Parker Field (Richmond)

Parker Field
Full name William H. Parker Field
Location 3001 N. Boulevard
Richmond, Virginia
Coordinates Coordinates: 37°34′18.5″N 77°27′49.4″W / 37.571806°N 77.463722°W
Capacity 9,500
Construction
Opened 1934
Renovated 1954
Closed 1984
Demolished 1984
Tenants
Richmond Virginians (1954-1964)
Richmond Braves (1966-2008))
Richmond Flying Squirrels (2010–present)

Parker Field was a multi-use outdoor stadium in Richmond, Virginia, with a seating capacity of 9,500. The field was built in 1934, as part of the fair grounds, and was named after Dr. William H. Parker, who helped with the construction of the field. It was converted for minor league baseball in 1954, replacing Mooers Field.

Richmond Virginians

Parker Field was the home field of the Richmond Virginians (1954–64) of the Class AAA International League. The team was moved south from Baltimore, which gained a major league team in 1954 when the St. Louis Browns moved east. Unaffiliated for the first two seasons, the Virginians became a farm club of the New York Yankees in 1956. Following the 1964 season, the team relocated northwest to Toledo, Ohio, to become the Mud Hens.

Richmond Braves

After an idle year in 1965, the International League returned with the Richmond Braves, who occupied the stadium for its final 19 seasons (1966–84). The team was previously the Atlanta Crackers, the AAA affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves. When the major league team moved south to Atlanta in 1966, the farm team moved north to become the Richmond Braves.

Richmond Flying Squirrels

Are a minor league baseball team in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond. The Squirrels were previously known as the Connecticut Defenders. On September 23, 2009, it was announced that the Defenders would leave Norwich for their current home at The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia, where they will continue seeking proposals for a new ballpark in the Richmond metropolitan area. The team name was changed to the "Flying Squirrels"

Name

The name the Richmond Flying Squirrels was chosen through a Richmond Times-Dispatch readers "name-the-team-contest", which ended on October 15, 2009.[1] Other finalists were the Rock Hoppers, Hambones, Rhinos, Flatheads, and Hush Puppies. (The name Hambones was later ruled out of the contest after the city's uproar and the NAACP finding that "the Hambones" could be seen as a derogatory term directed towards the African-American community.)

Logo

The new logo was unveiled on December 1, 2009.[citation needed] It is a black, red, and grey flying squirrel with a patch in the shape of an "R" (for Richmond) on top of an acorn over its heart. It was designed by San Diego-based sports branding firm Brandiose.

Parker Field was demolished after the 1984 season and replaced by The Diamond in 1985. After 24 seasons at The Diamond and 43 years in Richmond, the Richmond Braves relocated back to Georgia following the 2008 season and became the Gwinnett Braves.

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