CHO Airport Field
Charlottesville, VA
Review by Gary
The Charlottesville Tom Sox of the Valley Baseball League (VBL) have played at CHO Airport Park, formerly Crutchfield Park (yet still named Willie T. Barnett Baseball Field as the sign on the backstop fence attests), since the team’s inception in 2015. Despite the name, the Tom Sox’s home field appears to be a fine facility to watch collegiate athletes hurl the stitched cowhide orb around for the fun of it.
CHO Airport Park (CHO is the location identifier for the nearby Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport) is located just six miles from the most famous home in Monticello, Virginia, the team’s namesake, Thomas “Tom” Jefferson. With 3,200 bleacher seats and plenty of space to bring a chair to nestle all around the ballpark, CHO offers many angles to view the action.
The main attractions of the stadium are the vast hill that encircles the outfield and the vintage dug-out dugouts made of red brick with shingled roofs. In time for their augural season in 2015, the Tom Sox ownership built the press box and hitting facilities at this Charlottesville High School ballfield. The Tom Sox lease the field from the high school for the short summer VBL season. A natural grass field grows to the average outfield dimensions, save for the short 290’ pole in right field.
When the Tom Sox returned to the VBL for the first time since 1974, they soon declared success, winning the championship in 2017. Charlottesville has won four titles in its brief history with 2024 being the most recent title-winning year. While not seen during this visit, the Tom Sox mascot, Prairieweather Lewis, or “Louie”, for short, is a reference to the third president’s connection to Lewis and Clark. Perhaps he was out “scouting” the competition for the upcoming season.
A few Major Leaguers cut their teeth for the Tom Sox on their climb up to “The Bigs”. In 2022, Tom Sox player Vinnie Pasquantino (2017) was called up to the Kansas City Royals, becoming the first Tom Sox alum to play in the Majors. Cincinnati Red Kyle Nicolas (2018 Tom Sox) was on the roster for Team Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic while Trey Yesavage (2024 Tom Sox) became the first Charlottesville alumnus to pitch in the World Series, starting Game 1 for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025. Yesavage was the youngest Game 1 starter in the World Series in 78 years.
A side trip from Monticello to this nearby field in Charlottesville is certainly recommended. You may even get to see a future big leaguer!
2025
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