Klesko, Kelly Add to Braves’ Impressive Power Source

As if the Atlanta Braves don’t have enough power, their triple-A farm team in Richmond, Va., has been called by many, among other things, “one of the most talented groups ever assembled in the minors.”

Many of the expectations placed on Richmond this summer stem from the Braves’ double-A team in Greenville, S.C., which won 106 games last season--including playoffs--in what has been called “one of the greatest seasons in minor league history.” Many of the Greenville players are playing in Richmond this season.

And somewhere deep within Orange County, several sets of eyes are focused on Richmond, where two local prospects are attempting to make their way up the Braves’ organizational ladder.

One, Ryan Klesko from Westminster High, seems ready to bust through any time. The other, Mike Kelly from Los Alamitos High, has been plagued with a low batting average throughout 1992 and the first two months of 1993.

* Klesko, the Braves’ sixth selection in the June, 1989 major league free-agent draft, has spent more time in the majors than the minors this season. But he was thrilled Tuesday when, during batting practice before that night’s game against Montreal, Manager Bobby Cox told him Brian Hunter would be activated from the disabled list and Klesko would be returned to Richmond.

“I was kind of anxious to get some swings in,” Klesko said. “If not possible up there, it’s better for me to come down here and swing the bat. The big leagues are where you want to be, and I thought I did a good job. I hit the ball hard.”

But he didn’t hit the ball hard often. In a month, he batted only 11 times. He got his first major league hit--against Florida’s Bryan Harvey--and first major league homer--against Pittsburgh’s Tim Wakefield. He also had another single, giving him a .273 average with one run batted in.

His ascent to the majors was a combination of Hunter’s hand injury and the fact that Klesko, a first baseman, had four home runs in Richmond’s first five games this season.

When Klesko got the call, he never expected to stick with the big club for a month.

“I was expecting (the demotion) even earlier,” he said.

His first hit, the single against Harvey, was a relief because Klesko went 0 for 14 during a September call-up last summer. But he broke through April 22.

“I was hoping to get that out of the way,” said Klesko, who added that he will frame the balls and the bat from his first hit and first homer. “Then I was more relaxed, I became my normal self.”

Klesko is one of Richmond’s veterans--he batted .251 there last year with 17 homers and 59 RBIs. This season, through Sunday, Klesko is batting .306 with four homers and nine RBIs.

If he were with any other organization, his road to the majors might be a little shorter--but Klesko said he’s happy where he is.

“Waiting is worth it,” he said. “This organization is going to win and the guys are great.”

* Kelly, Atlanta’s first pick and the second overall selection in the June, 1991 free-agent draft, has yet to boost his batting average where he would like, and he has also had to deal with the pressure of being a high draft pick.

“The pressure of being a No. 1 pick is over with,” Kelly said. “I had to deal with it back then. Now, I’m just another minor league guy trying to get to the big leagues.”

But Kelly said the pressure was there.

“You could sense guys watching you,” he said. “People were analyzing me closely.”

Kelly, Richmond’s starting center fielder, is only batting .215 with five homers and 13 RBIs (through Sunday) after hitting a mere .229 with 25 homers and 71 RBIs at Greenville last season. In his first professional season in 1991, he hit .250 at single-A Durham with six homers and 17 RBIs in 35 games.

The low batting average, Kelly said, does not worry him.

“I got off to a little bit of a slow start, but I think I’ve been swinging the bat better than my average has shown so far,” he said. “It’s still very early in the season and I’ve got a lot more at-bats ahead of me.

“I expect the average to get up there before all is said and done.”

With a low average and a .500 team, Kelly said things have been much quieter this season in Richmond than last year in Greenville.

“We got spoiled on that team, I’m telling you,” he said. “Winning all those games . . . We’re .500 this year but it seems like we’re losing every day.”

Chuck LaMar, Atlanta’s director of scouting and player development, can be credited with correctly predicting Richmond’s slow start.

“To be totally candid, I expect (that) team will struggle early, trying to find themselves,” LaMar told Baseball America before the season. “There’s been so much hype, so much pressure on the players, that so many of these players, in their minds--maybe not in outs--think they’re ready to play in the major leagues.”

*

Gary Mota, who played at Fullerton College and now is an outfielder with the double-A Jackson Generals, a Houston Astros’ affiliate, had wrist surgery April 16 and will miss at least three months.

He injured the wrist while making a diving catch and then made it worse while swinging a bat.

“He tore the sheathing on the tendon that extends the little finger, and then the tendon popped out,” Jackson trainer Ron Porterfield told Michael Murphy of Baseball America. “Basically, it’s kind of a freaky injury. You don’t see a lot of them, but the ones you do see are in athletes.”

Mota batted .291 with 23 homers, 89 RBIs and 22 steals last season for single-A Asheville and was the most valuable player in the South Atlantic League. He is the son of former Dodger Manny Mota and brother of former Cal State Fullerton players Jose and Andy.

*

If Angels’ triple-A prospect Eddie Perez has anything to do with it, he won’t be in the minors for long.

It’s not the bus rides and, no, it’s not the fast-food meals.

See, he isn’t a big fan of Vancouver--his current home town.

“It’s a little rainy,” he said. “It’s a little too wet.”