September 17, 2025 • 59 mins
Parney sits down with Flying Squirrels GM Anthony Oppermann, COO Ben Rothrock, manager and winningest skipper in team history Dennis Pelfrey, and Andy Blum and Evan Zalewski of The Tostado Section podcast live at The Diamond on a historic day in Richmond. Of course, the Pub Club crew — Cheats, MP, and Joe T — are along for the ride too.
Together they swap stories about unforgettable promotions, favorite Diamond memories, the ballpark’s legacy in Richmond, and what the team has meant to the community. And most importantly — why the future at CarMax Park has everyone so excited.
Follow Cheats @BBallMixtape on Twitter @blackbaseballmixtape on Instagram and listen to the Black Baseball Mixtape
Follow Michael Phillips @michaelpinRVA
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
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on social to stay in the game. Everybody Party for
the Party Time podcast Here the first you get from
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Bush Light is my favorite beer winter, spring, summer, or fall.
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Food Service All right, Party Time listeners, We're doing a
(02:32):
very special edition, a high tech setup right here from
the performance food service suite at the Diamond, and the
title of this show is Diamonds Aren't Forever. This is
the last day of the Diamond. When we're taping this,
the morning of sunglasses are on. For a couple of reasons,
I don't want you to see me cry because we
(02:53):
got this high tech setup we're filming this. And then secondly,
my wife kept me out late last night, so uh
where my eyeballs looked like a Roman? Now with Matt,
we got MP on the mic, who's also our technician.
Today we got Cheats all right hand man, who's with
us on the Pine Time podcast. And then not always,
(03:14):
we have my show for Mike and everything else in
my life. Joe t who is excited about today? Hell yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Cheats at MP.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You guys taught me into doing this show today because
it's pretty heck today. I'm gonna end up leaving at
some point and you guys will bring it home with
Wyatt the producer. But thank you for talking to me.
This is a pretty neat way to end up into
this day. So I want to toss it to you
guys and see what's on your mind.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
I want to know how you felt driving in this
morning to the last day at the Diamond.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Well I drive. I could have I could have I
did this on purpose. I could have come in other ways. Uh,
you know, family member, what I wanted Joe T to
drive me because he's got There were three minutes into
the fucking show and I'm already crying. Joe T seen
me in some of my darkest moments during this whole
(04:15):
or deal, and he's he's seen me when publicly I
had faith, but privately I was like, there's no way
this is going to happen Joe T. So I kind
of wanted to have that moment for with Joe T.
He's so special to me. So left number one number two. Man,
what a grateful feeling that I have for everything. And
this whole week has just been phenomenal. You guys have
(04:36):
been around, like the crowds have been just I mean,
the crowd's been unbelievable. When Scottie Van Dura hit that
Basis clearing double last night, we don't have a roof
on this place, but I thought it was gonna come
off right. So and the players are upbeat. Everybody's so upbeat.
But so overall, it's like a wedding day, right, this
is only going to happen once, and I'm just going
(04:59):
to try to do my best not to get pissed
off at anything.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
And soak it all in.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
You always say party time is about the people and relationships.
So your time here in Richmond, obviously this building, You've
met a lot of people, You've had a lot of relationships.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
A lot of them we've learned about on this show.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
I'm not gonna ask you which ones are the most meaningful,
but I want you to. I want you to weave
a theme of just the people of Richmond and how
the Diamond is intertwined into the people of Richmond, and
how that is being put in perspective today.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Well, the diamonds kind of the setting.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It's the backdrop of all those relationships, right, And it's
because of the diamond, For example, that I met my wife.
I mean, if I didn't go to the Mayor's office
to try to talk to them about a new ballpark
in twenty twelve, twelve through are in twenty twenty five,
I never would have met Tarnya. And that's just one
example of the diamond being the setting and pelf just
(05:57):
walked in.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Like a lot of people, I can't imagine my life
without this.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
And without the Diamond, I wouldn't know this. Without the Diamond,
I wouldn't know Joe. So the answer to that question, Cheats,
is the Diamond is the setting and the backdrop for
every significant relationship that I personally ever made in Richmond.
And that's what today means to me, is my whole
life's about relationships and the setting of almost all of those.
(06:26):
I've probably met a few people in bars too, but
other than that, the Diamond has been the setting.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
So that's what makes me really quickly to follow up
on that before we bring the coach in party.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
You exactly right, because we met because.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Of obviously a tough time in our city and our community,
and we met because we identified the Diamond and the
Richmond Squirrels were one of the only places that could
be a great unifier of a city that was really
being challenge a city that was really being challenging all
(07:04):
aspects of how we can come together in one place.
We said that people could come together regardless of social
economic background, race, gender, was here at.
Speaker 5 (07:14):
The Diamond, and that's how we came together and it.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Has proven to be true, not just obviously in one
but for the last forty years.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Yeah, in twenty two thousand and nine August seconds when
I got here, people kept talking about you Crops, and
I kept saying, what the hell is U crops? And
they said they were the company and everybody goes to
when they when they they need things to be done
in the community. And I remember saying to somebody, that's
what I want.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Us to be.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
And it is nice when Joe Tie's gonna slide into
a sidecar seat so we can welcome our first guest here, andy.
Speaker 5 (07:46):
Te, What are you gonna say about our guests? Hell, yeah,
right there, and our first two time party time guests.
Oh that's right, that is right. Absolutely, you're making history.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Belf.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
We don't even have to tell you. This isn't an interview,
it's a converse. Say oh, you should get let the
big man you at the first.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Absolutely, when you think back to the Diamond, is there
any any specific thing that pops into your head. I
know that you always talk about crowd, how loud it is.
We were talking about that last night, But is there
anything else?
Speaker 5 (08:19):
I mean, I think you know one first of all,
thanks for having me.
Speaker 6 (08:22):
And it's gonna be tough to follow up your conversation
and what you know, your thoughts on the diamond, but
you know, just a small piece for me, I think
four years, you know, in the in the total scheme
of things for the forty years is not a whole lot,
but it feels like.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
It's a time for everyone, you churchgoers, it's it's.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
One of those things where you know, for me, it's
felt like you know, it feels like home. And you know,
it's really hard to put into words and pick a
certain moment or pick a certain thing that it makes
it special, right when you're talking about.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
Your family and your home.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
So for me to to be back here again this year,
you know, it was a blessing.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
And again I say it all the time.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
This is the best place I've ever been in, my
favorite place in baseball that I've ever worked. And I
don't really consider it work.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
It's it's it's just it's family.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Working among these people, you know, and this is not
the nicest building of all time, it turns out. But
how how energizing it The first one, first shot, that's
all right, you needed a counterpoint, but what's it meant
to have the support of Party, this whole team, and
what have they meant to you.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
During this journey towards the new.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
It makes it.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
It makes my job really really easy.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
I mean I think that, you know, I've always been
a big believer in front office and and the team
has we have to have a good relationship, and I
think that they made that really easy from day one.
First day I showed up and I thrilled my car
here from Texas, I think to eat.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
The server came over and said would you like to
drink and palsy co. I'm like, I want to drink,
and so then they got.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
You know, and I know how to take party.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
I'm not real quick, so.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
I fit right in there with the with the Jack Daniels.
That's a drink of choice for me.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
But you know, just one.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
I like to just have one.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
One triple.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
I mean from the from the moment, I think Joe
T was there as well.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
Pulled up in the parking lot, I saw the stadium
and I was like, man, this is this is cool.
And you know when you talk about the stadium and
you know it's gonna be awesome being over the new
ball Park, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
But there's there's gonna be.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
This place is always gonna have a piece of my
heart right And like you know, I think when we
did a tour the other day, first place we went
was the first base dugout where we'll be next year.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
And I'm thinking, Man, if I'm back here.
Speaker 6 (10:50):
Next year, the first thing I want to see first
pitch of the game, because I'm looking, I want to
see the diamond and it's gonna feel wow, it's gonna
feel weird, like not being in this building for the
first pitch of the season.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
That's wild. Yeah, you'll be looking right at it. First
thing I noticed over there.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
I don't know how much time we have left with health,
but one of the things I wanted to bring up
because I think this is special one if you don't mind,
I'm going to let people into our.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Relationship a little bit. I'm gonna let you do it,
tell people what we do after we win a game.
Speaker 6 (11:17):
So yeah, I mean, I don't know, Uh, you.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
Know too many other people that keep traditions going.
Speaker 6 (11:25):
But when every time we win a game at the Diamond,
you know, Parney comes in makes some time for me,
which is special in itself.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Because you know, he's a busy man and everybody.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
I don't do ship.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Our next guest will confirm that.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Yeah, we know. He comes in.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
We have a dose Eki's green bottle and uh and
the citrus in kind of go goes really well together.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
It tastes really good. I'm hoping and I'm hoping that
we get to have one more. Yeah, today I hear
the Diamond.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
The goal is always to.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Win the last game of the year, whether that's the
championship game, you know, whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
But this year it's the.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
Last home game for the Diamond, and that's that's the
goal from the last game.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Health.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Do you have anything, any any last statement you'd like
to say to the Diamond and to our parting time listeners.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
Yeah, I mean I think that you know, you know,
if you're a.
Speaker 6 (12:14):
Richmond Flying Squirrel fan, I know that the season wasn't
the greatest this year. You know, we definitely started off
pretty pretty rough and it didn't turn around quite as
quickly as it wanted to.
Speaker 5 (12:24):
But I think I said it from the beginning.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
I think this is a this is a team that
you know, by the end of the season, if you
stick behind us, you'll you know, be proud to be
a part of and support and I think that you know,
from the players standpoint, we we've done a really.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Good job of competing all the way to the end
and had a really good second half and you know.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
Couple games out of the playoffs, it's just gonna make
us more hungry for next year. So just appreciate the
support and what you guys are doing. And uh, it's
it's been it's been fun.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Oh yeah, we look forward to soaking the moment and
with we love your health. Thanks for coming.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Credit to Palf and the t on me.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
They this this could have ended differently than it did,
but we had a legit playoff chase and to win
the last few at the Diamond, that's that's a tribute.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
It's a tough week to be a yard goat. In
two thousand and two. In two thousand and two, we
had a tart pole in Altoona. I met a young
intern from the ticket office. Our set producer is getting
everything ready over there at Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Know what's happening.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
It's chaos in peace are in pace our set producers.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
There was at ten am this morning games at one
point thirty there were people waiting outside.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
So anyway, Ben Rothrock was an intern from Liberty.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
We won't we don't have time to get in all
the details because I actually told Benny last night after
the game that I really wanted him to come on
and have a show called this guy that I've worked
together for twenty four years. But when we have you
on the full time show, we'll tell the whole story
of the first thing I ever said to you is
which we probably shouldn't say say. But anyway, Ben Rotherbox
(14:02):
on the show now, guys, Chief operating Officers for Flying Scrolls,
an original Squirrels office member from the very very beginning,
and someone that I've had the privilege of working with
and alongside for the last twenty four years. Thank you
for taking a few hours. We're gonna make it. We're
gonna make it real quick. Who wants to do the
first question?
Speaker 5 (14:20):
Yeah, give me your emotions here as we close this down.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Yeah. So there's a reason why I'm wearing sunglasses to
the day.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
Hey, Yeah, Like you won't be the first person.
Speaker 7 (14:30):
It's been amazing, you know, just to kind of you know,
I don't think we fully grasped exactly what this day
actually means yet. I mean because with the build up
to this point has been so you know, there's there's
been so many times where along the way it's like
we got this, this, this and this to do, and
it's like by the time you exhale, it's like it's done.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
You know.
Speaker 7 (14:52):
So getting to this point, seeing the crowds of past
six days, it's been amazing. It's been it's been an
amazing response from Risbond and really truly what this community
means to us. And to see like just the expression
on people's faces every single night and you know, the
(15:12):
the applause and just the intent on being here has
been truly truly amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
It's intense, good word cheats.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
It seems like everything that's going on outside of what's
happening here has been really really challenging in some ways.
This place obviously has served even not just this season
but beyond, has a bit of a just an oasis
in a place, in a in a place where everyone
really can come together and be housed.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
You've been here since the very beginning. What's that mean
to have a place like.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
This where I see you all the time almost every
game standing at the front gate and you see old
young kids like coming what how like what does that
mean when you.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Put in perspective.
Speaker 7 (15:56):
Yeah, look, I mean, you know it's well known like
our first year, how much doubt was behind us coming
in you know, just you know quotes that we're like
we're a fly by night operation and Joe, you know,
Joe's actually taking a nap. I think we all came
(16:18):
into this with the same desire to prove them wrong,
you know, and that's that was been our you know,
intent from day one. It's like, we're kind of we're
gonna come in here, We're going to take this town
by storm, and you know, to see the fruits were
labor now fifteen sixteen years later, you know, it just
(16:40):
goes back to all the hard work, the long hours,
the endless nights that we took that first several years
to build up this brand. You know, because the brand
has been important to us. We came in here with
you know, the motto like we wanted to be different.
We wanted to have the impact like we proved it
and the fun comes along with it. So like, you know,
(17:01):
to have that intent and to the desire from day
one and truly, you know, hold onto that model for
so long, like and there's you know, you mentioned it too.
There's so many different operational challenges with this place. It
has not been a secret on that part too, So
you know, there's obviously a lot of things that you
(17:22):
have to adjust to that you wouldn't have to do
that in a normal facility. And you know from you know,
there's just been some operational nightmare stuff that you know,
over the year has just been like trying and true
and just got to make sure that you got to
keep your head down and do the investments for the fans.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
I feel like we've done that.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
I'm gonna let you brag just a little bit because
I know what you two will say. You will say
that these rolls came in and kind of taking all
the personality of Richmond. What I would tell you too,
in particular, is that several parts of Richmond have taken
all the personality of the Squirrelds.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
Better.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
When you see that, when you see other entities that
have been in here longer than you have, kind of see,
oh man, they're doing it the right way.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
Let's try to do things like theirs are doing.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
No. I mean, obviously, flattery is the is the whatever
I say it is. Yeah, and it's not only just
here in the community, which uh, you know, we get.
I mean, there's there was a time, remember Benny, when
we were doing so well. The companies are rich and
we're trying to poach our employees all the time.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Yeah, you know, and I got them. But then also,
let me talk about all the time there's one hundred
and twenty minor.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
League baseball teams and people people do our stuff all
the time.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
We're all cross baseball.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
So I think that I take it as very flattering,
especially you know, doing it alongside you know, this guy
who again I knew was an intern, but I think
it's awesome.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Yeah, I mean he said it best, like there's been
just so you say that again this time he said
it best.
Speaker 7 (19:00):
But honestly, even when you know, we were building this brand,
like we knew we had something special, so we wanted
to build on that, and you know, again we saw.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
People noticing, and you know, we.
Speaker 7 (19:13):
Continue to push ourselves day in and day out to
be the best and to bring our best game every
single day, even from a you know, you know, arm standpoint,
which is behind the scenes. Mostly like we want to
make sure that we're being innovative, being out there, you.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Know, being the best we can for the fans.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
That Bennie deserves a ton of credit because when he
got here his role was marchandise.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
That's and nice. And I remember, I want to tell
a really quick story.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
So we had the press conference about the logo, right
and I'm on stage and we're unbeloing the logo. And
I come off stage and the reporter comes up and goes,
you guys are geniuses, and I'm like, oh, thank you,
And I'm like, but why it was the logo the
primary logo? How did you think about making it look
like the Commonwealth of virgin in his geography? And I
(20:01):
looked at it in my head, I'm going, holy shit.
But in reality and I'm like, oh yeah, Well, we talked,
we looked at all the concept.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I just ran with it. I ran with it. Then
I came to Bendy, I go, did you know that
that looks like? So?
Speaker 5 (20:18):
Well?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Benny?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Looking forward to today, is there anything when you woke
up this morning? What was on your mind when what
was your first or second thought of the day about
what we're going to go through today?
Speaker 7 (20:28):
Yeah, Like I said, I don't think all the emotions
have fully like said it yet.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
But you know, I think we talked about this brief
for last night.
Speaker 7 (20:36):
I don't know if we've had a sellout day game, right,
we haven't, and you know, so that's unique.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
So we're still in the nervous nervous how are we
going to get all these people in here?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Quite honestly, that's amazing too.
Speaker 7 (20:49):
Like you know, people take time out of there midday
to come out and you know, you know, which is
what the stadium well.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
I mean, have you what have you.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Felt like when people have come up to you and
said the word thank you?
Speaker 7 (21:02):
Yeah, it's you know, it's callous times over the past,
you know, honestly months because like people strategically plan their
trips this year around coming out here one last time,
you know, over the past several months leading up to today.
It's not just today, it's not you know, yesterday. It's
people that are like, well I can't get there then,
but here's what I can. It's just been you know,
(21:24):
people from different states coming in like, hey, I used
to come here as a kid with my grandparents.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
And my father, my mom and like all that stuff.
Speaker 7 (21:33):
So you know, so when they say thank you really
just resounds because it's not just thank you from that,
it's thank you from the generation ye generations of people,
and it truly means a lot to a lot of people,
and to like send us what is out the way
we are has been like I don't think we'll understand
the magnitude for several years to come.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
I mean, this is a once in a lifetime deal
for us, right, I mean today, today's once.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
This will never.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Happen again because I'm gonna be dead as hell by
the time we get done with I'll be honest carry out.
I mean, I think Benny when I was still the CEO,
and Benny would walk in and ask about something and
I'd have like a chest paint or something.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
He'd grab a piece of burger here, just turn sign
it and turn everything off to me. Right now.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
He signed this paper in cas is the big one. Yeah,
I feel the same way, like it's Uh. I was
at the ABC store, believe it or not, I mean
the other day and the god behind me in line. Uh,
the guy behind me the line said, hey, party before
you leave. First of all, where's the part of your mind?
It ship ton of stuff? And secondly, thank you from everybody,
(22:47):
And that's happened so many times, bro, and it almost
brings me to the point of like.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Of tears.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
So but I know you got to go because it's uh,
it's getting he does one more was better fun. So
it's it's the party Time Party Time podcast.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
So we got to ask and you mentioned that there
have been difficult days through this journey to get here,
and you've been locked up side by side of this
man right here who's kind of been the been the
forward facing leading What have you learned from this guy,
especially when times have gotten tough and it looks like, man,
I don't know if this is going to happen this time.
(23:25):
You're not having this time this guy I'm lou and
everybody's you know, going mad. We're looking to the newspaper
every other day. What has his leadership been like if
you went through.
Speaker 7 (23:34):
This now, look, I'll start back, you know, twenty plus
years ago and having the opportunity to come to Richmond
back in two thousand and nine, like this was a
no brainer for me because you know the years I
spent with you know, working with him in Altuna, like
the drive, the passion, you know, the understanding of the market, like.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
I'm almost certified with that's true too, and I've learned
stuff from that.
Speaker 7 (24:01):
But like, uh, you know, to take Altoon in Pennsylvania
and the Altoon Curve and and to you know put
them on a map in terms of like attendance and
stuff like that, you know, was a big you know,
a tribute to what he's done in his career. And
so when there were some changes that were happening with
that whole scenario with the ownership and you know, him
(24:25):
moving down here to kind of build this into what
it is today, Honestly, the decision was easy, you know,
Like I didn't have to think twice. I didn't know
much about Richmond at the time. Again, I went to Liberty,
so kind of knew like you know, like where it was.
(24:47):
But like I know, I never went to Richmond. I'll
tell that story later.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
I mean honestly, for came by faith, right, I mean
exactly right. And my brother was living here at the time,
and he's like, hey, I got this opportunity, Like.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
We chased his ass out of town. You know, let
me know I'm there.
Speaker 7 (25:02):
You know, because again the passion to drive, I knew
that this would be a success because of all those things,
and you know, it's it's really truly comes down to
callous hours, the dedication, the understanding, and just the people
person that he is really just helped drive this to
(25:23):
where it is today.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
And it's like it's more than professional right when this
guy is a miracle. I mean what he went through
with his health a few years Matt, and I'm really
proud of him as a as a professional, but I'm
even more proud of him for a while he's been
through as a person in the way that one of
the he doesn't know this and I've never said this
(25:45):
to him, but one of the greatest compliments he ever
gave me was one time about two years ago, he said, yeah,
I said, somebody said to me, would go ask Parney,
And he said, I know what Parny's going to say
say because I know how party brain thinks.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
He doesn't even have to say anything, because I know
exactly what he's going to say. And that meant a
lot to me.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
You know, I know that I did some things right
and something's wrong, and I want him to learn from
the things I did wrong, Like like he leaves now
when his kids have games. That was a mistake I
made is Jesus talking to us. Welcome to the church service, everybody.
(26:27):
I made some mistakes with my kids and not leaving games.
He does that now. Like, so I'm very very proud
of Benny and I love him, and I'm so excited
that we're going to go through We've been through a
lot of almost together.
Speaker 8 (26:37):
Bro.
Speaker 7 (26:37):
Yeah yeah, I mean honestly, like even come back from
COVID twenty twenty one, like opening night, we just found
each other like behind no play, like not even standing
beside each other, and like happened to Glenn Starver at
the same time when there's capacity crowd, you know, as
big as.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
We can get it at that point and talk about.
Speaker 7 (26:57):
Exactly like you know, we went through it that twenty
twenty a year, you know, I'm not having a season
and and not knowing, you know how this was all
gonna shake out, and doing random events on the field
to kind of still engage the community.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
In getting to twenty twenty one.
Speaker 7 (27:15):
Honestly, it was a miracle on myself because there are
a lot of challenges with that and trying to figure
out like where people are gonna sit.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
I'm not laughing, but I remember me and Benny being
the one people in the office and me bringing him
in and looking in and good, hey, Benny, you gave
me the financial report.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Do we really have that much money left in the
bank account? Is that all we have?
Speaker 1 (27:34):
And he'd be like, yeah, bro, yeah, And then we
had like eight people on payroll, and I'm like, well,
how the hell are we going to make payroll?
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Those are the moments that make days like this right
and even better?
Speaker 7 (27:44):
Yeah know, eight to closer to forty now, so you know,
we're building up to the future. And uh again, just
that that growth in the past over years has been
just truly amazing to see.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Well, Benny, we're gonna I'm getting ready to leave here
in a little bit. We've got the Tostado boys coming here.
We got we had a couple of we had a
couple of other guests lined up, but I don't know
where people are. But Benny, I love you, buddy, and
I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
And Joe t.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
You didn't give any the hell yet to have a
guy that was an intern in Altoona grow into what
he was almost died twice to a heart problem.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
I went visiting thirty nine consecutive days in the hospital.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
I wore that jersey Mike's out. The guy was like,
is there a reason you've been here thirty seven days?
In a round like my buddies in the hospital. So
I appreciate you having I was trying to get Loo
to come on too, But.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
What was the question?
Speaker 1 (28:45):
I mean, I mean, it's just how this ship is
every day, you know. Uh, it's great. I'm excited to
go back down. Larry Bottel, a very instrumental owner, just
showed up. Uh, and he's he's looking forward to seeing him.
So so surreal feeling, guys, surreal feeling.
Speaker 9 (29:03):
Plus it's plus it's NFL Sunday.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yesterday. I didn't have time to study.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
I didn't have time to study an the college games,
so I just picked some stuff out of my ass, right,
I went over seven.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Well it's lost, like yeah, so so my buddy called me.
My buddy called me that Anthony.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Yes, uh, you know, truth to the room that you're
gonna be Virginia Tech football coach.
Speaker 5 (29:29):
Yeah, yeah, I have to.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Actually, we just kept our sunglasses on if you want
to range. I'm so excited that Anthony's coming because I
never even officially personally got to ask Anthony if he
could come up to be Yeah, thanks for the I
sent a text to somebody to say if they can
get they could get you.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Uh, it'll be real quick.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
I know you're very busy and I'm getting ready to
leave to h but we just these guys, it was
their idea to do a quick little party time on
the last day.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
How do you feel. That's a load of question. You know,
it's it's surreal, it really is.
Speaker 8 (30:11):
Yeah, you know, I think what's what's interesting though, is
you know we'll have the day off tomorrow and then
I feel like Bill Belichick.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
We're on the CarMax.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Part by the way, this is Anthony.
Speaker 8 (30:23):
Yeah, yeah, you know, just being I know you guys
are like truthful on the Parting Time podcast.
Speaker 5 (30:34):
I don't hold back.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
I heard the Billy Wager.
Speaker 10 (30:37):
Episode, right, so you know, look, it's it's a sense
of relief, honestly, like there's a weight being lifted a
little bit today.
Speaker 8 (30:47):
I mean, you know, we're here to celebrate the memories
and and honer and commemorate that.
Speaker 5 (30:53):
But you know this was always temporary. You know, it
was day you know.
Speaker 11 (31:00):
It's like riding for fifteen years, like looking for a
house for fifteen years and now you finally.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
Got your new house. And I promised your new house
when you moved into the.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Remember Mike Barry, I do so.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Mike Barry is in my office one time he ran
the RMA and he's like, if you don't do this,
and you don't do this, you're not going to get
a stadium till twenty eighteen. I kicked him out of
my office. I'm gonna get the hell out of here.
If we would have a ballpark about two thousand and eight.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
And here we say yeah.
Speaker 8 (31:31):
So I mean there is that you know, and the
other announce you have been using too. It's like when
you buy a car and you have to pay down
the interest first before you start making any comments on
the principal for the actual car, right, So you know,
I think that's part of this too.
Speaker 5 (31:45):
Now is that you know this season, I mean the
last two season.
Speaker 8 (31:48):
I really, honestly, I felt like last year was more
challenging because it wasn't like final final yet the ballparks fan.
Speaker 5 (31:55):
I mean, if you think about it, it wasn't until
last August.
Speaker 8 (31:58):
When that lease was signed the CarMax Park that the
future of baseball and Richmond was finally secured. I mean
up until August there was still until it's done.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
It's not done, as we know all too well, right.
Speaker 8 (32:12):
So you know, I we you know, we've had a
couple of really challenging years to try and navigate and
and you know then then the work starts next door too,
by the way, so this year has been like working
on multiple years at the same time. And as the
seasons progressed, the demands for Carmack's Park have increased.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
So this has been a big challenge.
Speaker 8 (32:32):
So, you know, to get to this point today, honestly, truthfully,
there's a sense of relief that we got here. We're
gonna give her her goodbye. It's been an incredible like
final farewell to the diamond. But now like one hundred
percent of the money and the equity and the sweat
investment that's gone into it is going to go to
(32:54):
the future and ultimately what the future was intended to
be all along.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
I just to thank you because you being here it
means a lot to me because I love you as
a person, but you were a key roleing and me
being able to slow down and I Anthony and I
went to Hondo's one night and I looked him in
the eye. I don't know if you remember this, I said, Anthony,
can I ask you a question?
Speaker 5 (33:18):
Hold up this before after you spilled the glass of wine.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
When just you.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
And I we took ours there one night and I
just kept I drank the Tito's and the wine at
the same time, and it didn't go so well at
the end. So Anthony, he goes, hey, do you want
to go to Honda's just me and you? And I'm like,
I didn't think you ever want to do that because
I'll bring.
Speaker 10 (33:38):
Him bit I grabbed, I grabbed one of the ponchos
we give the podcast contests.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
Uh yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
And I looked at you and I said, do you
think if I had this and I retired what I've
had when I have, what would I.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Have survived the stress?
Speaker 1 (33:58):
And you said, and so you being able to come
back was one of the key things that Lou wanted
to have happened. So I wanted to say thank you
for that, thank you for being the general manager of
the team that I love, and most importantly, thank you
for being my friend.
Speaker 8 (34:14):
Yeah, I mean, look to They're not affords in the dictionary.
MP knows most of them. They can agree with you
on this. They're not affords in the dictionary to describe,
you know, what would you and tying in your family
mean to breathe and my family extended family even in
Texas fast Daddy and my mom. I mean, and I
hope that you know you've been able to, you know,
(34:36):
take some time during this whole experience too, to kind
of soak in what you know you built when you
came and parneyized the city back in two thousand and nine.
And you know, I mean it's like those memories are
still very vivid right of you know, you know, what
are these carpetbackers doing? Like why are they calling our
beloved baseball team the Flying Squirrel?
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Ever going to go to a game? You guys suck?
Speaker 5 (34:58):
Yeah, I mean, you know, but like we all knew,
like we all knew.
Speaker 8 (35:02):
But I think part of the reason we knew it
was gonna work is because we knew who was right
at the front of the line leading the charge, and
that was here. Don't worry, I've got some more nice
things to say.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
I will tell this obvious one of my favorite people.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Uh not just in Richmond or the Squirrel in a
whole time and one of the reasons it is is
because I'll tell you, like Apa never says no, He
never says no. He always tries to figure out a
way to get to yes, even if we can't do
it right then. And that includes some of the stuff
we've done, You've done and the team is done with
(35:45):
this building that we're about to say goodbye to because
let's just face it, especially the last couple of years,
there's been challenges of it being on its last leg,
and there's been things happening here that I think the
normal person would say, we're ever going to do that here,
this this structure is too old to can handle it.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
We're not going to do this. Paint the outside, We're
never going to do that. Bring you the community, We're
never going to do that.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
And you always said yes to maximize what this ability
could be, even.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
If it's in its later years. How did you do that?
How did you look at.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
What you had, especially over the last like so even
since we've come back since twenty twenty and said I'm
going to turn what could be like the worst part
of this into an accent, but yeah, you turned you
made lack of better term, a lot of eliminatee out
of limits and especially with this building, talk to us
a little bit about how you and the team has
(36:41):
helped just like do things with this structure. Well, you
follow the.
Speaker 8 (36:44):
Cues from the leaders at the front of line, and
you know, Parney and you know, I got to give
credit to you know, Chuck Domino two from the very beginning.
As a matter of fact, Chuck was out of game
our last homestand and you know, he and I were
talking about briefly, and you know, he was outside the
canteena space just down the concourse from where we're at
right now, and he said, oh, this is really cool.
Speaker 5 (37:04):
This is a this is a nice little addition right here.
Speaker 8 (37:07):
I said, yeah, Chuck, just you know how it goes,
trying to cramp something in wherever he can, he goes.
Speaker 5 (37:11):
But that's the fun of it, Like that was the
fun of this.
Speaker 8 (37:14):
Place, was trying to figure out how we like use
different spaces the ballpark in different ways. And so I
think when you have that mentality from you know, for me,
when I got to Richmond in two thousand and nine,
I worked three seasons in a full time capacity and
a couple of intern years prior to that. So you know,
that's kind of the impression that was made on me
(37:34):
very early on. And you know, Parney was always like
the start at yes guy, and work backward from there.
But you know, I've always been somebody who like enjoys
like creating something out of nothing, Like That's why partly
I got into broadcasting, because I thought it was like
so magical to be on the air and to be
able to describe something and make people who cannot see
(37:57):
what you're talking about feeling real genuine emotion and connection.
So there's just a start off, you know, on the
radio side being the canvas. I had the fortunate, sometimes
misfortunate to spend some time in MP shoes working in
the newspaper industry. But you know, again another opportunity with
(38:18):
the blank canvas to you know, be able to create,
whether it's you know, with the words you write or
you know, the layout you know on the paper. And
then this is just kind of an extension of that
same mentality philosophy. Every game is a blank canvas and
we get to create moments within the game and that's
pretty special. And so it's just that's just kind of
(38:39):
the approach in the field to like every aspect of
the business, and you know, really to make this impactful,
it is about the community. It's about the people who
are here. And you know again like as Childhood Cancer
Foundation right right that you know that moment in the game,
like that's so sal you know, and every game there
(39:02):
is that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
And multiple times within a game.
Speaker 6 (39:06):
And you know, sometimes I had a little bit of
my obsessive compulsive disorder.
Speaker 5 (39:10):
Like I can't like just let you have that.
Speaker 10 (39:12):
Yeah, yeah, says he says the guy who has like
all the shirts in his closet like short sleeves, long sleeves,
color brand.
Speaker 5 (39:20):
Like it's all my mind up right closet.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
So yeah, I think I think that's it. Cheez. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
I just want to say thank you to you guys.
Parting time has been a fun project. I hope you
can keep it growing. You guys dedicate so much time
to us once every couple of weeks. But not only that,
you're both very very close personal friends, not just to
me but in my family. Joe t back there. Of course,
(39:49):
it was our sixty two year old ring bear and
our wedding. Today's special because you guys are here because
of what the diamond is because of friends like Anthony
working side by side and Benny. I'm so glad that,
uh that I didn't mess up not having them on
this and I'm so glad you guys.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Talked us in to this.
Speaker 5 (40:08):
Welcome back to the Party Time podcast.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
And as you can see, Party is now middle aged, overweight,
fat black guy men.
Speaker 5 (40:20):
Is still here.
Speaker 4 (40:21):
My god, we are joined by two of my favorite
favorite squirrel fings. Uh no, it's really really true, evn't
and any of the Testata section clapping up The Satday
section is the is the unofficial official Richmond Flying Squirrels podcast.
Speaker 5 (40:41):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
Uh And before that it wasn't. It was just really
just like it was on social jokes. It was just
jokes and it still is jokes. I'm gonna I'm gonna
start by asking you both because I I know it's
been down several years where we've been way too many
baseball games right here, seeing what are your thoughts?
Speaker 5 (41:01):
This is the last hurrah, the last game of the
Diamond Richmond Flying Squirrels. Well, how do you all.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Put in for?
Speaker 5 (41:10):
It's hard to I mean, the time has flun by.
Speaker 12 (41:12):
You know, I moved to Richmond in eleven people have
been talking about new stadium since I moved here. It's
hard to believe it's finally happening. I mean it's been
a blast. It's been awesome. You know, there's everyone was
talking a lot about the team has been very gracious
this week thanking the community. But I think it's hard
to overstate how much the city loves the team. And
(41:38):
you touched on in the Richmond's a very diverse place.
You come to a game, you see every corner of
Richmond at every game. So I mean, thank you to
the team, thank you to Parney, thank you to the staff.
I mean, there's there's no better place to be in sports,
I think than right here.
Speaker 11 (41:55):
Yeah, one thing that got echoed for pretty much every
guest we had, whether it's like a player, your coach,
or whatever.
Speaker 5 (42:00):
With the Squirrels, we always ask like.
Speaker 11 (42:03):
What's your favorite thing about playing here in Richmond or
what stands out to you the most, And so many
people just said not only of the physical atmosphere of
the Diamond because it gets so freakin loud, but it
obviously takes thousands of people showing up to care about
the team, to cheer on the team, to make it
that loud, and they're like, you know, not to talk
(42:23):
crap about any other place I've been. Okay, Okay, that's
their words, not mine. They were being very political with
their answers, but they're like, you know, it's very there's
a market difference in where we play, and just like
to be part of that fandom and to be known
as like one of the great minor league baseball cities.
(42:45):
I mean even before, Like think about how many people
you talked to about the Richmond Braves and like we
were not living in Richmond when the Braves were a team,
But you come back here all these years later, we're
a Giant's affiliate.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Now look at the numbers the Bravees Merch did.
Speaker 11 (42:59):
Like, obviously there's a huge impact felt even pre party,
pre Squirrels here.
Speaker 5 (43:04):
It's just like that baseball culture in Richmond that is
it's deep.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Man.
Speaker 5 (43:09):
What are you gonna miss about the Diamond? That's tough.
Speaker 12 (43:15):
I mean, the atmosphere is obviously unique, and I'm confident
that the city has it in them to carry that
across the parking lot.
Speaker 3 (43:26):
And you know this this place has character for sure.
I'm not gonna miss walking up the steps when I
get yeah.
Speaker 12 (43:34):
Hell yeah, maybe some of some of the puddles that
form on the rainy days.
Speaker 5 (43:43):
I'm a missed how big it is because you can
see it from that.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
You're not gonna be a sea cars one level, not
two levels, all have going up in the upper deck
to see downtown.
Speaker 5 (43:51):
You catch a breeze on a lovely night.
Speaker 12 (43:54):
It's the first thing you see when you're driving, you know,
ninety five south coming in the city. It's a landmark.
P'of told us the other day that he thinks it
should be left up as a monument.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Uh no, so, man, we've seen a lot. We've seen
so most people know. When when you follow a team
basically every game, every series, and if you're in the
steams as much as uh we are, to be honest
with you, you just see just crazy things that happen,
or funny things or things that are just uncharacteristic. When
(44:37):
you think back on even all the promotions, all the events,
I know, the one that stands out for me and
you guys is just the first time you guys saw wrestling,
the first time you saw wrestling at the diamond, which
is like for people that have it, it's not on
the field it's literally like in the causeway of and
(45:00):
they put a whole wrestling ring and there's just like
gods flying all over the place. But think back at it.
I mean we've seen wrestling here. Obviously, there's Halloween activities here.
There's events like when they do like full like dinners,
like sit down dinners in the infield. What are some
of the most like standout events that the Diamond or
(45:21):
even Shenanigans that you've seen through.
Speaker 5 (45:24):
Your time here running the running down?
Speaker 12 (45:26):
Oh, I mean I have one that stands out more
than anything maybe I've ever seen in my life.
Speaker 5 (45:29):
This was twenty thirteen the Monkey Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
And for this I don't know.
Speaker 12 (45:36):
There was some little monkeys dress like cowboys and the
red dogs around the field.
Speaker 5 (45:41):
Oh yeah, and yeah.
Speaker 12 (45:43):
I shout up the stadium that danced like monkey Cowboys
where the guy taking tickets like you got?
Speaker 5 (45:50):
So that was that was certainly the most I like
that one. That is a unique one.
Speaker 11 (45:54):
It's funny that you mentioned the wrestling because pretty toest
out of section always been like a big wrestling fan
and I would always come out to the Diamond on
like meet Kurt Angle Knight. Diamond Dallas page Kevin. The
list goes on and there's some Kevin ash stories yeah.
Speaker 13 (46:15):
About them, Yeah yeah, no, but yeah, that was always
fun and I was I was glad to see that
get brought back because that's like a speaking of Richmond culture.
Speaker 11 (46:27):
Just to kind of go off on a tangent, there
was a huge like Richmond Luke Lee racing in the
early two thousands. I kind of went away. There's no
local wrestling and stuff. So I'm to see the guy's
partner with RB a pro. It's really cool to kind
of bring that back. That was always a draw for
me in terms of wacky promotions. Yeah, I'm just thinking
the I mean, the hot on candle is gonna go down.
Speaker 5 (46:53):
I know that that's maybe maybe some recency bias.
Speaker 3 (46:58):
When they lost all those games of their own party
move lived here until they won.
Speaker 5 (47:03):
What year was that, man?
Speaker 3 (47:05):
This was this was early on, like a ten game
losing sperience. I'm not leaving the diamond until they went like,
yeah you remember that.
Speaker 4 (47:15):
I'm trying to think it's it's not even The ones
that that always stand out to me are the ones
that are just like improvtu and obviously it the probably
unsanctioned is the best term they would be. You know,
every once in a while you'd get some college age
students that decided to do stack cups.
Speaker 5 (47:36):
Sure, and they were going to stack cups in the
in the beer stack.
Speaker 4 (47:41):
I just remember this one, like like one particular day,
I was sitting on the third base side.
Speaker 5 (47:48):
It was a night game, but.
Speaker 4 (47:50):
These guys just lost their The cupstack was the highest
I've ever seen it, to the point where like people
weren't watching the game and they were just watching these
is in the cupstack, and it just it got I
think it got to a point where it was such
a distraction where the ushers were like, hey, guys, shut
(48:10):
this down too much, and just a vitriol from the
crowd was like what And I'm.
Speaker 5 (48:17):
Like, what is happening?
Speaker 4 (48:18):
And I've never seen anything like it before that level before,
And I just remember it was like the entire like
audience was probably like the subventh or eighty that was like,
whatever game is happening here, We're watching these kids in
the cup stack, and I just like, those are the
types of things that are impromptu. They'll never like, you
know what I mean, You'll probably never see that again
(48:39):
in that setting.
Speaker 5 (48:40):
And it was just magical and most most for the
most part, they let it go. They let it fly,
and so they could let it fly. What's your plan
for your last day at the Diamond here?
Speaker 3 (48:51):
Oh my goodness, my last meal, last trip to the
field here.
Speaker 5 (48:55):
The last meal. I feel like I got it.
Speaker 11 (48:58):
So we've been at pretty much every game week just
to give this stadium.
Speaker 5 (49:02):
A proper goodbye.
Speaker 11 (49:03):
I'm not a big ice cream guy, but I went
out of my way to get ice cream helmet last.
You know, I'm just like, I'm running out of things
that I haven't done here. What can I still check
off the list? So I don't know. It might just
be some some concession items that have been neglected throughout
the years. But we're gonna be We're gonna be here
as soon as gates open. We're gonna sitting here as
long as you know we possibly can before they kick
(49:26):
us out.
Speaker 5 (49:26):
Probably gonna get a little emotional, But I mean, what
was your favorite What was your favorite food? Because every
year there's food innovations.
Speaker 2 (49:37):
Answer It's b.
Speaker 11 (49:42):
Many A podcast episode campaigning for the triumphant return of
the bot Dog never came. We got it for hot tomato.
Summer brought to You by Dukes mayonn for a week.
I don't remember last month or so. We devoured quite
a few of them during that time, but I mean
to make it a permanent yea.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Make one plead.
Speaker 5 (50:02):
Yeah, but they got capacity Park.
Speaker 11 (50:05):
I mean it was was the hangover that was that
was good to chili cheese and curly fries.
Speaker 5 (50:12):
I mean, you simply can't be that.
Speaker 4 (50:15):
Do you guys have a favorite jersey or favorite jersey
hat that you've you've seen since?
Speaker 2 (50:21):
I think you're wearing it right.
Speaker 5 (50:22):
This is good. This is a really good It's HBC
unit here too. Yeah, one was white.
Speaker 11 (50:29):
This is YouTube that is probably my favorite from this season.
Can I give an all timer all time?
Speaker 3 (50:37):
It may be recency biased, the light blue with the
bridge though, it's just it's.
Speaker 5 (50:45):
A really sharp was just like just like little rope.
Yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:50):
And the patriotic one they do every year is always
always nice as well. When when they were the Brunch
Crown and they were.
Speaker 4 (50:55):
The Waffles, there's still a complains about the Waffles.
Speaker 5 (51:01):
I don't think the players enjoyed being waffles. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:07):
One of the ones I like when they let them
go sleepless.
Speaker 5 (51:10):
The boys are hard in the gym.
Speaker 2 (51:12):
Yeah, let him show it off a little bit.
Speaker 5 (51:14):
I think the rock even hang, that's yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:17):
Sometimes managers you have a manager where I'm at, it's
strong man.
Speaker 5 (51:24):
Hell yeah.
Speaker 12 (51:27):
I love the Virginians. This here the dark blue yep,
I mean this is I'm not just gassing you up.
Speaker 5 (51:33):
But I've got that hat. Yeah, you're responsible for And
that's that's one of my favorites. So I know it's
not official. That's the only Teams store, but really great.
I love the homelights. Yeah, they're so clean.
Speaker 2 (51:44):
They have their names on them.
Speaker 4 (51:47):
Yeah, I'm biased. And when I say that, this one
is more of a sentimental pish. But the first year
they did the Richmond thirty four jerseys. So the Richmond
thirty four first year jerseys, I believe it was a
twenty one.
Speaker 5 (52:02):
Just a fantastic jersey.
Speaker 4 (52:03):
Like the design was just like anytime they kind of
can stick to the white and black.
Speaker 5 (52:07):
I'm like, oh my god, that's a little bit of
red in there.
Speaker 4 (52:10):
And uh I most people now I am like, I mean,
I am a ton of hats, like hundreds of hans.
And when they when they originally released the design, they
have the ric hat now which is sold in the
team stores right the year the first year Minor League
Baseball didn't improve the hat. They proved the jerseys and
they wore their regular Squirrels cats. And so the people
(52:30):
asked me, what's the most expensive.
Speaker 5 (52:32):
Hat I had? I literally made that hat.
Speaker 2 (52:36):
Really.
Speaker 4 (52:36):
I went and got a NFL New Era referee hat,
which is like the black with the pipeing out.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (52:44):
I had to pay the.
Speaker 4 (52:45):
Guy to like do the renderings for the r C
so you could take it to a sewing shop literally
a couple of blocks away from here, and they stitched
in like I made the hat. I made it from
scratch old in all. I was probably like two hundred
dollars any dollars experience.
Speaker 5 (53:01):
And I loved it.
Speaker 4 (53:01):
Yeah, and I loved it, and I was like, I'm
never gonna wear this because it's the best. But the
fact that we saw that the hatch to the r
I C Hatsu in the team store a couple of
years later, the Richmond thirty four, and then obviously just
because the diamond obviously predates original Flying Squirrels, some of
the stuff, and you've seen it this this go around,
(53:22):
but some of the Richmond Brave stuff, the Richmond Brave
original hats like that. So when I would go to
the Squirrels game before they released him this year and
I'd see someone rock in an old school Richmond Bray's hat,
I was like, I need that that.
Speaker 5 (53:36):
It's amazing they couldn't keep him on the shelves.
Speaker 12 (53:39):
It was just so boys dropping by.
Speaker 5 (53:45):
She's not going to offer some.
Speaker 3 (53:46):
Final thoughts, all right, wrapping up Party time here Cheats
Black Pigs mixtape.
Speaker 5 (53:51):
Joe t is here as well.
Speaker 3 (53:53):
Hell yeah, yeah from everything everybody. Hell yeah, it's last
stay at the Diamond Cheats. You mentioned it earlier. I
just want to circle back on it. The twenty twenty
racial protests. I covid all of that. That was a
moment where this could have been a group that faded
into the background, but this was a team and a
(54:13):
place that brought people together in a way that was
really sorely needed.
Speaker 2 (54:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (54:17):
I always say that in this is a testament of
the people, right, This is a testament of the people
you've already had on which was Party and Appo and
Benny and their understanding of who they are and what
they lean to Richmond in the community, and so again
just in society there's not that many places where you
(54:40):
can get eight thousand, nine thousand people in a place
together for a common cause and all have them have
a good time, right, And we identified the Diamond and
the original Flyings Girls as one of those unifiers in
our city. And again, to their credit, they never said no.
They actually took it on as a challenge to say,
(55:00):
you're exactly right. We have a responsibility to bring not
just our you know, our city, but our whole region
and anybody that wants to walk through these doors into
a self safe, welcoming place. And they've they've done that
obviously for fifteen years, but they did it for the
last five better I would say than just about anybody
(55:20):
I've ever seen. And when I think of I didn't
even't ask him people, but I'll allow it just a
little bit. Because I'm in my mid forties. I've lived
here my entire life. I've obviously lived here for like
my entire baseball existence has been right here. And the
way that this place, the Diamond has made me feel
(55:45):
when I was my son's age, he's back there, he's
ten years old. Really still kind of holds true and
just understanding from the time where we had the biggest, newest, shiniest,
most of me stadium on the block to the part
where obviously the last several years and see how you know,
(56:12):
the stadium's evolved. And obviously, like I say, we're excited
about the new state and the incumbents, just seeing how
they've evolved and having this having this place be kind
of one of the last of them that he can
standing up until until today. You just you just think
back quite a bit with a lot of emotion, and
you have uh, you know, I'll see kids my son's age,
(56:36):
but we're my age when I walk through those doors,
uh in just a little bit, and I cannot be more.
Speaker 5 (56:44):
Amazed, if you will.
Speaker 4 (56:46):
And and and the whole experience and kind of been
all and like I said, we're never gonna get this again,
but it's also almost virtually possible.
Speaker 3 (56:54):
But in the words, well, but Joe t uh, this
place doesn't look great up upstairs.
Speaker 5 (57:01):
It looks worse downstairs. You've seen people come and go.
Speaker 3 (57:05):
And I think when you hear all the players say
rich was one of my favorite places to play.
Speaker 5 (57:09):
It was not because of the facilities, it's the people.
Speaker 2 (57:12):
The city.
Speaker 9 (57:13):
I mean, they had a few lurbs or clips. I
think the guys always mentioned the fans. They always mentioned
the fans when I did. I was thirty seven years
as a minor league clubhouse, big leagues all over the country.
When I was in Connecticut with the Defenders, the giants
asked me to come here to get them going.
Speaker 5 (57:31):
I said, I had my doubts.
Speaker 2 (57:33):
I did enough.
Speaker 9 (57:34):
I call the mutual friend between me and Parney ross Vecchio.
I said, hey, I got a chance to go on
to Richmond.
Speaker 5 (57:40):
Do I do it or not? All these years and
it's exact words.
Speaker 9 (57:43):
When he goes, you're gonna work with a guy named Parney,
he goes, take it.
Speaker 2 (57:47):
He goes, You're not going to regret it.
Speaker 9 (57:49):
Fifteen years later, Richard in my homes, Yeah, yeah, ele
years as the clubhouse manager in one year is a
sadium operations manager. So to people little you still work,
I go, Nobo'm here more so, and it says it
all downstairs. I used to every day when I walk
into the ballpark. The sign on the door memories made here,
(58:12):
and that's that's the truth, and they are.
Speaker 2 (58:15):
We had so much fun here.
Speaker 3 (58:17):
I'm just as we're looking at the video board, I'm
remembering when they built it, and why would they build
a video board. We're getting a new stadium in a
couple of years, and uh here here we are ten
years after that, and it's serving it well. I know,
I love baseball. I grew up going to baseball games
with my dad. That's that's my first love of a sport.
And uh, to have this place where so many memories
got made over the years, I think that's that's very
(58:37):
well put. And we're gonna move across the street. We're
gonna keep making memories and.
Speaker 5 (58:40):
I'll probably still be hanging around there.
Speaker 9 (58:43):
Oh yeah, right, all right, Uh, thank you guys for this.
Speaker 5 (58:49):
This has been great for two seasons. Hope we keep
it going. And it's been awesome. You never know who's
gonna drop five. Party time, Hell yeah, oh yeah,
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Food Service All right, Party Time listeners, We're doing a
(02:32):
very special edition, a high tech setup right here from
the performance food service suite at the Diamond, and the
title of this show is Diamonds Aren't Forever. This is
the last day of the Diamond. When we're taping this,
the morning of sunglasses are on. For a couple of reasons,
I don't want you to see me cry because we
(02:53):
got this high tech setup we're filming this. And then secondly,
my wife kept me out late last night, so uh
where my eyeballs looked like a Roman? Now with Matt,
we got MP on the mic, who's also our technician.
Today we got Cheats all right hand man, who's with
us on the Pine Time podcast. And then not always,
(03:14):
we have my show for Mike and everything else in
my life. Joe t who is excited about today? Hell yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Cheats at MP.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You guys taught me into doing this show today because
it's pretty heck today. I'm gonna end up leaving at
some point and you guys will bring it home with
Wyatt the producer. But thank you for talking to me.
This is a pretty neat way to end up into
this day. So I want to toss it to you
guys and see what's on your mind.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
I want to know how you felt driving in this
morning to the last day at the Diamond.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Well I drive. I could have I could have I
did this on purpose. I could have come in other ways. Uh,
you know, family member, what I wanted Joe T to
drive me because he's got There were three minutes into
the fucking show and I'm already crying. Joe T seen
me in some of my darkest moments during this whole
(04:15):
or deal, and he's he's seen me when publicly I
had faith, but privately I was like, there's no way
this is going to happen Joe T. So I kind
of wanted to have that moment for with Joe T.
He's so special to me. So left number one number two. Man,
what a grateful feeling that I have for everything. And
this whole week has just been phenomenal. You guys have
(04:36):
been around, like the crowds have been just I mean,
the crowd's been unbelievable. When Scottie Van Dura hit that
Basis clearing double last night, we don't have a roof
on this place, but I thought it was gonna come
off right. So and the players are upbeat. Everybody's so upbeat.
But so overall, it's like a wedding day, right, this
is only going to happen once, and I'm just going
(04:59):
to try to do my best not to get pissed
off at anything.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
And soak it all in.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
You always say party time is about the people and relationships.
So your time here in Richmond, obviously this building, You've
met a lot of people, You've had a lot of relationships.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
A lot of them we've learned about on this show.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
I'm not gonna ask you which ones are the most meaningful,
but I want you to. I want you to weave
a theme of just the people of Richmond and how
the Diamond is intertwined into the people of Richmond, and
how that is being put in perspective today.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Well, the diamonds kind of the setting.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It's the backdrop of all those relationships, right, And it's
because of the diamond, For example, that I met my wife.
I mean, if I didn't go to the Mayor's office
to try to talk to them about a new ballpark
in twenty twelve, twelve through are in twenty twenty five,
I never would have met Tarnya. And that's just one
example of the diamond being the setting and pelf just
(05:57):
walked in.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Like a lot of people, I can't imagine my life
without this.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
And without the Diamond, I wouldn't know this. Without the Diamond,
I wouldn't know Joe. So the answer to that question, Cheats,
is the Diamond is the setting and the backdrop for
every significant relationship that I personally ever made in Richmond.
And that's what today means to me, is my whole
life's about relationships and the setting of almost all of those.
(06:26):
I've probably met a few people in bars too, but
other than that, the Diamond has been the setting.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
So that's what makes me really quickly to follow up
on that before we bring the coach in party.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
You exactly right, because we met because.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Of obviously a tough time in our city and our community,
and we met because we identified the Diamond and the
Richmond Squirrels were one of the only places that could
be a great unifier of a city that was really
being challenge a city that was really being challenging all
(07:04):
aspects of how we can come together in one place.
We said that people could come together regardless of social
economic background, race, gender, was here at.
Speaker 5 (07:14):
The Diamond, and that's how we came together and it.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Has proven to be true, not just obviously in one
but for the last forty years.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Yeah, in twenty two thousand and nine August seconds when
I got here, people kept talking about you Crops, and
I kept saying, what the hell is U crops? And
they said they were the company and everybody goes to
when they when they they need things to be done
in the community. And I remember saying to somebody, that's
what I want.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Us to be.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
And it is nice when Joe Tie's gonna slide into
a sidecar seat so we can welcome our first guest here, andy.
Speaker 5 (07:46):
Te, What are you gonna say about our guests? Hell, yeah,
right there, and our first two time party time guests.
Oh that's right, that is right. Absolutely, you're making history.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Belf.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
We don't even have to tell you. This isn't an interview,
it's a converse. Say oh, you should get let the
big man you at the first.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Absolutely, when you think back to the Diamond, is there
any any specific thing that pops into your head. I
know that you always talk about crowd, how loud it is.
We were talking about that last night, But is there
anything else?
Speaker 5 (08:19):
I mean, I think you know one first of all,
thanks for having me.
Speaker 6 (08:22):
And it's gonna be tough to follow up your conversation
and what you know, your thoughts on the diamond, but
you know, just a small piece for me, I think
four years, you know, in the in the total scheme
of things for the forty years is not a whole lot,
but it feels like.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
It's a time for everyone, you churchgoers, it's it's.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
One of those things where you know, for me, it's
felt like you know, it feels like home. And you know,
it's really hard to put into words and pick a
certain moment or pick a certain thing that it makes
it special, right when you're talking about.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
Your family and your home.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
So for me to to be back here again this year,
you know, it was a blessing.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
And again I say it all the time.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
This is the best place I've ever been in, my
favorite place in baseball that I've ever worked. And I
don't really consider it work.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
It's it's it's just it's family.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Working among these people, you know, and this is not
the nicest building of all time, it turns out. But
how how energizing it The first one, first shot, that's
all right, you needed a counterpoint, but what's it meant
to have the support of Party, this whole team, and
what have they meant to you.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
During this journey towards the new.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
It makes it.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
It makes my job really really easy.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
I mean I think that, you know, I've always been
a big believer in front office and and the team
has we have to have a good relationship, and I
think that they made that really easy from day one.
First day I showed up and I thrilled my car
here from Texas, I think to eat.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
The server came over and said would you like to
drink and palsy co. I'm like, I want to drink,
and so then they got.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
You know, and I know how to take party.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
I'm not real quick, so.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
I fit right in there with the with the Jack Daniels.
That's a drink of choice for me.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
But you know, just one.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
I like to just have one.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
One triple.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
I mean from the from the moment, I think Joe
T was there as well.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
Pulled up in the parking lot, I saw the stadium
and I was like, man, this is this is cool.
And you know when you talk about the stadium and
you know it's gonna be awesome being over the new
ball Park, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
But there's there's gonna be.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
This place is always gonna have a piece of my
heart right And like you know, I think when we
did a tour the other day, first place we went
was the first base dugout where we'll be next year.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
And I'm thinking, Man, if I'm back here.
Speaker 6 (10:50):
Next year, the first thing I want to see first
pitch of the game, because I'm looking, I want to
see the diamond and it's gonna feel wow, it's gonna
feel weird, like not being in this building for the
first pitch of the season.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
That's wild. Yeah, you'll be looking right at it. First
thing I noticed over there.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
I don't know how much time we have left with health,
but one of the things I wanted to bring up
because I think this is special one if you don't mind,
I'm going to let people into our.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Relationship a little bit. I'm gonna let you do it,
tell people what we do after we win a game.
Speaker 6 (11:17):
So yeah, I mean, I don't know, Uh, you.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
Know too many other people that keep traditions going.
Speaker 6 (11:25):
But when every time we win a game at the Diamond,
you know, Parney comes in makes some time for me,
which is special in itself.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Because you know, he's a busy man and everybody.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
I don't do ship.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Our next guest will confirm that.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Yeah, we know. He comes in.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
We have a dose Eki's green bottle and uh and
the citrus in kind of go goes really well together.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
It tastes really good. I'm hoping and I'm hoping that
we get to have one more. Yeah, today I hear
the Diamond.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
The goal is always to.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Win the last game of the year, whether that's the
championship game, you know, whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
But this year it's the.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
Last home game for the Diamond, and that's that's the
goal from the last game.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Health.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Do you have anything, any any last statement you'd like
to say to the Diamond and to our parting time listeners.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
Yeah, I mean I think that you know, you know,
if you're a.
Speaker 6 (12:14):
Richmond Flying Squirrel fan, I know that the season wasn't
the greatest this year. You know, we definitely started off
pretty pretty rough and it didn't turn around quite as
quickly as it wanted to.
Speaker 5 (12:24):
But I think I said it from the beginning.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
I think this is a this is a team that
you know, by the end of the season, if you
stick behind us, you'll you know, be proud to be
a part of and support and I think that you know,
from the players standpoint, we we've done a really.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Good job of competing all the way to the end
and had a really good second half and you know.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
Couple games out of the playoffs, it's just gonna make
us more hungry for next year. So just appreciate the
support and what you guys are doing. And uh, it's
it's been it's been fun.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Oh yeah, we look forward to soaking the moment and
with we love your health. Thanks for coming.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Credit to Palf and the t on me.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
They this this could have ended differently than it did,
but we had a legit playoff chase and to win
the last few at the Diamond, that's that's a tribute.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
It's a tough week to be a yard goat. In
two thousand and two. In two thousand and two, we
had a tart pole in Altoona. I met a young
intern from the ticket office. Our set producer is getting
everything ready over there at Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Know what's happening.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
It's chaos in peace are in pace our set producers.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
There was at ten am this morning games at one
point thirty there were people waiting outside.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
So anyway, Ben Rothrock was an intern from Liberty.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
We won't we don't have time to get in all
the details because I actually told Benny last night after
the game that I really wanted him to come on
and have a show called this guy that I've worked
together for twenty four years. But when we have you
on the full time show, we'll tell the whole story
of the first thing I ever said to you is
which we probably shouldn't say say. But anyway, Ben Rotherbox
(14:02):
on the show now, guys, Chief operating Officers for Flying Scrolls,
an original Squirrels office member from the very very beginning,
and someone that I've had the privilege of working with
and alongside for the last twenty four years. Thank you
for taking a few hours. We're gonna make it. We're
gonna make it real quick. Who wants to do the
first question?
Speaker 5 (14:20):
Yeah, give me your emotions here as we close this down.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Yeah. So there's a reason why I'm wearing sunglasses to
the day.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
Hey, Yeah, Like you won't be the first person.
Speaker 7 (14:30):
It's been amazing, you know, just to kind of you know,
I don't think we fully grasped exactly what this day
actually means yet. I mean because with the build up
to this point has been so you know, there's there's
been so many times where along the way it's like
we got this, this, this and this to do, and
it's like by the time you exhale, it's like it's done.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
You know.
Speaker 7 (14:52):
So getting to this point, seeing the crowds of past
six days, it's been amazing. It's been it's been an
amazing response from Risbond and really truly what this community
means to us. And to see like just the expression
on people's faces every single night and you know, the
(15:12):
the applause and just the intent on being here has
been truly truly amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
It's intense, good word cheats.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
It seems like everything that's going on outside of what's
happening here has been really really challenging in some ways.
This place obviously has served even not just this season
but beyond, has a bit of a just an oasis
in a place, in a in a place where everyone
really can come together and be housed.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
You've been here since the very beginning. What's that mean
to have a place like.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
This where I see you all the time almost every
game standing at the front gate and you see old
young kids like coming what how like what does that
mean when you.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Put in perspective.
Speaker 7 (15:56):
Yeah, look, I mean, you know it's well known like
our first year, how much doubt was behind us coming
in you know, just you know quotes that we're like
we're a fly by night operation and Joe, you know,
Joe's actually taking a nap. I think we all came
(16:18):
into this with the same desire to prove them wrong,
you know, and that's that was been our you know,
intent from day one. It's like, we're kind of we're
gonna come in here, We're going to take this town
by storm, and you know, to see the fruits were
labor now fifteen sixteen years later, you know, it just
(16:40):
goes back to all the hard work, the long hours,
the endless nights that we took that first several years
to build up this brand. You know, because the brand
has been important to us. We came in here with
you know, the motto like we wanted to be different.
We wanted to have the impact like we proved it
and the fun comes along with it. So like, you know,
(17:01):
to have that intent and to the desire from day
one and truly, you know, hold onto that model for
so long, like and there's you know, you mentioned it too.
There's so many different operational challenges with this place. It
has not been a secret on that part too, So
you know, there's obviously a lot of things that you
(17:22):
have to adjust to that you wouldn't have to do
that in a normal facility. And you know from you know,
there's just been some operational nightmare stuff that you know,
over the year has just been like trying and true
and just got to make sure that you got to
keep your head down and do the investments for the fans.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
I feel like we've done that.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
I'm gonna let you brag just a little bit because
I know what you two will say. You will say
that these rolls came in and kind of taking all
the personality of Richmond. What I would tell you too,
in particular, is that several parts of Richmond have taken
all the personality of the Squirrelds.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
Better.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
When you see that, when you see other entities that
have been in here longer than you have, kind of see,
oh man, they're doing it the right way.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
Let's try to do things like theirs are doing.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
No. I mean, obviously, flattery is the is the whatever
I say it is. Yeah, and it's not only just
here in the community, which uh, you know, we get.
I mean, there's there was a time, remember Benny, when
we were doing so well. The companies are rich and
we're trying to poach our employees all the time.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Yeah, you know, and I got them. But then also,
let me talk about all the time there's one hundred
and twenty minor.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
League baseball teams and people people do our stuff all
the time.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
We're all cross baseball.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
So I think that I take it as very flattering,
especially you know, doing it alongside you know, this guy
who again I knew was an intern, but I think
it's awesome.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Yeah, I mean he said it best, like there's been
just so you say that again this time he said
it best.
Speaker 7 (19:00):
But honestly, even when you know, we were building this brand,
like we knew we had something special, so we wanted
to build on that, and you know, again we saw.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
People noticing, and you know, we.
Speaker 7 (19:13):
Continue to push ourselves day in and day out to
be the best and to bring our best game every
single day, even from a you know, you know, arm standpoint,
which is behind the scenes. Mostly like we want to
make sure that we're being innovative, being out there, you.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Know, being the best we can for the fans.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
That Bennie deserves a ton of credit because when he
got here his role was marchandise.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
That's and nice. And I remember, I want to tell
a really quick story.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
So we had the press conference about the logo, right
and I'm on stage and we're unbeloing the logo. And
I come off stage and the reporter comes up and goes,
you guys are geniuses, and I'm like, oh, thank you,
And I'm like, but why it was the logo the
primary logo? How did you think about making it look
like the Commonwealth of virgin in his geography? And I
(20:01):
looked at it in my head, I'm going, holy shit.
But in reality and I'm like, oh yeah, Well, we talked,
we looked at all the concept.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I just ran with it. I ran with it. Then
I came to Bendy, I go, did you know that
that looks like? So?
Speaker 5 (20:18):
Well?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Benny?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Looking forward to today, is there anything when you woke
up this morning? What was on your mind when what
was your first or second thought of the day about
what we're going to go through today?
Speaker 7 (20:28):
Yeah, Like I said, I don't think all the emotions
have fully like said it yet.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
But you know, I think we talked about this brief
for last night.
Speaker 7 (20:36):
I don't know if we've had a sellout day game, right,
we haven't, and you know, so that's unique.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
So we're still in the nervous nervous how are we
going to get all these people in here?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Quite honestly, that's amazing too.
Speaker 7 (20:49):
Like you know, people take time out of there midday
to come out and you know, you know, which is
what the stadium well.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
I mean, have you what have you.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Felt like when people have come up to you and
said the word thank you?
Speaker 7 (21:02):
Yeah, it's you know, it's callous times over the past,
you know, honestly months because like people strategically plan their
trips this year around coming out here one last time,
you know, over the past several months leading up to today.
It's not just today, it's not you know, yesterday. It's
people that are like, well I can't get there then,
but here's what I can. It's just been you know,
(21:24):
people from different states coming in like, hey, I used
to come here as a kid with my grandparents.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
And my father, my mom and like all that stuff.
Speaker 7 (21:33):
So you know, so when they say thank you really
just resounds because it's not just thank you from that,
it's thank you from the generation ye generations of people,
and it truly means a lot to a lot of people,
and to like send us what is out the way
we are has been like I don't think we'll understand
the magnitude for several years to come.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
I mean, this is a once in a lifetime deal
for us, right, I mean today, today's once.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
This will never.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Happen again because I'm gonna be dead as hell by
the time we get done with I'll be honest carry out.
I mean, I think Benny when I was still the CEO,
and Benny would walk in and ask about something and
I'd have like a chest paint or something.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
He'd grab a piece of burger here, just turn sign
it and turn everything off to me. Right now.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
He signed this paper in cas is the big one. Yeah,
I feel the same way, like it's Uh. I was
at the ABC store, believe it or not, I mean
the other day and the god behind me in line. Uh,
the guy behind me the line said, hey, party before
you leave. First of all, where's the part of your mind?
It ship ton of stuff? And secondly, thank you from everybody,
(22:47):
And that's happened so many times, bro, and it almost
brings me to the point of like.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Of tears.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
So but I know you got to go because it's uh,
it's getting he does one more was better fun. So
it's it's the party Time Party Time podcast.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
So we got to ask and you mentioned that there
have been difficult days through this journey to get here,
and you've been locked up side by side of this
man right here who's kind of been the been the
forward facing leading What have you learned from this guy,
especially when times have gotten tough and it looks like, man,
I don't know if this is going to happen this time.
(23:25):
You're not having this time this guy I'm lou and
everybody's you know, going mad. We're looking to the newspaper
every other day. What has his leadership been like if
you went through.
Speaker 7 (23:34):
This now, look, I'll start back, you know, twenty plus
years ago and having the opportunity to come to Richmond
back in two thousand and nine, like this was a
no brainer for me because you know the years I
spent with you know, working with him in Altuna, like
the drive, the passion, you know, the understanding of the market, like.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
I'm almost certified with that's true too, and I've learned
stuff from that.
Speaker 7 (24:01):
But like, uh, you know, to take Altoon in Pennsylvania
and the Altoon Curve and and to you know put
them on a map in terms of like attendance and
stuff like that, you know, was a big you know,
a tribute to what he's done in his career. And
so when there were some changes that were happening with
that whole scenario with the ownership and you know, him
(24:25):
moving down here to kind of build this into what
it is today, Honestly, the decision was easy, you know,
Like I didn't have to think twice. I didn't know
much about Richmond at the time. Again, I went to Liberty,
so kind of knew like you know, like where it was.
(24:47):
But like I know, I never went to Richmond. I'll
tell that story later.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
I mean honestly, for came by faith, right, I mean
exactly right. And my brother was living here at the time,
and he's like, hey, I got this opportunity, Like.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
We chased his ass out of town. You know, let
me know I'm there.
Speaker 7 (25:02):
You know, because again the passion to drive, I knew
that this would be a success because of all those things,
and you know, it's it's really truly comes down to
callous hours, the dedication, the understanding, and just the people
person that he is really just helped drive this to
(25:23):
where it is today.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
And it's like it's more than professional right when this
guy is a miracle. I mean what he went through
with his health a few years Matt, and I'm really
proud of him as a as a professional, but I'm
even more proud of him for a while he's been
through as a person in the way that one of
the he doesn't know this and I've never said this
(25:45):
to him, but one of the greatest compliments he ever
gave me was one time about two years ago, he said, yeah,
I said, somebody said to me, would go ask Parney,
And he said, I know what Parny's going to say
say because I know how party brain thinks.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
He doesn't even have to say anything, because I know
exactly what he's going to say. And that meant a
lot to me.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
You know, I know that I did some things right
and something's wrong, and I want him to learn from
the things I did wrong, Like like he leaves now
when his kids have games. That was a mistake I
made is Jesus talking to us. Welcome to the church service, everybody.
(26:27):
I made some mistakes with my kids and not leaving games.
He does that now. Like, so I'm very very proud
of Benny and I love him, and I'm so excited
that we're going to go through We've been through a
lot of almost together.
Speaker 8 (26:37):
Bro.
Speaker 7 (26:37):
Yeah yeah, I mean honestly, like even come back from
COVID twenty twenty one, like opening night, we just found
each other like behind no play, like not even standing
beside each other, and like happened to Glenn Starver at
the same time when there's capacity crowd, you know, as
big as.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
We can get it at that point and talk about.
Speaker 7 (26:57):
Exactly like you know, we went through it that twenty
twenty a year, you know, I'm not having a season
and and not knowing, you know how this was all
gonna shake out, and doing random events on the field
to kind of still engage the community.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
In getting to twenty twenty one.
Speaker 7 (27:15):
Honestly, it was a miracle on myself because there are
a lot of challenges with that and trying to figure
out like where people are gonna sit.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
I'm not laughing, but I remember me and Benny being
the one people in the office and me bringing him
in and looking in and good, hey, Benny, you gave
me the financial report.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Do we really have that much money left in the
bank account? Is that all we have?
Speaker 1 (27:34):
And he'd be like, yeah, bro, yeah, And then we
had like eight people on payroll, and I'm like, well,
how the hell are we going to make payroll?
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Those are the moments that make days like this right
and even better?
Speaker 7 (27:44):
Yeah know, eight to closer to forty now, so you know,
we're building up to the future. And uh again, just
that that growth in the past over years has been
just truly amazing to see.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Well, Benny, we're gonna I'm getting ready to leave here
in a little bit. We've got the Tostado boys coming here.
We got we had a couple of we had a
couple of other guests lined up, but I don't know
where people are. But Benny, I love you, buddy, and
I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
And Joe t.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
You didn't give any the hell yet to have a
guy that was an intern in Altoona grow into what
he was almost died twice to a heart problem.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
I went visiting thirty nine consecutive days in the hospital.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
I wore that jersey Mike's out. The guy was like,
is there a reason you've been here thirty seven days?
In a round like my buddies in the hospital. So
I appreciate you having I was trying to get Loo
to come on too, But.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
What was the question?
Speaker 1 (28:45):
I mean, I mean, it's just how this ship is
every day, you know. Uh, it's great. I'm excited to
go back down. Larry Bottel, a very instrumental owner, just
showed up. Uh, and he's he's looking forward to seeing him.
So so surreal feeling, guys, surreal feeling.
Speaker 9 (29:03):
Plus it's plus it's NFL Sunday.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yesterday. I didn't have time to study.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
I didn't have time to study an the college games,
so I just picked some stuff out of my ass, right,
I went over seven.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Well it's lost, like yeah, so so my buddy called me.
My buddy called me that Anthony.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Yes, uh, you know, truth to the room that you're
gonna be Virginia Tech football coach.
Speaker 5 (29:29):
Yeah, yeah, I have to.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Actually, we just kept our sunglasses on if you want
to range. I'm so excited that Anthony's coming because I
never even officially personally got to ask Anthony if he
could come up to be Yeah, thanks for the I
sent a text to somebody to say if they can
get they could get you.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Uh, it'll be real quick.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
I know you're very busy and I'm getting ready to
leave to h but we just these guys, it was
their idea to do a quick little party time on
the last day.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
How do you feel. That's a load of question. You know,
it's it's surreal, it really is.
Speaker 8 (30:11):
Yeah, you know, I think what's what's interesting though, is
you know we'll have the day off tomorrow and then
I feel like Bill Belichick.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
We're on the CarMax.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Part by the way, this is Anthony.
Speaker 8 (30:23):
Yeah, yeah, you know, just being I know you guys
are like truthful on the Parting Time podcast.
Speaker 5 (30:34):
I don't hold back.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
I heard the Billy Wager.
Speaker 10 (30:37):
Episode, right, so you know, look, it's it's a sense
of relief, honestly, like there's a weight being lifted a
little bit today.
Speaker 8 (30:47):
I mean, you know, we're here to celebrate the memories
and and honer and commemorate that.
Speaker 5 (30:53):
But you know this was always temporary. You know, it
was day you know.
Speaker 11 (31:00):
It's like riding for fifteen years, like looking for a
house for fifteen years and now you finally.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
Got your new house. And I promised your new house
when you moved into the.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Remember Mike Barry, I do so.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Mike Barry is in my office one time he ran
the RMA and he's like, if you don't do this,
and you don't do this, you're not going to get
a stadium till twenty eighteen. I kicked him out of
my office. I'm gonna get the hell out of here.
If we would have a ballpark about two thousand and eight.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
And here we say yeah.
Speaker 8 (31:31):
So I mean there is that you know, and the
other announce you have been using too. It's like when
you buy a car and you have to pay down
the interest first before you start making any comments on
the principal for the actual car, right, So you know,
I think that's part of this too.
Speaker 5 (31:45):
Now is that you know this season, I mean the
last two season.
Speaker 8 (31:48):
I really, honestly, I felt like last year was more
challenging because it wasn't like final final yet the ballparks fan.
Speaker 5 (31:55):
I mean, if you think about it, it wasn't until
last August.
Speaker 8 (31:58):
When that lease was signed the CarMax Park that the
future of baseball and Richmond was finally secured. I mean
up until August there was still until it's done.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
It's not done, as we know all too well, right.
Speaker 8 (32:12):
So you know, I we you know, we've had a
couple of really challenging years to try and navigate and
and you know then then the work starts next door too,
by the way, so this year has been like working
on multiple years at the same time. And as the
seasons progressed, the demands for Carmack's Park have increased.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
So this has been a big challenge.
Speaker 8 (32:32):
So, you know, to get to this point today, honestly, truthfully,
there's a sense of relief that we got here. We're
gonna give her her goodbye. It's been an incredible like
final farewell to the diamond. But now like one hundred
percent of the money and the equity and the sweat
investment that's gone into it is going to go to
(32:54):
the future and ultimately what the future was intended to
be all along.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
I just to thank you because you being here it
means a lot to me because I love you as
a person, but you were a key roleing and me
being able to slow down and I Anthony and I
went to Hondo's one night and I looked him in
the eye. I don't know if you remember this, I said, Anthony,
can I ask you a question?
Speaker 5 (33:18):
Hold up this before after you spilled the glass of wine.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
When just you.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
And I we took ours there one night and I
just kept I drank the Tito's and the wine at
the same time, and it didn't go so well at
the end. So Anthony, he goes, hey, do you want
to go to Honda's just me and you? And I'm like,
I didn't think you ever want to do that because
I'll bring.
Speaker 10 (33:38):
Him bit I grabbed, I grabbed one of the ponchos
we give the podcast contests.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
Uh yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
And I looked at you and I said, do you
think if I had this and I retired what I've
had when I have, what would I.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Have survived the stress?
Speaker 1 (33:58):
And you said, and so you being able to come
back was one of the key things that Lou wanted
to have happened. So I wanted to say thank you
for that, thank you for being the general manager of
the team that I love, and most importantly, thank you
for being my friend.
Speaker 8 (34:14):
Yeah, I mean, look to They're not affords in the dictionary.
MP knows most of them. They can agree with you
on this. They're not affords in the dictionary to describe,
you know, what would you and tying in your family
mean to breathe and my family extended family even in
Texas fast Daddy and my mom. I mean, and I
hope that you know you've been able to, you know,
(34:36):
take some time during this whole experience too, to kind
of soak in what you know you built when you
came and parneyized the city back in two thousand and nine.
And you know, I mean it's like those memories are
still very vivid right of you know, you know, what
are these carpetbackers doing? Like why are they calling our
beloved baseball team the Flying Squirrel?
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Ever going to go to a game? You guys suck?
Speaker 5 (34:58):
Yeah, I mean, you know, but like we all knew,
like we all knew.
Speaker 8 (35:02):
But I think part of the reason we knew it
was gonna work is because we knew who was right
at the front of the line leading the charge, and
that was here. Don't worry, I've got some more nice
things to say.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
I will tell this obvious one of my favorite people.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Uh not just in Richmond or the Squirrel in a
whole time and one of the reasons it is is
because I'll tell you, like Apa never says no, He
never says no. He always tries to figure out a
way to get to yes, even if we can't do
it right then. And that includes some of the stuff
we've done, You've done and the team is done with
(35:45):
this building that we're about to say goodbye to because
let's just face it, especially the last couple of years,
there's been challenges of it being on its last leg,
and there's been things happening here that I think the
normal person would say, we're ever going to do that here,
this this structure is too old to can handle it.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
We're not going to do this. Paint the outside, We're
never going to do that. Bring you the community, We're
never going to do that.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
And you always said yes to maximize what this ability
could be, even.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
If it's in its later years. How did you do that?
How did you look at.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
What you had, especially over the last like so even
since we've come back since twenty twenty and said I'm
going to turn what could be like the worst part
of this into an accent, but yeah, you turned you
made lack of better term, a lot of eliminatee out
of limits and especially with this building, talk to us
a little bit about how you and the team has
(36:41):
helped just like do things with this structure. Well, you
follow the.
Speaker 8 (36:44):
Cues from the leaders at the front of line, and
you know, Parney and you know, I got to give
credit to you know, Chuck Domino two from the very beginning.
As a matter of fact, Chuck was out of game
our last homestand and you know, he and I were
talking about briefly, and you know, he was outside the
canteena space just down the concourse from where we're at
right now, and he said, oh, this is really cool.
Speaker 5 (37:04):
This is a this is a nice little addition right here.
Speaker 8 (37:07):
I said, yeah, Chuck, just you know how it goes,
trying to cramp something in wherever he can, he goes.
Speaker 5 (37:11):
But that's the fun of it, Like that was the
fun of this.
Speaker 8 (37:14):
Place, was trying to figure out how we like use
different spaces the ballpark in different ways. And so I
think when you have that mentality from you know, for me,
when I got to Richmond in two thousand and nine,
I worked three seasons in a full time capacity and
a couple of intern years prior to that. So you know,
that's kind of the impression that was made on me
(37:34):
very early on. And you know, Parney was always like
the start at yes guy, and work backward from there.
But you know, I've always been somebody who like enjoys
like creating something out of nothing, Like That's why partly
I got into broadcasting, because I thought it was like
so magical to be on the air and to be
able to describe something and make people who cannot see
(37:57):
what you're talking about feeling real genuine emotion and connection.
So there's just a start off, you know, on the
radio side being the canvas. I had the fortunate, sometimes
misfortunate to spend some time in MP shoes working in
the newspaper industry. But you know, again another opportunity with
(38:18):
the blank canvas to you know, be able to create,
whether it's you know, with the words you write or
you know, the layout you know on the paper. And
then this is just kind of an extension of that
same mentality philosophy. Every game is a blank canvas and
we get to create moments within the game and that's
pretty special. And so it's just that's just kind of
(38:39):
the approach in the field to like every aspect of
the business, and you know, really to make this impactful,
it is about the community. It's about the people who
are here. And you know again like as Childhood Cancer
Foundation right right that you know that moment in the game,
like that's so sal you know, and every game there
(39:02):
is that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
And multiple times within a game.
Speaker 6 (39:06):
And you know, sometimes I had a little bit of
my obsessive compulsive disorder.
Speaker 5 (39:10):
Like I can't like just let you have that.
Speaker 10 (39:12):
Yeah, yeah, says he says the guy who has like
all the shirts in his closet like short sleeves, long sleeves,
color brand.
Speaker 5 (39:20):
Like it's all my mind up right closet.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
So yeah, I think I think that's it. Cheez. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
I just want to say thank you to you guys.
Parting time has been a fun project. I hope you
can keep it growing. You guys dedicate so much time
to us once every couple of weeks. But not only that,
you're both very very close personal friends, not just to
me but in my family. Joe t back there. Of course,
(39:49):
it was our sixty two year old ring bear and
our wedding. Today's special because you guys are here because
of what the diamond is because of friends like Anthony
working side by side and Benny. I'm so glad that,
uh that I didn't mess up not having them on
this and I'm so glad you guys.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Talked us in to this.
Speaker 5 (40:08):
Welcome back to the Party Time podcast.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
And as you can see, Party is now middle aged, overweight,
fat black guy men.
Speaker 5 (40:20):
Is still here.
Speaker 4 (40:21):
My god, we are joined by two of my favorite
favorite squirrel fings. Uh no, it's really really true, evn't
and any of the Testata section clapping up The Satday
section is the is the unofficial official Richmond Flying Squirrels podcast.
Speaker 5 (40:41):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
Uh And before that it wasn't. It was just really
just like it was on social jokes. It was just
jokes and it still is jokes. I'm gonna I'm gonna
start by asking you both because I I know it's
been down several years where we've been way too many
baseball games right here, seeing what are your thoughts?
Speaker 5 (41:01):
This is the last hurrah, the last game of the
Diamond Richmond Flying Squirrels. Well, how do you all.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Put in for?
Speaker 5 (41:10):
It's hard to I mean, the time has flun by.
Speaker 12 (41:12):
You know, I moved to Richmond in eleven people have
been talking about new stadium since I moved here. It's
hard to believe it's finally happening. I mean it's been
a blast. It's been awesome. You know, there's everyone was
talking a lot about the team has been very gracious
this week thanking the community. But I think it's hard
to overstate how much the city loves the team. And
(41:38):
you touched on in the Richmond's a very diverse place.
You come to a game, you see every corner of
Richmond at every game. So I mean, thank you to
the team, thank you to Parney, thank you to the staff.
I mean, there's there's no better place to be in sports,
I think than right here.
Speaker 11 (41:55):
Yeah, one thing that got echoed for pretty much every
guest we had, whether it's like a player, your coach,
or whatever.
Speaker 5 (42:00):
With the Squirrels, we always ask like.
Speaker 11 (42:03):
What's your favorite thing about playing here in Richmond or
what stands out to you the most, And so many
people just said not only of the physical atmosphere of
the Diamond because it gets so freakin loud, but it
obviously takes thousands of people showing up to care about
the team, to cheer on the team, to make it
that loud, and they're like, you know, not to talk
(42:23):
crap about any other place I've been. Okay, Okay, that's
their words, not mine. They were being very political with
their answers, but they're like, you know, it's very there's
a market difference in where we play, and just like
to be part of that fandom and to be known
as like one of the great minor league baseball cities.
(42:45):
I mean even before, Like think about how many people
you talked to about the Richmond Braves and like we
were not living in Richmond when the Braves were a team,
But you come back here all these years later, we're
a Giant's affiliate.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Now look at the numbers the Bravees Merch did.
Speaker 11 (42:59):
Like, obviously there's a huge impact felt even pre party,
pre Squirrels here.
Speaker 5 (43:04):
It's just like that baseball culture in Richmond that is
it's deep.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Man.
Speaker 5 (43:09):
What are you gonna miss about the Diamond? That's tough.
Speaker 12 (43:15):
I mean, the atmosphere is obviously unique, and I'm confident
that the city has it in them to carry that
across the parking lot.
Speaker 3 (43:26):
And you know this this place has character for sure.
I'm not gonna miss walking up the steps when I
get yeah.
Speaker 12 (43:34):
Hell yeah, maybe some of some of the puddles that
form on the rainy days.
Speaker 5 (43:43):
I'm a missed how big it is because you can
see it from that.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
You're not gonna be a sea cars one level, not
two levels, all have going up in the upper deck
to see downtown.
Speaker 5 (43:51):
You catch a breeze on a lovely night.
Speaker 12 (43:54):
It's the first thing you see when you're driving, you know,
ninety five south coming in the city. It's a landmark.
P'of told us the other day that he thinks it
should be left up as a monument.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Uh no, so, man, we've seen a lot. We've seen
so most people know. When when you follow a team
basically every game, every series, and if you're in the
steams as much as uh we are, to be honest
with you, you just see just crazy things that happen,
or funny things or things that are just uncharacteristic. When
(44:37):
you think back on even all the promotions, all the events,
I know, the one that stands out for me and
you guys is just the first time you guys saw wrestling,
the first time you saw wrestling at the diamond, which
is like for people that have it, it's not on
the field it's literally like in the causeway of and
(45:00):
they put a whole wrestling ring and there's just like
gods flying all over the place. But think back at it.
I mean we've seen wrestling here. Obviously, there's Halloween activities here.
There's events like when they do like full like dinners,
like sit down dinners in the infield. What are some
of the most like standout events that the Diamond or
(45:21):
even Shenanigans that you've seen through.
Speaker 5 (45:24):
Your time here running the running down?
Speaker 12 (45:26):
Oh, I mean I have one that stands out more
than anything maybe I've ever seen in my life.
Speaker 5 (45:29):
This was twenty thirteen the Monkey Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
And for this I don't know.
Speaker 12 (45:36):
There was some little monkeys dress like cowboys and the
red dogs around the field.
Speaker 5 (45:41):
Oh yeah, and yeah.
Speaker 12 (45:43):
I shout up the stadium that danced like monkey Cowboys
where the guy taking tickets like you got?
Speaker 5 (45:50):
So that was that was certainly the most I like
that one. That is a unique one.
Speaker 11 (45:54):
It's funny that you mentioned the wrestling because pretty toest
out of section always been like a big wrestling fan
and I would always come out to the Diamond on
like meet Kurt Angle Knight. Diamond Dallas page Kevin. The
list goes on and there's some Kevin ash stories yeah.
Speaker 13 (46:15):
About them, Yeah yeah, no, but yeah, that was always
fun and I was I was glad to see that
get brought back because that's like a speaking of Richmond culture.
Speaker 11 (46:27):
Just to kind of go off on a tangent, there
was a huge like Richmond Luke Lee racing in the
early two thousands. I kind of went away. There's no
local wrestling and stuff. So I'm to see the guy's
partner with RB a pro. It's really cool to kind
of bring that back. That was always a draw for
me in terms of wacky promotions. Yeah, I'm just thinking
the I mean, the hot on candle is gonna go down.
Speaker 5 (46:53):
I know that that's maybe maybe some recency bias.
Speaker 3 (46:58):
When they lost all those games of their own party
move lived here until they won.
Speaker 5 (47:03):
What year was that, man?
Speaker 3 (47:05):
This was this was early on, like a ten game
losing sperience. I'm not leaving the diamond until they went like,
yeah you remember that.
Speaker 4 (47:15):
I'm trying to think it's it's not even The ones
that that always stand out to me are the ones
that are just like improvtu and obviously it the probably
unsanctioned is the best term they would be. You know,
every once in a while you'd get some college age
students that decided to do stack cups.
Speaker 5 (47:36):
Sure, and they were going to stack cups in the
in the beer stack.
Speaker 4 (47:41):
I just remember this one, like like one particular day,
I was sitting on the third base side.
Speaker 5 (47:48):
It was a night game, but.
Speaker 4 (47:50):
These guys just lost their The cupstack was the highest
I've ever seen it, to the point where like people
weren't watching the game and they were just watching these
is in the cupstack, and it just it got I
think it got to a point where it was such
a distraction where the ushers were like, hey, guys, shut
(48:10):
this down too much, and just a vitriol from the
crowd was like what And I'm.
Speaker 5 (48:17):
Like, what is happening?
Speaker 4 (48:18):
And I've never seen anything like it before that level before,
And I just remember it was like the entire like
audience was probably like the subventh or eighty that was like,
whatever game is happening here, We're watching these kids in
the cup stack, and I just like, those are the
types of things that are impromptu. They'll never like, you
know what I mean, You'll probably never see that again
(48:39):
in that setting.
Speaker 5 (48:40):
And it was just magical and most most for the
most part, they let it go. They let it fly,
and so they could let it fly. What's your plan
for your last day at the Diamond here?
Speaker 3 (48:51):
Oh my goodness, my last meal, last trip to the
field here.
Speaker 5 (48:55):
The last meal. I feel like I got it.
Speaker 11 (48:58):
So we've been at pretty much every game week just
to give this stadium.
Speaker 5 (49:02):
A proper goodbye.
Speaker 11 (49:03):
I'm not a big ice cream guy, but I went
out of my way to get ice cream helmet last.
You know, I'm just like, I'm running out of things
that I haven't done here. What can I still check
off the list? So I don't know. It might just
be some some concession items that have been neglected throughout
the years. But we're gonna be We're gonna be here
as soon as gates open. We're gonna sitting here as
long as you know we possibly can before they kick
(49:26):
us out.
Speaker 5 (49:26):
Probably gonna get a little emotional, But I mean, what
was your favorite What was your favorite food? Because every
year there's food innovations.
Speaker 2 (49:37):
Answer It's b.
Speaker 11 (49:42):
Many A podcast episode campaigning for the triumphant return of
the bot Dog never came. We got it for hot tomato.
Summer brought to You by Dukes mayonn for a week.
I don't remember last month or so. We devoured quite
a few of them during that time, but I mean
to make it a permanent yea.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Make one plead.
Speaker 5 (50:02):
Yeah, but they got capacity Park.
Speaker 11 (50:05):
I mean it was was the hangover that was that
was good to chili cheese and curly fries.
Speaker 5 (50:12):
I mean, you simply can't be that.
Speaker 4 (50:15):
Do you guys have a favorite jersey or favorite jersey
hat that you've you've seen since?
Speaker 2 (50:21):
I think you're wearing it right.
Speaker 5 (50:22):
This is good. This is a really good It's HBC
unit here too. Yeah, one was white.
Speaker 11 (50:29):
This is YouTube that is probably my favorite from this season.
Can I give an all timer all time?
Speaker 3 (50:37):
It may be recency biased, the light blue with the
bridge though, it's just it's.
Speaker 5 (50:45):
A really sharp was just like just like little rope.
Yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:50):
And the patriotic one they do every year is always
always nice as well. When when they were the Brunch
Crown and they were.
Speaker 4 (50:55):
The Waffles, there's still a complains about the Waffles.
Speaker 5 (51:01):
I don't think the players enjoyed being waffles. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:07):
One of the ones I like when they let them
go sleepless.
Speaker 5 (51:10):
The boys are hard in the gym.
Speaker 2 (51:12):
Yeah, let him show it off a little bit.
Speaker 5 (51:14):
I think the rock even hang, that's yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:17):
Sometimes managers you have a manager where I'm at, it's
strong man.
Speaker 5 (51:24):
Hell yeah.
Speaker 12 (51:27):
I love the Virginians. This here the dark blue yep,
I mean this is I'm not just gassing you up.
Speaker 5 (51:33):
But I've got that hat. Yeah, you're responsible for And
that's that's one of my favorites. So I know it's
not official. That's the only Teams store, but really great.
I love the homelights. Yeah, they're so clean.
Speaker 2 (51:44):
They have their names on them.
Speaker 4 (51:47):
Yeah, I'm biased. And when I say that, this one
is more of a sentimental pish. But the first year
they did the Richmond thirty four jerseys. So the Richmond
thirty four first year jerseys, I believe it was a
twenty one.
Speaker 5 (52:02):
Just a fantastic jersey.
Speaker 4 (52:03):
Like the design was just like anytime they kind of
can stick to the white and black.
Speaker 5 (52:07):
I'm like, oh my god, that's a little bit of
red in there.
Speaker 4 (52:10):
And uh I most people now I am like, I mean,
I am a ton of hats, like hundreds of hans.
And when they when they originally released the design, they
have the ric hat now which is sold in the
team stores right the year the first year Minor League
Baseball didn't improve the hat. They proved the jerseys and
they wore their regular Squirrels cats. And so the people
(52:30):
asked me, what's the most expensive.
Speaker 5 (52:32):
Hat I had? I literally made that hat.
Speaker 2 (52:36):
Really.
Speaker 4 (52:36):
I went and got a NFL New Era referee hat,
which is like the black with the pipeing out.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (52:44):
I had to pay the.
Speaker 4 (52:45):
Guy to like do the renderings for the r C
so you could take it to a sewing shop literally
a couple of blocks away from here, and they stitched
in like I made the hat. I made it from
scratch old in all. I was probably like two hundred
dollars any dollars experience.
Speaker 5 (53:01):
And I loved it.
Speaker 4 (53:01):
Yeah, and I loved it, and I was like, I'm
never gonna wear this because it's the best. But the
fact that we saw that the hatch to the r
I C Hatsu in the team store a couple of
years later, the Richmond thirty four, and then obviously just
because the diamond obviously predates original Flying Squirrels, some of
the stuff, and you've seen it this this go around,
(53:22):
but some of the Richmond Brave stuff, the Richmond Brave
original hats like that. So when I would go to
the Squirrels game before they released him this year and
I'd see someone rock in an old school Richmond Bray's hat,
I was like, I need that that.
Speaker 5 (53:36):
It's amazing they couldn't keep him on the shelves.
Speaker 12 (53:39):
It was just so boys dropping by.
Speaker 5 (53:45):
She's not going to offer some.
Speaker 3 (53:46):
Final thoughts, all right, wrapping up Party time here Cheats
Black Pigs mixtape.
Speaker 5 (53:51):
Joe t is here as well.
Speaker 3 (53:53):
Hell yeah, yeah from everything everybody. Hell yeah, it's last
stay at the Diamond Cheats. You mentioned it earlier. I
just want to circle back on it. The twenty twenty
racial protests. I covid all of that. That was a
moment where this could have been a group that faded
into the background, but this was a team and a
(54:13):
place that brought people together in a way that was
really sorely needed.
Speaker 2 (54:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (54:17):
I always say that in this is a testament of
the people, right, This is a testament of the people
you've already had on which was Party and Appo and
Benny and their understanding of who they are and what
they lean to Richmond in the community, and so again
just in society there's not that many places where you
(54:40):
can get eight thousand, nine thousand people in a place
together for a common cause and all have them have
a good time, right, And we identified the Diamond and
the original Flyings Girls as one of those unifiers in
our city. And again, to their credit, they never said no.
They actually took it on as a challenge to say,
(55:00):
you're exactly right. We have a responsibility to bring not
just our you know, our city, but our whole region
and anybody that wants to walk through these doors into
a self safe, welcoming place. And they've they've done that
obviously for fifteen years, but they did it for the
last five better I would say than just about anybody
(55:20):
I've ever seen. And when I think of I didn't
even't ask him people, but I'll allow it just a
little bit. Because I'm in my mid forties. I've lived
here my entire life. I've obviously lived here for like
my entire baseball existence has been right here. And the
way that this place, the Diamond has made me feel
(55:45):
when I was my son's age, he's back there, he's
ten years old. Really still kind of holds true and
just understanding from the time where we had the biggest, newest, shiniest,
most of me stadium on the block to the part
where obviously the last several years and see how you know,
(56:12):
the stadium's evolved. And obviously, like I say, we're excited
about the new state and the incumbents, just seeing how
they've evolved and having this having this place be kind
of one of the last of them that he can
standing up until until today. You just you just think
back quite a bit with a lot of emotion, and
you have uh, you know, I'll see kids my son's age,
(56:36):
but we're my age when I walk through those doors,
uh in just a little bit, and I cannot be more.
Speaker 5 (56:44):
Amazed, if you will.
Speaker 4 (56:46):
And and and the whole experience and kind of been
all and like I said, we're never gonna get this again,
but it's also almost virtually possible.
Speaker 3 (56:54):
But in the words, well, but Joe t uh, this
place doesn't look great up upstairs.
Speaker 5 (57:01):
It looks worse downstairs. You've seen people come and go.
Speaker 3 (57:05):
And I think when you hear all the players say
rich was one of my favorite places to play.
Speaker 5 (57:09):
It was not because of the facilities, it's the people.
Speaker 2 (57:12):
The city.
Speaker 9 (57:13):
I mean, they had a few lurbs or clips. I
think the guys always mentioned the fans. They always mentioned
the fans when I did. I was thirty seven years
as a minor league clubhouse, big leagues all over the country.
When I was in Connecticut with the Defenders, the giants
asked me to come here to get them going.
Speaker 5 (57:31):
I said, I had my doubts.
Speaker 2 (57:33):
I did enough.
Speaker 9 (57:34):
I call the mutual friend between me and Parney ross Vecchio.
I said, hey, I got a chance to go on
to Richmond.
Speaker 5 (57:40):
Do I do it or not? All these years and
it's exact words.
Speaker 9 (57:43):
When he goes, you're gonna work with a guy named Parney,
he goes, take it.
Speaker 2 (57:47):
He goes, You're not going to regret it.
Speaker 9 (57:49):
Fifteen years later, Richard in my homes, Yeah, yeah, ele
years as the clubhouse manager in one year is a
sadium operations manager. So to people little you still work,
I go, Nobo'm here more so, and it says it
all downstairs. I used to every day when I walk
into the ballpark. The sign on the door memories made here,
(58:12):
and that's that's the truth, and they are.
Speaker 2 (58:15):
We had so much fun here.
Speaker 3 (58:17):
I'm just as we're looking at the video board, I'm
remembering when they built it, and why would they build
a video board. We're getting a new stadium in a
couple of years, and uh here here we are ten
years after that, and it's serving it well. I know,
I love baseball. I grew up going to baseball games
with my dad. That's that's my first love of a sport.
And uh, to have this place where so many memories
got made over the years, I think that's that's very
(58:37):
well put. And we're gonna move across the street. We're
gonna keep making memories and.
Speaker 5 (58:40):
I'll probably still be hanging around there.
Speaker 9 (58:43):
Oh yeah, right, all right, Uh, thank you guys for this.
Speaker 5 (58:49):
This has been great for two seasons. Hope we keep
it going. And it's been awesome. You never know who's
gonna drop five. Party time, Hell yeah, oh yeah,
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