WITH ALL OF THE DOWNTOWN CITY BALLPARKS TODAY, SOMETIMES IT IS JUST NICE TO HAVE ONE OUTSIDE THE CITY WHERE IT IS EASY IN AND EASY OUT. HERE IN RICHMOND, THE DIAMOND IS LOCATED RIGHT OFF I-95 AND THE ACCESS IS EASY. TOO BAD WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SIT IN FOR THE NEXT 3 HOURS IS 5 STORIES OF CONCRETE FILLED WITH METAL BENCHES.

EXITING OFF OF THE INTERSTATE IN RICHMOND, THE DIAMOND IS VERY EASY TO GET TO. THE PARK IS IN FULL VIEW FROM THE INTERSTATE TO THE PARKING LOT. SADLY, IF YOU ARE NOT A REGULAR VISITOR, YOU WILL HAVE TO FIND THE PARKING ENTRANCE YOURSELF. ALL OF THE PARKING WAS BLOCKED OFF ON MY SUNDAY AFTERNOON VISIT, BY THE WAY, IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A DOWNPOUR SO YOU KNOW THAT THIS GATE IS UP FOR ALL GAMES.  PASS THE STADIUM AND TAKE WHAT LOOKS LIKE A SERVICE ROAD AROUND BACK AND THERE IS THE ENTRANCE, GIVE THE ATTENDANT $3 AND HEAD ON IN. A VERY LARGE LOT AWAITS AND THE REASON FOR THE GATES IS THAT YOU FIND THAT THE PASS HOLDERS GET A BETTER ENTRANCEWAY TO THE BACK LOT. FROM YOUR CAR, FOLLOW THE DUCK TRACKS, THE RBRAVES MASCOT IS A DUCK CALLED DIAMOND DUCK, TO THE TICKET WINDOW. DON'T RUSH THE WALK THOUGH; A FEATURE I LIKED HERE IS THE PHOTOS ALONG THE STADIUM OF ALL PLAYERS WHO HAVE MADE RICHMOND HOME. PHIL NIEKRO, DALE MURPHY AND ANDRUW JONES ARE AMONG SOME OF THE PHOTOS. WATCHING YOU WALK IN IS AN OMINOUS LOOKING INDIAN ABOVE THE SOUVENIR STAND, HE ADDS A LOT OF CHARACTER TO THE CONCRETE STRUCTURE.

WHERE THE DIAMOND TAKES A STEEP DROP IS THE SEATING. WHETHER YOUR SEAT IS FRONT ROW BEHIND HOME PLATE OR IN THE 10th ROW OF THE UPPER DECK, YOU ARE GETTING A METAL BENCH WITH METAL ARM RESTS. BEHIND THE 10th ROW IN THE UPPER DECK YOU DON'T GET THE ARM REST.THE SEATING IS CHEAP AND UNCOMFORTABLE! FROM THE SEATING, YOU LOOK OUT INTO THE PARKING LOT IN LEFT AND CENTER, FAR AWAY IN RIGHT IS THE CITY OF RICHMOND. YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE INTERSTATE SO YOU CAN DECIDE IF YOU WILL HEAD ACROSS THE STREET TO BILL'S BARBECUE AFTER THE GAME OR JUST GET ON THE HIGHWAY.

BUILT IN 1985, THE DIAMOND IS MORE PROOF OF WHAT CAMDEN YARDS DID TO BASEBALL. REMEMBER, COMISKEY PARK IN CHICAGO WAS BEFORE THAT AND SKYDOME WAS PRIOR TO THAT. CONCRETE WAS KING IN THE MID 80'S AND SADLY, RICHMOND GOT A LOT OF IT. A GOOD LOOKING FIELD THAT MUST DRAIN REAL WELL CONSIDERING THE REAIN DELAY I SAT THROUGH ON MY VISIT. THE SCOREBOARD IS GOOD, BALLS AND STRIKES WERE QUICKLY UPDATED BUT THE BATTER SOMETIMES STAYED ON THE BOARD WELL INTO THE NEXT BATTER. THE BOARD IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE BOARD IN CHARLOTTE, VERY FEW ADVERTISEMENTS.

ONE OTHER THING ABOUT RICHMOND, THE FANS ARE INTO IT! THE GAME I ATTENDED WAS NOT WELL ATTENDED DUE TO THE WEATHER. BUT THE CROWD WAS LOUD MAKING A STANDARD LOOKING PARK JUST A WHOLE LOT MORE ENTERTAINING.

 RICHMOND'S PARK HAS MANY SIMILARITIES TO OTHER PARKS:::

EXTERIOR AND INETERIOR - SCRANTON / WILKES - BARRE - - RICHMOND'S IS BETTER BECAUSE IT HAS GRASS,THE UPPER DECK ISN'T AS STEEP, AND IS CLOSER TO THE FIELD. SWB DOES HAVE CHAIRS FOR SEATS THOUGH

SCOREBOARD - CHARLOTTE - THE KNIGHTS CASTLE vs. THE TOMAHAWK

MIDDLE OF THE 8^th - St. LOUIS - THEY PLAY THE BUDWEISER THEME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 8th INNING... YOU JUST CAN'T GET THE SAME REACTION HERE AS THEY DID IN St. LOUIS THOUGH