In the 20 seasons since minor league baseball returned to Augusta in 1988, the list of players who have gone on to major league success has only grown longer and more impressive.

From Tim Wakefield, who played for the Augusta Pirates as a scrawny third baseman in 1989 before becoming an all-star knuckleballer and World Series champion, to Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia, each scrappy infielders who have claimed back-to-back rookie of the year honors, Augusta's rich baseball history continues to shine on the big-league stage.

The road to the majors added another passenger this week, when Roberto Kelly, manager of the Augusta GreenJackets the past three seasons, was promoted to first-base coach of the San Francisco Giants, where he also will oversee outfield defense and baserunning.

For Kelly, a two-time all-star outfielder in his own right who retired from baseball after 14 seasons in 2000, the call-up came as a surprise. And he intends to make the most of it.

"Of course, as a player and a manager, the goal is to make the big leagues, so this is a good thing," Kelly said Wednesday. "I didn't expect to be in the big leagues next year, but here I am."

In leading his teams to a remarkable 285-157 record in three seasons, including the best record in the minors each of the last two seasons, Kelly taught the game the same way he played it. He also said his goal now as a coach is to one day become a manager in the majors, which would only continue Augusta's tradition as a stepping stone to "The Show."

"This is a big stepping stone for him. You can name several base coaches in the majors who have been hired as managers," GreenJackets general manager Nick Brown said. "With his ability, drive and ambition, I could see that being a possibility some time in the future."

As a base coach in the majors now, he's in a good spot to learn. The list of former base coaches who have become managers is long. Kelly isn't in a hurry, however.

"I never cut myself short. It's still a goal of mine (to manage in the majors), but I'm in a different capacity now, coaching first and doing other stuff," the 43-year-old Panamanian said.

"That doesn't mean I can't learn. This is the best place to learn. Hopefully I can gain some experience and pick some people's brains, and maybe I'll have a shot to manage one day."