RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond Flying Squirrels celebrated their 1,000th game at The Diamond on Thursday, marking a significant milestone for a franchise that has successfully brought baseball back to Richmond.
The team's success wasn't guaranteed, especially during the early days of the franchise's history.
"It was a void, and I think to some degree, to the baseball people, it was probably an embarrassment that we had lost baseball in this city after having it, as long as we had it," Bob Black said. "We didn't think the Braves would ever leave here. Originally, they were, you know, the Richmond Braves were owned by the Atlanta Braves, that it was never going to go away."
It wasn't long before the team was named the Flying Squirrels.
"Now I'm a traditionalist, so, you know, wasn't really sold on it. Who names the team Flying Squirrels?" Mike O'Toole said. "I think they had, like, the Ham Hocks, or, I can't even remember what the other five names were, but they were all just as wacky and just out there."
Now, the Flying Squirrels have become one of the most recognizable brands in minor league baseball with their unique name. The team's popularity extends beyond Richmond to the San Francisco Giants training camp in Arizona, where players were excited about the opportunity to wear the Flying Squirrels uniform this summer.
See the full special on the 1,000th game at The Diamond above.
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