The cars backed up Carl D. Silver Parkway, past the Fredericksburg Expo Center and all the way to Wegmans. This was the good kind of gridlock, a Sunday afternoon traffic jam with a common cause.
Having secured parking, the sellout crowd of 4,429 witnessed a fitting finale to the Fredericksburg Nationals’ inaugural season. Brandon Boissiere launched a three-run home run onto the right field concourse and added an RBI double as the FredNats closed out their 2021 schedule with a 6–2 win over the Lynchburg Hillcats.
After surrendering a home run to the game’s first batter, Lynchburg leadoff man Korey Holland, FredNats starting pitcher Rodney Theophile settled in. The righty scattered seven hits over five innings, striking out seven to earn the victory.
Prior to Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. first pitch, FredNats chairman/CEO Art Silber stood behind home plate and thanked fans for their support during the team’s long-awaited first season in Fredericksburg.
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“It far exceeded any expectations,” Silber told The Free Lance–Star. “First of all, we started in utter darkness.”
Silber was referring to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, but the same could be said of Fredericksburg’s early growing pains. The FredNats—with an initial roster bereft of top-30 prospects—dropped their first 15 games, tying a record for affiliated minor-league teams.
Things could only go up from there, and eventually, they did. Armed with a breakout star in southpaw strikeout artist Mitchell Parker and reinforced by a handful of highly-touted call ups, the FredNats started to find their footing. Fredericksburg closed the season on a four-game winning streak and won its last four home series.
In a season that wasn’t lacking for firsts, here a few notable ones:
• On May 9, Fredericksburg recorded the first victory in team history, a 2–1 triumph over the Salem Red Sox at home.
• Pitcher Aaron Barrett became the first major leaguer to rehab with the FredNats, appearing in four games as he attempts yet another big-league comeback.
• On Aug. 15, three FredNats pitchers—Gilberto Chu, Amos Willingham and Leif Strom—combined for a seven-inning no-hitter in a 12–0 win over the Salem Red Sox.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions on capacity that remained in place throughout the first two months of the season, the FredNats attracted fans to their new ballpark in droves. The team sold out 37 of its 57 home games and drew a total-season attendance just shy of 250,000, according to executive vice president and general manager Nick Hall.
“These are some of the best fans in the minor leagues,” FredNats outfielder Jake Randa said. “They stuck with us through good and bad.”
With Sunday’s victory, Fredericksburg finished its inaugural season with a 44–76 record, fourth place in the Low-A East league’s North Division. While the FredNats weren’t able to climb out of the cellar standings-wise, Silber believes the team did succeed in lifting up a community during trying times.
“We became a place of recovery from the pandemic, I think,” Silber said. “People felt comfortable coming out of their homes and actually feeling happy.”
With two outs in the top of the ninth, most of those in attendance rose to their feet. A few, either oblivious or indifferent to the imminent outcome, sought out Gus, the FredNats’ plump and purple mascot, for a last-chance photo opportunity.
When reliever Amos Willingham induced a game-ending groundout, they let out one last cheer. Well, at least until 2022.
“We’ll see you in April,” the public address announcer reminded everybody as they filed out of the ballpark, up the hill, and back to their cars once more.