1992: Looking Back at the Braves' greatest Farm Team of all-time

[rico43]

They were the Greenville Braves, who won 100 games in the regular season, swept the semifinals and won a thrilling championship round 3-2 over a Chattanooga Lookouts team that won 90 games that season. Voted the No. 23 best minor league team of all time (any level), the G-Braves merely started their season 27-3 and never looked back.

An amazing number of those players went on to have major league careers. See for yourself.

MANAGER: Grady Little Manager the Red Sox in 2002-2003 and the Dodgers 2006-2007. Notably was 4th in the AL Manager of the Year voting in '03 with a 95-67 record, won the division series, but botched the pitching in the ALCS, losing in Game Seven and was fired. In the minors, Little managed in the Braves' system from 1986-1995.

CURRENT: After being named head baseball coach for Hickory Grove Christian School, a college prep school in Charlotte, for 2013, he "retired" to become the director of operations for the program. He is also a special assistant to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

CATCHERS: Javy Lopez (96 games), Eddie Perez (51) and Steve Swail (5). Lopez MLB (1992-2006), Perez (1995-2005).

FIRST BASE: Mike Bell (116 games), Perez (35), Tim Gillis (1), Pat Kelly (1). Bell MLB (1990-1991).

SECOND BASE: Jose Olmeda (95 games), Ramon Caraballo (24), Ed Alicea (20), Kelly (14), Jeff Treadway (rehab, 3), Hector Roa (1). Caraballo MLB (1993, 1995), Treadway (1987-1995).

SHORTSTOP: Mike Mordecai (65), Chipper Jones (64), Jose Olmeda (8), Kelly (8), Roa (1). Mordecai MLB (1994-2005), Jones (1993, 1995-2012).

THIRD BASE: Ed Giovanola (74), Kelly (72), Olmeda (6), Gillis (2), Roa (1), Alicea (1). Gilovanola MLB: (1995-1999).\

OUTFIELD: Tony Tarasco (126 games), Mike Kelly (125), Melvin Nieves (85), Aubrey Waggoner (47), Ed Alicea (45), Brian Kowitz (16), Kelly (4), Lee Heath (2), Bell (1). Tarasco MLB (1993-1999, 2002), Kelly MLB (1994-1999), Nieves (1992-1998), Kowitz (1995),

PITCHING: Brian Bark (5-0), Pedro Borbon (8-2), Dennis Burlingame (9-9), Kevin Coffman (6-0), Donnie Elliott (7-2), Pat Gomez (7-0), Mike Hostetler (6-2), Judd Johnson (6-0), Greg McMichael (4-2), Nate Minchey (13-6), Andy Nezelek (9-2), Darren Ritter (1-0), Don Strange (5-3), Scott Taylor (1-1), Marcos Vasquez (6-4), Preston Watson (4-6), Brad Woodall (4-6).
MLB Time: Bark (1995), Borbon (1992-1993, 1995-1996, 1999-2003), Coffman (1987-88, 1990), Elliott (1994-1995), Gomez (1993-1995), McMichael (1993-2000), Minchey (1993-1994, 1996-1997), Taylor (1995), Woodall (1994-1996, 1998-1999).

If you didn't want to count, 21 different players who spent at least part of 1992 in Greenville made it to the major leagues. The odds of that are astronomical.

Point of this? When people here start gushing about the greatest or most loaded minor league ever for the Braves, remember that the bar has been set pretty dang high.

[Julio3000]

These guys won 100 in season that runs a month shorter than MLB. Crazy. The things that stick out in my memory about these guys:

Baby Chipper at short; Mel Nieves, who looked like a player; a home run Mike Kelly hit that was one of the longest shots I've ever personally seen.

[50PoundHead]

Great post. I remember a cover story in Baseball America about the Braves' prospects. Klesko was a year behind most of these guys, but he was featured as well. Caraballo was the one who surprised me by not doing more at the big league level and I was always surprised that Andy Nezelek didn't get to the bigs (although I think I remember him having arm problems).

[Julio3000]

My hazy memory always puts Klesko on this team, although I've looked it up enough times to know that he wasn't.

Brad Woodall looked like he was going to be a good one, too.

How cool is it that the catching tandem for this team both slotted into the bigs?