Grady Little Returns; Remembers Time In Richmond

A lot of things were different in the Richmond when Grady Little occupied the corner of the dugout as the manager of the R-Braves.

"We drove on a road through Short Pump," Little said. "You could eat at a new restaurant every day for a year there. That didn't even exist back then."

One thing that hasn't changed is an appetite and a love for winning baseball. An attitude that Little fostered with all of his teams through 22 seasons of managing in which he racked up 1768 victories and a .539 winning percentage.

Of the 29 players on the 1993 Richmond Braves roster, 22 of them saw time in the Major Leagues. Ryan Klesko and All-Star catcher Javy Lopez will always be remembered in river city baseball lore, but Chipper Jones, a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer was the headliner.

"I'd be remiss if I said anyone else was my favorite player to manage than Chipper Jones," said Little. "His career speaks as to why he was my favorite."

Despite the challenges of managing one of the ripest farm systems ever that helped fuel 14 consecutive division titles and a World Series championship, Little took the R-Braves to the promised land as they won the 1994 Governor's Cup.

After winning 225 games over three years at The Diamond, Little got his first big-league managing job when he was hired by the Boston Red Sox in 2002. In 2003, his team made an appearance in the ALCS, falling to the New York Yankees in seven games. After another haitus, Little managed two years for the Dodgers, picking up 170 wins for a four-year total of 358 victories. 

"People asked me why I managed for 16 years in the minor leagues," Little said. "I told them that I needed all 16 of those seasons to gain the experience needed to do the job at the major-league level."

It was no surprise that Little's name adorned the list of guests at another successful Richmond Flying Squirrels hot stove banquet. 

"It's always important to come back to a place you had success in," said Little. "It was a bonus getting to know Parney and his people."

For those counting down, there's just about two months to opening day at the The Diamond for another exciting season of Squirrels baseball where a brand new bunch will look to channel the successes of teams past.