Squirrels feast on ‘M&Ms’

The Richmond Flying Squirrels opened their season with “M&Ms” at the top of the batting menu.

Not the candy kind; this is about leadoff hitter Ismael Munguia and second-inorder Luis Matos.

The Latin American outfielders provided much of the offensive thrust in the season opener April 8 in a 4-3 win over visiting Reading at The Diamond.

Munguia, a 24-year-old Nicaraguan, and Matos, a 21year-old switch-hitter from Venezuela, combined for five hits in the opener with Matos slugging the first homer of the season.

Richmond went on to sweep the opening series against the Philadelphia Phillies Eastern League affiliate three games to none under manager Dennis Pelfrey.

Remember No. 42

Thursday, April 14

Jackie Robinson Day Richmond Flying Squirrels at Harrisburg, Pa., Senators. 7 p.m.

The Squirrels are playing in Harrisburg, Pa., this week and will return to Richmond for a sixgame series against Erie, Pa., Seawolves ending

April 16. Erie is the Detroit Tigers’ AA affiliate. Richmond is celebrating Jackie Robinson Day April 14 in Harrisburg. Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier on April 14, 1947, debuting with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Robinson’s No. 42 is retired across pro ball major and minor league teams.

The Richmond roster is short on African-Americans but well represented by Latino athletes.

Along with Munguia and Matos, others who are from mostly Spanish-speaking countries are pitchers Raymond Burgos (Puerto Rico), Randy Rodriguez (Dominican Republic) and Juan Sanchez (Venezuela).

Also, the Squirrels are hopeful of soon adding shortstop Marco Luciano, a Dominican who is ranked the No. 2 prospect in the San Francisco chain. Luciano began the season in extended spring training.

Section B

Sharon Parham Blount is bringing a new kind of peace to Richmond’s hungriest residents.

The new board chair of Shalom Farms, Mrs. Blount has assumed a key part in the leadership of an organization that has worked since 2009, when it was originally a social program led by the United Methodist Urban Ministries of Richmond, to expand food access in the Richmond area.

For Mrs. Blount, who joined Shalom’s board of directors in 2019, the group’s mission fits her own life experiences, and resonates with her beliefs and interest in aiding Richmonders in need of assistance.

“I wanted to be a part of an organization that directly impacts the lives of Richmonders,” says Mrs. Blount, when asked why she accepted the position. “As an African-American woman with diabetes, I know how important it is to have good choices about what we eat and how we care for our bodies.”

Mrs. Blount first learned of Shalom Farms through its work at Union Presbyterian Seminary, where one of its community farms is located. She was encouraged by the group’s former executive director, Dominic Barrett, to join their efforts.