Manager: Squirrels' prospect list could rival Great Eight

Flying Squirrels manager Andy Skeels knows enough Richmond baseball history to appreciate that 1993 was special. The Triple-A Richmond Braves featured The Great Eight, a regal tag for a club that started major-league prospects at all positions. Among them: Chipper Jones at shortstop, Ryan Klesko at first base, Javy Lopez catching.

Skeels, who will guide the San Francisco Giants' Double-A team here this season, said he believes this season's Flying Squirrels could be compared to that R-Braves' team from the up-and-coming stars angle. The editor of Baseball America, John Manuel, said he is unaware of any other Double-A team "that will have the kind of prospect talent" expected to be on Richmond's opening-day roster.

The Squirrels' list of young standouts starts with outfielders Thomas Neal (22, left field), Darren Ford (24, center field) and Roger Kieschnick (23, right field), a set Skeels said has been referred to as "The Wonder Trio."

Manuel said, "the scouts that we've talked to really like [Neal's] bat. Ford and Kieschnick maybe aren't pure hitters like Neal. But Ford is one of the fastest runners in the minor leagues . . . Kieschnick is a little bit more of a feast-or-famine guy, but there are big tools there. Big power."

Nick Noonan, 20, will play second base and Conor Gillaspie, 22, will be at third. Richmond's roster hasn't been finalized, but Brandon Crawford, 23, could be at shortstop. Those players were part of San Jose's 93-47 run in the Class A California League last season, and each of the six is rated among the Giants' top 19 prospects, according to Baseball America.

"That's stout," Manuel said. He added that as prospects elevate, "Double-A is really where you find out" if the player will get to the big leagues.

"I wouldn't want to predict how they'll do during the season, but I certainly like the direction that they're moving in," said Skeels, who managed San Jose last season and managed some of the same players at low Class A Augusta (88-50) in 2008.

"These kids play with a definite love of the game. That's one of the things that separates them from a lot of people. They definitely compete. They'll be fun to watch . . . The guys in the system are used to being the best. Will that translate as they move up? I don't know. Obviously, I'm hoping that it does."

Richmond was home to Atlanta's Triple-A club during 1966-2008. Playing in a city that was the longtime home to a higher-level team probably won't intimidate the Double-A Squirrels or their manager. San Jose is a much larger market than Richmond. Skeels said he and the players coming from San Jose are accustomed to dealing with scrutiny and media attention from nearby San Francisco.

A slow start by Richmond wouldn't surprise Skeels, because so many of the Squirrels spent time in big-league camp with the Giants and may not have gotten many spring-training atbats, or pitched many innings. Plus, many are making the jump to the Eastern League, with its superior pitching to Class A and challenging weather conditions during April.

"For any team, regardless of how talented the players are, that first month is an adjustment," Skeels said. "You come out of the sunshine and perfect weather in spring training, and then you're in a new city and the weather is a lot different."

The player-development contract involving the Flying Squirrels and the Giants expires after this season, though it could be renewed. That issue won't be formally addressed until the conclusion of the season. The Giants have said they would like to stay in Richmond, but franchise operators may want to investigate the possibility of affiliating with a major-league organization in this region.

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Notes: The Flying Squirrels will fly from Arizona, home of the San Francisco Giants' spring training, to Norfolk, then bus to Richmond on Monday. The Squirrels will spend a couple of days in Richmond, then leave April 8 for their season opener that night in Bowie, Md.

Contact John O'Connor