Some fans don't care what level of professional baseball replaces the Richmond Braves here. To them, on-field competition rates way behind in-stands socializing.

Other fans do care about the ability of the players. It's possible Richmond could get a Class A franchise, one from Double-A, or hold out for a Triple-A club (that may take longer) to succeed the Triple-A R-Braves.

According to R-Braves manager Dave Brundage, the basic standard on which organizations grade is, "Can he be a major-league player?" Brundage estimates that 25 percent can at high Single-A; 35 percent at Double-A; 60 percent at Triple-A.

Reaching Double-A means you've got a chance to make it to the major leagues. Single-A is where players are weeded out. Double-A also has some of the best prospects, and they are bypassing Triple-A more often and jumping to the majors.

We went to a quartet of baseball lifers, each of whom has extensive professional experience as a player and coach at several levels, to get a feel for the minor leagues' top three tiers. These opinions belong to veteran minor-league manager Jim Pankovits, Brundage, R-Braves pitching coach Guy Hansen and R-Braves hitting instructor Chris Chambliss.

Class A

Pankovits: "You have some [future] big-league players, but you'll also have some players that have been given an opportunity and [with lesser ability], they don't play very long. You also have some players who have big-league ability that will not play above A ball because they do not develop the consistency."

Brundage: "In Single-A, you might have four top hitters and one or two good starting pitchers."

Hansen: "Those better A leagues [such as the Carolina League] have some pretty good competition. I think the city would have a lot of fun watching a team that didn't have so much [players] movement."

Chambliss: "You're going to see pitchers in A-ball throwing as hard as they do in the majors. They just may not have that consistency and experience."

Class AA

Pankovits: "That's a level almost no [player] skips. So you see every organization's best talent. I think if you can play at the Double-A level and show consistency, you can play in the major leagues."

Brundage: "Probably from a fan's standpoint, there is no difference [between Triple-A and Double-A]. You might see the good arms. You just may not see as many of them . . . The best players are the ones who advance to Double-A ball . . . They're not as polished [at Double-A and below]. There are more physical mistakes."

Hansen: "Where you find out if guys are special is in Double-A and Triple-A. You'll see talent in A-ball. But once you get to Double-A, there are qualities you will see."

Class AAA

Pankovits: "More of a mixture of talented, young players and veteran players who know how to play the game but don't necessarily have the ability to play a long period of time in the major leagues."

Brundage: "Major-league teams tend to secure their weaknesses at the Triple-A level. If they have weaknesses at the big-league level, they are probably strengths at Triple-A . . . You've got more mature players at Triple-A. You've got some 28-, 29-, 30-year-old guys. It's more refining [their skills]. There's probably more egos involved, and rightfully so. Some of them have been to the big leagues."

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or joconnor@timesdispatch.com.

Contact Tim Pearrell at (804) 649-6965 or tpearrell@timesdispatch.com.