as local television and print media reported on the groups efforts. The group collected more than 5,500 digital signatures, and amassing a more than 4,000 member Facebook group. Printed copies of the petition and Facebook group membership were mailed to Richmond Braves general manager Bruce Baldwin, Atlanta Braves Vice President Mike Plant, Richmond Mayer Doug Wilder, and Richmond City Council President Bill Pantele. However, only Pantele would respond to the group, thanking them for their efforts. Braves leadership and Wilder never publicly acknowledged the groups efforts.

The end of the franchise marked 43 years of affiliation or ownership of the R-Braves. It followed an ongoing dialogue between the MLB club and Richmond authorities over building a new stadium that never made any significant development. In 2004, a project was proposed to build a new stadium for the Braves in the Shockoe Bottom district of downtown Richmond. The aging Diamond is said to be in disrepair, including the fact that the field used to flood after heavy rains due to the clay soil under the playing surface. The field was rebuilt before the 2005 season. After Tropical Storm Gaston devastated Shockoe Bottom, the proposal lost some popular support but was still being heavily promoted by some city leaders. The deal with a Washington-based developer fell through late in 2005, but Shockoe is still being looked at as well as the former site of Fulton Gas Works, and Chesterfield County to some extent. There is also discussion of a plan to build a sports complex in the area near the current ballpark.

The Braves played their final game on September 1, 2008, against the Norfolk Tides. They won, 9-3, in front of a sellout crowd of 12,167. After the game players and alumni threw balls and other keepsakes to fans in the stands, and fans were able to walk onto the field.

The International League will not transfer an existing franchise there to replace the Braves. Reportedly, Richmond will remain represented in minor league baseball as a member of a lower-classification circuit, such as the AA Southern League or Eastern League, the High Class A Carolina League, or the Low Class A South Atlantic League [Baseball America, February 15, 2008] .or Atlantic League (independent)

Titles

The R-Braves won the Governors' Cup, the championship of the International League, 5 times, and played in the championship series 10 times. Their predecessor team, the Richmond Virginians, a N.Y. Yankee International League franchise from 1954 through 1964, played in the championship once.
*1959 - R-Virginians lost to Havana
*1966 - Lost to Toronto
*1976 - Lost to Syracuse
*1978 - Defeated Pawtucket
*1981 - Lost to Columbus
*1983 - Lost to Tidewater
*1986 - Defeated Rochester
*1989 - Defeated Syracuse
*1994 - Defeated Syracuse
*2004 - Lost to Buffalo
*2007 - Defeated Durham; lost to Sacramento (PCL) in AAA Championship Game.

Alumni

*Dusty Baker
*Wilson Betemit
*Joe Borowski
*Brett Butler
*José Capellán
*Vinny Castilla
*Roman Colon
*Bobby Cox
*Kyle Davies
*Jermaine Dye
*Sal Fasano
*Marcus Giles
*Tom Glavine
*Tony Graffanino
*Chuck James
*Kelly Johnson
*Andruw Jones
*Chipper Jones
*David Justice
*Ryan Klesko
*Ryan Langerhans
*Adam LaRoche
*Tony LaRussa
*Grady Little
*Javy López
*Jason Marquis
*Andy Marte
*Kevin Millwood
*Dale Murphy
*David Nied
*John Rocker
*Deion Sanders
*Jason Schmidt
*John Smoltz
*Scott Thorman
*Turk Wendell
*Ned Yost

References

External links

* [http://www.rbraves.com/ Richmond Braves web site]
* [http://www.gwinnettbraves.com/ Gwinnett Braves web site]