| If you like concrete, you'll love The Diamond. It is as if the builders took a chunk out of old Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta and transported it to Richmond. This place is a monstrosity compared to the more intimate AAA parks that have been built over the past decade or so. The park was built very quickly (during the off-season) and it certainly shows. There are no individual seats per se, as metal benches make up all the seating. The seats in the lower deck do have arm rests, but these don't make the benches any more comfortable to sit on. The majority of the seating is in the upper deck, and while this may provide a good view of the field, these seats are a longs ways from the action. At least there is a cantilevered roof which extends over much of the upper deck. The concourses (one for each deck), which are quite cramped, run behind the seating areas and are not in view of the field. They also seem to be quite dingy as water was dripping in places and the odor from the bathrooms lingered. The backdrop for The Diamond is basically a parking lot and I-95. Concessions are well varied here : burgers, chicken, corn dogs, and Dave's BBQ (which also has a restaurant down the 1st base line). Quality is pretty good and the prices about average. The atmosphere at The Diamond is very similar to other AAA parks. There are not many sound effects or between inning promotions and the focus is mostly on the game. The team does have a mascot, Diamond Duck, but he was practically invisible the whole game. It is unclear what the future holds for The Diamond. There had been plans to renovate The Diamond, but these were put on hold as a new ballpark in the downtown is now being investigated. A new ballpark is probably the way to go as the best thing they could do with The Diamond is start over. In early 2008 it was announced that the Braves would be moving to Gwinnett County (GA) meaning the future of baseball in Richmond is even murkier now. It is likely that Richmond will get another team, perhaps one from the AA Eastern League or the High A Carolina League. It is simply too big of a market to be without baseball. Though it appears that Richmond will be without baseball for at least the 2009 season while the city finalizes plans for a new ballpark. The Diamond isn't a horrible place to see a game, it's just that compared to all the other new AAA parks, it just doesn't stack up. After not having a team in '09, baseball will return to The Diamond in '10, as the Connecticut Defenders of the Eastern League will be moving here.
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