A Crock of Gunt: Aurora Manager Koki Kojima and Second Chances
KOA 850 AM
Crock: (singing) Alo-ha Hee, Alo-ha Me, Alo-ha titles for thee. Hey boys and girls, George Crocker here and Markie-Mark’s over there in the frozen Kim-Chee section. Welcome to today’s special edition of our top-rated show – A Crock of Gunt!
Gunt: Humility will get you somewhere George… I’m just not sure where…
Crock: It has! Folks, you’ll never believe who we found here peddling Japanese eggplant and long green beans – Aurora skipper Koki Ko-Ji-Ma!!! He’s catching some rays while the rest of us are Blizzard City back home, eh?
Koki: Well, I wouldn’t exactly say that, George. I’ve been associated with this Island for a long time now, and working this store off and on as well. Now, this is my place, and it gives me a chance to calm my mind after the hysteria of the baseball season.
Gunt: How is it that you began coming to this island? I guess I could see a Japanese connection.
Koki: Well, my grandfather was born on this Island, in Hanalei – way up on the north shore. His father, my great-grandfather – also called Koki, had opened the original Kojima Store back in 1912. After the outbreak of war, he took my grandmother, my dad and my uncle Glenn back to Japan. (Koki stacks packages of glass noodles in a refridgerator case) Shortly after I was born, they both returned to Kaua’i – dad with his family in tow.
Crock: And what about your great-gramps? Did he join up with the war? Shoot down some of those Nazi planes that were flying about and bombing the island every day? I bet he was a sharp-shooting Sniper – kinda like that guy in the ‘Sniper’ movie.
Gunt: Ah… George… I think you’ve got your history lesson’s a bit confused. I think…
Crock: No way, Jose! Nazi’s, Commies, Facists - they were all here fighting for the land! I mean, c’mon – big tourist dinero here, ya know?
Gunt: (shakes his head in a ‘so used to this’ manner) So I bet you’ve been working this store for years – since boyhood.
Koki: (helping a bag boy pack up some groceries) That’s ok, Mark. I think we are all used to it… But, yea-yea, I did work as a stock boy for a longtime – once I was old enough to figure it out. Then I started playing ball, then college, then my short stint with Montreal’s farm system…
Crock: Les Expos?!?!? I bet you taught that old Cat Jesús Alou a thing or two!
Gunt: I’m pretty sure he meant Felipe… So tell us, Koki, how does it feel to win the Rodriguez Cup in your rookie season as the Aurora manager?
Koki: Pretty amazing, actually. Joe and Will have put a great club together, and (former-Aurora manager) Don James did a great job with this crew in 2019. I…
Crock: Man, this coulda been a three-peat if not for injuries and Don-O’s whackiness!!!
Koki: … feel very fortuante to have had the opportunity to run this club – and to have managed so many of these players as they rose through the organization.
Gunt: Who on this club had you worked with at AAA Thornton?
Koki: Well, guys like Rusty, Pedro, Paul and John Gray played for me my last season at AAA as well as the GBB Title team with Josh, River, Juan and Arturo in 2019. But if I go back to my first season with Thornton, after leaving the Spooners, Mike and Foster were on that squad, Christian… Even Nick and Michel got a little time that year. As you know, virtually every one of the position players on this years squad was drafted and raised in the system. I’ve got fingers everywhere.
Crock: Once you guys got rolling this year ya seemed to plow through the league like an ox in a taro field! What was the key to this happening?
Koki: I wouldn’t say it was easy – and there aren’t a lot of ox in the taro fields, by the way. I think perhaps the most important thing from a coaching persepctive – we certainly have the talent… was having Shizue Komatsu promoted to Bench coach. He’s coached the team at Gatineau (AA) since the very beginning, and all our guys have played under his watch at some point. His insight on our players and their tendency’s was immensly valuable.
Gunt: For a team that is filled so heavily with home grown players, that must certainly have been a plus.
Koki: As my grandfather would say, ‘Care for the crop and the crop will care for you.’
Crock: Holy Hilo Hula Hoops, Batman! That’s, like, so deep sea diving!!! So tell me Ko-Ko-Ki-Ma, whatcha Co-Co-cookin’ up for breakfast? Those meetings are starting bright and early here in the Islands? That 1pm eastern standard tunes into 8am here.
Koki: Well, I’m going to be Skyping the meeting with Will, and I’ve got plenty of fruit lined up – and not just your traditional stuff, more like starfruit, dragon fruit, soursop, lilikoi… and for those with a sweet tooth, some Nana’s Bananas.
Crock: What? No Mai Tai’s? No Pina Colada? No Singapore Sling? I bet The Boy Wonder GM is going to be sucking down the Moloka’i Mules!!!
Koki: I think he’s more a Bud Light guy actually, but the old man kinda frowns at drinking on the job.
Gunt: So, tell us Koki – what do you see as Aurora’s main needs going into the meetings? Do you anticipate any movement?
Koki: You know, it’s always hard to tell. I know this organization has long had a thirst for top-notch pitching, so I wouldn’t be shocked by a move there – although I think we have a greater need in the bullpen. Other than that, with Scottie gone, I think we could use a bit more offense from behind the plate. Rusty did a servicible job back there – and who knows, he still might show the offensive potential he showed early on in the minors and what we thought he had when we drafted him.
Crock: Picks!! Picks!! PICKS!!! That’s what that Sly Fox Wonder is after – always, always, always. He’s picking picks like picking sugar cane out in the back 40…
Gunt: Let’s look back on the post-season, Koki. Give us some insights on what was going through your mind as you progressed through the playoffs.
Koki: Well, first off, I have to say that we felt any of the playoff teams in the SL had an even money chance of winning it all. Shin Seiki was so strong, all-around. Bakersfield, and Yuma, of course, with their strong pitching. Even Kalamazoo – if they had made it that far, destiny had to be on their side.
Crock: Yeah, Baby… Dat’s my Badgers!! (doing an awkward looking dance) No Stopping us now!!!
Koki: We knew whether we got Bakersfield or Crystal Lake in the first round, we were in for a dog fight. Frankly, losing game 1 of that series with the Bears, with Michel on the mound, had me very nervous. Having been swept by them in the final series – at home no less, and facing Benjamin and Hancock in the next two games?
Gunt: What do you think was the key to taking that series?
Koki: Well, as was the case the whole post-season, pitching. We had some timely hitting, but it really was all about the pitching. Randy got us even with a complete game…
Crock: Yea-Yea-Baby!! The ‘Tugboat’ guided the ship into port! #1 trade All-Time Aurora fans? Whatcha think? ‘Book me with your thoughts, Kānes and Wahines!!
Koki: Well, Randy was solid all post-season, that’s for sure. But once we were even, heading to California, we had a chance in that pitchers park – if we could just get a little offense. Not in my wildest dreams did I have us sweeping at their place – even though we did at the end of July. Anastasio, Martín and Michel were just lights out in those three games. When Nick tripled to start the 10th in game 5 – and Matt got him home right away, we started to breath a sigh of relief. You just don’t want to give a good team a second chance. Nick had an excellent offensive series, I must say.
Gunt: Talk about giving a team a second chance – You guys were 9 outs away from giving Shin Seiki exactly that – a second chance.
Koki: Yeah… Michel and Randy came up big there, too. That Evas offense was so potent all season, and the way they handled Anastasio and Martín in those middle games…
Crock: They sure were dookie-squared in those two games at Northern Lights. That 11.88 ERA and .444 OAVG, combined, was something pretty ugly.
Koki: Yea-yea, I’ll confess it was a little tough to feel 100% confident after those games, but… holding Shin Seiki to a single run – at home, to start the series off? That was huge – beating Suitani and Hurst… It gave us confidence against those guys the second time around; to overcome that poor performance at home in games 3 & 4.
Gunt: Take us through game 6. The Evas were looking like they were going to get that second chance. Foster gives you the early lead with a big 2-out double, but Provost just seemed like he couldn’t keep Shin Seiki down.
Koki: They attack the ball, and that can be rough on a guy like Michel, who is always throwing strikes. They hit well down in the count, they’re very confid – GEORGE… (Crocker picks up a small, spike covered fruit and pops it in his mouth) you’re supposed to peel the lychee before you eat it.
Crock: (mouth full of lychees) Mntff pfffthew disfing crwalter
Gunt: (rolls his eyes) So I know one of the big questions you were asked about that game centered upon the bottom of the fifth inning. Game tied, which wasn’t so bad, despite the early lead, but after a lead-off double and single-single-single, around a failed bunt attempt, and the heart of the Shin Seiki order coming up – bases loaded and a run in… why stick with Provost?
Koki: I just felt that it was Michel’s game to win or lose. If we had to play a game 7, so be it, but it was going to be with a fresh ‘pen.
Crock: I guess the ‘Grande Canadian’ showed your faith was well put. He shut those Evil Evas down those last three innings. Then the vet’s took charge…
Koki: They did. When Mike hit the tying homer with 2-out in the 8th and Scottie crushed one in the 9th, well… needless to say, the guys were pumped. Bryant made it nerve-wrecking, as usual, but when he rolled two to end the game, I looked over at Thomas (pitching coach Thomas Williams) and we both just shook our heads – second chance averted.
Gunt: And speaking of second chances – off to Florida you go, and the last time Aurora was there, they had a 3-2 lead and were in the process of giving the F-heads a second chance.
Koki: (laughs) Yeah… for the couple who were here back then – José and Bryant. Not a member of my staff were here in 2011 – I hadn’t even started my PEBA career yet; Connecticut hired me in 2015. It’s funny how in a sort of circular way, the Florida series ended the same way the Shin Seiki series did – scoring runs in the 7th, 8th and 9th to score a come-back win.
Crock: Ah, Come-On-E-Ma, Ko-Ki-Ma… You guys had Florida throttled all the way!
Koki: I don’t know about that, Georgie-san… (gives Crocker a wry smile) Four of the six games were 1-run games – and Florida won two of those in their last at-bat. I have to tip my cap to the work Anastasio and Martín did for us. For all the talk about their erratic starts in the media, we were down 2-1, and just a blow-up by each away from heading home losers – for the second time to Florida.
Gunt: I do have to say it was quite impressive, the two of them holding a very good offensive Florida team to just 2-runs on 7-hits – combined.
Koki: The entire staff really did a great job. As a matter of fact, the post-season MVP – Randy Smith, had the worst numbers of the series! I think Florida’s familiarity with him helped them out a bit there. Bottom line? You don’t hold a team like Florida to a .216 AVE over six games without strong pitching across the board.
Crock: So the ‘Tugboat’ ran out of fuel and the gas tanker was still off the Gulf Coast – You guys were just setting the F-Heads up in game 6, right? Flash-Mob finish, just like in Japan!
Koki: Well… I’d say it’s best not to go into the 7th inning down 4-runs – at any time, but if I knew ahead of time we’d score 7 unanswered runs? I’d do it every game. That’s the beauty of this club – strong veterans, good hitters – patient, they don’t strikeout much. We don’t show a lot of raw power – not that the post-season would show that to be the case, but top-to-bottom, this line-up showed resilience all season.
Gunt: I suppose you could say this club got a second chance, too. After a disappointing 2020 – not making the playoffs as you defended your 2019 title, they stormed right back into glory. Kind of like you and your market.
Koki: There certainly is some truth to that, Mark. When Connecticut fired me after one season, I was really dispondent. When Will called and asked if I wanted the Thornton job, I was thrilled to have a second chance. Aurora had shown they had a plan – and it was successful, even after the ownership change. A family business came in and tried to run the team in a family-oriented manner; players drafted and for the most part, moved through the organization towards the prospects of a starting role. No ‘wili-nili’ trading away of guys as part of an ever-evolving plan. I love teaching, I love consistency and bonding with people. It’s all part of the ‘Aloha Way’.
Crock: Aloha Way? Is that where all the good bars are? I’ve been looking for this place called the Tight Pineapple and I’ve had, like, zero luck! Is that off the Nawiliwili?
Koki: No, George. It’s more about friendliness, openess, caring. When Uncle Glenn wanted to close this store in 2014 – too much competition with more… shall we say, ‘non-Aloha Way’ operations, the community was sick. I mean, for nearly 100 years our family had been running this store. So I took over and… Well here we are. At the time, I had no idea where my coaching career would go – or for how long. Now… I feel like the ball players of yester year, who sold cars and insurance during the offseason to make ends meet. Kojima Store got a second chance.
Crock: Second Chance? I got a second chance once. Did I ever tell you about my great career in Columbia…
