Class AA connections freshen up Richmond's baseball franchise

By: John O'Connor | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: September 25, 2009

Richmond's new baseball franchise has a couple of connections that fans interested in major-league prospects and winning will find attractive.

Class AAA, the level at which the Richmond Braves played from 1966 to 2008, includes more recognizable names because many players at that level bring major-league experience. But Class AA, the minor leagues' second-highest rung and the Richmond club's classification starting next season, usually features a greater number of up-and-coming talents.

"Triple-A guys are major-league insurance policies. If someone gets injured, they go up and sit on the bench," said Chuck Domino, Richmond's chief executive manager. "Double-A guys . . . the player-development side is still hoping that these guys are going to be major-league players for many years."

It's not unusual for top-notch Class AA players to skip Class AAA competition on the way to the big leagues.

"The Double-A product I think is now the best in minor-league baseball," said Lou DiBella, the Richmond franchise's president and CEO. "I don't want to upset anybody above us, but you look at your bonus babies and your top minor-league players and they generally don't spend a lot of time in Triple-A.

"I don't think [Richmond fans] are going to feel any difference or drop-off. There won't be any difference or drop-off."

Affiliation with the San Francisco Giants, Richmond's parent club, at first glance may not energize the area fan base. But in the Class AA Eastern League next season, Richmond could have the team to beat. This year's accomplishments for Giants' farm clubs:

Class AA Connecticut, which relocated to Richmond, went 83-59 and lost in the Eastern League championship series. "We were a lame-duck team in Connecticut, and we could have been abandoned by our fans," said DiBella. "The quality of baseball was so good that our attendance actually went up in our lame-duck year."

San Jose, a high Class A club, won the California League championship and finished with 93 victories, the second-highest total in the minor leagues.

Augusta, a low Class A team, went 76-63, the best record in the South Atlantic League Southern Division.

"There will be some holdovers [from Connecticut]. There will be some guys from those San Jose and Augusta clubs who will come up," said Bobby Evans, the Giants' vice president of baseball operations. "[Richmond] will be a convergence of some very talented ball clubs."

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or joconnor@timesdispatch.com.