Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#76 Post by Borealis »

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All-Star Break Overview
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

July 7, 2013: Aurora, Colorado – And so, the first half of the 2013 season comes to a brief respite as the Stars of the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance take center stage. Aurora pulls over to the curb in familiar territory: leading the Desert Hills, leading the Sovereign League, leading ALL of PEBA with a 64-25 record, and they have done so very much as they did last season - start slowly, spot Tempe a lead, and then with impressive play in May and June, take hold of the division. Going into the break, and before the Borealis open the second half with three games in Tempe, Aurora leads the Knights by 7 games and the Bears by 8, and Crystal Lake by 5 for top spot in the SL.

Aurora opened the season going 16-11 through April, a month that showed the promise this season had in store for them. Starting the season with an outfield that featured veteran RF John Knight, seeking redemption after a sub-par 2012, and two young players after Aurora failed to tender Aaron Turner and Chris Weaver contract extensions, there were many questions about this part of the team for the first time in memory. Cory Pierce, the freshly minted 2012 Royal Raker in his 'rookie' campaign, was still a question mark: Could he repeat the amazing season he produced in 2012. CF was going to be handed to 23 year old En-guo Guao, and how the rookie would respond was yet another question. Cory Pierce may never hit .385 again, but the .323 he posted in April would be sufficient, and En-guo was equally impressive with a .333, scoring nearly a run a game.

If there has been an earmark trend since the Rodriguez family sold the club to the Topham clan prior to the 2011 season, it is that the Topham's have not been afraid to take advantage of the deep farm system that they inherited. In 2011, it was Bill Bradley, Bryant Burris, and Miguel Garcia who came up, many by necessity due to injuries, and then it was the prospects that were dealt in the Pexego deal. In 2012, Cory Pierce exploded on the scene, and in 2013 not only has En-guo made his mark, but with the trade of Alex Poirier, Al Edwards got the call, and the versatile 3B hit .365 to begin his big league career.

Guao and Edwards are not the only rookies making a mark thus far as Bob Keller won the back-up catcher job over Ernie Card in spring training and Francisco Chavez has finally earned a stay, in part due to Garcia's career ending arm issues, but also from improved work as the season has moved forward. Recently Jamie Johnston was dealt to San Antonio, opening a spot on the staff for Jeff Marable, not necessarily the unproven rookie like his preceding rookie mates as Marable showed in 2012 that he was more than ready. That is a full 1/3 of the roster turned over since the purchase of the team 2 and a half years ago.

Tempe, as they did in 2012, jumped out to a fast start, 19-8, and an early 3 game lead, but as the calendar turned from April to May, things began to change, and it was a 5 game losing streak at the hands of Aurora and Bakersfield that swung the fortunes of the Knights who struggled to a 14-13 record for the month as they saw the Borealis speed past them at the tune of a 21-6 record and a 4 game lead. May saw the fortunes of the Borealis move from the Rookies to that of the Old Vets. Aurora got catcher Wilson Berry back from his season opening stint on the DL and began his season on fire, hitting .390 with 7 2B and 6 HR, while driving in 23 in his 22 games. May also saw the emergence of one of the original members of the Borealis: Steve McDonald. McDonald began a 21 game hitting streak, and a stretch of games that has seen him raise his average to a Sovereign League leading .350 at the break. John Knight, not to be left out hit .330 with an impressive .620 SLG.

May also was a time where the pitching staff began to gel. A group that collectively was looked upon as the weakest link for Aurora in 2013 has, instead, looked very solid; and that solidity began in May. The most telling statistic may very well be that old bug-a-boo from 2012: the base on ball. Cutting the walks down by 1/3 and pitchers instead relying on their defense, saw the staff's WHIP, OAVG, and BABIP all drop by 20+ points. Nowhere was this more evident than with Slappy Bradley, who walked 1/3 of the hitters he did in April, in 6 more innings. Artie Tillman picked up where he left off in 2012 and has continued to pitch extremely well, perhaps even earning All-Star honors this year. Rookie Francisco Chavez, who's ERA for April, 5.40, dropped to 2.85, mostly due to opponents hitting a measly .201 against him in May (.259 in April). Of course perhaps the biggest surprise has been Jose Reyes, whose 2.35 ERA and OAVG of .191 went a long way to keeping the team in games. Although he won only 2 of his 5 starts for May, Aurora did win 4 of the 5 starts, the lone loss being a 2-1 nipping by Canton.

June brought Aurora the longest month of the year, a stretch where they had a singular off day. Aurora's response? a 22-7 run that saw them take 6 of 8 from Bakersfield and 2 of 3 from Tempe, Crystal Lake and a then hot Omaha team. The only real blemish on the month was losing 2 of 3 to a Fargo team that has been playing much better ball of late. Tempe lost 9 and Bakersfield dropped 11 as Aurora stretched their lead further. June was a Hybrid month; part April's shining rookies, part May's Old corp rising to the top. Augusto Quinones missed some time on the DL, but came back on fire, hitting .439 in 10 games with 5 HR and 15 RBI. En-guo, who struggled in May as pitchers worked on his weaknesses, got back on track and hit .396 in 13 games, before he went down with a shoulder problem. This was really unfortunate for Guao, who should be back in a couple of weeks, because during that stretch he had 13 steals in 16 attempts, and had put himself in position not only to garner All-Star recognition, but also he found himself threatening the all-time single season steal record.

Young and Old. That was the mantra in June. Mark Richardson played a steady SS, although his defense is a little off, his bat still manages to drive in runs as he hit .324 with 8 2B and 8 HR and 21 RBI. Al Edwards, who quietly has put himself in En-guo's company in the Wunderkind of the Year conversation. Edwards hit .385 and drove in 20 runs to solidify his spot at 3B. And lest we forget Artie Tillman. Tillerman had 6 starts and walked off the mound all six times with the W, pitching 8 innings in 2 of those 6 starts and into the 9th in 2 others, with a 1.60 ERA, allowing only 8 runs. This all earned Artie Pitcher of the Month honors for June.

And so, onto July, where Aurora opened 5-1 v. Reno and Yuma. With three games with Tempe and Crystal Lake, as well as three with a fading Omaha, this a chance for Aurora to build their lead a bit more. As of today, Aurora is hitting .305 as a team, and that's with a disappointing showing thus far from El Chupacabra. If Pexego can turn it on (.281, with only 10 HR and 48 RBI), and if Guao and Edwards continue their stellar rookie campaigns, then a return to the SL championship may be in Aurora's Future. It's also worth noting that Aurora has made a concentrated effort to improve in the stolen base category this season, and thus far, with a 117, they are already 30 steals above last seasons total and 28 shy of 2011. Whether they reach the club record 230 in 2010 is a question, but some would argue that with 42 CS so far (3 more than Tempe as tops in PEBA), they may be too aggressive. If that's the only complaint thus far, then it must be a good season as we sit at the All-Star break.
Last edited by Borealis on Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#77 Post by Daniel Diemer »

The Borealis has a nice roster churn mix of kids and vets beginning to shape up.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#78 Post by Borealis »

Building a Present and Future
Trade Review: 2011-2013
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

July 23, 2013: Canton, Ohio – With one week left until the trade deadline passes, it appears that the Aurora Borealis, sitting at 73-27, tops in the PEBA, will be quiet onlookers as the other teams jockey for position to make those key moves. In 2011 it was the one trade made and the one that did not get made that captured headlines - both in 2011 and rippling into 2012. In 2012 Aurora sat pat as they are expected to do so here in 2013. With a line-up currently hitting .311 - missing the 2011 and 2012 Royal Rakers, we can be pretty sure that acquisition of a bat is not on the horizon. So, short of a last second surprise that nets them a top of the line pitcher - and there may not be a whole lot of movement in that regard, Aurora may indeed be quiet as July becomes August and be content on working from within.

This past week with games v. Yuma and Omaha, Aurora had the chance to have a reunion, of sorts, with a few former members of the Borealis family: Nick Harris and Martin Bido, now of Yuma and Leon Rivera now pitching for Omaha. With that in mind, lets look back upon the deals that Aurora has made, and what the end result has been; How they have shaped the present, and future, of the Borealis.

March 23, 2011: The Topham family took control of the Borealis shortly before the 2011 season and freshly minted GM Will Topham wasted no time in making a deal, showing immediately he would not hesitate to move. His first deal was sending back-up catcher Victor Salgardo and MR Richard Thomas to New Orleans for a couple of draft picks: a #2 and #5. This was a theme in 2011, and a significant one, as the Borealis reaped a significant crop of talent from the deep 2011 draft pool. Salgardo had an uninspiring season with the Trendsetters and is currently backing up in Gloucester. Thomas was traded twice more, to West Virginia and London, where he had a decent 2012, but now resides at AAA Worcester. Aurora selected 2B Orlando Lopez with the #2 pick, and Lopez has rocket through the system and is currently hitting .350 with 30 2B, 7 HR and 41 RBI at AAA Thornton. Aurora traded the #5 pick to Reno in Will Topham's second deal. This deal is a ++ deal for Aurora, particularly when added to the Reno deal up next.

April 2, 2011: This deal could only be described as a steal. Aurora exchanged positions in the 2nd and 5th rounds with Reno (and the 5th rounder was the #5 from New Orleans) in exchange for minor league OF Jorge Coreto. Coreto was going nowhere fast in the crowded Borealis minor league OF. He got off to a pretty good start with Reno, hitting 10-HR for the Tenpinners, but after that season he became a free agent and after two seasons in the Mexican League he is no longer in baseball. With the two picks Reno drafted P Dave Clarke in the 2nd round. Clarke has had mixed results at A ball and has since been traded to Kentucky. They traded the 5th pick to Crystal Lake for a player they have since traded and another who is no longer in baseball. Aurora drafted 3B Bobby Watson in the 2nd round and CL Alberto Flores in the 5th. Aurora has eyes on both making impacts in the future. Watson was hitting .325 at class A SLRC with 13 HR before hitting the DL and Flores has struggled some at AA Gatineau, but with 66 K in 57 IP, Aurora speculates that he will be in a set-up position, behind Ryan Holbrook (drafted in the 2nd round of 2011), with the big club soon. This was a +++ deal for Aurora.

May 1, 2011: In the category of "Who Cares?", Aurora and Manchester exchanged a couple of minor leaguers in an attempt to acquire some immediate depth at the shortstop position in Aurora's minor league system (and this was not the last of those deals). Aurora sent SP Vicente Hernandez to the Maulers for SS Giacchino Memmi. Gio's time in the Borealis system was short lived and totally unmemorable. He is currently out of baseball. Hernandez is at AA Hartford and has pitched decently for Manchester's A and AA clubs, striking out over 100 batters each season. This deal is a - for Aurora, but only because Hernandez is still in baseball.

May 23, 2011: By this stage of the season it was evident that Aurora was headed to the post-season, and they began to tinker with the line-up. One spot they were looking to add depth was the bullpen, and trade #4 was aimed at that. It, unfortunately backfired on the Borealis. They acquired from London MR Hector Pinto and minor league C Steve Jordon in exchange for minor league C John Hendershot and 1B Lonnie Davis. Pinto was what this deal was all about. Aurora thought they had a deal struck with San Antonio for Pinto, but it fell through and off to London he went. In 12 games with Aurora Pinto failed to show his stuff and promptly got waived. Kentucky picked him up, but let him go after the season and off to Puerto Rico he went. Steve Jordon is currently at AA and looks to spend his career as a minor league back-up as Bob Keller, Steve Vinson and Jeff Carroll have all passed him by on the depth chart. Hendershot is struggling in mostly a back-up role at London, despite a strong start in his PEBA debut in 2011. Lonnie Davis, in a long line of strong Aurora 1B has since moved onto Yuma's AA club in Calgary and recently won back to back CAAL player of the week awards. With 25 HRs, he may be joining another Aurora refugee in Yuma soon. Lets call this a - deal.

June 8, 2011: By early June, the Calzones were in meltdown mode and were selling off their team. San Antonio had talent, but they weren't meshing. With a chance to add another top bat in former Royal Raker Octavio Pexego into the mix, Aurora struck without hesitation, sending 1B Kiyomizu, ML RF Cristian Leon, ML SS Dae-hwan Kim, ML SS Shusaku Matsumoto and their #2 pick (2012) to San Antonio; a pick that became SP Anderson Young. Pexego's record speaks for itself. Although he was ironically injured and missed the 2011 playoffs, he set a PEBA single season record with 162 RBI in 2012. Kiyomizu was moved to open space for Pexego. The 2007 Wunderkind hit 105 HR in the leagues first three seasons, but failed to come back strongly from a beaning (AKA Ice Cold). He played 7 games in San Antonio before being traded to Manchester and is now out of baseball. Leon was a prospect Aurora was high on but again, from the deep system Leon was let go. At AA and AAA the past two seasons Cristian has shown promise, but he was traded to Charleston and has 32 SB so far at AAA and has had limited success in a few games at the PEBA level. Since his being dealt, Kim has excelled at AA, but struggled at AAA, suggesting he may indeed be the career minor leaguer Aurora felt they were trading. The same may be true about Matsumoto, despite the 10 HR thus far at Hartford, where he currently plays after being dealt to Manchester. Young is the only remaining player that the Calzones possess. After a rough Short A season in 2012, Young is 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA. He is allowing slightly less than a baserunner an inning. This remains the "Blockbuster" deal of the Topham tenure, and although in the future Young may be a star, this remains a ++ deal for the Borealis.

June 8, 2011: On the same day Aurora also moved to address the middle infield crisis that the teams minor leagues experienced. Aurora sent two OF prospects that scout Joe Horn was not high on for a pair of SS from New Jersey. Ronald Elmore and Ron Nix were dealt to the Hitmen for Gerald Stone and Edward Reid. Both Stone and Reid have accomplished what they were brought in to do: play minor league infield. They have bounced about (Reid between AA and A; Stone between AAA, AA and A), with minor success. Nix had a terrific 2012 AAA season, but his two stints with Jersey were a dud and has since been waived and claimed by Florida, where he's hitting .258 in AAA. Elmore is the surprise story of this deal and may be the "one that got away". After a mediocre 2011 AAA season at Jersey City, Elmore was a Rule 5 pick by Duluth, where he hit .287 with 20 HR in 2012 and this year may challenge for the Royal Raker with a .295 and 28 HR thus far. This deal could be a wash - Elmore appeared to have no future in Aurora, but we'll call it a - only because of Elmore's surprising rise to fame - even if it's with another club.

June 8, 2011: Aurora made three deals that day, the last being the last of the moves to beef up the minor league infield. Another deal with Manchester sent ML OF Miguel Gutierrez to the Maulers for ML SS Willie Lloyd. Miguel has had a modest minor league career thus far. Lloyd actually provided the Borealis minor league clubs with some offense, but at 26, it was evident he was not in their future plans, and was recently released. With two players going basically nowhere, we'll call this one a Draw.

July 17, 2011: In the largest trade thus far in the Topham's brief tenure, San Antonio was once again their trading partners. Just as everything Texan is BIG, so are the majority of trades made by San Antonio. Five players and seven draft choices were exchanged. Aurora picked up ML pitchers Mike Peterson and Juan Martinez along with San Antonio's #1, #3, and #4 picks while the Calzones grabbed ML 1B Stephen Longchamps and ML pitchers Larry Olsen and Tommy Williams, as well as Aurora's #1, #3, #4, and #7 picks in the 2012 draft. Peterson has bounced around the minors, filling in for injured starters and done an admirable job. Unless he does something about his control, he may be a career minor leaguer. Martinez, on the other hand, has been stellar in the closer role at A ball this year, and could be looking for a promotion soon. Aurora has a slight glut at the closer spot, so his movement depends on others. Williams and Olsen (recently traded to Tempe) have been unspectacular. For the Calzones, this deal was about Longchamps. Instantly tabbed the "1B of the future" for San Antonio, much as Leon was the "CF of the future", Longchamps had solid minor league numbers before mysteriously being traded to Manchester (for a player now out of baseball, another now in the LRS and a 10th round pick), where he is currently hitting .325 in 44 games. Of the draft picks San Antonio acquired, two were dealt and one of the remaining two players drafted was dealt. Only Julio Perez, the #7 round pick, remains. He's shown some promise, hitting .280 in two A ball seasons. Aurora made the most of their draft pick acquisitions, selecting 2B Riley Cole with the #1 pick. Cole is currently hitting .400 at S A Mokule'ia (after a .305 in 2012) and it's a matter of time before he is promoted. Aurora traded the #3 pick to New Jersey in an attempt to strengthen their pen, acquiring Francisco Garza (and more on that later). The #4 pick became OF Luis Montoya, who's had some S A success and currently is at A ball. He is not projected to move very far up the chain. This trade rates a ++ for Aurora. Cole is a keeper and will push Larry Martin and John Foster from the 2011 draft. Garza's record speaks for itself. Losing Longchamps, though a good player that should help Manchester into the future, he was just another studdly 1B in an organization with a number of them. San Antonio is left with perhaps just career minor leaguers out of this deal. What their subsequent deals involving players and picks from this trade may bring them is still to be determined.

July 24th, 2011: John Roach's arm injury put pressure on Aurora's rotation and the Borealis sought to strength it by working a deal with Omaha. That it brought Aurora a #2 pick in the mix was all the better. Aurora sent SP Leon Rivera and their #5 pick to the Cyclones for SP Fernando Madrid and said #2 pick. Madrid pitched at AAA as back-up insurance and had a decent season, but he never made it to the big club. Currently he's pitching for Hartford. Rivera has been mediocre at best for Omaha, and has really struggled in 2013; his days are surely numbered. So evaluating this trade comes down to looking at the draft picks. Aurora chose 1B Tad King, to replace the 1B's they'd already traded. King is hitting .360 at S A (after a .323 last year). King also projects to have lots of power. Omaha drafted Lorenzo Sanchez with their pick, and Sanchez has shown some promise, with his minor league ERA in S A and A ball being around 3.90. We'd expect King to reach the big leagues before Sanchez, so we'll rate this one a + for Aurora.

July 31, 2011: Aurora traded the #3 pick they received from San Antonio to New Jersey in a true Deadline Deal for MR Francisco Garza. Garza has long been one of the top non-closer relievers in all of the PEBA, and getting him solidified a bullpen for more than just the 2011 stretch drive. New Jersey selected SP Oliver Gonzalez, who at 19, has shown some promise, but that promise is in the distant future. We'll call this a + and refrain from a ++ only becasue Gonzalez looks to have some upside.

That's ten deals during the course of the 2011 season. A pretty impressive resume for such a young GM, and a series of deals that mostly turned out positive for Aurora (Total score: Aurora +11, -3 and a draw. The 2011 calendar year deals were not done, as winter deals occurred as well, including working with that familiar partner, Manchester.

December 1, 2011: Aurora continued their quest to pick up draft picks to keep their stockpile of talent strong, and they sent a couple of prospects, highly thought of, Arturo Garcia and Jonathan Castor to the Maulers for their #2 and #7 picks. Castor had shown a mixed bag of results to the Borealis, making him expendable. Currently he is showing some of that promise at AAA for the Maulers, with a 5-2 record and a 1.64 ERA. Garcia, much like Castor, had shown a mixed bag, except for his defense, which was outstanding. After an average rookie campaign in 2012, Garcia is struggling in 2013. Aurora used the picks to select MR Jonathan Dykes, currently sharing the closers role at SLRC and has shown good promise. OF Ronald McCall was selected with the #7 pick. McCall had very minimal college experience, but in 25 games this season he is hitting .326. Whether he makes it to the big leagues or not is to be determined, and chances are it'll be with someone else. He does have some ability, and is a decent outfielder. Probably a #5 OF somewhere. We'll call this a draw, although it may be a slight + for Aurora. SLIGHT...

December 19, 2011: Aurora turned to Reno looking to collect some more picks, this time trading a pair of minor leaguers, C Ken Smith and SS Nathan Bolitho along with a #6 pick for ML C Jerry Wilkins and Reno's #4 and #6 picks. Smith performed well in the Aurora system and in a limited capacity at Reno the past two seasons he has excelled. Aurora looked at Bolitho as a great defensive player who had great power, but would never hit for average. He showed that last year in Reno hitting 27 HR while posting a .217 average. He's since been dealt to... you guessed it, Manchester, where he still struggles to post a decent average. Reno dealt the #6 pick to Crystal Lake. Jerry Wilkins was acquired solely as a roster replacement catcher, to keep the system "full", but the 23 year old catcher has shown a little promise at A ball this season, and hit .273 in a stint at AA. Don't expect him to make the big leagues. With the two picks Aurora drafted Aurora native Sergio Lopez, a catcher and Dan Wright, a 2B, Many were skeptical when Lopez was drafted, but he hit .308 in limited action in 2012 and s hitting .325 this year at S A, with 15 2B as the starting catcher. Wright was viewed as more of a project and hit .200 last season. In limited action thus far in 2013 he is hitting .333, getting a few more ABs of late. We'll call this one a slight + for Aurora. Lopez may be the best catcher of the three in this deal, and Bolitho is in Manchester.

Not a single deal was struck by the Borealis during the 2012 season, though not for a lack of effort, as they tried to move a number of minor league prospects and at least three players from the big league roster, two of whom went the way of free agency. The third went in their first deal of the 2012 calendar year.

November 4, 2012: Aurora had been trying to deal Alexandre Poirier, not because he was a bad player, but because of his limited defensive ability - solely a 1B. Once dealt to New Orleans straight up for Kane Talley, he proved to the skeptics that he still had plenty to give. In a season interrupted by injury, Poirier is hitting .326 with 17 2B and 16 HR. Kane Talley has struggled at A ball, hitting .248, yet he has hit 25 2B. Most expect that 'Dingus' will get it together, and Aurora hopes he'll find a spot in their outfield in the future - though with a young outfield and the likes of 'Hugo' Reyes on the horizon, that may be a tough call. We'll call this a draw because of Talley's promise and the fact that Aurora needed to move Poirier to get Al Edwards into the line-up; now that makes it a smart trade!

November 17, 2012: In what may be the most talked about deal Aurora has made, next to the Pexego deal, they sent John Roach and highly thought of OF prospect Dale Griffith to Reno in exchange for SP Jose Reyes and CF Joe Edwards. Dealing Roach, the most high profile player Aurora has dealt, was more about dumping salary than anything else. That alone makes it a + for Aurora, but in return they got a very servicible pitcher in Reyes, who's 2013 numbers dwarf Roach's. Edwards was brought in solely to fill the need for a CF after the moving of Griffith, and has split time at AAA and AA, where he's currently hitting .281. For Reno, taking on Roach's salary (which has subsequently been moved onto San Antonio) required a price, and that was Griffith, rated the #26 prospect at the seasons start. A speedy defensive CF who had a stellar 2012 A ball season (.327 in 69 G), he has struggled in Reno's system, hitting .214 at AA, although he does have 14 HR. As stated above, this deal is a + in the "addition by subtraction" vein, and when you factor in Reyes' success and Griffith's struggles, for now the deal is an Aurora +. Should Dale meet expectations, then we'd have to re-evaluate this deal.

March 2, 2013: Aurora's most recent deal was a move to free up 40-man roster space and involved two players that Aurora liked, but that were stuck in the system's log jam. Nick Harris and Martin Bido were shipped from Aurora's AAA affiliate to Yuma in exchange for two, considerably younger prospects: SP George Johnson and CF Francisco Lopez. Both Harris and Bido have stepped into the starting line-up at Yuma and have performed pretty well, Harris hitting .252, with 17 2B and 10 HR (although his 111 K are worrisome). Bido is hitting .246, with 9 2B and 9 HR. Harris, in particular, has been rough on Aurora pitching. Aurora expects Bido to turn it on one day. He was made available by the progress of Ken Coleman and Rod Johnson behind him on the depth chart. Johnson, drafted out of HS, took his lumps initially at S A, before showing promise in 2011. His class A numbers at Salton Sea were lackluster, but this year he's 7-4 with a 3.87 at SLRC, with 105 K in 114 IP. Aurora's interest in him was an attempt to beef up the SP in the minors. Lopez struggled at S A and A ball the past two seasons with Yuma, but this year hit .373 at Mokule'ia before his promotion to A ball, where after 5 games he hurt his hip, ending a promising season. Having just turned 21, there is great promise for Lopez. In grading this deal you have the present value v. the future value. The present is certainly a + for Yuma and the future may be a + for Aurora, so lets call this one a draw.

So there you have it. 15 deals that have shaped the Borealis either immediately at the major league level or indirectly by shaping the minor league system. The majority of which have seemed to work to Aurora's advantage. It's doubtful we shall see a move here before the trade deadline - a starting pitcher is really Aurora's lone need and there doesn't seem to be many available at the moment. Will we see another plethora of deals coming out of Aurora as we saw in 2011? Again, doubtful. With a young core, and numerous options coming down the pipe, it's likely Aurora will build from within, use that strength to keep the minor's youthful - and with the young core comes low payroll and high earnings, and possibly a few free agent signings on the horizon?



(Taking a page from Trader Matt's lengthy analysis', I'd like to thank Kevin for his long standing work and efforts on the PEBA Trade Tally, for without which, this article would not have been so easily constructed! Thanks, Dude!)
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#79 Post by John »

Now that was a fun read, especially for me, since a number of those traded players were ones that played for the Borealis during my tenure as the team's GM. A few quick thoughts:
  • He's taking his good, sweet time in developing, but before everything is said and done, I think Yuma will be happy with what they have in Lonnie "Thumper" Davis.
  • If you had told me that Kuemon Kiyomizu would be out of baseball by age 29, I would have told you that you were crazy. I keep waiting for a LRS team to sign him. That power should play there.
  • Darnit, Cristián León, why can't you learn to take a walk? With your speed and even a little plate patience, you could be something special.
  • Color me surprised about the ascent of Ron Elmore, a player that proves that a lot of effort and hustle can overcome a shortage of raw talent.
  • I'm glad to see Stephen Longchamps making something of himself with Manchester. One of my failures as Borealis GM was not giving Longchamps enough playing time early in his career. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to have stunted his growth.
  • León "Long Haul" Rivera: Master of AAA, overmatched in the majors.
  • I love Arturo García's nickname: "Death to Flying Things".
  • How Dale Griffith does/doesn't develop is going to say a lot about the state of Reno's rebuilding project. 2013 has not been a banner year for a player with all the talent in the world. I keep hearing whispers that the former first rounder is lazy and demonstrates a sense of entitlement that makes him unpopular amongst his teammates. It seems the Tenpinners tried to knock him down a peg by demoting him back to Hi-A. Unfortunately, the message hasn't been received yet. Anyone hoping to see a resurgent Reno should be hoping that the light bulb goes on for Griffith sooner rather than later.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#80 Post by Daniel Diemer »

PEBA Commissioner wrote:Now that was a fun read, especially for me, since a number of those traded players were ones that played for the Borealis during my tenure as the team's GM. A few quick thoughts:
  • If you had told me that Kuemon Kiyomizu would be out of baseball by age 29, I would have told you that you were crazy. I keep waiting for a LRS team to sign him. That power should play there.
It's not for want of trying. He apparently wants more money than I've been comfortable giving him for a half-year rental.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#81 Post by Borealis »

Aurora Minor Update: AAA & AA
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

August 4, 2013: Aurora, Colorado – The Aurora Borealis enter today's game with Palm Springs as the dog days of August start to take hold, with the month of September on the horizon and the promise of playoff glory beyond. For the organizations minor league teams August means the stretch drive (aside from Short A ball), and Aurora's minor league AAA, AA, and A ball clubs are all, once again, pushing towards a postseason bid. Lets take a look at what's working for the Borealis youngsters.

AAA Thornton (69-44, tied 1st with Provo) - The FasTrax are working on their fifth straight Rocky Mountain League title, after finishing second in their division in 2012 and losing to Raleigh in the finals. A number of the members of Thornton have moved on to playing time with Aurora. Current big leaguers Al Edwards, Cory Pierce and En-guo Guao all were with Thornton in 2012. Pierce obviously moved onto great success last year and Edwards and Guao both are serious candidates for the Wunderkind Award here in 2013. Thornton has seen success both at the plate in 2013 as well as the mound. Boasting the 4th best average in the RML, they have the second most hits, tied for 2nd in HR and lead the league in BB, boosting that 4th place BA. The pitching has been more about the bull pen, which sports the 2nd best ERA, lifting the teams 6th best starters ERA into an overall 2nd in the league. They are #2 in Ks which helps make up for their poor standing in BB (8th in the league).

Any talk about Thornton's success at the plate begins with three key individuals: Ken Coleman, Orlando Lopez and 'Hugo' Reyes. Coleman kind of came out of nowhere in 2011 at SLRC where he flirted with .400 all season, before settling for .390. He showed a hint of his power potential with 25 2B and 13 HR. He got the call up to AAA for the 2012 season where, in 140 games, he hit .289, but ripped 48 2B and 16 HR. This year he seems to have found that power stroke, with 24 HR in 112 games. His SLG is up, his K are down and his BB are up as well, as he shows great patience. If you are wondering why Aurora has yet to extend Ocatavio Pexego, and there may be a multitude of reasons, this may be one of them. Not a bad showing for a 7th round pick.

Orlando Lopez,on the other hand, was a second round pick in 2011, and the man who raked in college has continued to do so in the pros. After posting a .341 in 22 games at Mokule'ia after the draft, he hit .294 in a 15 game try-out at A ball. He hit .333 in half a season at SLRC in 2012 and was promoted to AA Gatineau, where he hit .275 in 13 games. He began this season at AA and hit .350 in 20 games before his promotion to Thornton, where in 85 games he's hitting .343, with 35 2B and 7 HR, not bad for a guy with very little power. He's likely to get another full season at AAA for 2014 as the Aurora brass would like to see him improve on defense - perhaps his lone weakness. They may be targeting him for 3B to replace Jim White in another season.

Luis 'Hugo' Reyes was a third round pick by Aurora in 2011 who hit .386/.471 in time split between A and AA last year and is hitting .316/.328 in time split between AA and AAA this year. Like Lopez, not a power guy, but this speedy CF stole 31-37 bases at AA this year and is 4-4 at AAA so far. Aurora likes that he is RH, and nice complement to the LH En-guo, giving them a nice future pair of CF. Unlike Lopez, the coaches at Thornton believe Hugo is at least another year away, possibly two, but if his numbers at Rice and thus far in his minor league career pan out in the majors, it will be worth the wait.

Other offensive notables include Scott Vinson, C, whose shown that last years power surge was no fluke, but has seen a dip in his average at AAA. Likely a 2014 candidate. Javier Munoz is another player having an outstanding year, hitting .299 and with his next HR will set a career AAA high of 18. Munoz has the unfortunate pleasure of quite possibly being a career minor leaguer as he is in his 5th season at AAA, and with the young infield at Aurora, and guys like Watson, Foster and Lopez in the wings, he may never get much more than a cup of coffee.

One of the nicer surprises on the mound has been Julio Lopez, a 2009 free agent signee who is in his 3rd season at AAA, and after an uneven 2012 where he split time in the 'pen and in the rotation, he has posted a 7-5 record and a 3.33 ERA. He has his walks down , his strikeouts up, and has even cut his HRs down a bit. It may be a real push to see him in the Aurora rotation anytime soon, but he has made some real nice improvement over the course of the season. He's definitely part of the reason Thornton is once more challenging for the AAA Crown.

The enigma that is Tony Gordon is having another solid year for Aurora's minors. In his second season at AAA, Aurora decided they wanted to see if this young man could be a starter, and he has done well, but he just doesn't seem to be building any more endurance than he already had. Some coaches suggest that he's even losing his strength. His future may be in the 'pen. Enigma. Walks are down, but so are his K's. HR are up, hits are up, and yet his ERA sits at a very respectable 3.29. With the movement to AAA of some starters from AA expected in 2014, one might think that 2014 will see Gordon in the 'pen.

One player who we won't be seeing in the AAA post-season is closer Pat MacComie. The 6th round pick in the 2008 draft is out for the remainder of the year with an elbow issue that has cut short a spectacular season that could very well been a springboard to the majors. After two seasons at Short A MacComie skipped A ball and went directly to AA, where he spent a season and a half, before moving to AAA. He struggled in that initial half season at Thornton, but he has steadily improved and this year he has a 3-3 record with 22 saves (after 32 last year) with a 2.28 ERA and an OAVG of .178. His K:BB ration of better than 4:1 is reflected in his 0.88 WHIP. Coaches are crossing their fingers that he will recover from his elbow injury without any lasting problems. Although Aurora's bullpen is pretty solid, and Ryan Holbrook possibly a season away (and more on The Stork later), Orlando Ramos' contract is up after the season and Juan Suarez has a player option for next year so MacComie has a shot of seeing time in Aurora sooner than later if he can recover.

Two others in the bullpen worth noting are a pair of Taiwanese relievers, Tyan-yu Wang and Sheng Yep. Both pitchers have near identical ERA's (2.68 and 2.69) in almost the same inning count (60 and 57). Wang is in his second year at AAA and has held hitters to a .190 OAVG, striking out nearly a batter an inning. Yep, in his first year, had 33 saves at AA in 2012 and 35 at A ball in 2011. Coaches feel he is more likely to see time at the PEBA level than Wang. With MacComie out, the presumption was that Yep would move into the closers roll, but instead Holbrook has been promoted and placed in the closer spot to see how he reacts.

Thornton finishes the regular season with three games at Provo that may decide the division. They have a 5 game lead over West Valley and Mansfield for wild card spots and they play those two squads before they face off against Provo, so Thornton will, in essence, begin their post-season early, as those are likely to be very important games. They also play the five worst teams in the RML, so if we see some failures in those series Thornton could be in trouble when it comes to defending their crown.

AA Gatineau (75-38, 1st) - The Ballonists once more look to be the class of the Quebec Division of the Canadian Alliance, 10 games ahead of Montreal and another 6 games up on the other division leaders Brampton and Edmonton. The Ballonists are on their way to winning their 7th straight division title, the only winner of the Quebec division, and are hopeful they will be able to get past the one team that has gotten in their way over the years, Brampton. This year Gatineau's success has been more about it's hitting than in the past, as they post the second best offense in the CAAL, behind only... Brampton. Two areas they lead the CAAL are HR and SB, although many of those are gone with Hugo Reyes' promotion to AAA. Gatineau's pitching resembles Thornton's in many respects - it's more about the relief corp.

Offensively this team is about one man: Rod Johnson. The highly sought after 1B - any trade discussions have begun with his name, is having a monster year, hitting .384 with 24 2B and 23 HR, and he has already driven in 100 runs. Johnson was a first round draft choice in the 2010 draft and had modest seasons in 2010 at Mokule'ia and 2011 at SLRC. He seems to have found his stroke in 2012 in a year split between A ball (.344) and AA (.378), but he had a grand total of 15 professional HR's. But he worked hard on his own over the offseason, focusing on sitting back on pitches and driving them and that work seems to have paid off with this, his breakout year.

Ty Newell is a player that many felt would never make it when he was drafted out of Palm Beach in the 2nd round in 2009 by Tempe. Aurora picked him up in a trade in 2010 and during his minor league career he has had a checkered record. This is his third season that has been split between AA and A ball and finally it appears the 22 year old has begun to piece it together. He will set a personal record for hits before the seasons end. He already has career bests in 2B, 3B and HR as well as RBI. His .279 average is not close to his best average, but this slick fielding infielder may be making a move towards a spot on the Aurora roster in the future.

Another player that has spent time early in the year at A ball, and the second part of the year at AA is 2011 3rd round pick Jeff Martin. The 20 year old Texan may have been slumping of late, but he has the looks of a player who can simply hit. He put up impressive numbers in high school, but struggled at Mokule'ia after the draft. He then hit .396 in 25 games at Short A in 2012 before moving on to A ball. He hit .301 in 50 games at SLRC this year before moving to Gatineau, where he hit in the mid .300's before a recent slump has dropped his average to .289. On the plus side, he already has a career high in HR in his AA stint and has his highest career RBI total this season. Aurora is hopeful that he'll show signs of improvement defensively as that is the one area of concern they have about Martin. They have no concerns about his bat.

On the mound, the biggest name amongst starters in the Aurora system may be 2011 4th rounder Nathan O'Reilly. When O'Reilly was picked out of Northwestern there was no expectations, but the youngster has steadily moved up the chain, getting a brief taste of AAA. Over the past three seasons O'Reilly has posted the following numbers: 8-6, 2.03 at S A; 11-3, 2.74 at A ball; 8-3, 2.52 thus far at AA Gatineau. O'Reilly is slowly making his mark as a strikeout pitcher, 5th in the CAAL despite his 3 starts at AAA. It's expected that O'Reilly will open 2014 at Thornton and have a target date of April 2015 for the former Purple Haze to make his debut at Aurora. The coaching staff is very excited about this arm.

Another arm that has the folks in Aurora excited is 6th round pick from the 2010 draft Chris Graves. This ground ball specialist who, like O'Reilly, has become a bit of a strikeout pitcher - 3rd in the CAAL and 1st in K:BB ratio. After winning 16 games split between SLRC and Gatineau in 2012, Graves sits at 12-6 with a 3.69 ERA in 2013. One concern may simply be an oddity, as this pitcher who's viewed as a ground ball pitcher has given up 12 HR this season. Graves is also expected to begin 2014 at Thornton and will compete with O'Reilly for that first open spot in the Aurora rotation.

When Aurora used their 1st round pick in 2011 to select The Stork from Marshall University, they had envisioned him possibly taking over for Juan Suarez in the future. In 41 games at Gatineau this year, Ryan Holbrook has 24 saves and a 1.34 ERA in 40 IP. He's held batters to a .179 OAVG and even when they make contact - he's struck out 32 in his 40 innings, they are only hitting .228. With MacComie's injury Holbrook got the promotion and has only had two chances. Aurora wanted to see if he was up to the task. With Suarez possibly not coming back in 2014, Holbrook's day could be here soon. I think if Aurora had their druthers, it'll be 2015 before the Stork flies into Aurora.

It's a forgone conclusion that Gatineau will make the post season, and with a 7-5 record against their nemesis Brampton this year, they hope that they may finally make it back to the AA championship (they lost the 2008 championship to Maine). Last years CAAL champ, Sherwood Park, leads the wild card race and Gatineau are 3-6 with three games remaining with the Hoods. They may find themselves rooting for division rival Montreal in their own hopes of winning the wild card.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#82 Post by Borealis »

Aurora Minor Update: High A & Short A
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

August 11, 2013: Kalamazoo, Michigan – This is the second part of our examination of Aurora's minor league season, with a look at A ball San Luis Rio Colorado and Short A Mokule'ia.

A San Luis Rio Colorado (32-11, 1st in the 2nd half) - The Rapidos Blancos currently sit atop the Baja Cali Division 2nd Half, 10 games up on Mexicali for the second half crown,in a division they have worn the past five seasons in the NAFTA. They are 6 games back for the top record, 6 back of El Cajon and it's worth noting that the Virus and SLRC have each won 3 of the 6 BCL titles. The Rapidos Blancos are a team that has seen a lot of movement this year as players have moved up (and down) from the A ball roster, but there has been enough stability for the squad to rank in the top three offensively and the top five pitching-wise. Some promising young players have suited up for SLRC, so lets take a look.

One position the Borealis are not short of in the minors is hard hitting 1B, and Jose Lopez completes a triplet of All-Star MVP's in the 2013 season. Signed as a free agent in 2009, Lopez had a break out season at S A in 2011, hitting .396. He earned a promotion in 2012 where he hit .312 with 29 2B. With Rod Johnson at AA, Jose remained at A ball in 2013, where he is currently hitting .365 and seems to have found his power stroke with 16 HR to go along with 31 2B. It's hard to imagine this slugging 1B making it to the big league roster with the two sluggers ahead of him on the depth chart, but his ability to hit for average and power to all fields will no doubt attract attention. For now, Jose Lopez' goal, like the rest of the Rapidos, is to win a NAFTA crown.

When the Topham's took over the reins of the Borealis they made John 'Gypsy' Foster their first selection in the 2011 draft. A powerful 2B with a world of potential, Foster was just one of many middle infielders drafted in the early rounds of a deep draft. One knock on Foster was his inability to field his position, yet in two and a half seasons he has made great strides in that direction, so much so that the Borealis coaching brass want to also see if he can make likewise progress in the OF, a spot he played sparingly in high school. Gypsy started slowly at S A after the draft, and showed some improvement last year. With the emergence of Riley Cole at S A (more later) it was determined that John would get the promotion anyway, and thus far he's shown it was a wise move, hitting .287 with 8 HR and 49 RBI. There is apparently some discussions in Aurora about a promotion here at the seasons close to get an idea at how he'll fair at AA, something they have already done with Bobby Watson today. That would pave the way for a promotional try-out for Riley Cole. Foster reminds many of Mark Richardson offensively, if not defensively. He may not steal the bases that Ice Cold does, but it may be that when Richardson's contract expires it may be time for Foster to move into the Aurora line-up.

For awhile Bobby Watson seemed to be the forgotten man. Aurora's 1st selection in the second round of the 2011 draft performed mediocrely at Mokule'ia in 2011 and 2012, and none the less got a promotion to SLRC towards the end of 2012, and struggled there. Wanting to get Jeff Martin playing time at 3B, and hitting well at A ball, Martin was promoted and Watson was left behind for the start of S A once again. Then he got a break as Aurora began an early season shuffling of bodies, Martin went to AA and Watson moved into the A ball line-up. He instantly began killing pitchers, and even a stint on the DL didn't slow him down as he since came back and had 8 HR in 8 games. In 31 games Watson was hitting .402 with 21 HR, 43 RBI and was shifted from the Sonoran Desert to Quebec to take over 3B for Gatineau. Watson's sudden burst of offense has surprised many of the scouts in the system who all liked Watson, but thought he was going to be a slow developer. At this rate we could see Watson at the Big League level sooner than any of his 2011 draft classmates. With Edwards already at Aurora and Johnson, Coleman and Foster on the horizon, Aurora has a powerful problem in their future infield.

There are a number of arms on the SLRC squad that are drawing attention and one is George Johnson, a 22 year old New Yorker Aurora acquired in a trade with Yuma for Bido and Harris. Johnson had had mixed results in the Yuma system since being selected in the 16th round. But in 2013, since arriving in SLRC Johnson has shined and is expected to earn a promotion for 2014. Currently sitting with a 10-4 record and a respectable 3.56 ERA, Johnson is second in K with 136 in 141 IP and is the leading pitcher in FIP. Bido and Harris may be making an impact at Yuma this season, but it is quite possible that Johnson may be making an impact for Aurora in the future.

Like most of Aurora's minor league staffs, the bullpens have been solid and a pair of relievers - one drafted by Aurora in 2012 and another acquired in trade from San Antonio are making their marks. Juan Martinez, currently closing at SLRC came to Aurora in a large, complex deal with the Calzones that saw numerous draft choices exchange hands as well as Stephan Longchamps head to Texas. In two seasons Martinez has held BCL hitters to .171 and .150 averages and in 63 innings he has allowed 3 HR. Martinez reminds many in the organization of George Thompson, featuring a nasty curve instead of the slider that King George features, and Juan has struck out 48 batters so far in 2013 in 38 IP. He's chalked up 28 saves as well. With the movement of Holbrook to AAA (and he may move back, his initial outings have not been impressive), we will likely see this young arm at Gatineau soon enough - if he's not traded.

Jonathan Dyke was selected with the first pick in the second round of the 2012 draft and the young arm was put into the closer role at times at Mokule'ia and showed great promise. He had a brief stint with S A this season before moving up to A ball where in 19 games he's posted a 2.93 ERA and has not pitched poorly. Although he is not an overpowering pitcher, Aurora believes that he should learn to pitch for a ground ball, a trait Aurora values in their arms. Dykes may remain in A ball another season as they see no need to rush this young arm with the likes of Holbrook, Flores, MacComie and Martinez ahead of him.

SLRC are riding an 8 game win streak and with 21 games left, they have a comfortable lead. They look ahead at the prospects of facing El Cajon or National City or perhaps even Chula Vista in the post season. SLRC struggled early in the year with those teams, and Mexicali as well, though with their recent surge they may still be considered serious favorites. WIth the movement of Bobby Watson, certainly one of the cogs in the Rapidos recent run, to AA, it will remain to be seen how their playoff run fares.

S A Mokule'ia Oceanic (4-3, in the 2nd half) - Aurora's Short Season A squad in the Hawaii League of the Surf and Snow has made the post season three times and won the title twice - in 2011 and 2012, despite finishing 1st only once. Last year they finished with the third best overall record in the HL. This year looks to be more of the same as a third place overall in the first half will require then to top the division in the second half. This will. of course, assume that there are no upward promotions of key players in the immediate future, something that may still be on the horizon. Can you say 'Riley Cole'? I knew you could.

The Oceanic have the second best offense in the league, with the top team average and OBP, while they sit third in runs and HRs. Conversely, they have the 4th most strikeouts and are next to last in steals. The pitching sits at about fourth in most league statistics, though they have the fewest walks and most strikeouts - a promising statistic for a very young corp of arms. Winning at the major league level would cripple most teams young minor league teams, but Aurora has been active in the past, moving bodies for draft choices high in the draft, so there are certainly some nuggets here that will have Mokule'ia competing for the league title yet again.

Aurora drafted quite a few infielders in the 2011 draft and went into 2012 looking for arms, yet when their turn came in the first round, their opinion of the arms available was poor, so they went the 'best available' route and picked up Riley Cole. They tabbed a 2B from UAB and he has promptly made a name for himself most promptly. Riley Cole started 2012 with a hot bat before landing on the DL, but still managed to hit .305. This year he's been topping .400 of late and currently sits at .399 with 5 HR and 32 RBI, second most on the team. Cole's value to the organization is is defense at 2B, something that they still have some worries about with the thought of John Foster as the heir apparent to Steve McDonald. Other's have already moved to A ball as Aurora does not want to rush Riley, but it appears that he may soon be moving up to A ball for a try-out if they promote Foster to AA. Either way, Riley Coles time in Hawaii is coming to an end, it's just a matter of when.

What would an article on Aurora's farm system be without a look at a powerful 1B? Tad King was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft and like his draft mate Cole, made an instant impact: .323, 7 HR 60 RBI in his first year and .362, 11 HR and 44 HR thus far. The slugging 1B is much like Lopez at A ball in that he is stuck at Aurora's deepest position, as any one of the 1Bs in the system could be playing first in the next 3 years. That said, King has the greatest chance to show defensive improvement because of his age and standing in the system, and none of those above him look great with the glove, and in case you didn't notice, there is only one DH spot. Aurora likes the young Arkansan, and they won't rush him either. If we see King at Aurora at all, it's likely to be 2016 or 2017 at the earliest.

In the fourth round of the 2012 draft Aurora took Aurora-native Sergio Lopez, because you know you can't have enough Lopez' in the system. Seriously, Lopez' selection was more about depth at a difficult position to fill, and they really took more of a flier on the native son. Out of Cincinnati, where he had a career .300 average, Sergio hit .308 in limited action as a back-up in 2012. Installed as the starter this year he's hitting .298 with 19 2B. He will never get confused with Wilson Berry when it comes to the power department. Bob Keller of Scott Vinson for that matter. What he does posses is a decent defensive game that is evolving, and he has thrown out 30% of would be base stealers - tops in the organization. I'd expect to see Sergio move up to A ball in 2014 as it is expected that Aurora has catcher at the top of their 2014 draft wish list.

During the 2012 draft Aurora did finally get their arms as they selected a bevy of starters with their mid-late picks, and they went into 2013 with that a priority, and they selected another bevy with their selections through round 5. One of those 2013 choices was supplemental pick Ray Graham out of UCONN. Graham held out for a couple of weeks after the start of the Surf and Snow season, but he has pitched well and shown the promise Aurora hoped he would. In three starts he's gone 24 innings, giving up 21 H and 5 earned runs for a 1.86 ERA. He's struck out 13 and walked only 2. One can only expect him to move quickly through the system if his first few starts are any indication. Aurora has a handful of college grads and another of high school grads on the mound, and those college grads - including Graham, may find themselves all at A ball in 2014.

One of those from the 2012 draft that has opened eyes with surprising results is 12th round pick Colm Lange, from East Carolina. Lange went 5-5 in 2012 With a respectable 3.80 ERA. Thus far in 9 starts he has it down to 3.26, but hits are down (teams are hitting .237) and he has already matched last years 50 Ks. Yes, he's walked more this year and given up a slew more HRs, but this arm that was drafted more as filler may prove to be more than that. His 78% QS may turn a few heads when it comes time to look at the movers and shakers in Aurora's lower farm teams. Not bad for a 12th round selection.

2012 8th rund pick Foster Nielson is another member of the 2012 class. The difference is this member has already seen his promotion to A ball, and has had 5 starts at each level. He was 4-1 with a 2.75 at Mokule'ia and 3-2, 3.71 at SLRC. While at S A he held hitters to a .223 average (.252 at A ball), had 37 K (26) and walked 6 (12) in 36 IP (34). He certainly needs some refining at the A ball level, but he is holding his own and may very well remain at A ball for the duration. Any future move for next season will be addressed later. In the meantime, he is another hopeful arm for the future of Aurora baseball.

Mokule'ia are battling Lanai'i City, Waikiki, Mauana Loa and Ewa Beach for the four playoff spots and they have games remaining with all four on the remaining schedule, one that features games with all teams, so it should look to be a tight race as Mokule'ia has a history of playing well down the stretch.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#83 Post by Borealis »

As Aurora Nears Records, Post-Season Hopes Dealt Blow
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

September 8, 2013: Yuma, Arizona – Bill Bradley made his PEBA debut in April of 2011 and instantly became a force in the Aurora rotation, only to suffer an abdominal strain in early September that led to shoulder problems that brought his season, and perhaps Aurora's Championship hopes, to an end. Fast-Forward to 2013 and the Aurora Ace in early September has once more gone down, this time a torn labrum that will require four months rest. As was the case in 2011, the loss of Slappy will put a serious cramp in the hopes of the Borealis bringing home the Rodriguez Cup.

Unlike 2011, the 2013 edition of Borealis Baseball has sported a solid rotation that may be able to withstand the loss of their Ace, providing their record-breaking offense can continue the incredible roll they've been on. Aurora is on pace to shatter the single season Team Batting Average set last season by Tempe (.303) as they sit at .313. They hold the team SLG record of .490, set last year, and here in 2013 they sit at .499. They sit a shade ahead of last years OPS record of .874 (.880). This is an offense that has four 20+ HR hitters with two more sitting at 19. It may be a a stretch, but should Al Edwards and Wilson Berry (both have 15 HR) get hot with the HR bat in the last 20 games, Aurora might just host a 20 homer man at 8 of 9 of the spots in the line-up.

King George Set to Replace Slappy
With Bill Bradley being placed on the 60-day DL, erstwhile starter George Thompson will slide in to fill Slappy's spot for the remainder of the season. Thompson has been in only 17 games this season with a 3.72 ERA in 46 IP. Much like last year, hitters find difficulty making contact against Thompson, but he continues to help them out by walking them. In three starts (21.1 IP), he has given up 16 H and 13 BB (nearly a WHIP of 1.5), though he has struck out 18. Aurora won 2 of those 3 starts. Thompson's spot in the bullpen has been taken by Tony Gordon, who was placed in the 40-man roster spot vacated by Bradley. Gordon has been used primarily as a starter at AAA, but virtually all the scouts see his future in the bullpen. Gordon was scheduled to start today's RML Championship opener with Evansville. That spot will be taken by a rested Kelly Burns, who still may get a call-up before the Aurora post season begins. Gordon was 7-5 with a 3.65 in 25 starts for Thornton. Teams were hitting .246 against him and he posted a 2:1 K/BB ratio.

Turnstile Hits 4,000,000? Believe It!
The 2012 Statesmen came up just shy (77,000) of being the first team in PEBA history to have a combined attendance (regular season + post season) of 4,000,000. The Aurora record came in their 2011 run to the cup, with 3,685,043. Fans have been filling Northern Lights Park in droves this season with every game a virtual sell-out; not a single game below 44,000 (45,000 max). With 9 games left at home, the Borealis expect to essentially match last years total attendance before the playoffs begin. Should Aurora play for the Sovereign League title, they will pass 4,000,000. With the stellar attendance comes the inherent rise in merchandise sales. Last years Statesmen set the league record with nearly $36,500,000 in sales. Aurora has already obliterated that mark with sales of nearly $42,500,000 with those nine regular season games and the playoffs still to come. They may finish with over $50M in sales. Did we mention that the league has instituted new financial rules this year and teams get to keep their entire gate? Nice timing Aurora.

Sugar Bear's Buddy Gets Chance to Shine
Former Borealis pitcher Miguel Garcia teamed with Francisco Chavez to form a formidable combo for a season and change at AAA. While Sugar Bear got his chance, Chavez toiled away in the minors, getting a limited shot in 2012 with a mixed bag of results. Most figured that Francisco's future, like Gordon's, may be in the 'pen. When Garcia went down early in 2013 (and later, for good) and Thompson proved in spring training that his days as a regular starter had passed, Chavez came in and was installed into the rotation - for better or worse, as they were going to give him a chance. Chavez had a rough start to the season and had a spell of dead arm in July - although Aurora won all his starts, but since August 1, Chavez has given up 4 runs in 43.2 IP for a microscopic 0.62 ERA and an OAVG of .178. of his 27 starts, Aurora has lost only 6 and they've won 17 of 19 since late May. He has not taken a loss in a game in 19 starts (13-0, 6 ND). Chavez has firmly entrenched himself into the four hole of the rotation for 2014, but for now they have high hopes for his post-season starting debut.

Thornton, Gatineau and SLRC all advance to League Championships
All three of Aurora's top minor league teams have reached their respective league title series as Thornton eliminated Mansfield and face Evansville for the Rocky Mountain League title, Gatineau topped Sherwood Park and face Edmonton for the Canadian Alliance title, and SLRC overcame a game 1 drubbing to beat El Cajon to reach the Baja-Cali League title. Amongst the highlights: Orlando Lopez, who will never confuse anyone for Mark Richardson, was 6-11 with 2 2B and 2 HR, including a walk-off to send Mansfield home. Paul Buggins has had the hot bat at AA, going an unworldly 11-13, with 3 2B and a HR. Bobby Watson may be remembered for his walk-off HR in game 1 v. Sherwood, but Buggins has been en fuego. 23 year old catcher Jerry Wilkins has been a journeyman throughout his career, but here in 2013 he got his most playing time in his career, and put up his best numbers, and thus far in the NAFTA playoffs he has continued that with a 6-11 with 2 HR so far.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#84 Post by Borealis »

Brightest Star of All Face 2012 Champs
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

October 2, 2013: Aurora, Colorado – The Aurora Borealis won 125 games in 2009 on route to the franchise's first Planetary Extreme Championship. That season was a landmark as it set a win total that surely would go down in history as one of the greatest achievements in PEBA history. That team did it with pitching - an All-Time ERA low of 2.67, nearly a run below last years much talked about Knights rotation. The 2009 Borealis hit a robust .281 - not good enough to better the teams of the past two years, but still good enough to be #11 All-Time.

Well, move over 2009 model, the 2013 Aurora Borealis storm into the post-season sporting a 126 wins, breaking the record held by the 2009 club. No one no their right minds, including this author, ever dreamed that someone would win such an extreme number of games, especially after a 17-11 April. From May 1 Aurora sported a 109-25 mark (.813 win percentage). The Brightest Star of All did it this year from both sides of the diamond: as a team they hit .315, eclipsing Tempe's .302 set last year, and the staff posted a 3.02 ERA, good enough for 5th All-Time.

It's not a big surprise that the Borealis sported the top offensive unit in the league - they have for many years now, but they were tops in virtually every category except they were 2nd to Omaha's HR juggernaut, a sub-par year from Pexego adding to that shortage, and they were 3rd in walks.What was a big surprise was the pitching. Much was written about the concerns that were had about what Aurora brought to the table and could they keep up with division foes Tempe and Bakersfield (Much less Crystal Lake), but after a rough start Aurora posted the top staff as well. Top ERA, the starters just a tad shy of Tempe's league leading group. Top 'pen, fewest runs allowed, fewest hits, lowest OAVG. They were the 3rd stingiest group for HR and #2 in BB's. They finished with the 5th most K's, but that was more the loss of Bill Bradley for the month of September than anything else.

What made this years staff so tough? Start with the quiet one, Kojima. Very quietly the 28 year old has become one of the top pitchers in the league. Throw out his rough 2011 season (rough? He won 17 games!) where he posted a 4.11 ERA and Kojima has the following record from 2008 on: 2.64, 2.67, 2.88, (4.11), 2.94 and in 2013 his ERA was 2.64 - 5th best in the Sovereign League; 6th in all of PEBA. For the 3rd time in his career he posted 20 wins, with a career best 21, and for the 5th straight year he's posted single digit losses, a career low 4. If asked who leads the entire PEBA in wins, you'd likely say Conan, Nails, O'Monahan or Stewart. But you'd be wrong. Aurora's "Silent Assassin" Kojima with 119 career victories tops that list.

Artie Tillman had an All-Star season posting a 22-3 record - best in PEBA, and a 2.81 ERA. Tillman was also coming off a sub-par 2011 and has improved steadily. It's hard to believe that the pitcher who was nearly on his way out of Aurora after the 2011 season has blossomed into a Golden Arm candidate.

Speaking of Blossoming, no one has blossomed like Frankie Chavez. Brought up in 2012 as a starter, he flailed and was relegated to the bullpen. Chavez was expected to be a member of said 'pen in 2013, but when Miguel Garcia went down, Chavez took over. Francisco finished with a 19-4 mark and when summer came, Chavez failed to lose another game. Through August and September Chavez gave up 6 ER over 10 starts, including a near no-hitter v. Yuma.

Kojima, Tillman and Chavez suddenly gave Aurora a formidable trio of arms, and you'll note we haven't even mentioned their 'ace', Slappy Bradley. Coupled with Jose Reyes, Aurora's starting five averaged nearly 8 IP per outing (7.66).

Offensively, this club accomplished something that perhaps no club has done before: Each member of the starting line-up posted a .300 average! Throw in the fact that Octavio Pexego slumped basically the entire season (.301, 23 HR and 102 RBI - the lowest marks of his career) and Mark Richardson had another injury shortened season, and this was a team whose records had the potential to be higher.

This years club saw a tremendous rebound year from John Knight. After a 2011 season that saw him get some Royal Raker recognition, Knight slumped in 2012. But he came back with a vengence, posting career bests for hits, 2B, HR, AVE and SLG. He also stole a career best 49 bases in a season that saw Aurora make that a philosophical change to their game plan.

Knight was not alone. Cory Pierce, the 2012 Royal Raker, may not have matched his All-Time best .385 average from last year, but his .345 ain't to shabby and his 34 2B, 27 HR and 114 RBI all topped last years marks.

Knight and Pierce give Aurora to solid candidates for Royal Raker, and most teams would be thrilled to have two, but in this season, the Brightest Star was yet another new comer, the much sought after 3B Al Edwards. Aurora had tried to move a piece to get Edwards into the line-up for a year, finally succeeding before spring training (the Alex Poirier deal) and Edwards followed in Cory Pierce's shadow, leading the PEBA with a .350 average and 208 hits. Edwards had 42 2B, 18 HR and 104 RBI, most in the 4 hole, a spot he settled into by mid-season.

We'd be remiss not to mention the other newcomer to the line-up, 2013 SL Stolen Base King En-gou Guao. En-guo had a huge load of pressure on his shoulders, anointed the lead-off man after LAST SEASON and the young Taiwanese player met the challenge head-on and exceeded those expectations, hitting .321 with 19 HR (topping his best minor league mark set at Thornton last year with 15), 73 RBI from primarily the lead-off spot, and a league leading 60 SB.

WIll this club go down as the best ever? Well, from a statistical perspective, perhaps, but to be the best, you have to BE THE BEST, and for this club that starts today was they face the Knights in the opening round of the Sovereign League playoffs. Aurora was 13-5 v. Tempe in 2013, but with Hancock and McCullough on their side Tempe makes a short series scary. Aurora looks to erase the bad taste in their mouth after last years early exit at the hands of Tempe. The pitching match-ups for games 1 & 2 in Aurora look to be classics: Kojima v. Hancock and Tillman v. McCullough. Game 3 in Tempe Saturday is scheduled to be Chavez v. Sharp. Game 4's match-up is to be determined, but a Hancock-Kojima rematch is not out of the question.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#85 Post by Borealis »

2013 Ends With Disappointment, Team Looks Towards 2014
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

October 17, 2013: Aurora, Colorado – The Aurora Borealis saw a crushing end to the 2013 season with a 3 game to 1 loss to Tempe in the SL Alliance Tournament. Aurora's top ranked offense was squelched by Tempe's dynamic duo of Markus Hancock and Conan McCullough in the three losses. Aurora's lone shining star was Francisco Chavez' stellar performance in game 3.

As the PEBA season rolls to a close, a press conference is scheduled for tomorrow with many members of the Aurora brass expected to speak. Amongst the topics should be a recap of the post-season, the pending free agent losses and future internal roster moves.

Yamamoto Named Pitching Coach at Mokule'ia
After a long, at times fruitless, search Aurora signed Tekkan Yamamoto to a three year deal to work with pitchers at their Short-Season A club. The Borealis were hopeful of signing a top notch coach to fill the one weak coaching position in the organization, and instead were thrown for a loop when one choice after another opted to sign with other PEBA organizations; even a couple signing with the LRS. With the litany of young arms Aurora has drafted the past couple of years, the Borealis were looking to improve the quality of the coaching in Hawaii.

Rumors of Toro's Demise
There have been many rumors spreading through the media of the Front Range regarding the status of manager Juan Toro's future with the Borealis. The 66 year old Toro has three years remaining on his contract, but there have been some concerns of late regarding his usage of his roster, especially when it comes to the bullpen. Although this is almost certainly the last contract of Toro's professional career, there are concerns about his ability to lead the team. Truly a players coach - and everyone loves him to the man, but his erratic bullpen moves have, at times, seemingly cost Aurora ball games; some even suggesting that the game 2 loss to Tempe being one of those games, and he has been spied, more than once, eyes closed and 'cat napping' during games. It is not certain if the status of Toro is on the agenda for tomorrow's press conference, but don't be surprised if it is.

Adios Pexego & Quinones, Hola Coleman and Lopez?
It's almost a forgone conclusion that free agents to be Octavio Pexego and Augusto Quinones will be allowed to walk following the conclusion of the PEBA season. Both are known to be asking for salary increases in excess of $18 million and it's been well documented that the Borealis are not interested in carrying salaries of that value on the roster - much less for a 34 year old player in the case of Quinones. It is expected that the the biggest bats at AAA Thornton last season, 1B Ken Coleman and 2B Orlando Lopez will fill their spots. Coleman's rapid ascent through the minor's has likely made the decision to let Pexego go an easy one, and although he may never be quite the star El Chupacabra is, Aurora does not anticipate to great a drop off in production. If Coleman's rise was rapid, Lopez' has been meteoric. Drafted in 2011, Orlando has hit at every level. Lopez may lack the power that Quinones possesses, but he should make up for that in average. Where Aurora loses with the potential loss of Quinones is the superb defense he plays on the infield and his flexibility. Should Lopez not be the call-up, expect that perhaps Michael Burton is. Another possible option would be Aurora's resigning of Edmond Cliche to fill an outfield spot.

Minor League Award Winners Named
At a banquet in Denver Friday night at the Palace Arms Restaurant in the historic Brown Palace Hotel, the Aurora Borealis named their Minor League Players of the Year for each level of the farm system.

Thornton (AAA): Outstanding Hitter - When you win the RML Outstanding Hitter award, it's pretty much a given you'll win your teams award. That's the case here as Ken Coleman was Thornton's Hitter of the Year. He led the GBB in hits (174), RBI (106), TB (282) and VORP (57.6), as well as leading the RML in runs.

Thornton (AAA): Outstanding Pitcher - After a couple of rough campaigns in AAA, 22 year old Julio Lopez seems to have found his groove. Posting a 10-6 record with a 3.49 ERA, the Venezuelan averaged nearly a K/IP and he posted a respectable .240 OAVG. Aurora has a collection of interesting young arms moving through their farm system, and with some seasoning Lopez just may be one of the arms of the future.

Gatineau (AA): Outstanding Hitter - Like Coleman, 1B Rod Johnson was the CAAL Outstanding Hitter winner. Johnson led the GNL in OBP (.458), OPS (1.056), RBI (121) TB (311) and VORP (96.9), as well as leading the CAAL in hitting (.365). Johnson is expected to play at AAA next season, and if his maturation as a player continues one would expect that he'll be a threat to make the Aurora roster in 2015. Question: Is there room for Coleman and Johnson on the same roster?

Gatineau (AA): Outstanding Pitcher - Nathan O'Reilly is very quietly making a name for himself in the Aurora farm system. The 23 year old Ohio native posted a 11-4 record and a 2.90 ERA at AA this year while striking out 163 batters in 152 IP. Pitching Coach Thomas WIlliams at Aurora calls O'Reilly Aurora's "Brightest starting pitching prospect". Nathan had a few starts at AAA that were unmemorable, so it's unclear whether he'll start 2014 in AA or move up to AAA. Either way one can expect to see him on the Front Range soon.

San Luis Rio Colorado (A): Outstanding Hitter - It just doesn't seem to be right to name an outstanding hitter in Aurora's system without making it a 1B. Jose Lopez, signed as a free agent in 2010 has done nothing but shine at every level of the minors. IN 2013 he led the BCL in hits (181) 3B (7), RBI (103) and TB (286). This goes along with 37 2B and 18 HR. For this Lopez his chances of making it to the parent club is impeded by the two 1B ahead of him on the depth chart. There's a distinct likelihood Lopez will be moved in the next calendar year. This is a player who is too good to be a career minor leaguer.

San Luis Rio Colorado (A): Outstanding Pitcher - George Johnson was acquired from Yuma at the start of the season in the Bido/Harris deal. Considered one of Aurora's bright pitching prospects, Johnson didn't disappoint, posting a 12-5 record and a 3.65 ERA. In 165 IP he struck out 162, while walking 43 for a near 4:1 K/BB ration. Johnson also had one shut out and three CG. It seems likely Johnson will move up to AA, especially with the expected move of O'Reilly to AAA. We saw what Bido and Harris provided Yuma this season, how long will it be before we see what Johnson has in store for Aurora?

Mokule'ia (SA): Outstanding Hitter - The 2013 award for Mokule'ia was a split award for the first time in organization history. Tad King, the Hawaiian League Outstanding Hitter Award winner (the third of a possible four winners for Aurora) and 2B Riley Cole, who spent the later half of 2013 at A ball, shared the award. Riley Cole's .391 average at S-A led the Surf and Snow, where as Tad King led the HL in OBP (.488) and RBI (84). Riley went on to hit .381 at SLRC in 14 games. Most observers believe that if Cole had remained at S-A he would have been the leagues OH. Meanwhile, King hit .371 (4th in the SS) and 21 HR (3rd) for a .629 SLG (5th). The 23 year old King will move up to A ball in 2014 and rejoin his draft class mate Cole as all Aurora farm 1B will be on the move.

Mokule'ia (SA): Outstanding Pitcher - Aurora used the supplemental pick the received in the 2013 draft for West Virginia's signing of Aaron Turner to select Ray Graham. Graham was a tough sign, but in his brief 10 game pro debut, Graham was anything but Crackers. A 4-4 record and a 3.18 ERA looks to be a sign of the future. The 22 year old UCONN grad is expected to spend another year at Mokule'ia before moving to A ball, but with a new pitching coach with the Oceanic, anything is possible.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#86 Post by John »

I've been amazed that Juan Toro has stayed on with the team so long. At 66, he is one of the oldest coaches in the PEBAverse. I consider him something of a legend; perhaps the single most identifiable PEBA manager. One of the many things I'll be watching for when the playoffs conclude is news on Toro's fate.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#87 Post by Borealis »

Yes, he is pretty old. When I think of him I think of former Giant and Expo manager Felipe Alou. That is whom I've modeled Toro after in my stories.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#88 Post by John »

Actually, checking into it, Toro (born 6/21/1947) is the third-oldest active coach in the PEBAverse. #2 is Pedro Castellanos (born 4/24/1947), manager of the West Virginia Coal Sox. #1 is Shinsui Sato (born 2/1/1947), manager of the Chesapeake Bay Oysters (FLA AAA). I would not be at all shocked if one - or, more likely, both - chooses to announce his retirement upon the conclusion of the PEBA playoffs.

Incidentally, the man with the most coaching experience in the PEBAverse is 66-year-old Maurice Lawrence, head coach of the UCLA Chili Peppers. Lawrence is also a prime candidate to hang 'em up at the end of the season, but I hope he doesn't. Few (if any) coaches have been as successful. UCLA has never failed to finish first in the Western 9 Conference under Lawrence's guidance. Critics will point out that he's never won the UCSBA World Series, but you can't argue with a 232-159 career record.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#89 Post by John »

Well, it finally happened. Juan Toro has retired. The man will go down as a legend, and I'm going to miss him. We can only hope his successor is as colorful, and Aurora fans can only hope he's as successful. By the way, Castellanos stayed on for another season as manager of the Coal Sox.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#90 Post by Borealis »

Aurora lost two managers, as the manager at SLRC also retired. We hope to have better luck than we did with our S A pitching coach search
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