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Braves leaving Richmond
Take about 130 strides from the right-field wall of The Diamond and you're in the Richmond Sports Backers offices.
Where is that neighbor as the Richmond Braves prepare for their final season at The Diamond and local jurisdictions explore possibilities of a new facility and another professional baseball franchise?
One thing missing as the Braves organization grew increasingly frustrated by The Diamond's deterioration and the lack of a solid plan to address the stadium problem was a point man -- or point group -- to represent the Richmond metropolitan area.
With whom was Mike Plant, the Atlanta Braves executive vice president/business operations, expected to maintain dialogue? The mayor? His aides? County executives? Their aides? Developers? Planners?
The Braves waited several years to hear one voice, to see a blueprint. They were asked to believe in a blurry vision that would become clear in phases. The Braves tired of doing so, then announced last week that they will relocate their Triple-A club to Gwinnett County, Ga., for the 2009 season. Now what?
The mission statement of the Sports Backers includes:
The ballpark/ballclub conundrum seems right up the Sports Backers' alley, but don't look for the organization to run out front.
"People think our name implies that we help all the sports in town," said Jon Lugbill, the Sports Backers' executive director. "But because of our nonprofit status, that's not the case. In general, for-profit entities don't fall under what we do.
"However, facilities development kind of in my mind falls a little bit outside of that in that some facilities for professional teams can be used for other activities. Is there a nonprofit, community aspect to the use of the facility? Absolutely."
Sports Backers was not involved in talks between the Braves and city/county representatives regarding the possibility of a new stadium. "I think part of it was there just wasn't a clear thing to support," Lugbill said.
Lugbill said the Sports Backers would remain in a complementary role as the Richmond area seeks to do something about its baseball venue and secure another franchise.
"We certainly would be willing and able to participate, but we don't want to be seen as forcing an agenda one way or another," Lugbill said. "If we're seen as a valued component, our sports expertise, then sure, we'd love to be at the table."
Lugbill described the Sports Backers "expertise" as the organization's general sports knowledge of the community, and its familiarity with area power brokers and potential corporate partners for a stadium and franchise.
The Sports Backers, founded in 1991, over the years has helped bring to Richmond a world duathlon championship, USA field hockey tournaments, North American fencing tournaments, karate national championships, triathlons, international gymnastics championships, World Cup Soccer qualifiers, and other events.
The Sports Backers started the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k, one of the largest races of its kind in the country.
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or joconnor@timesdispatch.com.
