Giants like arrangement with Richmond, Flying Squirrels

When the Richmond Flying Squirrels shift across a parking lot from The Diamond to CarMax Park next season, they will transport their affiliation with the San Francisco Giants.

That’s barring an unexpected offseason change made by Major League Baseball, which determines which minor league franchises are connected to which MLB parent organizations.

The Giants’ senior director of player development, Kyle Haines, said in a recent interview that the San Francisco organization very much appreciates its link with Richmond, and he and his Giants colleagues hope it extends.

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“Myself included, the people in San Francisco love this affiliate, and we love the city of Richmond,” said Haines.

Haines mentioned relationships between Todd Parnell, the former head of the Flying Squirrels’ management team who is now a senior advisor, and notable former Flying Squirrels who went on to MLB careers as Giants, ex-Giants manager Bruce Bochy, and some San Francisco executives.

“They all love Parney, they all love Richmond,” said Haines during the interview at The Diamond. “I think everybody in San Francisco who’s ever had any experience here loves it.”

The managing general partner of the Flying Squirrels, Lou DiBella, has repeatedly noted that MLB since 2020 has made the choice of which MLB organization is the Flying Squirrels’ parent club, not the Flying Squirrels’ ownership or management groups. That was the year MLB took over operational control of the minors.

The Flying Squirrels on Aug. 11 released their 2026 schedule, with an opening date at CarMax Park of April 7, and it is a Double-A, Eastern League schedule. There has been speculation that Richmond and CarMax Park will at some point for geographic reasons affiliate with the Washington Nationals, perhaps at the Triple-A level. Richmond was part of Triple-A while affiliated with the New York Yankees (1956-64) and Atlanta Braves (1966-2008).

The Braves owned their Triple-A affiliate and after the 2008 season moved it out of Richmond, to Gwinnett County, Georgia, because of dissatisfaction with The Diamond. Richmond did not have professional baseball in 2009.

The Giants and the Double-A franchise that became the Richmond Flying Squirrels (2010 launch) have been connected since 2003. There is no Double-A league west of the Texas League.

“We’re a long way away from home, but I’d rather take an extra couple-hour flight than be in maybe any other non-California city in the United States to have our affiliate here,” said Haines.

The franchise in the early 1980s was based in Albany, New York, and was the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s. In 1985, the franchise affiliated with the New York Yankees. In 1995, the franchise moved to Norwich, Connecticut. In 2003, the Yankees switched their Double-A affiliate to Trenton, New Jersey, and Norwich affiliated with the Giants. The franchise moved to Richmond on Sept. 23, 2009.

Haines’ association with Richmond developed in 2017, when he managed the Flying Squirrels.

In 2017, Flying Squirrels manager Kyle Haines, right, talked to Ryan Lollis as they walked to the dugout during a game at The Diamond. Haines is now the San Francisco Giants’ senior director of player development.

ALEXA WELCH EDLUND, TIMES-DISPATCH

“Obviously, I’m a little bias. I love this city. I think probably every city I’ve ever been to, I think this is one I personally have connected with more people than any other one,” Haines said.

He toured the CarMax Park site last week. The ballpark is expected to be substantially complete by late February.

CarMax Park opening. The Diamond closing. Back-to-back HRs for RVA.

“It’s first-class. This city deserves first-class and they’re getting first-class,” Haines said. “I knew I was going to be impressed, and I think they exceeded my expectations with everything that I saw.”

Haines praised Richmond fans for their support of the Flying Squirrels despite the inadequacies of The Diamond, which will host its final regular-season Flying Squirrels’ games Sept. 9-14. Richmond has annually ranked among Double-A attendance leaders, and among the top 20 in all minor leagues. 

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Haines said he will recall “just how much these fans have made this ballpark into a (quality) environment despite a concrete shell of a stadium. Between the fans and Parney, they put a lot of lipstick on this pig.”

He called the fan experience at The Diamond, “maybe unmatched in minor league baseball.”

See the renderings of CarMax Park, future home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels