On the Road: Northam's 'Summer of Baseball'

"What I'm trying to do is emphasize the importance of people coming out and mingling, putting politics aside. And this is really a great way of promoting Virginia and promoting tourism."
That's how Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia, explains the premise of his ongoing "Summer of Baseball" tour. The Governor, a Democrat who took office this past January, is visiting all nine of Virginia's Minor League ballparks throughout the course of the season. On Saturday, Northam visited the Bristol Pirates' home of Boyce Cox Field, a no-frills Appalachian League atmosphere that the team advertises as "Baseball In Its Purest Form." This was the sixth stop of the Governor's tour, and this writer spoke to him in the press box during a pregame rain delay.

When it comes to Minor League Baseball, Virginia is one of the most fertile states in the Union. Its nine teams -- each representing a different Major League affiliate -- encompass four leagues operating at four levels of play (Rookie ball, Class A Advanced, Double-A and Triple-A). Boyce Cox Field is in the far southwestern corner of the state. Norfolk's Harbor Park is the easternmost locale while the Woodbridge-based Potomac Nationals are the entity that operates farthest to the north. Northam said visiting Minor League parks was a great way to promote tourism, which he called Virginia's fifth largest industry.

"We have, as you know, a very diverse state. I'm from the Eastern Shore, which is very rural, very flat," Northam said. "Right here [in Bristol] we're in the mountains, so we have beautiful terrain. But the good thing about it, we're all Virginians. The people out here, and where I grew up, are very hardworking, genuine people. They don't complain. It's just great to be out and mingle and, as we say, check the pulse of the people out there. I like being out and able to visit with folks."
Northam, a lifelong baseball fan, throws out a first pitch at each ballpark he visits.
"I never feel confident, especially at age 58," he said, regarding his ceremonial mound offerings. "But it's good to go out there. You loosen up a little bit, see how it goes." 

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam threw out the first ball in Bristol on July 22. (photo: John Monroe)
Prior to the season, Northam and Virginia Speaker of the House of Delegates Kirk Cox, a Republican, agreed to a friendly wager regarding the accuracy of the Governor's first pitches. Cox was also in attendance at Saturday's game in Bristol, throwing a startlingly fast first pitch just prior to Northam taking the mound.
"We have a little contest going on," Northam said. "[Cox] said that when I throw a strike he'll contribute to a charity of his choosing and if I throw a ball I contribute to a charity of my choosing. So far I'm 4-2. Actually, we bent the rules just a little bit. I said if the catcher doesn't have to move, then that's considered a good pitch for me. The main thing when you go out there, you don't want to throw it in the dirt."
Tweet from @GovernorVA: You've got yourself a bet, @SpeakerCox. https://t.co/CRx2NyLLYa
Thus far, Northam's ballpark travels have taken him to Richmond (for an Opening Night Flying Squirrels game), Salem, Lynchburg, Danville, Potomac (on "Cool Runnings" Night) and, of course, Bristol. He has two more Appalachian League stops on the schedule, Bluefield and Pulaski, before concluding his "Summer of Baseball" tour with the Norfolk Tides on August 25. When asked about the specifics of some of these visits -- such as his thoughts on team names like the Flying Squirrels -- the Governor deferred in favor of once again espousing commonality.
"Everybody's just been real friendly," he said. "We have some challenges in our country, [and] we have a lot of challenges in Virginia. It's just nice to get out here and put the politics aside and just have a good time."