KOA Radio 850
9/2/2011: Aurora, Colorado – Borealis announcers Mark Gunter and George Crocker caught up with 32-year-old Aurora pitcher John Roach prior to their key Desert Hills match with Tempe to pick his brain about pitching, his career in Aurora, the season to date and his future.
Crock: Pep, Pep, Pep, Pep… Pep, Pep, Pep, Pep… PEP…
Gunt: That’s right, George. Tonight, folks, we are proud to have with us Aurora’s All-Star and Golden Arm-winning starting pitcher John “Pep” Roach.
Crock: Pep, Pep, Pep, Pep… Pep, Pep… CHARGE…
Roach: Thanks, guys. Thanks for the intro, George. I’ll use that Monday night when I take the mound against Da Bears.
Crock: Da Bears? You a big pigskin fan? Pitching the ball for the Broncos now? How cool is that? Do you think the Bears will ever win the big one again? I mean, after last season’s horrendous 2-14 season, I bet they go 1-15 this year. Did you see that last preseason game…
Gunt: Ah, George, I think he was talking about the Bakersfield Bears. You know, the team they take on next week after their series with Tempe? Pat Lilly? Pedro Barrón? Artie Marsh?
Crock: Oh, yeah… sorry, Sergeant Pep-per. So tell us; what’s it like being back on the mound once again?
Roach: Hey, no problem George, it’s OK. I’m so happy to feel good again. It was really frustrating for me to be on the sidelines all year, to have the shoulder flare up like that to start the year and put me on the shelf for such a long time. I didn’t throw a ball for two months.
Gunt: So tell us about that. What went on during your rehab that was the problem?
Roach: Well, I’m still not sure, but the tendonitis that cropped up after my return that landed me back on the DL for two weeks was really similar to what I was experiencing. Initially I figured I’d be out three weeks; you know, sit out two weeks, let it cool down and then start throwing? Well, it just never really cooled.
Crock: So do you think you were damaged goods? Were you holding out on Aurora when you signed that big deal last September? This wasn’t something that was happening last season, was it?
Roach: Well, first of all George, if you look at my playoff numbers from last year, you’d know that’s a stupid question. I gave up 6 runs in 24 innings over three games and struck out 22. Do you think I had arm problems on September 30th? Mr. Rodriguez and Chris were good to me. I’d never do that to them.
Gunt: So can you pinpoint what happened?
Roach: Well, I think pride happened.
Crock: Pride? Say what? You know it “cometh before the fall”?
Roach: Well, yeah, I know that, George. What I mean is I had another great season last year. I’m 21-3. My ERA is 1.82. I strike out 217 and the league hits .202 against me, and I don’t win the Golden Arm. Crazy, you know? They give it to that kid Hancock. And I sign this fat new contract. I figured that, at 32, I needed to be in better shape; I needed to be stronger. So I revved up my off-season conditioning. I was going to earn my salary and win that Golden Arm back.
Gunt: So in other words, you overdid it. You didn’t give your arm a chance to recover from the season.
Roach: In a nutshell… yeah.
Crock: So you hit the shelf and in comes Bill Bradley, a 23-year-old Hancock clone. Afraid you might lose your job? Become a Wally Pepp?
Roach: Nah. I feel pretty safe. I’ve heard whispers that there will be changes next season, especially if we don’t reach our goal, but the team has invested in me and I intend to be true to myself and remain loyal to the team. That’s real important to me.
Gunt: Whispers? What exactly do you mean?
Roach: Well, I know that there is a lot of chatter among the coaching staff and the GM…
Crock: You mean The Boy Wonder? Or do you mean Chris Rodriguez?
Roach: Well, both, actually. Mr. Topham and Chris…
Crock: Hee… hee… hee… That must be pretty weird, calling a kid “Mister”.
Roach: Can I finish, George? He’s told me to call him Will, but… it’s a respect thing. Anyway, I know the plan is to bring Chávez up next season. With as well as García has pitched, as well as Bradley, they want to get Chávez up here, too. I guess the debate is more about capacity; starter or reliever.
Gunt: Wouldn’t that make you vulnerable? You’re the oldest guy on the team and you make the most money of any pitcher.
Roach: Well, I guess that’s going to come down to who is running the show. Chris is bottom-line-based and believes in moving salary… I think Mr. Topham has stated that his philosophy is based more upon loyalty. We’ll see. Besides, I’ve heard things…
Crock: Dirt? Oooohhhh… dirt! I love Dirt. Pep, Pep, Pep, Pep… PEPKOWSKI, do tell!
Roach: Well, I have a cousin who, oddly enough, works in Golden’s offices in San Francisco, and he said that a friend saw an email – an email that wasn’t intended to be seen by people at Golden. Let’s just say that things may not be as “golden” as they may seem.
Crock: Mmmmm… juicy…
Gunt: Hey guys, this isn’t the forum for rumor-mongering. Let’s keep it on the field. You’ve mentioned Bradley, García and Chávez. What are your thoughts about these “Young Guns”?
Roach: Well, Bill has clearly demonstrated in my absence that he’s the real deal. After two AAA seasons with ERAs under 2.00 and an OAVG under .180, I am not surprised in the least he’s been successful. When you consider the pitchers that he’s matched up against this year – Hancock and “Nails” Anderson (twice!), and he beat Anderson both times. Bill’s the real deal. When I went down, I was hoping this guy would get the chance. I just hope he can keep it up for the rest of the season. He’s thrown a lot of pitches; more than he ever has. I’m in love with “Sugar”’s curveball. As a lefty who lacks one, I just drool when he’s on the mound. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to him about using that changeup. He’s a lot like Bradley. Give them two years and they’ll be a real tough 1-2 punch for us. Chávez? Well, if he can drop a few pounds and build up his stamina some… I look forward to working with him as well, hoping he can master the change.
Crock: Man, oh man, are you a fan of the changeup!?
Roach: Speaking of a change, don’t you believe in supporting the league that pays your salary? What in the world is that jersey?
Crock: Exactly! The World Baseball League. I went to Bolivia for a tryout. Man, let me tell you, if you think the ball travels well in Colorado, then check out La Paz. 13,000 feet of power-hitter bliss. I hit this pop-up that traveled to the warning track…
Gunt: So how’d it go, George?
Crock: They don’t know their baseball down there. Hell, it’s an American game, not a South American game. They gave me that one swing and sent me home. How could they do that? A pop-up that almost went out? Imagine if I actually hit one?
Roach: Ah… In case you haven’t noticed, but Pexego is from Brazil. Vicente Bernal is from El Salvador. Malatestiano is from Venezuela. I think they know their baseball down south, don’t you?
Crock: Yeah, but… come on, Pep-py, don’t you agree… Pep, Pep… pep… Pep…?
Gunt: So with the playoffs around the corner, what are your thoughts about what’s ahead?
Roach: Well, aside from the fact that I intend to be there and help us win, I think that this could be the most competitive post-season the Sovereign League has ever seen – and that’s with all the injuries teams have experienced, or might between now and then. As Kevin Lewis, the GM at Florida said,
“The SL playoff teams (Aurora, Crystal Lake, Tempe and Bakersfield) are pretty much pick your poison. All teams have good starting pitching staffs. The bullpens are good, too. I know Tempe statistically does not have a good bullpen, but recent acquisitions from Chris have improved their bullpen. All four teams can score runs. All four teams look pretty balanced with both great pitching and offense.”
I think he states it pretty well. It’ll come down to timing. We know Tempe’s pitching is not perfect, as impressive as their rotation may be. Frankly, if I can find the groove in time for the post-season, I put me, Thompson, Bradley and García up against anyone.
Gunt: So are you suggesting Tillman and Kojima are on the outside of the rotation?
Roach: No, I’m not saying that exactly, but I think those are our best options. Kojima’s been tough his last few starts, but he has been a tad inconsistent. It may come down to that. I think what makes the coaches nervous is that we haven’t played very well against Crystal Lake. They feel good about a Bakersfield match-up. Against Tempe…
Crock: Dude… Pep-peroni… No Problemo… Weaver’s smokin’ it, “Ice Cold” is looking like a Royal Raker, and Pexego? Man, he swings the bat like I used to – pure sweetness! Imagine Knight swatting the Knights. You guys are, pardon the pun, Golden. Ha! I love it! Golden…
Gunt: Yeah George, ha… right. Well John, we better let you go and throw your bullpen before tonight’s game. Any thoughts about the match-up? Barney Sharp and Miguel García?
Roach: Well, we’ve faced Barney three times and only gotten a pair of runs off him in each, losing 2 of them. It should be tough. I’m looking forward to seeing how Miguel does. Tempe’s got a patient lineup, second only to us in walks. If Miguel can be patient as well, not forcing the fastball, then he’ll be ok.
Gunt: And that’ll do it for A Crock of Gunt. Thanks to “Pep” Roach and good luck to the Borealis this week – three with Tempe and three with Bakersfield. A little post-season in September.
Crock: They’ll be Chicken McNuggeted by McDonald! Oh, yeah…
Roach: You deal with this guy every day?
Gunt: Yeah. Oh, yeah… every day…
