July 3, 2007 [LINK / comment]
As the last hopes for building a new baseball stadium in downtown Richmond fall by the wayside, city leaders are now pondering whether to renovate The Diamond, or to build a replacement ballpark in that same industrial neighborhood, along The Boulevard. (It's odd how some of Richmond's landmarks lack proper names.) Today's Richmond Times Dispatch laid out the options being considered. Richmond Mayor Doug Wilder (former governor of The Commonwealth) favors a new venue.
I think The Diamond has at least ten more years in it. Sure, it's plain, but it's certainly big enough for Triple-A baseball, and there is no reason why it couldn't be upgraded with all the "necessary" amenities. They should probably add some landscaped picnic areas along the foul territory, and a bleacher section in the outfield.
Former Nats star Alfonso Soriano is playing in D.C. for the first time since he joined the Cubs late last year. So far, it's not going very well for the Nats, losing on Monday and falling behind early tonight. In today's Washington Post, Thomas Boswell reminds us of what the Nationals (and their fans) have been missing since Alfonso left town. I know it would have been foolish for the Lerners to outbid the Cubs, but still...
Thanks to a prompt reply from fellow baseball blogger Jay Roberts to yesterday's query from William Carron, I now know for sure about the plaques behind the Eddie Grant monument in the center field of the Polo Grounds. They commemorate:
I appreciate all such tips from casual fans and serious devotees of baseball. Thanks, Jay!