In a stadium-use agreement, the Richmond Metropolitan Authority is leasing The Diamond to Navigators Baseball, Inc. Richmond’s Class AA baseball franchise still has no formal name. The team will have a name by Oct. 15, the result of a name-the-team contest. Navigators Baseball, Inc., refers to 2005, when Lou DiBella formed a partnership and purchased the Norwich Navigators for about $10 million. A year later, the franchise changed its name to Connecticut Defenders, a tribute to the military defense industry in that area.

Richmond finally has another minor-league baseball team to call its own. The announcement came Wednesday, about seven weeks later than Eastern League President Joe McEacharn projected, but for good reason. Bringing together Richmond’s front office members was no easy feat and was a reason the shift of the Connecticut franchise to Richmond was delayed.

The sign outside The Diamond still proclaims “Home of the Richmond Braves,“ but Richmond and its 24-year-old stadium will have a new professional baseball team beginning next spring.

The difference between major-league ownership of a minor-league team and semi-local ownership of a minor-league team was readily apparent yesterday. The Atlanta Braves, owners of the former Richmond Braves, weren’t willing to invest much in The Diamond. The semi-local ownership of the new Richmond minor-league team will sink $1.5 million into upgrading The Diamond.

About 18 months after the Atlanta Braves announced they were relocating their Class AAA franchise to Gwinnett County, Ga., Richmond could acquire a new professional baseball franchise this week. Eastern League President Joe McEacharn set Saturday, Aug. 1 as the deadline for identification of which of the league’s 12 Class AA franchises will relocate to Richmond next season.

January 2008: Atlanta Braves announce that their Class AAA franchise would relocate following the 2008 season to Gwinnett County, Ga., a move influenced primarily by the Braves’ dissatisfaction with The Diamond. . . . A group of local investors, which later becomes Richmond Baseball Club LC, investigates the purchase of a Class AA franchise. . . . The Atlantic League, an independent league (members unaffiliated with Major League Baseball organizations), proposes an expansion team for Richmond.

January 2008: Atlanta Braves announce that their Class AAA franchise would relocate following the 2008 season to Gwinnett County, Ga., a move influenced primarily by the Braves’ dissatisfaction with The Diamond. . . . A group of local investors, which later becomes Richmond Baseball Club LC, investigates the purchase of a Class AA franchise. . . . The Atlantic League, an independent league (members unaffiliated with Major League Baseball organizations), proposes an expansion team for Richmond.

If the Connecticut franchise moves to Richmond next year—and that seems the most likely scenario—San Francisco’s Class AA club and its current fan base will likely part on a good note. The Connecticut franchise hasn’t made the Eastern League playoffs since 2002, the last season it was affiliated with the New York Yankees. But heading into last night’s activity, the Defenders were 49-34 and leading the Eastern League North Division. Connecticut has several well-regarded young prospects, especially on its pitching staff, and is led for the first season by Steve Decker, a former big-league catcher.

The Eastern League Board of Directors met yesterday to discuss which of its 12 franchises is headed to Richmond next season. If there was a resolution, the Eastern League president chose not to publicly share it. “I have nothing to comment on. Nothing to report,“ Joe McEacharn said. McEacharn assured Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones in mid-May that an Eastern League franchise will be at The Diamond next season.

The Eastern League still intends to relocate one of its 12 Class AA franchises to Richmond next season despite yesterday’s withdrawal of the Shockoe Center proposal and its $60 million ballpark. “Nothing changes,“ said Joe McEacharn, Eastern League president. “It’s more information that we continue to absorb. This does not affect our commitment to be there in 2010.“

A move by the Class AA Connecticut Defenders to Richmond under their current president/managing partner appears to be the most likely scenario for baseball at The Diamond next spring, sources involved with the situation say. Connecticut’s Lou DiBella earlier this month requested from Minor League Baseball permission to explore the Richmond market for the purpose of potentially relocating his franchise here. With members of his potential management team, DiBella visited Richmond this week and met with community leaders.

The owner of the Eastern League’s Connecticut Defenders has requested permission from Minor League Baseball to explore the Richmond market for the purpose of potentially relocating his franchise.

Concern about Richmond’s continued lack of a plan to replace The Diamond influenced a portion of Richmond Baseball Club LC’s investors to withdraw financial support to bring back minor league baseball, sources said.

Professional baseball is expected back at The Diamond next season. But many questions remain regarding the Class AA franchise, its ownership and the facility in which it will play long-term. As the process continues, the names of Lou DiBella and Peter Kirk may be more frequently mentioned. Why is Lou DiBella involved? He is the owner of the Connecticut Defenders, the Class AA franchise on which a potential Richmond ownership group has focused. In early April, DiBella called the sale “imminent.“ But he added: “I’ve got to be honest. In this economy, it’s hard to have confidence in anything.“ His concern was well-founded, it appears. Richmond Baseball Club LC continues to seek funds to meet the $15.4 million sale price, two sources said last week. The current sale proposal expires Sunday.