Richmonders warm to new baseball stadium on frigid opening night

A capacity crowd of 9,585 watched the first baseball game at CarMax Park. (Photos by Ryan M. Kelly for The Richmonder)

Since it’s Richmond, it was appropriate to have a little history on a big night.

The city had previously held opening nights at four different ballparks: Mayo Island Park, Mooers Field, Parker Field and The Diamond. In all four games, the home team lost.

Tuesday night, the Flying Squirrels snapped that streak with a dramatic 3-2 victory, earned in part when right fielder Jonah Cox soared above the fence to rob visiting Altoona of a home run in the 7th inning.

The Squirrels fell behind early but rallied for a 3-2 victory.

The night’s official attendance was a sellout: 9,585. That’s just a hair below the 9,810 that The Diamond held on sellout nights.

Most were long gone by the time the Squirrels unveiled the latest iteration of their In-Your-Face Fireworks. A trailer full of blasts was wheeled out to the middle of the field, then accented by additional fireworks that were shot off of the new stadium’s roof.

With Game 1 in the books, the Squirrels will settle in for 68 more this season, followed by at least 29 more years at Richmond’s new home for summer baseball, or 2,070 games in total.

Fireworks were launched from just behind second base.

Early hiccups stretch stadium staff

One of the major selling points of CarMax Park was the ability to solve a problem that had long plagued The Diamond – long lines for concessions.

However, Tuesday night brought more of the same as the crew at the new stadium continues to work out the kinks.

Most concession stands reported about 20-to-30 minute waits for food, or nearly two full innings of baseball. Self-service stands were designed to cut down on wait times, but ran out of food early and struggled to restock.

Concession waits were lengthy for most of the game.

Parking was also an early issue, with the lots adjacent to the stadium running out of space well before the first pitch.

Even so, local baseball fan Will Yates shrugged off the issues as part of the growing pains of a new stadium, one with wide concourses and improved sightlines.

Having attended games at The Diamond, Yates called the two venues “not even comparable.”

Picnic and barstool seating rings the outfield, with a view of the game.

Rave reviews

Baseball stadium connoisseur Joe Mock, who runs BaseballParks.com, left blown away by the new stadium.

“The group and premium areas at CarMax Park are phenomenal,” he wrote. “I don't think any park in Double-A can top this.”

The Squirrels have noted that those premium spaces are needed to generate the revenue it will take to keep the team afloat.

Fans watch Altoona pitcher Jaden Woods warm up.

The franchise is paying $3 million annually in rent as the new stadium opens, which is believed to be the largest rent at any level of minor-league baseball. The Chattanooga Lookouts, who are also opening a new stadium this year, will pay about $1 million annually in rent, which is in line with current market-value deals.

On Tuesday night, those premium areas lived up to their billing, with VIP fans mingling in spaces strategically scattered across the park.

Former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney took in the game from the field-level box, while current Mayor Danny Avula made the rounds along with members of City Council.

Avula was invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch alongside a CarMax representative and Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger.

“It’s stressful out there, man!” Avula said on the team’s television broadcast. “There are thousands of people watching you!”

Avula was the closest to delivering a strike of the trio. As he surveyed the ballpark, he said on the broadcast he was particularly taken by the railcar suites, which are premium areas in the outfield designed to look like train cars.

Fans arrived as early as 11 a.m. to be among the first in the new stadium.

Entertainment factor upped at new stadium

The Flying Squirrels became known for their outlandish antics at The Diamond, and those made the trip across the street to the new stadium.

Johnny Cashew won the stadium’s first “mixed nut race,” while a new videoboard in the outfield allowed for additional entertainment options, though it didn’t show any replays of the game on Tuesday night.

Promotional items included rally towels for fans, and free Chick-fil-A sandwiches for those who made it to the end of the night.

"Flingo" the wacky hot dog vendor made the move from The Diamond to the new stadium.

It’s impossible to give CarMax Park a grade after one night, but as the team prepares for the long haul, the infrastructure is in place to fix the opening-night hiccups, as well as create additional entertainment options going forward.

For a town that is known for its love of the past, the next big step will arrive when The Diamond, which looms large in left field, comes down, making way for an entertainment district that will liven up game nights and keep baseball fans in the neighborhood longer before and after games.

Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@richmonder.org.