Richmond Flying Squirrels: West Coast Dog

It's nice to visit old friends. And that was exactly how I felt when I drove up to The Diamond. I took in a game here in the 1990s when it sported AAA International League action. Now, it has been downgraded to an AA team, but a team that has perhaps the most awesome name in all of baseball: The Richmond Flying Squirrels. How could you not love that name? I actually bought a hat with the team logo, and getting me to open my wallet for some team apparel means you have one damn impressive mascot.

The Diamond opened in 1985, but has the look and feel of a 70s era utility ballpark, like the ones they used to call cement ashtrays....only half of one. Instead of being circular, it is semi-circular. It has the concrete décor, crowded and stuffy concourses and crappy scoreboard that most stadiums in the 1970s had. Think Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, but sliced in half. Still, I love the diamond. If you ever want to experience how minor league baseball was before it became in vogue, take in a game in Richmond.

Hot dog wise they do pretty well. There is one stand called The Dog House, that offers a few specialty dogs. I had the West Coast Dog that included a Ballpark brand frank, habinero BBQ sauce, pico de gallo and tortilla strips. I was famished and had it in my hand long enough to snap a picture, then it was gone in about sixty seconds. It was delicious. Not huge, but tasty. They also have a Bacon Me Crazy Dog I was tempted to try.

Now the bad news. My luck with the weather ran out. I have had the good fortune to not have experienced any rain delays or rainouts. After two innings of play a torrential rain rolled in. The pulled out the tarp, and then pulled it back after a lapse in precipitation. Then they rolled it back out. I guess the radar picture didn't look too promising. That's when I called it quits. I had my dog, caught some action in The Diamond, but it was time to head west.