Minor League Baseball: On Deck

The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame hosted a virtual baseball forum, Minor League Baseball: On Deck, Wednesday April 27. The event, which was presented by the Hall’s Hall Call Interview Series, brought together executives from professional and developmental league teams across Virginia to discuss the landscape of baseball in the Commonwealth after having the 2020 season cancelled due to the pandemic.

Topics discussed include player development, community engagement, COVID, and the reorganization of the Minor Leagues by MLB. Hall of Fame Executive Director, Will Driscoll was joined by representatives from 5 teams that call Virginia home:

• Allen Lawrence, GM, Salem Red Sox
• Chris Jones, President/GM, Lynchburg Hillcats
• Todd Parnell, CEO, Richmond Flying Squirrels
• Joe Gregory, GM, Norfolk Tides
• Austin Scher, GM, Danville Otterbots

Minor League Baseball returns to Virginia May 4 as AAA, AA, and A baseball seasons see their first ‘first-pitch’ in over 600 days, and the Appalachian League season begins June 3.

Be sure to follow all of the teams involved on social media for updates throughout the season:

• Norfolk Tides Twitter – @NorfolkTides
• Richmond Flying Squirrels Twitter – @GoSquirrels
• Salem Red Sox Twitter – @salemredsox
• Lynchburg Hillcats Twitter – @LynHillcats
• Danville Otterbots Twitter – @GoOtterbots