Braves Choose the Highway

Every time I went to a Brave’s game at the Diamond I would chuckle when the announcer introduced “your Richmond Braves.” It was always very clear to me that the team was not ours but Atlanta’s. Now, the Atlanta Braves organization has made it very clear that the Braves were only on loan.

What I find rather amusing is the shock shown by those who pass for leadership in our fair metropolitan area. Considering how they have treated the Braves over the last three years, should they have been surprised? Let us not forget that one of the first targets of L. Douglas Wilder’s “I am the boss” approach to government was the Braves. When the Braves’ organization let it be known that they needed a new stadium, Mr. Wilder made it clear that any new stadium could be built only on his terms. He tugged the Braves from Shockoe Bottom to Fulton then back to North Boulevard. Throughout, Mr. Wilder’s attitude was “my way or the highway.” Well, after putting up with our mayor's antics for three years the Braves have chosen—it’s the highway.

Although we are losing the Braves, we Richmond baseball fans need not worry. As pointed out by our beloved mayor, “One thing’s certain. Richmond will have baseball.” I assume the mayor was referring to the Washington Nationals games on Comcast.