A Class AA franchise has been designated for relocation to Richmond in 2010. But the Eastern League still is not ready to identify that franchise despite the league’s goal of an announcement by Aug. 1. The modified timetable should not be interpreted as a sign of a problem with baseball’s return to Richmond next season, according to Joe McEacharn, the Eastern League president.

The Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns and operates The Diamond, has started lease negotiations with Richmond’s new professional baseball franchise, RMA General Manager Mike Berry confirmed yesterday. Berry chose not to identify the franchise and said that information would come from Minor League Baseball and the Class AA Eastern League. Joe McEacharn, the Eastern League president who has been supervising the relocation of one that league’s 12 franchises, set Aug. 1 as his deadline for determination of the franchise that will move to Richmond next season.

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.

The merry-go-round, carnival ride of the Richmond Fair—will it happen or won’t it—continued yesterday. Hours after saying the fair was off, organizers reversed course to say there is still a chance it could happen, only later than planned. Fair organizer Philip Downing said last night that if plans fall into place, a 10-day Richmond Fair can begin as early as next Friday, July 24, in the parking lots at The Diamond on North Boulevard.

The organizers of a 10-day fair planned at The Diamond have reached a compromise with Richmond police that will allow the event to begin Sunday, two days later than planned, Police Chief Brian T. Norwood said last night. “What we did, we talked about postponing it just a few more days to allow my department to be better prepared for it,“ Norwood said. “So we compromised on Sunday” as the fair’s opening day.

They arrived at The Diamond about 90 minutes before the first pitches of Richmond Braves’ games. To the edges of the dugouts they gravitated for autographs and chats with players after batting practice. A half-dozen or so Diamond die-hards, almost all season-ticket holders, would then take their seats in the last couple of rows in the lower deck, behind home plate, and talk. About their kids. About the weather. About corked bats or wine corks. About where a new ballpark should go, or if Richmond really needs one.

The Richmond Fair is official. The carnival-style fair once planned for Henrico County will set up shop in the parking lots surrounding The Diamond starting Friday and running through July 26. The Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns The Diamond, confirmed yesterday afternoon that it had signed a contract for the event with Fair Nation Inc.

The Richmond Fair is official. The carnival-style fair once planned for Henrico County will set up shop in the parking lots surrounding The Diamond starting next Friday and running through July 26. The Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns The Diamond, confirmed today that it had signed a contract for the event with Fair Nation Inc. It allows the fair use of everything except the stadium and playing surface at the Diamond’s location on the Boulevard, two blocks south of Interstate 64/95.

Professional baseball won’t return to Richmond until next year, but its presence apparently will be noticeable starting next month. Minor League Baseball and the Eastern League plan to assign a Class AA franchise to Richmond before Aug. 1. When that happens, “somebody is going to go in there and somebody is going to take Richmond by storm,“ Joe McEacharn, the Eastern League president, said yesterday.

A long-term ballpark solution will be addressed by the city and neighboring counties after the new franchise has formally relocated and the ownership group can join discussions. Talks would initially involve a lease agreement at The Diamond. It’s expected team owners will contribute to the construction of a new facility or transformation of The Diamond.

A man approached Charlie Diradour and shook his hand outside The Diamond yesterday. “Keep up the good work, Charlie,“ he said. Replied Diradour: “Thank you very much for coming out.“ Diradour, who arranged the appearance to announce the launching of his revamped Web site, looked as if a politician were the centerpiece. Diradour is not a politician—at least not yet.

Charlie Diradour today held a news conference at The Diamond to encourage unity and reception of the new minor league baseball team headed for Richmond. “We want this to be the most welcoming city that a minor league franchise has ever seen,“ Diradour said. Additionally, he called on the city to contact Opening Day Partners about its plan to transform The Diamond.

The ownership group moving a Class AA baseball franchise to Richmond next season will commit more than $1 million for short-term improvements to The Diamond, the Eastern League president said yesterday. “We want to bring a first-class product to Richmond,“ Joe McEacharn said. “We are going to show our good faith not only by coming with a team, but we are going to substantially upgrade the product for the short term.“