Trani on The Diamond

In a piece in today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch VCU’s president, Eugene P. Trani, weighs in on the where-to-play-baseball brouhaha and makes a lot more sense than most of what we’ve been hearing over the last three years on the topic:

“...The answer, I believe, is that the Braves -- or any other professional baseball franchise should stay right at The Diamond. It doesn't matter whether it is a new or renovated stadium. The current location is perfect, if one looks beyond the limits of a single baseball team and a single-use stadium.

“I envision a major professional and amateur athletic, recreation, and entertainment complex that serves the entire Richmond metropolitan area -- where thousands of fans can enjoy professional baseball and other sports; where local universities, including our own, can compete in intercollegiate Olympic sports and host NCAA competitions and tournaments; where high school athletes can vie for local, regional, and state championships in track, soccer, field hockey, and tennis; and where residents of surrounding localities can come together for amateur competition and to enjoy community events.”

It’s a short piece. Do yourself a favor and click here to read it all.

In another article in the same section, Mayor L. Douglas Wilder seems at long last to have come to the same conclusion as Trani -- The Diamond's location is still the best for a professional baseball stadium to be situated. However, Wilder's story is mostly about how no part of the problem to do with all this should be blamed on him. Click here for that one.

Photo: SLANT