Atlanta Braves remove a page from their history books

No more Braves baseball in Richmond, Virginia!!! I always liked the old Richmond Braves AAA farm team. They were sort of like a part of the historical fabric of Minor League baseball. Times they are a changing and so are the Braves. I guess they’re not the SOB’s(Same Old Braves) any more, but maybe they are in another way.

ATLANTA — Braves executive vice president of business operations Mike Plant has spent the past four years attempting to find a suitable facility for the club’s Triple-A affiliate.
After countless battles with the city of Richmond, Va., and an untold amount of hours evaluating other potential locations throughout the United States, he came to the realization that his best solution would be in his organization’s backyard.

Gwinnett County Georgia isn’t exactly next door to Turner Field. But it is just about 30 minutes away and in the eyes of the Braves, this proximity won’t prove to be a detriment as much as it will be a positive when they move their Triple-A team there from Richmond for the start of the 2009 season.

Richmond has been home for the Braves Triple-A affiliate since the 1966 season and in 1985, when they opened The Diamond, the city possessed one of the country’s best Minor League stadiums. But, the stadium has become outdated and a cause for concern for most of this decade.

A combination of extended heavy rains and a bad drainage system forced the Richmond Braves to play each of the 2004 playoff games on the road. They ended up losing to Buffalo in the Governor’s Cup finals.

This proposed new 7,000 seat stadium, which will also provide room for an additional 3,000 fans on the outfield berm will be constructed in the northern portion of Gwinnett County, near the Mall of Georgia.

*****I missed this from earlier in the week. I have been hearing this man’s name talked about around here for many years. Jack LaFave who worked for WXII TV 12 and for WSJS radio had Don Cardwell on his sports reports and shows many times over the years.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Don Cardwell, who pitched a no-hitter and helped the New York Mets win the 1969 World Series, died Monday. He was 72. Cardwell died Monday morning, said Richard Puryear(didn’t he used to be the principal at Page or was that Paul?), a spokesman for Salem Funerals & Cremations. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Cardwell’s friends said he had been struggling with his health lately.

“We need more Don Cardwells in the world,” said Junie Michael, who worked with Cardwell selling cars for more than 35 years. “I just can’t say enough about what a positive influence he was on our community.*****

2 thoughts on “Atlanta Braves remove a page from their history books

  1. It will seem weird to drive by The Diamond on I-95 and see some Little Leaguers out there.
    Or a circus.

  2. Doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to have the major league club and the Triple AAA club 30 miles apart. Who will go to a AAA game if the major leagurers are playing on the same night? Does Atlanta have that much of a fan base to support two baseball teams?

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