Petersburg Generals filling void for some Richmond-area baseball fans

By Michael Phillips

Published: July 7, 2009

PETERSBURG With the Richmond Braves gone, the Petersburg Generals are driving fans south for some baseball this summer.

The Generals are reaping the benefits of the R-Braves' departure, though only slightly. Midway through the season, attendance and revenue are up 6 percent, but the team's management is hopeful for a big finish to the summer.

"Everything seems to be working out positively for us," said General Manager Jeremy Toombs, who believes an increased advertising focus in Richmond has helped boost the Generals' attendance and revenue at Petersburg Sports Complex. "Our goal is to draw 1,000 fans a game this season."

They're not there just yet. Toombs said they're averaging 833 so far. That's up from last season's 788 average, but he added that remaining on the schedule are three fireworks nights and two military nights -- traditionally big draws.

The team also is hoping for some of that second-half magic. The Generals have a 14-19 record, but the Coastal Plain League format splits the season into two halves and awards a playoff berth to the winner of each.

The league, which features teams in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, is popular among college players because of the wood-bat format, which acclimates hitters and pitchers to bats professional hitters use.

To that extent, the league has some star power on the alumni list, including Washington Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman, Goochland High School grad Justin Verlander, and Boston's Kevin Youkilis.

Toombs said that as the season has progressed, he has seen more fans and groups from the Richmond area. That process of discovery also is what led former Cosby High School and current Virginia Tech standout Ronnie Shaban, who currently leads the Generals in hitting and plays shortstop.

"My coaches gave me a list of summer teams, and I didn't really know about Petersburg," said the rising Hokies sophomore. "I was excited because I could stay close to home."

Shaban compared the atmosphere and talent of a Petersburg Generals game to that of an ACC baseball game -- with one exception: "It seems like the beer garden is popular here," he said.

Another key difference is that the players play almost every day. The teams are so close in proximity that trips just last one day.

Petersburg is on the road tonight in Martinsville and won't return home until Friday and Saturday nights. Friday night the Generals will host Outer Banks. When the teams met last Thursday, warm-ups were delayed when the Outer Banks bus broke down -- a mishap that speaks to the informal atmosphere of the games.

Shaban is one of just two Richmond-area players remaining on the roster, the other being Nick Abrahamson (Clover Hill High), who teamed with Shaban last year as part of the South Richmond team that reached the American Legion World Series.

Now they're advocating the drive down I-95 for baseball-starved fans.

"It's a great place to watch a game," Shaban said. "It's a little tiring playing every day, but it's a fun time."

Contact Michael Phillips at (804) 649-6546 or mphillips@timesdispatch.com