Richmond looking for Defenders

By Benjamin Hill / Special to MLB.com
Original article on Minor League Baseball.com, original article printed HERE.

After the departure of the Braves, city becomes possible Double-A stop

In 2009, the city of Richmond, Va. will not have an affiliated Minor League Baseball team. 2010 might be a different story.

This week, newspapers in Richmond and Norwich, Conn. reported that an ownership group led by Virginia businessman Brian Bostic hoped to purchase the Connecticut Defenders. The Eastern League franchise would play the 2009 season in its current home, but relocate to Richmond in time for ‘10.

This deal would have to be approved by the Eastern League and Minor League Baseball. As of now, representatives from both entities say nothing is set in stone.

Reached by phone Friday afternoon, Minor League Baseball president Pat O’Conner remarked that he is “not sure where we are in the process,” adding, “It isn’t something that I can comment on right now.”

“We have no information that we can go public with right now,” echoed Scott Poley, Minor League Baseball’s vice president of legal affairs and general counsel. “There are so many moving parts when it comes to situations like this; there is nothing that is anywhere near being finalized.”

One particularly important “moving part” is the issue of where Richmond’s new baseball team would play. After all, dissatisfaction with the city’s current facility, The Diamond, was one of the primary reasons the International League’s Richmond Braves relocated to Gwinnett County, Ga., following the ‘08 campaign.