Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#61 Post by Borealis »

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Borealis Preseason News
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

February 7, 2013: Aurora, Colorado – Aurora continues to have a quiet preseason as the first wave of big name free agents begin to sign. C Jeff Cline inked a deal with Manchester and Bud Hoffman re-signed with Arlington, as well as picking up LRS star Yoshisada Rin, whom it is believed was tendered an offer by Aurora in an attempt to strengthen the rotation. Aurora's lone free agent signing, and likely the only between now and Spring Training was Pat Hayes, a minor league MR aimed at simply providing depth on the Farm.

Financial news includes continued rumors of negotiations with the agents of the Double B's: Bill Bradley and Bryant Burris. The Borealis brass is believed to be looking at a deal for Bradley that is similar to what Markus Hancock signed with Tempe and it's understood that Bradley is asking far more. Three members of the Borealis are entering the last year of their contract: Octavio Pexego and Augusto Quinones, neither whom we expect Aurora to extend - Octavio for cost, Quinones for age. The third member of the team is 'Crabby' Ramos. It's unclear if he'll be extended or let go in exchange for Jeff Marable or another minor league option.

With the start of the preseason and anticipation of Spring Training, the roster has expanded to 40 and many minor league hopefuls have been called up, including the aforementioned Marable, Francisco Chavez, Bob Keller and Nick Harris. With there very little room on the 25-man roster; and frankly there appears to be no room, barring a spring injury, it is expected that the 15 minor leaguers will be sent back to Thornton or dealt.

On a side note, it's very disturbing to hear the news of George Crocker's arrest in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on drug charges. Crocker may be a bit loopy, possibly a result of the severe head injury that ended his career, but we personally find it difficult to believe that this was a conscious plan on his part. We are hopeful that the truth shall be revealed and that the 'Crock' will return to "A Crock of Gunt".
Last edited by Borealis on Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Borealis Spring Notes

#62 Post by Borealis »

Borealis Preseason News
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

March 20, 2013: Fargo, North Dakota – Spring training is 2/3 over and as the season opening series at Reno lies on the horizon we know the following - and it's stuff we already know: Aurora can hit, they'll score runs, and they will no doubt continue to be amongst the Sovereign League elite. We also know that the Achilles heel for the Borealis will be pitching; Starting pitching that is. We may expect the bull pen to continue to be lights out, and with Jeff Marable waiting in the wings the future remains bright. Oh, and after this weeks games, we know that the Borealis continue to have problems with Tempe.

Offensively the Borealis seem to be mostly clicking on all cylinders. Ice Cold Mark Richardson has picked up where he left off last season as he has put together a .400 average thus far with 5 HR and 14 RBI. His partner in crime, Octavio Pexego, may not have hit a home run yet, but his .354 average and .508 OBP suggests that 'El Chupacabra' is close.

This off season the Borealis let Chris Weaver and Aaron Turner walk as free agents (Turner since signing a one year deal with West Virginia), leaving a big hole in the outfield and another on the bench. En-guo Guao's promotion to the starting line-up has been a success thus far as he has a .314 AVE and has been successful on both steal attempts. Michael Burton, the early favorite to take Turner's spot on the bench and cover the outfield is swinging at a nice .426 clip with 2 HR and 9 RBI. Preseason long-shot Brad Cain, felt by many to be a year away, looks very solid at .361, 5-2B and 10 RBI. This may be of great help as 2012 Royal Raker and Royal Surprise Cory PIerce may have to start the year on the DL with a troublesome hamstring. Even Wilson Gonzalez is having a solid spring.

On the infield, most of the top hitters this spring are minor leaguers not expected to be on the roster come April 1. Jesus Rangel (.368) and John Davis (.320), have been pleasant surprises. Augusto Quinones, coming off a career year is tied with Ice Cold for the team lead in RBI with 14.

'Slappy' Bradley looks very sharp, leading all starters having yet to yield a run while striking out 19 in 12 IP. Kojima has struggled, but is expected to be ready once the season starts. Last years big surprise on the staff, Artie Tillman, has struggled with his control - 10 BB in 12 IP, and walks is something the Borealis need to cut down. Lack of control was the end for John Roach, and we may see Aurora make a bold move if they continue to be a problem. Newly acquired Jose Reyes (in the Roach deal) has given up 7 runs in 10 IP, yet hitters are hitting a paltry .121. Once again, walks are the culprit. The jury will have to hold off on their evaluation of Miguel Garcia as Sugar Bear will miss his last starts with a sore shoulder. This will allow George Thompson quite possibly his last hurrah at a starting spot.

The bull pen has been it's typically solid self. Suarez and Garza both have yet to give up a run, while striking out 7 each in 6 IP, each. Angel Lara looks no worse for his lengthy season ending injury and rehab, striking out 16 in 13 IP, while holding hitters to a .231 AVE. I spoke with pitching coach Thomas Williams before yesterday's 4-0 win over the Codgers (Jose Reyes 4 IP, 0 R and 0 H), and he suggested, in a kind of backwards way, that if the starters don't step up with their control that a move from the bull pen into the rotation may be eminent. "Well, you know we had a reliever step into the rotation in the 2011 playoffs and he pitched exceptionally well. We could go that route."
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#63 Post by Borealis »

Borealis Set to Begin Regular Season
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

March 31, 2013: Reno, Nevada - The Aurora Borealis finished their Spring Training schedule with a 16-8 record, two games back of Tempe. Not surprisingly, Aurora lost both spring match-ups with the Knights, proving that the torturous ways of last season have carried their way to 2013. Aurora's success has come mostly from their strong offensive showing, with Mark Richardson leading the way with God-like numbers: .464, 7 HR, 23 RBI in 56 AB. The fact that they even lost a game under these impressive offensive numbers is a testament to the challenges the starting rotation face in 2013, where aside from Bill Bradley, every starter has struggled; to the point that George Thompson's days may be numbered.

Aurora made it through the spring this year relatively unscathed, injury wise. Cory Pierce missed time to a bad hammie, but is back in the line-up for Opening Day. Miguel Garcia, hoping to regain the promising form he showed in 2011, missed his last two starts to a sore shoulder, a problem the training staff dismiss as insignificant. Potentially the most disturbing, and last injury, was to Wilson Berry, who injured himself running the bases and will be out for a few weeks. Rookie Bob Keller, who got a little time last season, has been very impressive this spring and he will begin the season behind the dish.

The Borealis will start 2013 with a 4 man rotation in the outfield, with returning starters John Knight and Cory Pierce flanking Rookie En-guo Guao in CF. Knight has started strong and hopes to carry that into the season, while Pierce has had limited time. Aurora hopes that beginning the year in Reno will provide them the cushion to get Pierce back up to snuff. Perhaps the biggest surprise thus far has been 4th outfielder, rookie Michael Burton, who hit at a .367 clip this spring. Aurora played much of last year with four outfielders, and will start the year with the same. They are banking a lot on En-guo, as he is their only CF option.

The outfield dilemma stems from the great strength and talent that the Borealis have in the infield. Quinones, McDonald, Richardson, and Rivera give Aurora perhaps the best defensive infield in all of PEBA. Jim White and Al Edwards provide great depth and offensive pop off the bench. Then there is the case of Octavio Pexego, who should in spring training that he is intent on continuing his assault on the leagues pitchers with an OPS of 1.014.

Things to note: How does Keller do? If he excels, Ernie Cards stay as back-up may have come to an end. If En-guo or Burton struggle, Brad Cain, also off an excellent spring, is in the wings - and also there to provide better defense in CF off the bench. Will Kojima and Tillman match last seasons fine numbers? Can Sugar Bear come back? Will Jose Reyes show that his numbers in Reno were more do to their poor defense and lack of support and pitch well here, or will he just be another mediocre #5 guy. Tony Gordon, Jeff Marable and the once highly thought after Francisco Chavez are all at AAA biding their time. Or will Aurora do something radical. GM Will Topham floated out a scenario the other day around the cage during batting practice that included Angel Lara moving into the rotation.

My take on the season? Aurora will once more be a playoff team, and if they can straighten out their starting pitching woes, they will yet again defend their Desert Hills crown. But there are a number of questions for this team as it is a strong contender as well as a team in transition as we begin the 2013 season.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#64 Post by Borealis »

Crocker Disappears for Good?
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

March 26, 2013: Aurora, Colorado – On February 5 Aurora broadcaster turned WBL OF for the Bogota Caribs was arrested in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on drug smuggling charges. Two days later Crocker escaped from his holding cell in this southern-most town of the Baja Peninsula and became a fugitive of the law. Crocker, who has been questioned numerous times for his lack of sensibilities, likely due to a collision during a game that ended his initial career with the Kalamazoo Badgers of the PEBA, has been Facebooking and Tweeting his escapades as he's been on the run. Despite this information, authorities have been unable to find him.

According to Crocker's posts, he was moving by foot northward towards the US border, periodically getting rides, and at times moving by horseback and kayak. Crocker was last heard from on March 7, a full month since his escape, apparently in Puerta San Carlos, and boarding a ship with the intent to sail northward to the states. It has been a full three weeks since anyone has heard from Crocker, and one must now suspect that either the authorities have apprehended Crocker or he has met with foul play. The Bogota Carib are owned by a shady character, Eustace Maximos, who is suspected of drug running himself. One can only hope that Crocker's disappearance is not related to Maximos' suspected drug business.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#65 Post by Borealis »

Aurora Opens Season With A Bang!
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 6, 2013: Fargo, North Dakota – Spring Training gave way to the start of the regular season as the Aurora Borealis traveled to Reno, Nevada for their season opening series. After opening last year, struggling to get hits v. Bakersfield, the Reno staff provided little problem for the Borealis bats as they pounded six Tenpinner pitchers to the tune of 23 H and 5 HR for a 21-3 Opening Day victory. Normally Bill Bradley would have taken center stage on a day like this as he pitched 7.2 innings and gave up 3 H and 2 ER while striking out 12 hitters - including the first 5 of the game. Bradley showed excellent control as he walked a single batter; a theme the team hopes he will display this season - improved control. Mark Richardson picked up where spring training left off by going 4-6 with an 8th inning Grand Slam. Augusto Quinones also made his mark on Opening Day by swatting a pair of HRs while driving in 5.

Reno took game 2 of the series as Kojima struggled early with his control, walking three in the first, and giving up hits on pitches that were not balls. He regained his composure, but too late. HRs by Ice Cold, Pexego and Cory Pierce were not enough in Reno's 5-4 win. Game 3 brought us a pretty sharp Artie Tillman who went 6 innings, giving up 6 H and a pair of runs in Aurora's 4-2 win over Reno. Tillman's effort was matched by 'Sooner' Armstrong's, and it wasn't until the 9th that Aurora pushed the winning runs across home plate on a leadoff 2B by Quinones, an IBB to McDonald, a sac bunt, pass ball and and a 2-out single by John Knight.

Aurora clinched the series with another cake walk in game 4, 13-0, but the victory came with a price. Jose Rivera was struck with a ball on the wrist, breaking bones and landing him on the DL for at least 7 weeks. Aurora has enough depth to absorb a lose like that for the moment, but more disturbing was Miguel Garcia coming out of the game after 2.2 IP with shoulder pain. 'Sugar Bear', who missed all of 2012 with similar pain in the throwing shoulder that came up during the 2011 post season, will miss most of the season, expecting to come back in August. He had given up 2 H, 1 BB and struck out 3, and generally was looking good when suddenly he walked off the mound after throwing a pitch to Reno's Ramón Arroyo. Guao, Knight and Pierce's combined 9-15 with 9 runs scored in the 1-2-3 spots of the line-up paled in the heavy spotlight of Garica's loss, in light of the thinness of Aurora's pitching.

Francisco Chavez, once believed to be the 'Big Thing' to come out of AAA, has been recalled and will take Garcia's spot in the rotation - for now. Brad Cain has been called up for his first stint in the Big Leagues. After a solid Spring, Cain hit .545 with 3-2B and 2-HR to start the AAA season. This move, an outfielder instead of an infielder, addresses Aurora's weakness in CF. It also suggests that Octavio Pexego will get time at 1B, as Aurora can't afford the slugger solely playing DH with the thin outfield. This is a huge risk at the moment as the drop off defensively from Quinones to Pexego is huge. This is clearly a small problem compared to the sudden pitching problems Aurora faces.

Aurora's loss to Fargo in the 5th game of the season almost feels as if it were insignificant, in the wake of the injuries. Jose Reyes, acquired in the John Roach deal, showed Aurora's faith may be well put, as he went 6.2 IP, giving up 5 H and 1 R. Aurora forged a 3-0 lead into the 6th, and Reyes left with a 3-1 lead, but the bullpen - specifically Ramos and Suarez, let the lead slip away, as they lost in the 10th.

Aurora continues their series with the Dinosaurs tonight as Bradley takes on 2011 and '12 post season pest Tu-an Sima, with Kojima facing Chandler Davis in the series ender on Sunday. Chandler got roughed up a bit by Crystal Lake in the season opener, giving up 5 H and 4 R, walking 4 and striking out 5 in 3.2 IP. Fargo is off to a fantastic 4-0 start, but the Borealis are looking to bring the Dinosaurs back to earth.

On a side note, we like to feel that we are kindred spirits with all members of the Aurora media, and the circumstances centering around George Crocker are distressing. Not as if his arrest on drug charges was disturbing enough, but his escape - be it smart or foolish, and subsequent efforts to return to the States puts him at risk - possibly even death. Now his brief Tweet, how ever he has managed to do so, of pirates, after he's confessed to be at sea, is frightening. We can only hope that George can return home safe and sound.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#66 Post by Borealis »

Crocker Reappears in... Japan?
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 7, 2013: Fargo, North Dakota – Fugitive of the Mexican law George Crocker, who escaped from a Mexican jail nearly two months ago and has been on the run since, has somehow managed to get himself to Japan, according to Facebook posts and Tweets to the Aurora Baseball Twitter account. "... they didn't take me home, they took me to Japan!" was the quote from Facebook and, "They brought me to Usa, Japan Mark-Man!" referring to KOA radio partner Mark Gunter.

Recent comments from Crocker had indicated that he had managed to work his way northward from Cabo San Lucas towards the American border. In a post he had mentioned getting on a ship heading to "USA". Even a phone call to Gunter on the season opening edition of "A Crock of Gunt" had Crocker confirming that he was indeed on a ship, presumably on his way to some US port. Crocker seemed to be under the impression that the port would be San Francisco.

It is unclear what the former Kalamazoo Badger will do now that he appears to be free. There is some question what the Japanese authorities will do with Crocker, should they catch up to him, and likewise the American police should he attempt to get back into the country. In the meantime it appears that Crocker has distanced himself from the drug charges that still exist within Mexico but has now created immigration problems for himself.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#67 Post by John »

You're going the wrong way, George! :o
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#68 Post by Borealis »

Rough Start Frustrates Borealis
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 22, 2013: Aurora, Colorado – Last season the Borealis found themselves behind early in the win column, yet the team was playing strong ball and they were confident that they'd make up that deficit over time. Today, 19 games into the season, Aurora finds themselves a modest 2 games out, yet confidence may be the last thing the club has at the moment as their 11-8 record may quite well be the worst start in six seasons. Aurora has already found themselves losers of series with Bakersfield, Tempe and surprising Fargo, who is off to a great start, battling Aurora's next opponent, Omaha, for early supremacy in the Great Lakes. Aurora shouldn't feel so badly as their GL rivals, Crystal Lake, has started equally poorly with a 9-9 record.

Numerous reasons may explain Aurora's slow start. Injuries, something that has plagued the team the past two seasons. WIlson Berry began the year on the DL and just now is back on the active roster and will start today against the Cyclones. In his stead Bob Keller and Ernie Card both failed to hit .240. Berry's bat will be a welcome addition to a line-up that has struggled to drive in runs. Early on Jose Rivera went down and now Ice Cold RIchardson is out for 2-3 weeks. Al Edwards had a rough week in Rivera's stead, hitting .222. Jim White had a successful week, knocking 4 hits in his 7 ABs. Josh Christensen gets the call for his major league debut after a .310 start to the AAA season. His addition is more for his glove than his bat.

Hitters were not the only additions to the Borealis DL as Miguel Garcia went down, testing an already thin Aurora pitching staff. Francisco Chavez got the first crack at a starting spot. If Chavez' last start is any indication, then there may be hope for the 24 year old. Francisco pitched into the 9th, getting one out before being relieved in an excellent 7 H, 3 R outing v. Crystal Lake. Chavez' next two starts are against Reno and Duluth, so the Borealis coaching staff will be watching him closely. Garcia is not the only arm to go down so far, as Bill Bradley will have his next start skipped as a precaution. With a sore shoulder, Aurora can't afford to lose their big gun for any length of time. Hopefully 10 days off since his last start will be sufficient. George Thompson will step into Bradley's spot for the start. Having been demoted to the mop-up roll in the bull pen, Thompson has pitched somewhat better than last year, with only 6 H and 2 R in 9.3 IP. George still struggles with the walks, but he is managing thus far.

Clutch hitting has caused problems thus far for Aurora, and no where is this more visible than last week with the actions of Octavio Pexego and Augusto Quinones. Neither of these powerful hitters went yard, and they had only 4 RBI between them as Pexego hit .212 and Quinones hit .192, with 23 K combined in 59 ABs. With Richardson out, these two need to pick up the slack. Aurora has a stretch of games with the likes of Reno, Yuma and Duluth, so they must take advantage of this stretch if they are going to defend their division title.

Despite the frustrations, there are some positives. Jose Reyes, picked up form Reno, may not have a decision in his three starts, but he has pitched as well as the team could have realistically hoped, keeping the team in each game, all three of which were 4-3 games, and two of which were Aurora victories, including the solo win over Tempe; a game that oddly enough he struggled the most with his control.

Aurora set a goal to take advantage of their speed this season, after a team low 88 steals in 2012, and thus far they've been successful. as Aurora has 19 SB already this year. The next goal is improve their percentage as they have been caught 11 times. Leading the way with 6 SB is En-guo Guao, who hit .476 with 3 HR and 6 RBI to go along with the 6 SB. Guao is hitting .333 for the year and leads the Sovereign League with 7 HR. Guao looks to be part of a very good, very young outfield, along with John Knight and Cory Pierce. Adding to that is a very green Brad Cain, who struggled his first week in the bigs, striking out numerous times, but in his second week of action he seems to have settled a bit, going 3-8 with a triple. Cain also brings great defense in all fields, particularly to CF, where aside from Guao, the Borealis are weak.

In the minors, AAA Thornton is off to a slow start at 10-10, while AA Gatineau has raced out to a 14-6 record and class A San Luis Rio Colorado is 3-4 after a weeks worth of games. At AAA, Emerson Freeman, Ken Coleman and Scott Vinson have begun with solid starts; Vinson leading the team with 4 HR. Rod Johnson is swinging a very hot bat at AA, hitting .403 with 5-2B and 4 HR, while catcher Jeff Carroll is at an even .400 with 4-2B and 2 HR. CF Hugo Reyes was likewise off to a good start with a .311 average and 7-2B and 11 SB (in 13 attempts) before being DL'd with a strain oblique. He should miss a couple of weeks. Reyes, like Johnson, has hit at all levels, and we may see them promoted before the years end.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#69 Post by Borealis »

Borealis Consistent Play Marks May Rise
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

May 13, 2013: Aurora, Colorado – Francisco Chavez takes the mound tonight v. 4-2 Leslie Johnson as Aurora hosts the hottest team in the league, the Palm Springs Codgers. This is significant for more than the fact that Palm Springs is riding an 8 game win streak and come in winners of 9 or 11. Aurora comes in riding their own 9 for 11 streak that has seen them catapult to the top of the division, by passing Bakersfield and Tempe. The significance? Chavez may be the one player at the moment who is struggling.

Aurora began the season with a 16-11 April, a record many teams would be happy with, but in the ultra competitive Desert HIlls, a .592 winning percentage was good enough for 3rd. That Aurora would battle Tempe and Bakersfield was no surprise, But Palm Springs have moved from an 11-16 record, good for fourth, 8 games back of Tempe, to maintaining their fourth place position, but moving to five games back of Aurora (and three back of the Knights). If Palm Springs current run is anything like what the Codgers have to bring to the race, an already tight race looks to get tighter.

This is a familiar story for the Borealis, last May Tempe went on a 5-7 slide to start the month and cough up their division lead that Aurora soon thereafter grabbed and never relinquished. Thus far Tempe is 4-7 for May, and a large part of that record is the three game sweep they just suffered at the hands of the Borealis. The Keys to Aurora's surge?

1. Pitching: Bill Bradley seems to have found his groove. Sure, Conan McCullough going down in the 1st inning doesn't hurt, but Tempe didn't come close to hurting Bradley, as he limited Tempe to 3 hits and a walk, while 13 went down swinging. Bradley began the year struggling with his control, walking 15 in 28 IP. Sure he struck out 39, but the extra pitches in stress conditions didn't help. Nor did his Aurora teammates, as he finished April 2-2 despite an OAVG of .131. After having a start skipped due to a sore shoulder Bradley is 2-0 with a 1.12 ERA and only 2 BB in 16 innings (and 22 K). His OAVG was even more microscopic .113.

The Staff as a whole has improved. The team ERA is down a run (3.35 v. 2.39), walks are down 25% and K are up, while teams are hitting .194 v. Aurora in May. And this is with the aforementioned Francisco Chavez struggling. Conversely, it's been readily publicized, Jose Reyes has come over from Reno and been very good, with an 0.69 ERA in two May starts and 2.83 for the season.

2. Offense: John Knight spent most of 2011 riding a Royal Raker like pace before fading after the All-Star game. Injuries in 2012 interfered with his abilities, but so far in 2013 he is hitting to his abilities. Sporting a .405 average for May, Knight is leading the team from the top of the order. En-guo has alternated with Knight in the 1 and 2 spots and together they have been on base and swiping bases at a prodigious rate. Aurora's offensive rise also has come from the bottom of the order as Wilson Berry finally made it back to the line-up after a spring injury and is hitting .333 with a team leading 3 HR and 10 RBI in May. With 2011 Royal Raker Mark Richardson back from his on DL stint and 2012 Raker winner Cory Pierce due back in a week, Aurora hopes to have their starting line-up finally all together by June, and if the 3rd Royal Raker in the line-up, Ocatvio Pexego, gets his bat rolling, May 2013 and on may look much like May 2012 and on - another division title.

Minor League Up-Date

With a little over a quarter of the minor league schedule under their belt, numerous individuals are making their mark in the Aurora Farm system:

AAA Thornton - Perhaps the most impressive body here is the one that began the season at AA. 2011 2nd round pick Orlando Lopez has shown that he may not be far from ready, for he has hit at every level. After hitting .350 in 20 games at AA Gatineau, Lopez was moved up to AAA as part of body shuffling after the Richardson injury and in 17 games is hitting .389. With 17-2B, 3-HR and 31 RBI in 37 minor league games this season, Orlando is proving that his college numbers at ASU were no fluke, justifying his selection as the 41st pick in the draft. Lopez in 2015? Quite likely. On the mound, Jeff Marable is scratching his head trying to figure out what it takes to get back onto the roster full time. All he has done is throw 31 innings giving up only 18 hits while striking out 47 and walking only 5! His 0.87 ERA and .170 OAVG are amongst the best in AAA this early season. What might it take to get Marable to the majors? Aside from an injury, god forbid, continued struggling from Chavez may be his most likely ticket, as Marable had success last season in both reliever and starter role. After a slow start, Thornton finds themselves tied for second with West Valley, a game behind Provo.

AA Gatineau - Where as Thornton has struggled, Gatineau has raced out to an early lead, and stellar pitching from starters Nathan O'Reilly, Zach England, Mike Lovell and closer 'Stork' Holbrook are big reasons. Nathan O'Reilly, a 4th round pick in that 2011 draft seems to really be growing as his career moves forward. A super first year at Mokule'ia and a terrific second year at San Luis Rio Colorado, he's proving that AA is no tougher a challenge. Nathan has posted a 6-0 record with a 1.74 ERA with 50 K in 51 IP. Aurora is going to have to resist the urge to push him forward as it seems clear that a full season at AA and AAA in 2014 may lead to a debut in 2015. 1B Rod Johnson has shown that he is not just a member of the hard hitting Aurora 1B corps in the minors. A .375 average with 11 doubles, 5 HR and a mind-popping 41 RBI in 38 games, we wouldn't be surprised to see him move up to Thornton before seasons end, a pattern that has been established for him. Clearly this guy can rake, after hitting .344 at A ball to start 2012, then .378 at AA the last month of 2012. Aurora is debating what do do with Rod. His defense is suspect, so it's expected he'll get the first shot at DH once Pexego moves on - when ever that may be.

Contract Updates
Speaking of Pexego, word is that the Borealis have begun discussing a contract extension with the slugger and there are whispers that he's not pleased with the lack of progress, suggesting that his concerns are effecting his play. It's believed that it's not a problem of value, read that as cash, but more that of number of years. It's suspected that El Chupacabra is asking for a 6 year deal, and it's believed that Aurora would prefer a much shorter deal, perhaps 2 or 3 years. No word has been heard of late in the Bryant Burris/Bill Bradley negotiations. It's also believed that there have been some discussions with Orlando Ramos' agent. A sticking point here may be that his agent is a notorious hard-nosed negotiator.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#70 Post by John »

Lots of interesting stuff here. I'm particularly intrigued by the start of Rod Johnson, a player I drafted in my final year as manager of the Borealis. I'm intrigued because - and I can admit this now - I instantly regretted drafting him. I tend to put a lot of premium on defensive ability, and Rod has zip in that regard. It was very out-of-character for me to take an all-stick/no-glove type with my first pick (#15 overall), but man, my scouts just adored his stick. For his first two pro years, it looked like they had made a mistake, but of course he was very young (high school draftee), so that's not really fair to Rod. Now it's beginning to look like they knew what they were talking about.
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#71 Post by Borealis »

Pitching Borealis Achilles Heel: Fact of Fiction
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

May 20, 2013: Aurora, Colorado – Last week was a rough week for the Borealis. After going 2 and 1 v. the surging Codgers, Aurora lost 2 of 3 to the sinking Warriors. This left Aurora sitting 28-16 as they enter the 2nd quarter of the 2013 season holding onto a half game lead over the Bears, while the Knights saw a change of fortune from their losing May ways and moved within a game in the ever tight Desert Hills. Aurora sits with the 5th best record in all of PEBA, a spot that they are somewhat unfamiliar with, ironically tied with Florida.

Much has been made of the Borealis pitching staff as being responsible for their sluggish start; A start that has seen them beat Tempe 4 of 6 and Crystal Lake 2 of 3, yet they've split 6 games with Fargo and another 6 with Duluth, and even losing a game to Reno AND Yuma. How responsible is the pitching for this rugged start?

For Starters, pun intended, Aurora has the top team ERA in the SL at 3.02, nearly a quarter of a run better than Bakersfield, Tempe and Crystal Lake - the closest competitors. Going into the season it was believed that Aurora's starting staff was going to be their weakness, but with a powerful offense and a top notch bullpen, they'd manage. One quarter into the season and who has the top Starter ERA in the league? Tempe? At 3.56, the Knights have the 3rd best. The Bears? At 3.52, Bakersfield is #2. If you guessed the Borealis, you'd have guessed right, as Aurora checks in at 3.17.

More numbers? Aurora's starters have the lowest OAVG, OBP, and BABIP and the second lowest SLG. Walks are down this year as are HR - likely due to the removal of George Thompson form the rotation. Expectations were/are high for the top of the rotation with Slappy Bradley, Kojima and Artie Tillman, but having staff numbers like that occur only if the bottom of the rotation is doing it's job too, and so far #4 starter Jose Reyes, the Reno Refugee has enjoyed his time in Aurora - a 3.04 ERA and a .241 OAVG. In 8 starts, only his last, v. Palm Springs, has he given up more than 3 runs; 4 in a 15-4 win for Aurora. His previous outing was a 7 inning shut out of Fargo. Francisco Chavez has struggled, but with a core that has been as solid thus far, Aurora has time to show patience in Chavez. a 2:1 K:BB ratio is encouraging. A .258 OAVG and .261 BABIP may not be stellar, but they are places to start, especially for a guy with a AAA OAVG under .200 in his last 40 AAA starts.

GM Will Topham spoke on the topic of their 5 slot in the rotation. He said, "We have continuously been in the market for a big arm since mid-2011. We were close in the McCullough sweepstakes, a move, or lack there of, that changed the division and league landscape. We have not been close since, but not for a lack of trying. There's a lot to like about Francisco, but we are looking at other options. At Aurora, we've considered moving Lara into that role, and we've considered moving Jeff Marable into that spot - a position he's had some success at. We've had conversations about moving him back to that role at Thornton. We will continue to look to improve this position on the team, and for the right player we are willing to move some notable pieces."

League stats may show Aurora 4th in Bullpen ERA, but in reality, they really sit at #2 as the 'Gnats and Bears sit at 2.54, while Aurora and Tempe are next at 2.65. Not much of a difference. Essentially Aurora sits in second place to Bakersfield in virtually all these key stats. Yet, the 'pen has been the weaker part of the team, despite what the stats read. Case in point #1: Francisco Garza. Garza has been one of the top set-up men in all of PEBA and was brought to Aurora from New Jersey for the stretch drive in 2011 and was virtually unhittable for a year and a half at Aurora. This year his OAVG is nearly double his career number. His WHIP of 1.4 reflects the fact that he can't get anyone out - he's only walked 2, while striking out 18. Francisco and his 6.00+ ERA has been demoted from the set-up role he shared with Bryant Burris.

Burris, Case #2, has been another enigmatic reliever. A .117 OAVG and a WHIP less then one would suggest he's getting it done, but for a pitcher who walked 29 in 84 IP, Burris has been very wild in 2013 with 17 BB in 28 IP. Burris, like Garza has come in and either been an instigator or gasoline thrower. Burris just has the strikeout ability to pitch his way out often times.

Perhaps the big issues lie with the vaunted Aurora Offense? Half their loses, 8 or 16, they scored 2 or fewer runs, including 2 shutouts and 2 1-run games. Scoring their average of 5.6 runs; and how do you score a .6 of a run? Would see Aurora winning 6 of those 16 loses and 4 could still be going on. Why are they failing to score more efficently? This is a team with the 2nd best BABIP - and they put the ball in play, as they are 17th in K's. Are they running themselves out of innings in an effort to be more aggressive on the bases? Aurora is leading the PEBA with 52 SB thus far, but are second in being caught with 21 (a 71% success rate). Certanly hard to quantify if they are scoring more or less because of the increased importance in the stolen base. Double plays? Aurora hit into nearly one per game in 2012, a season where they scored more runs than any other team in history but thus far DP's are up slightly thus far, 49 in 44 games. Could the increase in caught stealing outs and an increase in DP's be muffling Aurora's run production?

Perhaps no place may the lack of offense be seen than in El Chupacabra. In 2012 Octavio Pexego drove in 162 runs, a PEBA record. Thus far in 2013 he is hitting .283, a bit below his career average, but he has driven in only 15 in his 42 games played. Why? Start with a .224 AVE with RISP, with only 2 extra base hits (both doubles). Acquired early in 2011 from San Antonio, Pexego proved his worth in 2011 and 2012. Pexego's failures thus far may very well be the sole reason for a sporadic offensive start that is wasting the surprising start by the pitching. Aurora and Pexego's agent have been discussing a contract extension, and it's been suggested that a lack of progress - Octavio is asking for 6 years, something the Borealis are reluctant to offer, may be interfering with Pexego's play. Should a stalemate be reached in these negotiations and Pexego's play continue to be poor, will we see Aurora attempt to deal El Chupacabra?

Is Aurora's pitching their 2013 Achilles Heel? Maybe not. Perhaps it's the one player who's been considered one of the great offensive stars in the game.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#72 Post by Borealis »

Borealis Beam as Summer Arrives
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 7, 2013: Aurora, Colorado – Last season the Borealis started slowly, then sprinted through May on their way to a 5th straight Desert HIlls title. Aurora is seeking a repeat as they posted a 21-6 record in May to by-pass Bakersfield and Tempe for the division lead. A 5-1 start to the month of June has Aurora sitting with a 4-game lead over Tempe, 6.5 over the Bears and the best record in the PEBA. What was the key to Aurora's surge?

One could simply argue opponent record. April's schedule included games with Omaha and Bakersfield, whose place in the May schedule were replaced by the likes of Palm Springs and Canton. Aurora's recent 3 wins out of 4 game series with Bakersfield suggests that to be irrelevant. The Borealis is hitting .298 and scoring nearly 6 R/G v. the Bears, while giving up a .262 average and a shade less than 5. Needless to say, the tough, tight rivalry with Bakersfield continues. This weeks upcoming games with Omaha should continue to give us an idea about Aurora's strengths.

Could the offense be responsible for Aurora's rise? Despite fewer at-bats in May, due to a higher number of home games, Aurora scored the same number of runs with more hits and more HR, seeing a significant 32 point rise in Slugging percentage - a trend that continues into June.

If you want to see where the big difference may be, look at what May wrought for the pitching staff. Throwing exactly one games less innings, Aurora gave up 36 fewer hits, walked 31 fewer batters while striking out 14 more batters. A WHIP over 1.20 fell below 1.0 and an OAVG of .224 fell below .200. The end result? Aurora gave up nearly a full run less per game. An Aurora team that lost 6 games by a run or two in April, suddenly lost only 3 by that margin while winning 8 of those kinds of games.

May also gave rise to Bill Bradley being named as Pitcher of the Month and En-guo Guao being named Rookie of the Month for the second consecutive month. Bradley was a perfect 5-0 with 49 K in 34.3 IP. His opponents hit a paltry .172 against Slappy. His big improvement was with his control. After suffering a sore shoulder in April, and perhaps even being part of the problem, and struggling wildly with his control, Bradley walked a total of 5 hitters in those 5 games. Guao saw a drop in production from his fast April start, but a .301 average with 7-2B and 4-HR, 16-RBI and 10 SB were enough to garner the honor. Manager Juan Toro has stuck with Guao in the leadoff spot hoping that his faith, and additional AB's will make a difference as the season progresses. Certainly his speed has made a huge difference.

May boasted the return of Wilson Berry and the All-Star catcher didn't take long to get started, hitting a blistering .390 with 6-HR and a team leading 23 RBI - most out of the 8th and 9th spot in the order! Another hot star has been Steve McDonald, whose 21-game hitting streak recently came to an end. A .376 average in May with a team leading 11-2B and a .450 OBP certainly must have made McDonald a runner-up for Batter of the Month.

On the eve of the Draft we take a look at what's happening in the Minors. AAA Thornton is having a respectable year, sitting at 39-23, a game behind Provo. By far the top pitcher has been Jeff Marable, an arm the Borealis would love to move down the highway to Aurora. Splitting time between the 'pen and the rotation, Marable is 7-0 with a 0.84 ERA and a likewise tiny WHIP of 0.86. Marable's 70 K in 53 IP fits the mould of Aurora's bullpen. Offensively two hitters are making their mark. Ken Coleman continues to show steady improvement and his 76 H and 38 RBI lead the team and his 10 HR are second to Scott Vinson's 12. Moving upwardly at even a greater rate is Orlando Lopez. The second round pick from 2011 hit .341 in 22 games at Mokule'ia before heading to SLRC, where he hit .333 in 2012. After hitting .350 in 20 games at AA to start 2013, Orlando moved to Thornton and he continues to impress, hitting .346 thus far. Although Lopez needs to work on his contact, 32 K in 162 AB, It is a matter of time - a short time - before Orlando Lopez see's him self in the PEBA.

AA Gatineau continues to shine as Aurora's top minor league club, sporting a 41-21 record, topping Montreal by 4 games. Here, starter Nathan O'Reilly looks like a sure thing to hit the Borealis rotation in 2015. Another 2011 draft pick, this time a 4th rounder, Nathan is 7-1 with a 1.99 ERA. Averaging nearly a K/IP, O'Reilly is coming off consecutive solid seasons in 2011 at S A and 2012 at SLRC. Aurora is hoping that work this winter may cut his walks down, making him a more viable starter at the PEBA level. Rod Johnson, the heir apparent to Octavio Pexego's DH spot, continues to shine. Like Coleman at AAA, Johnson has hit at every level and with 10 HR and a mind boggling 63 RBI in 61 games he may very well see a promotion before seasons end. Like Lopez at AAA, Aurora hopes that Johnson can find a mechanism that works for him to reduce his strikeouts.

Aurora's class A team San Luis Rio Colorado is off to an uncharacteristically poor start, posting a 23-27 record, good enough for 2nd, 4 games back of Mexicali. On the mound, another 2011 pick, 11th rounder Bob Porter, has shown the most with a 3-0 record and 0.44 ERA in 20.2 relief innings. His key has been keeping runners off base, and his 1 base runner per inning seems to be just enough. SLRC's biggest problems thus far have been on the mound, and it's expected to continue over the remainder of 2013 and into 2014 as the 2012 draft class of pitchers was not very strong for Aurora. Keeping with the 2011 draft theme, John Foster, the first pick in that bumper draft class, started strongly before hitting the DL with a bum shoulder. Before being DL'd, Foster was hitting .296 with 5-2B and 2-HR in 20 games. Still working on his contact, Gypsy is averaging a K/G. Aurora is also hoping that he will continue to show improvement in his defense. At 20 years of age, John Foster still is a ways away from making a splash at Aurora, but being the first pick of the Topham era, one would suspect we will see Gypsy sooner or later.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#73 Post by roncollins »

Aurora's cup appears to runneth over. :)
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#74 Post by Borealis »

Good-Bye Sugar Bear, Hello Class of 2013
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 14, 2013: Palm Springs, California – In June of 2011 Miguel "Sugar Bear" Garcia made his Big League debut. Over the course of the regular season Garcia was sharp. With a 9-2 record and a 3.18, Sugar Bear struck out 100 batters in 87 IP while walking only 23. The Borealis management was outright giddy about the future prospects for their young pitcher. When it came to the post-season, Miguel was easily a clear choice to be part of the four-man rotation. Then it all came tumbling down for the young star. His first post-season start arrived against Bakersfield and he faced two batters: Struck out the first, walked the second and kept on walking to the dugout. With a torn rotator cuff, Garica's playoffs were over as was his 2012 season. Miguel came back in September and threw in four games. This year, inserted into the rotation, Aurora was hopeful that Sugar Bear would find his groove. Alas, it was not to come as he lasted all of 2.2 IP in his season opening start before coming out for what was to become the last time. Unable to comeback from the injury, Miguel Garcia called a press conference to announce his retirement. Aurora had been hopeful that he'd come back, but with the retirement, Aurora looks towards the minors for his ultimate replacement: Jeff Marable, Tony Gordon, or Nathan O'Reilly seem the most likely candidates for the near future.

So Aurora said it's good-byes to Sugar Bear and their hello's to the newly minted draft class of 2013, a class that was fortunately, now, filled with starting pitching. Two college pitchers, Drake Fisher and Ray Graham come to Aurora filled with college experience and two, Hyeon-cheong Yon and Christian George come by way of high school. These four, plus a pair of closers, all came in the first 5 rounds of the draft, including the one supplemental pick (Graham) they acquired for the signing of Aaron Turner. Last season, a year Aurora focused on bats, the Borealis did not draft a starter until the 8th round on day 2. Once Aurora finished their focus on the mound, they turned to the infield, drafting a number of middle infield types, starting with Takeichi Yamasaki in the 4th round, Mark Smith in the 8th, Cal Woodruff in the 10th, Craig Gallagher in the 11th, Matt Ford in the 12th and Mark Dillion with the last selection. Where these players will ultimately fit into the Borealis' plan is uncertain, what with Bobby Watson at 3B and Riley Cole at 2B in Mokule'ia's line-up - both possible stars in Aurora.

It's worth a note that Aurora also finally says good-bye to Chris Weaver. The long-time member of the Borealis, Weaver was not tendered a contract for 2013 and was allowed to walk as a free agent. Unlike his outfield partner Turner who did get an offer from West Virginia, Weaver failed to get nary a nibble, if that. Weaver finally can to terms on a contract, but he seems to be following Jon Wood's path, as Weaver signed a 1-year pact with Fushigi Yugi. The Celestial Warriors, who already host a solid offense that is not getting support from it's pitching staff, add a bat that may provide enough offense to overcome the team's pitching woes. We wish a big Good Luck to our favorite Yakima son. Perhaps he can hone his batting eye on cherry pits.

Last week the Borealis continued a tough stretch of games by hosting Omaha and Crystal Lake, before traveling for the start of a series in Palm Springs. Aurora posted a 5-2 week, taking 2 of 3 from both the 'Clones and the 'Gnats. The two loses were both tough, taut 3-1 games. The most exciting of the games came in the opener with Crystal Lake. Aurora, coming off a 3-game sweep at The Lake, and riding an unexpected 4-game win streak against the 'Gnats, fell behind early in this one as Crystal Lake score 1 in the second and 3 in the third on HRs by Murdock and Yi to take a 4-0 lead. With Bryan Stewart on the mound, things seemed bleak, but Francisco Chavez held the 'Gnats in check for the next three innings, giving Aurora a chance to come back. And come back the Borealis did, with a run in the 5th, 2 in the 6th on a Cory Pierce 2-run Blast and a 3 spot in the 7th, Aurora had taken a 6-4 lead. Chris Holmes promptly tied the game in the 8th with his own 2-run HR of Bryant Burris. That set the stage for the fireworks, and Markus Hancock was not in the building.

Michael Lacour came in to pitch the bottom of the 8th for Crystal Lake and instantly got ahead of Jose Rivera 1-2, but Rivera fouled off three tough pitches to stay alive, but the next pitch caught a bit too much of the plate and Jose pulled it down the line for a lead-off HR, giving Aurora the lead. En-guo Guao followed, and after a called strike one, on a pitch that appeared to be in tight, Lacour hit Guao. The normally quiet CF sprinted to the mound, swung and connected with Lacour's head as they fell to the ground. Clear as to the intention of the pitch (after all, note that these are two teams with quite the history, and Aurora was on the verge of their fifth straight W), the Aurora bench cleared, followed closely by the Crystal Lake bench. Once everything was straightened out, Guao and Lacour were ejected and Juan Suarez came on for his 16th save. To this point there has been no action on the league's part, so it does not appear that suspensions will follow.

For the week the 'Swingin' Taiwanese' was the top offensive star, in more than one way, as he hit .478, with 5-2B and 2-HR, while successfully stealing 6 of 8 attempts and scoring 9 runs. Quite the candidate for Player of the Week as we head into the opening of All-Star voting. John Knight also seems to have found his stroke after a mini-slump, going 10-25, 2-2B and a HR.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis
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Re: Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

#75 Post by Borealis »

Borealis Move Johnston, Sign of More to Come?
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 14, 2013: Palm Springs, California – With the news that Miguel Garcia has hung up his cleats as a result of a bum shoulder that didn't want to get better, Aurora moved quickly in an attempt to fill that roster spot with pitching that may be helpful down the line.

One could argue that Aurora's need to add another arm was unnecessary - Jose Reyes and Francisco Chavez, the bottom end of the rotation, have pitch well, but with uncertainty in the minors in the untested faces of Tony Gordon, German Rivera and Julio Lopez, as well as the ever present injury bug-a-boo, the Borealis made a move for insurance purposes.

Mid-morning today the Borealis held a brief press meeting to announce a trade with the Calzones of San Antonio by way of Laredo. The hapless Calzones have many needs and quality bullpen help has been at or near the top. It is believed that Aurora has had discussions with San Antonio previously about Albert Bush and Kelly Burns and a deal was struck that sent Kelly Burns to Aurora for MR Jamie Johnston. It is believe that the deal was a straight up exchange of pitchers.

In Burns, Aurora gets a younger, cheaper arm, who features a fastball and cutter, though his slider is his out pitch. "We see a lot to like in Kelly," Will Topham stated at the briefing, "He has tremendous strength on the mound, which we hope will add to the staff's ability to stretch the 'pen less by going deep into games. We see in Kelly many of the qualities that we saw in Reyes when we made the Roach deal." If that pans out to be true, Aurora has themselves a tidy bit of insurance.

Topham stated that with the loss of Johnston from the bullpen, the prudent move was to move Jeff Marable to the major league roster to fill out the 'pen, and that Burns will begin his Aurora tenure at AAA Thornton, filling the rotation spot that Marable had filled the past three weeks. "Really, our hands were tied when it came to Jeff. We wanted him at Aurora in the worst way, but like every other spot on the roster, competition is high. Jeff has had a phenomenal season so far at AAA, and his experience the past two seasons up here has been extremely positive. I don't see Jeff going down anytime soon."

Burns is 2-6 thus far for San Antonio with a 4.74 ERA. Considering the team behind him, that stat looks a bit better. In 2012 he did post a 10-4, 3.70 record, so there is great hope for the 27 year old New Yorker.

In moving Johnston, who has only seen 11 innings this season, Aurora passes on a player who's been with the team the past 5 seasons and has a career 21-6 record with 12 saves and a 2.70 ERA. Teams are batting a paltry .215 against Jamie, who has a very good 3:1 K:BB ratio. Aurora is most definitely losing a great arm form their 'pen.

In Jeff Marable, Aurora calls up a swing man with an 8-0 record and a 0.75 ERA. If his 6:1 K:BB ratio and .190 OAVG at AAA translates even somewhat closely at the PEBA level, then Aurora has no worries.
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis
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