Virginia Base-Ball Park

Richmond, VA

Teams: Richmond Virginians	AKA: Allen Pasture
Opening Day: August 5, 1884	Closing Day: October 15, 1884

The June 20, 1883 Richmond Dispatch reported that the day before the Virginia Base Ball Club had been founded and they were looking for a charter into an organized league and a place to play. They selected the former site of Otway Allen's farm. Today Richmond's Monument Ave., a Historical Landmark and specifically the statue of Civil War General F. Lee (pictured below) stands on this spot.

On May 13, 1884, the Virginians started playing for the Eastern League, a minor league. On August 5 of that year, when the Washington Nationals dropped out of the American Association, the Virginians were invited to play. They dropped 30 of 42 and led the league in errors. The left the American Association after that year, played another year in the Eastern League and then disbanded. Much of their talent, including Richmond native Billy Nash (.275, 1072 runs, 1606 hits, 977 RBIs, 249 stolen bases) were sold to the Boston Nationals.