KOA Radio 850
October 31, 2011: Aurora, Colorado – Prior to the Borealis’ Game 6 match-up with the Florida Featherheads, Mark Gunter and George Crocker discussed the PEC series and the key Game 6 with Aurora manager Juan Toro.
Gunt: Phew… here we are folks, down to the wire in the PEC. I’m Mark Gunter
Crock: And I’m George Crocker. This is “A Crock of Gunt”, and Mark, I cannot believe this series! How is it that it is not over?
Gunt: Cedric Mosley, that’s how. The man pulls a total Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on us. Real bad in Game 1; real good in Game 5. That and the great patience of Yoshino Miyata, who’s hitting .385 and has 9 walks? He hasn’t scored much, but his presence has kept rallies going for Florida.
Crock: Well, are the F-Heads up to the task here in Aurora? With Franklin Browne going tonight against Kojima, will we see a Game 7 tomorrow? To answer that question and many more is the "Old Bull" himself, Juan Toro.
Gunt: Welcome to the show Juan.
Toro: Well-a, gracias. We-a are-a pleased to-a be in da posision that we are-a in. I’m-a hopin’ dat Kojimo is a ready to be-a da stopper.
Gunt: Juan, you’ve gotten to this spot despite the massive injury hit you’ve had this year. The team as a whole has voiced their frustration about these injuries, but no one has looked for an excuse in them.
Toro: When I-a was-a young, mi Madre, she-a ask-a me to go catch-a some fish for-a dinner. I went-a to da rio and caught-a de fish-a mucho grande. But-a me pole, it-a break and da fish-a… adios. When-a I tell mi Madre, she slappa me and told me to-a stoppa making excuses.
Crock: So the old, “The big one got away.” Should have used your hands, eh? Did you starve that night? I bet you did, didn’t you?
Gunt: So the lesson you learned was not to make excuses, just get the job done.
Toro: Si.
Crock: So one of those injuries during the season is still impacting a player who is on the playoff roster, “Pep” Roach. He has been stinking up the joint. You choose to go with Ángel Lara the other night. Why?
Toro: We-a could-a not afford-a anymore mistake-a. Pepa had struggled wit-a his control. De only pitcher who-a we had to-a make-a da move wit is-a Ángel. He-a has shown-a great control all year. That is-a what-a we need-a against dis-a team.
Gunt: That isn’t the only injury to a pitcher that’s influenced the postseason. Miguel García went down early and Artie Tillman stepped in and really has been the man. Has Artie’s performance changed your view of his worth to the team?
Toro: No doubt-a. Artie, he-a save us-a and he show-a dat one cannot have-a enough horse in your-a stable. When-a de throwbred go-a down, you-a cannot lose-a da race, for you-a lose-a all your-a money.
Crock: Dude, so well put. Depth has been the key all year for the Borealis. So Kojima goes tonight. How about tomorrow if there is a Game 7? Thompson on 3 days rest?
Toro: You-a needa to ask-a dat question? You ride-a da horse who brought-a you to-a da fair. It-a is Tillaman’s turn-a. He’s a on da mound.
Gunt: If we get there, Tillman will face off against Tu-an Sima, who on the year was 10-3 with a 3.37 ERA, but in the postseason has given up 9 hits in 10 innings with a 1.74 ERA. Although in his only stint against Aurora, he’s given up 3 hits and 2 runs in 3 innings.
Toro: Tuna in-a da posision dat Tillaman is in-a. If-a we getta there, we needa not take-a it for granite. Any pitcher dat they pitch-a in dat game is Hannycock-a.
Crock: So tell us, what was going on in Game 3? When you pulled Tillman, you sent a parade of pitchers to the mound. You pulled Garza after one batter. Same with Ramos and Burris.
Toro: As-a I said, I think-a I lost-a me mind-a. Actually, Francisco was shaky warming up in da ‘pen, and wit Kelly up, I-a wanted Burris. I-a wanted to-a go righty-lefty, so then Pepa come-a in.
Gunt: Why Pep? Why not Suárez?
Toro: Da Roach, he throw-a well-a on da off-a day. I kept-a da Vulture in case-a Pepa fail.
Crock: What about Richardson? He continues to falter in the crunch, leaving 9 guys on base in 5 games. Will he be benched? Moved further down in the lineup?
Toro: I grew-a up in-a little town called-a Netzahualcoyotl, which-a mean “coyote that-a no eat-a”. In-a da south of Mexico we see da coyote that hunt and hunt-a for it-a food. When-a da coyote not eat-a for long-a time, it-a take more chance. It-a risk-a more. Icy Cold-a is dat coyote. He too hungry for-a hit and-a swing-a at-a too many bad-a pitch, like da coyote. When-a da coyote patient and-a wait, he get plenty food comma to him. That is-a Icy Cold.
Crock: Wow…
Gunt: With that, ladies and gentlemen, I think we have George Crocker speechless, so we better go. Good luck tonight, Juan. We hope it’s the season finale.
Crock: Wow…
Now the question is whether we'll still be playing baseball come November...