Puleo, Komminsk return to Richmond for 1986 Governors' Cup Celebration on June 29

RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Flying Squirrels will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Richmond Braves winning the 1986 International League championship on Tuesday, June 29, and the game will include special appearances by 1986 R-Braves players Charlie Puleo and Brad Komminsk.

Tickets are on sale now online at SquirrelsBaseball.com/Tickets, by phone at 804-359-3866 or in person at the Flying Squirrels ticket offices.

As part of the celebration, the first 1,000 fans 15 and older will receive a T-shirt featuring the classic logo of The Diamond (adult sizes XL only, while supplies last) presented by Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods.

Puleo and Komminsk will each throw ceremonial first pitches before the game. The night will also feature in-game tributes to the 1986 R-Braves team.

In 1986, the R-Braves went 80-60 to win the regular-season pennant. After sweeping the Tidewater Tides in the opening round of the playoffs, they topped the Rochester Red Wings in five games in the championship series, clinching the title with a 4-0 victory in Game 5 on Sept. 11 at The Diamond. The team was awarded the Governors’ Cup, a trophy given to the International League’s champion from 1933 until the restructuring of Minor League Baseball following the 2019 season.

Puleo made 27 regular-season starts, including nine complete games, for the R-Braves in 1986 and led the International League with 14 wins. He spent parts of three seasons in his career with Richmond and played eight years in the majors with the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds.

Komminsk was the third baseman for the 1986 R-Braves. That year was the last of four total seasons he appeared with Richmond. For the season, he ranked second on the club with 13 homers and third with 65 RBIs. He went on to spend parts of eight seasons in the majors with the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Oakland Athletics.

In the 1986 postseason, Komminsk helped fuel a win in the playoff opener against Tidewater, hitting a three-run homer in a four-RBI performance. Puleo started that game on the mound and picked up a win after working seven innings.

In the Governors’ Cup Finals, Puleo set the tone for the series in his Game 1 start, working 7 2/3 innings in a combined shutout at Rochester. He was called up to Atlanta the next day and spent the rest of the season in the majors.

The Flying Squirrels return to The Diamond to face the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (AA- New York Mets) for six games from June 29-July 4. Tickets are now on sale for all remaining 2021 Flying Squirrels home games, including the Independence Day Celebration on July 4, at SquirrelsBaseball.com/Tickets, by phone at 804-359-3866 or in person at the Flying Squirrels ticket offices.