The last time a Richmond baseball franchise opened, Amado Samuel was its first batter. The shortstop topped the lineup for the Triple-A Richmond Braves in April 1966.
Samuel, 27, played in eight games with the R-Braves, then bounced around with three other minor-league clubs that season, including the York White Roses, before calling it quits.
The Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels open their franchise history tonight at Bowie, and the first Richmond player to bat will be Darren Ford, a center fielder whose career trajectory couldn't be more different from that of Samuel.
"This guy has the potential to be in the major leagues for 15 years," Richmond manager Andy Skeels said of Ford, 24 and known for his defensive range and base-stealing. Skeels referred to Ford, who batted .300 with 35 stolen bases at Class A San Jose last season, as "the fastest guy in baseball. And he's not just a kid who tries to play pepper with the ball, put it in play and run. This kid can hit."
Ford spent most of spring training in the San Francisco Giants' big-league camp, and is a member of the Giants' 40-man roster.
"When they told me I was coming to Richmond to be a Flying Squirrel, I wasn't too sure about it. I'm kind of scared of squirrels," said Ford, a 5-11, 195-pound New Jersey resident. "But it will work for the jersey and the hat."
After a year without professional baseball, the team with the interesting nickname represents Richmond in the Eastern League. Skeels doesn't expect his players to know details of the Richmond Braves' tenure (1966-2008), or the circumstances of their departure (dissatisfaction with The Diamond, mostly).
But he has talked with his Squirrels about Richmond's baseball past, and the opportunity they have to start a new chapter in a positive manner. The message reached Ford.
"Go out there and have fun," he said of the Squirrels' game plan. "While we're having fun, the fans will have fun. While the fans are having fun, the front-office will be having fun. Everybody will be having fun."
Continuity, oddly, is the theme for Richmond's fresh franchise. Several of the Squirrels played for Skeels last season at high Class A San Jose (93-47), the California League champion, and some were with him in 2008 at low Class A Augusta (88-50), the South Atlantic League champion.
"That's something Andy Skeels has brought up already, that winning tradition. We expect it to keep rolling," second baseman Nick Noonan said. "We've got some new faces, but they'll mix right in with the chemistry."
Noonan, 20, and Ford, are two of the Giants' well-regarded prospects on a club with several of them.
"Our entire defense is [composed of] players the Giants are very excited about," Skeels said. "This is a good level for them because you're going to find out kind of who's the real deal."
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or joconnor@timesdispatch.com.
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