Richmond Flying Squirrels infielder Carter Aldrete prepares to take a swing at the plate and is one of this season’s standouts for his performance on the field and at bat.
For the second year in a row, playoffs baseball is on the table for the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
Last year, the San Francisco Giants’ Double-A affiliate secured its first postseason appearance since 2014 by winning the Eastern League’s first-half championship. In 2023, heading into their final homestand at The Diamond, the Squirrels are in the thick of a razor-thin playoff battle as they duel with the Bowie Baysox, Erie SeaWolves and the rest of the Southwest Division for a postseason berth.
“Any time you get to the last homestand of the year, and you're playing meaningful games in August and September, it puts a pep in everybody’s step when they come to the ballpark,” says Flying Squirrels CEO Todd “Parney” Parnell. “As much as we’re about the overall experience of the ballpark and not as much about the wins and losses, it still helps at this time of year for there to be a playoff carrot dangling out in front of our noses.”
That last homestand of the season spans Sept. 5-10 as Richmond hosts the Akron RubberDucks, chasing the chance to play for the league championship. The 2022 first-half title came under the leadership of first-year manager Dennis “Pelf” Pelfrey. He formerly managed the Eugene Emeralds, guiding the San Francisco Giants’ High-A affiliate to what was then called the High-A West Championship in 2021.
Pelfrey spent time in independent baseball from 1999 to 2004, eventually returning to the sport as manager of the Florence Freedom, now the Florence Y’alls, in the Frontier League. Upon his relocation to Richmond, he assisted in leading the Squirrels to their half-season championship and automatic playoff berth, though they fell to the SeaWolves in the postseason.
“It’s been the most exciting time of my life as far as a player or coach,” Pelfrey says of his time in Richmond. “It’s really amazing to see how much Parney and the front office have reached out to the city of Richmond and really promoted what we’re bringing to the table. ... I’ve tried to describe it, and I can’t put it into words until [new players] actually get to feel being in the stadium on a Wednesday night, when we have 7,000 fans and we walk off and the place just erupts. I think that it’s something that can’t be re-created anywhere — it’s very natural, it’s not forced, it’s just genuine, and I think that’s what makes us really special.”
That fan base turns out in droves for every home game throughout the season. Leading into the final homestand, Richmond ranks first in the Eastern League and Double-A in both average and overall attendance.
“It’s the most amazing place I’ve ever been,” Pelfrey says. “From a baseball standpoint, as a player, coach … that’s what separates Richmond from most places. [The fans] know what’s going on, they pay attention to the game, they’re loud and let us know we’re not playing well, too, which is really good.”
Pelfrey also cites the first-half championship win in 2022 as the best celebration he’s had the chance to be a part of.
“Richmond is once again proving that they’re an amazing minor-league market,” Parnell adds. “The Squirrels are part of the community 365 days a year, and we interact with the community in a way that makes them coming to the games part of their every-year lives, their everyday lives. It’s a very, very special relationship. It’s not something that happens, in my opinion, anywhere [else] in the country.”
Richmond Flying Squirrels CEO Todd “Parney” Parnell jokes with Pitching Coach Paul Oseguera on the field at The Diamond.
This year’s half-season championship chase comes at the opposite end of the Squirrels’ campaign.
“I prefer playing at the end of the regular season,” Pelfrey says. “It’s going to be a battle every night. ... I think the only thing that I would wish [would] happen differently is if we could somehow clinch the playoff spot while we’re in Richmond against Akron, which would be really special and really cool for the fans, but I’m pretty sure it’s probably going to come down to the last couple days of the season.”
Pelfrey has guided the Squirrels through highs and lows this season, a year that has included a four-game winning streak to start the schedule in April, two separate six-win streaks and multiple players being called up to Triple-A Sacramento and to the major leagues.
“He’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around,” Parnell says of Pelfrey. “He knows how to get the best out of each person, and I’m not just talking about the players. I’m talking about the support staff, I’m talking about the coaching staff, I’m even talking about the front office. … He really, really cares, and anytime somebody really, really cares, I think they become a magnet to others. I can’t say enough good things about him. I love him as a person, I love him as a manager for our team, and as long as Dennis Pelfrey is in charge, I feel good about what’s going to happen on the field.”
As of the end of August, eight former Flying Squirrels have made their major-league debuts, including pitcher Tristan Beck, catcher Patrick Bailey, infielder Casey Schmitt and outfielders Luis Matos and Wade Meckler. Given the close-knit atmosphere and rabid Squirrels fandom, it’s simultaneously sad and gratifying when players move on, especially considering the attachments formed among teammates and staff.
“I think the message to all of them is: We love having you here, I love you as a guy and a player, but we don’t want to see you back here,” Pelfrey says. “It’s really, really awesome to see. … Even though they know that they’re two steps away, I basically say they’re a step away from the big leagues when they’re in Richmond. I think [the Eastern League is] the toughest league in Minor League Baseball to play in.”
That rigor is evidenced by the talent on each roster in the Eastern League, including the Squirrels’ third-to-last home opponent of the year, the Bowie Baysox. Bowie’s players have included the likes of major leaguers Cedric Mullins and John Means, both prominent Baltimore Orioles on rehab assignments, as well as MLB’s No. 1 prospect in Jackson Holliday. Holliday is the son of longtime major-league star Matt Holliday and was the first pick in the 2022 draft.
Through it all, Pelfrey’s leadership has kept the Richmond ship balanced in the waters of a competitive league with constantly changing rosters. As the Squirrels enter the run for the playoffs, he says the team is just trying to give themselves the best chance to win during each game.
“As long as the games are competitive every night, I think that’s really all we can ask for,” he says. “If we give ourselves those chances every single night, we’re gonna have put ourselves in a really good spot to be in the postseason to do something really great for the city of Richmond.”
When the Flying Squirrels return to The Diamond next week, they’ll have played nearly 130 games and will hit almost 140 by the conclusion of the regular season. Infielders Carter Aldrete and Shane Matheny have ranked among the standouts in the field and at the plate for Richmond in 2023, with the latter smacking 10 homers this season as of the end of August.
On the mound, right-hander Wil Jensen has put up impressive numbers through more than 75 innings, striking out north of 80 batters to the tune of a 7-0 record while appearing in 29 games. Though Jensen primarily enters in relief, he’s also made three starts this season. Lefty Carson Whisenhunt ranks among the Giants’ top prospects and has played in Single-A, High-A and Double-A in 2023. Since joining the Squirrels, he’s started six games and posted 27 strikeouts across 19 and two-thirds innings. Fellow starter Carson Seymour has logged nearly 100 frames on the mound, limiting opponents to a .238 average while recording 95 punch outs.
The Squirrels kick off their final homestand of the season with Bingo Night on Tuesday, Sept. 5, featuring a T-shirt giveaway. RVA Community Night follows on Wednesday, Sept. 6, and the rest of the week includes “In-Your-Face Fireworks” on Thursday, Sept. 7, and Saturday, Sept. 9, as well as ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation Night for the latter. The final Friday game of the season sees the team once again adopt its Ardillas Voladoras (Flying Squirrels in Spanish) moniker as part of the Copa de la Diversión (or Fun Cup) initiative, and Sunday’s final home game on Sept. 10 celebrates Squirrels supporters during Fan Appreciation Day. The Squirrels then hit the road for one final away series and bid for the playoffs against Erie, which will stretch through Sept. 17.
“Every single day, in and of itself, is a special day,” Parnell says. “I would just urge our fans to be part of this pennant race [and] catch pennant fever, come on out with [their] family one or two or even three more times and just enjoy being part of a great minor-league city. And that’s exactly what Richmond, Virginia, is.”
All home games Sept. 5-9 begin with the first pitch at 6:05 p.m., while the Sunday, Sept. 10, game gets underway at 1:35 p.m. Tickets are $10 to $25. For more information, visit squirrelsbaseball.com.
