Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

[Borealis]

That's what Ray thinks, and Ray was covering Aurora baseball before I came to town... IDK, but this year's team feels like it's too old with too little depth and too many holes...

[Borealis]

Borealis Slide Continues
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

May 21, 2029: Canton, Ohio - It started so promisingly - 4 in a row to start the year, 9 wins out of the first 12 - and since the 16th of April - when the Bears began their three game assault on Aurora, the Borealis are 12-21 (.363) and are 6-12 in May (.333). What does such a start hold for Aurora here on the eve of their first series with Canton on May 21? 6 games back of both the Bears and Codgers, who sit atop the Desert Hills, and just 1.5 games ahead of 4th place Reno and - gasp - closer to last place Yuma than first place (3 games ahead of the Yumans).

What's going wrong? Well, for starters, despite the 4th best batting average in the SL (a meek .257), the Borealis are an uncharacteristic 8th in OBP - what happened to taking a walk, Aurora - they are 10th in the SL; and Aurora is 11th in SLG - in large part due to being tied for 10th in homers. Last year, Aurora was tied for first in Average - with Fargo and essentially Shin Seiki and 6th in walks - which translated to an OBP just (.002) behind the Evil Evas, and a SLG smack dab in the middle of the SL. Of course, offensive numbers like that got Aurora to the playoffs. This year, it's got them sniffing the cellar for the first time in PEBA history. And don't even get me started on the whole Metrics Crowd, who will tell you that Aurora is dead last in Base Running - at a -9.3 - what ever in the world that means. What I can tell you is that in the past week alone Aurora had 6 runners thrown out at the plate - and runners tossed on the bases isn't an isolated event by a long shot.

What's going wrong? Well, the pitching, which last year led the SL in team ERA (2.91) - without Michel Provost, they had the third fewest walks allowed, and 3rd fewest runs allowed (540). With the lowest WHIP (1.07) and the 2nd lowest OAVG (.228) - Aurora was a playoff team - and that doesn't even include that they were 4th in HRA with just 150. In 2029, the ERA is up to 3.50 (still respectable, one would suppose), and the OAVG is just .238. What gives? Well... 181 runs allowed, 9th in the SL – and on pace to surrender 200! more than 2028, in no small part due to 149 BB (3rd most in the SL, and on pace to finish with 150 more than last year) and 45 HRA, good for 7th in the League (and 40+ more than 2028).

Walks and home runs - the bane of a pitching coach's (and manager's) existence.

At least, for those Metric Heads, Aurora's Defensive Efficiency (.713, 3rd in the SL) and ZR (+2.2, 2nd) shows that they aren't killing themselves out on the diamond.

Case in point, the week's first game, v. Palm Springs, 'Chief' Nieves pitches great (7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 K, and just 1 BB), but a homer allowed by John Gray (with his sub-1.00 ERA) in the 9th does Aurora in - as does the 14 LOB - to which Teddy Loetzsch was this days villain - with 5 LOBs. Then, after winning game 2 in 13-innings (a Dwyer sac fly), Game 3 produced one Aurora XBH, and 4 Codger homers - three off Lando Lagerveld in a 5-run 8th. At least newly acquired Bob Erickson had his first clean outing... Then in the finale of a four-gamer, a pair of walks and a HBP delivered the winning run in a rough 2-1 lose, as Aurora dropped the series 3-1 (hmmmmm... there's 2 of the 6 GB).

As those games illustrate (and in the two tough losses to Crystal Lake that followed) it’s the bullpen that has perhaps failed the team the most. Not that the starters have been purely innocent – Aurora has been outscored 50-32 in the first two innings alone – Hugh Jones is responsible for 10 of those initial inning runs and Jesus Solis responsible for 12 – so nearly half at the hands of the AAA injury replacements. Despite Aurora’s 9-run advantage in the 3rd inning closing the gap to just 3, the deficit grows dramatically over the 5th-8th innings, where Aurora is being outscored 91-75. The final numbers on the season (Aurora 173, SL 181) are only close due to Aurora’s amazing 9th inning heroics (a 21-9 edge).

Solis is likely to get his last start (or will it be Jones) as Aurora brings Imhoff of rehab at AAA Thornton, where he had a pair of rugged starts before limiting Lincoln (HAR) to 6 H and a run over 5.1 IP. This may very well be Rob's last chance to prove himself rotation worthy - much less Aurora-Staff worthy, as another major injury could spell the end of his Aurora tenure.

Looking down on The Farm aways, Stewart Arundale, cooled at AAA in week 2 with a 3-19...

[Hitmen]

Welcome to Canton! Where nothing is going right! Would love to see Mike give in to a rebuild. I enjoyed the prospect of starting a second one back in New Jersey before the move.

[Borealis]

Aurora Shocks Front Range, Has an Era Ended
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

May 21, 2029: Canton, Ohio - Just hours before today's start with the Longshoremen, the Borealis stunned the baseball world by trading one of their biggest stars as they sent River Pope (and an International Complex guy) to the Arlington Bureaucrats for a pair of draft picks - Arlington's 2nd and 4th round picks. It wasn't long before the radio show's in the Denver Metropolitan area blew up - and it was equally not long before Aurora's (not so much a) Boy Wonder GM began defending the decision.

"We are incredibly thankful for what River has brought to the Organization over his 14-years," since his being drafted 25th overall in the 2016 draft. Pope, who made his Big League debut in 2018 was a key member of Aurora's four titles in 5-year stretch. "River won titles with us, he was a 2-time batting champ and a 3-time All-Star. I had never really considered the thought of trading River, but time marches on. With that, hard decisions must be made. We've made them before and we'll make them again. That's just the business of baseball."

Kind of a cold way of putting it from the usually emotional GM, when long-standing players have been involved.

The hard decisions center around Pope's $12M contract and $13M team option and the teams lack of money. Aurora certainly could have kept Pope and declined the option, but now that $13M for 2030 is off the books and can ease the weight of debt on this and next year. Of course, Pope's failures over the last year and a quarter haven't helped his value to the team. Being instituted as the DH last year, to make way for Nick Heath, Pope hit a meager .261 after 9-straight seasons well over .300 - and after finishing .2027 at .349. This year, in just 23 games (19 GS) he's hitting just .221. The writing was on the wall for the 34-year old Southern California Native.

Pope will end his Aurora career with a .317 average, with 1575 hits, 293-2B and 489 RBI. Never the power man, he managed just 26 homers. Those hits will leave him just 13-hits shy of Jose Rivera and 3rd on Aurora's all-time list and his 1301 games are 4th all-time for the Borealis. The contributions River Pope has made to the Organization and it's success are huge. The long-term results of this deal is unknown.

The immediate effect will be the promotion (again) of Ricardo Zamora, who continues to struggle and confound. Between the team's poor play, and the open spot, Zamora may finally get a chance for some stability - unless young Stewart Arundale decides to blow AAA up - as he has done at AA and A Ball.

[Borealis]

Ship Righted as Summer, Draft Arrive
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 7, 2029: Aurora, Colorado - It was two-and-a-half weeks ago when all felt out of whack, and the prognosis for the season was looking dim. On the 21st of May the Borealis were 6-12 in the month of May, were two-games under .500 and 6 GB in the Desert Hills and 4 GB in the Wild Card. Nothing seemed to be working well. Baseball is a funny game, as 17-days later the Borealis have won 5-straight series and are 10-5 over those 15-games - knocking 1.5 games off both those standings deficits.

And with the Draft having arrived, a respite to explore the future.

But first, the news. In winning those 5-series, Aurora has beaten, in order, Canton, Palm Springs, Canton (again), Crystal lake, and K-Zoo. Included in the group are a 1-0, 2-1, and 3-1 cluster of losses - two of which Aurora had the lead. Highlights of these series include:

Canton 1.0
Game 1, at Canton, saw Paul Carlisle hit his 6th homer and 'Big Whiskey' double twice, but it was Roy Dukes 2-out, 2-run single that capped a 3-run second inning in Aurora's 6-2 win, backing the 6-inning, 10 H, 2 R effort by Jesus Solis - his first win after four losses. John Turner would pitch into the 7th and allow only 2-runs, but Aurora's 3-run 8th made Mike Monroe the winner, as back-to-back-to-back 2-out doubles by Torres (3-4, 2 R), Britt and Castro would tie the game, followed by Teddy Loetzsch's go ahead single to lead Aurora's come-from-behind 4-3 win. Bartolo Esquivel was dealing in Game 3: 7 IP, 6 H, 9 K, the only blemish being a 6th inning homer to Gabe Moran, but Maxime Labrie was better, holding Aurora to 4 hits over his six scoreless IP. It was Maxime's second SL start since his being traded to Canton from Hartford, but as we'll soon see, he's already become a pain in Aurora's side.

Palm Springs
Just a week ago the 1st place Codgers had taken 3 of 4 from Aurora on The Front Range - a pair of 1-run loses putting a dagger in Aurora's heart (the 7 and 8th of what are now 9, 1-run losses - three of which are at the hands of Fargo). This time around it was the Borealis' turn to make some hay against the Desert Hills leaders. Rob Imhoff made his first start since his time on the DL, pitching into the 6th and allowing no runs on just 2 hits - looking like the pitcher Aurora had dreamed of when they drafted him. Roberto Carrion, the international star who was one of Palm Springs' big free agent acquisitions, looked 'normal' in his 6-inning, 7 H, 3 R outing. Aurora managed to scatter 10-hits across the line-up, with a Jose Torres double a key hit in a 2-run 3rd inning rally, and Paul Carlisle driving home a pair of runs (#26 & 27 on the year) in a 4-0 win for Imhoff. Game 2 was a taut pitchers duel: 'Chief' pitching within 1-out of a complete game 4-hitter and Xavier Gonzalez, a second big free agent signee for the Codgers, allowing only a pair of solo runs in his 6.1 IP. But Palm Springs' chances for a late-inning win was doomed by one-time Codger - turned-journey man - turned Codger once more, Juan Mercado, who allowed 2-hits, 2-walks and 4-runs in a third of the 9th as a Teddy Loetzsch double and singles by Flores and Joyce turned 2-1 game into a 7-1 blowout. Edgardo Guerra would continue his dominate pitching this season as he'd pitch into the 9th, holding Aurora to just 2-hits (and 4 BB), allowing the Codgers to save face on the series, while the offense methodically chipped away at Hugh 'Mister, Mister' Jones, Dan Field and Lando Lagerfeld for a 7-0 win.

Canton 2.0
Aurora welcomed Canton to Northern Lights Park, with JT on the mound, and he once more looked very solid, holding Canton to 2-hits and a walk in the first 7-innnings, before being pulled after 1-out and a pair of singles in the 8th. Mike Monroe, who suddenly is looking more human, would throw gas on the fire as Canton would score four time in the 8th to make what had been a quite game - save the fourth when Aurora scored 5 times off Tsuginori Honma. Carlisle would open the inning with his 7th homer of the year, then with 2-outs a procession of singles by Dwyer, Duke and Pancho Moreno and a walk Flores proceeded Nick Heath's inning-capping 2-run single. Turner would ultimately improve his record to 3-5, with a nifty 2.38 ERA. Esquivel would once again sparkle - allowing just 2-runs over 8 IP, with 9 K, but Maxime Labrie would once again befuddle the Borealis. Aurora would tie the game in the 6th (1-1) with a Flores lead-off single a stolen bases and a Nick Heath single, but Heath would be caught stealing to end the inning and any further threat by Aurora. Canton would manufacture a run in the 8th and Gray would surrender a run-producing double in the 9th to seal the Longshoremen's 3-1 win in Game 2. Rob Imhoff would put the Borealis in a whole in the rubber-match, as a pair of singles and a HBP proceeded Marvin Miller's 2-run double - giving Canton the early 3-run lead. Loetzsch and Dwyer would cut into that lead with back-to-back doubles in the second, but Imhoff would depart after 4 IP, and Jesus Solis would relieve him and instantly give Canton their lead back with a homer to Moran to open the 5th. Aurora would not give up - a pair of hits and a pair of walks would give Aurora that run back in the bottom of the frame, and Canton starter George Lee would allow 2-out singles to Flores, Heath and Carlisle in the 6th, to tie the game at 4. The see-saw battle would continue, as Paul Dilworth would double home a run in the 7th, off Solis, giving the lead back to Canton. Aurora would take the lead for good in the 8th when David Lopez, jettisoned to Canton from West Virginia a month ago, would walk Pedro Medrano and serve up a homer to Tomas Flores - that just cleared the fence, but gave Aurora the 6-5 win with Bob Burns earning his 11th save. Mike Moroe, with a perfect 8th, picked up his 6th win (without a loss) - the most by any reliever in the Sovereign League.

Crystal Lake
Aurora opened June by continuing their sojourn through the Great Lakes with a trip to Crystal Lake and their second meeting with the Sandgnats. The 'Gnats took 2 of 3 at Aurora in mid-May, and the Borealis didn't look very good. This time things would reverse themselves - somewhat. Nieves would allow three, 1-run innings in his 5+ inning stint, which seemed to be more than enough of a lead for Jon Browning, who 1-hit Aurora for 7-innings, but the Sandgnat 'pen was not up to the task on this day. Holding a 3-0 lead, one-time Bear, Josh Hall would be all over the place with his control. A single to Medrano, a wild pitch, a single to Joyce, a walk to Zamora, a pass ball allowing a run and a sac fly - not the prettiest of rallies, but after 8, Aurora was just down a run. Aurora would tie it in the 9th in similar fashion. Kyle Weaver would walk Nick Heath, who would advance to second on a slow grounder and score on a Joyce single - tying the game and sending it to extra innings. Jon Francis would be equally vulnerable, as 'Fido' would hit a run-scoring, 2-out double to give Aurora the lead, with Loetzsch driving him home - and suddenly Aurora had a 5-3 lead and Bob Burns heading to the mound. The hushed 'Gnats crowd was instantly energized as Jorge Jimenez greeted Burns with a leadoff triple, but Burns would get the ever dangerous Clarence Carpenter to pop-up, the equally dangerous Ray Kimball to hit a shallow fly to left and Antonio Vega to line out to left to end the game - his 12th save of the season. Game 2 would continue the theme set forth in Game 1 as Aurora would score in 5 of the first 6 innings - including a pair of 3-run innings (Jose Torres' 10th of the season, a 3-run shot in the first being one of the highlights), and by the time that Jimenez and Tony Parker both hit 2-run homers in the 4th off Hugh Jones, both starters ('Nitro' MacCowan for CL - 2 IP, 8 H, 5 R) were long gone. Solis (4 H in 1.1 IP, no runs), Erickson (2H, 2 IP) and Monroe (2-hitless IP) would do the job for Aurora's 'pen, but the 'Gnats 'pen would fail them for the second straight game. Francis, who coughed the game up in the 10th the night before, would follow 'Nitro' for 3 innings, allowing 5 hits and 3 runs and Nick Heath would tag Taizo Yagi for his 6th homer in a wild 9-5 win in which the teams combined for 31 hits. McNeill and Turner were dealing in Game 3, each allowing just 4-hits and a run over their 6 (Turner) and 7 (McNeil) IP. Aurora had a 1-0 lead in the 2nd as Castro scored on a DP ball by Zamora, but Crystal Lake would take the lead (and the win) after Choe singled to lead-off the 7th (and send Turner to the showers). Monroe came in, with Jorge Lopez up. Lopez would look to bunt Choe over - and ended up with perfect bunt, beating it out for a hit, with Ed Brown following that up with a 2-run triple. Monroe would manage to pitch around the triple - but the damage was done, and Monroe would pick up his first blown save and first loss of the season.

Kalamazoo
Aurora returned to Northern Lights to face a K-Zoo team that was peskier than advertised. In Game 1, it was Carlisle (#8, to go along with 4 RBI)) and Gutierrez (his first) who flexed the deep muscles and Teddy (3-4) who helped power Aurora to 8-runs - 6 of which came at the hands of former-Warrior and Claymore Robinson Herrera, who allowed 10-hits into the 4th. Meanwhile Bartolo Esquivel continued his strong run, allowing 5-hits, 2-runs and struck out 9 - his third straight game with 9 K, and would drop his ERA to 2.96. Although Solis (1 R without the benefit of a hit - yet struck out 3) and Field (3 H, 2 unearned runs) would allow the Badgers to close the gap, Bob Burns would shut the door in the 9th for his 13th save. Aurora would score 5-runs off Pete MacLeish in 4-innings - and that's all they'd get - Paul Carlisle 3-4 with his 9th homer (and slowly creeping that average back towards decency, at .260) doing a fair amount of the damage. Imhoff would make his third consecutive start - albeit short ones, as the team looks to manage his pitch count and innings in an attempt to keep him healthy for a change. He allowed 4 H and 2 R over his 4 IP, walked 3, struck out 3, but the bullpen efforts of Latour, Lagerveld, Gray and Burns (save #14) allowed only 4 hits and no runs, with 7 K and 2 BB (both Latour). Aurora looked for the sweep in Game 3, but Nieves had nothing on this day - allowing 5-runs (4-earned) on 7-hits (but 6 K), and Bob Erickson wasn't much better, allowing 4 H and 3 R in an inning of relief. It didn't much matter as Miguel Vega - on of Kalamazoo's bright spots this season, threw a complete game 7-hitter, with the one blow being Pablo Medrano's 2nd homer of the season. K-Zoo would win this one going away, 8-2.

As we look at these past games, a singular pair of individuals are missing - 'Big Whisky' and 'Tugboat'. Mike Britt would go down with back soreness after a collision on the bases in the middle game against Palm Springs and is expected to be out another week. The longest-tenured member of the Borealis (in his 14th season) has appeared in just 34 of Aurora's 60 games, and with under 100 games left, maybe just 90 by the time he returns, he has 371 PA needed to reach the 500 PA threshold that will trigger his vesting option (worth $28M) for 2030. That may be a tall order. As Carlisle has been doing recently, Britt, too, had begun to warm up, and is hitting .268 with 6 homers and 21 RBI. Meanwhile, Randy Smith, who has his own vesting contract and will almost assuredly not reach the 28 games started he needs to vest, has finally returned from the DL - he's been out for 8 weeks with a sore shoulder, and had his first rehab start this week, a 5-inning, 8=hit performance against the Bears AAA West Valley squad. Despite allowing 3-runs (2-earned), he showed good control (no walks) and struck out 5. He will start this Sunday against Henderson (Yuma) and then Aurora will have a decision to make, as next week is the AAA All-Star Game, and then he'd pitched again Friday the 14th against Grand Rapids for a third rehab start. Here's the rub - if that were his last rehab start, his return to Aurora would line-up against The Evil Evas. If Aurora bought him back after his start against Henderson, his return date would coincide with Toyama coming to Northern Lights. A delay of a week would also put his return agains the Evas - but in Japan, so if you are a betting man, bet that 'Tugboat' will return to Aurora after Sunday's start to face Toyama next Friday.

Today marks the 23rd PEBA Amateur Draft, and this year has the Borealis lacking a 1st round pick - sent to San Antonio as part of last years deadline Bob Burns trade, and Aurora has traded, as well, their 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks, but not to feel too depressed, fans, the news is not all bad. For one, the first round is a short round, despite the additions of Charleston and Manchester, as picks were lost to signing free agents, two, the Supplemental Round is short this year (just 4 picks) and, three, Aurora has collected four 2nd round picks - San Antonio's (the Burns deal), New Orleans (Freddie Brooks, who is hitting .308 in minimal playing time), Arlington's (in the recent River Pope deal) and Scotland's (in the Moya-Moya deal), West Virginia's 3rd rounder (from Crystal Lake as part of the Dwyer deal - which cost Aurora their own 2nd and 3rd) and Arlington's 4th (Pope). So Aurora is actually ahead two picks above what they started with - along with West Virginia's 8th round pick (for an IC guy).

What to expect from Aurora this draft? The last time Aurora lacked a first round pick (and had multiple second round selections) was 2021, where they drafted three starting pitchers in near succession - Billy Taylor (now with Florida after a short stint with Arlington), Orlando Alarcon (now retired after three unmemorable years in Reno) and Gustavo Cabrera (now pitching in relief for Okinawa). It's a fair bet they won't be doing that again. Whether Aurora selects a pitcher with the 33rd selection, or they take a hitter may very well depend on the 'Best Available' theory, but one thing I'd think is this: they need more than warm bodies, and whether any are available will be the bigger question.

[Borealis]

Lesser Names of the 2029 Draft
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 8, 2029: Asheville, North Carolina - My esteemed colleague, Francis Ferry, outlined in her Northern Lights News piece her opinion of the top five rounds of Aurora's 2029 draft, and I shall build upon her work by reviewing the remaining rounds and the interesting storylines that they hold.

MR Frank Johnston, Guantanamo, 6th round: Johnston is a tall, lanky 18-year old from Rochelle, IL whose big pitch is a sweeping curve that could be one of the best in baseball - if he can gain control of it. His sophomore and junior years he allowed single runs, while his freshmen and senior years were not quite as successful. Either way, he's averaged 10 K/9 and has a career WHIP well under 1.00. He needs work - as many high school kids do, it'll simply be a matter of if he wants to. Outlook: Possible a starter, likely middle relief.

CF Phil Lewis, Aix-Marseille, 7th round: Aussie Lewis, from Adelaide, does not strike an imposing figure, but then he runs - and runs like the wind he does. He covers tremendous ground in the outfield, has a canon of an arm and he'll routinely catch what comes his way. Then he grabs a bat. Looking to be of average ability, or just above, it's patience at the plate that perhaps is what he needs to learn most - and many scouts around the league feel he may lack the general character to make the most of his chances. Should he do the work. Outlook: Hard to imagine he'll go beyond AA.

LF Luwen Olieman, Delft, 8th round: Olieman, an outfielder of normal stature from Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, is another speedy, defense-first ballplayer who has started the past 3 seasons at Delft with modest results. Like Lewis before him, Luwen has his work cut out for him, as he looks to be average at the plate, struggling to make contact with those borderline pitches. What he has going for him is that he's of a better emotional make-up than Lewis. We suspect he might make more of his career than the man drafted ahead of him. Outlook: AA for sure, with some luck, AAA and maybe a cup o' joe.

SP Takeichi Kozawa, Outback State, 8th round: Kozawa is a tall, slim figure on the mound who has had a bit of success with the Crocs: 12-12 with a 3.63 ERA over 47 starts. His main pitches are a fastball, slider and a change, all of which rank in the 75th percentile - the big fear being that he doesn't get enough movement on his pitches to be truly effective. Despite having a tendency to give up flyballs, he's managed to average less then a homer per 9-innings, which could be his saving grace. If he can gain more control and find a bit more movement on his pitches, he may move deeper in the organization. Outlook: AAA, but more likely as a converted-reliever, with an outside chance of making to to Aurora.

SS Bob Miller, Notre Dame, 9th round: Perhaps one of the more interesting late round selections and one that might make it to the Bigs. Playing most at short, Miller also is competent at first and has tremendous skills in the outfield - where Aurora is planing on starting him out, though he's more comfortable in right. The 6' 1", 185 Miller has tremendous speed, though he needs to work on his base running skills and rely less on his pure speed to be effective. Though some would call him lazy, Aurora is hopeful that he will develop beyond his projected abilities. Outlook: If he can move his abilities at the plate to match the rest of his tools, the Big Leagues are not unreasonable.

LF Ron Gudarlearza, Rice, 10th round: Gudarlearza is bound to be a fan favorite wherever he goes, as he is fondly referred to by his teammates as 'Big Dumb'. Ron is from Elkhart, Indiana, which is just east of South Bend and better known as the home to the RV/Motor Home Hall of Fame. At 6' 6", 210, 'Big Dumb' is as big as an RV, if not as bulky. He has great speed, but despite that, he doesn't cover much ground in the outfield - but catches everything and runners be warned - don't run on this 'dummy' - he possesses a canon of an arm. Like most of the hitters drafted at this point of the draft, it's patience at the plate that will determine his fate. He has shown a propensity to hit the long ball, and better pitch selection could see him approach 15-20 homers a season. Outlook: AA for sure, then... we shall see...

RP Tom Mulder, Lewis, Northwestern, 11th round: With quite the array of pitches, this Dutch leftie could befuddle hitters with better than average stuff, but he told Aurora shortly after the draft that he wanted $3M to sign. Aurora told the 6' 9" Mulder him to enjoy his senior season. Outlook: maybe next year...

1B Adrian Silva, Atletico Castille SD, 12th round: Silva, from Madrid, is a stocky, powerful figure at the plate. With good speed and pretty decent defensive skills - he needs to more effectively use his glove, it's making better contact that will determine his fate. He has the skills to be a major leaguer, with some hard work and playing time - which gets back to being better at the plate. With the defensive skill set, he'll get the innings - for now. Outlook: Failure to get his average over his career college numbers slightly about the Mendoza Line will see him struggle to get past A Ball.

SP Jim Meagher, Winter Springs, 13th round: Out of Honolulu, the scouts say he has the pitches to get many hitters out - with a devastating curve predicted by coaches and scouts alike. With decent fastball and changes, the curve will be his out pitch. He averaged 10 K/9 during his high school career, but also over 3 BB/9 - so improving his control will be key. This lefty may get a shot at a starting spot at Mokule'ia, but it may be as a reliever that he'll make his hay by the time he gets to AA. Outlook: AA for sure - Big leagues with a few breaks.

SP Lawrence Hall, Union City, 14th round: With a decent fastball and change, Hall will rely on a deceptive slider to get hitters out. Aurora's scouts feel like they found a solid gem for a 14th round selection. He's not overpowering, but he should be serviceable. Outlook: Maybe AAA... Maybe...

1B Randall Sykes, Notre Dame, 15th round: The Petaluma, CA native plays the corners on the infield equally well, though he could stand for some glove work. Maybe he'll hit for some power (he's had 21 HR in the past two seasons), maybe he won't strike out so much and put the ball in play. Maybe his versatility will get him beyond A Ball. Outlook: Maybe...

[Vic]

Mulder wanted $3 million to sign in the 11th round. The truth is out there - he’s nuts!

[Lions]

Greedy, Dutchman!

There's the highland Dutch, the lowland Dutch,
The Rotterdam Dutch, and the God-damned Dutch!

[Borealis]

June Brings Better Play, Organizational Changes
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

July 2, 2029: Reno, Nevada - After a very disappointing May (12-15) that left the Borealis 27-27 and 5 games behind what was a surprising Codgers squad, Aurora seemed to have righted their ship, putting a 18-9 June on the board, passing the Codgers and finishing June with a 2-1 win over Bakersfield (thanks to a 7-inning, 1-hit performance from JT, John Turner) that moved Aurora to just 3 games out of first in the Desert Hills.

But before diving into that good news, Aurora made news elsewhere.

For starters, fed up with the poor play at SLRC, Aurora fired manager Forest Sizemore and demoted Jose Colon from AAA Thornton. Sizemore had posted a 153-166 record with the Rapidos Blancos, and took some of the heat for the pathetic hitting numbers the team has put forth. Sizemore's contract was set to expire at the season's end. Colon, who is signed through 2030, came from Arlington, where he was their bench coach for 6-seasons. He hasn't been exactly the model of success - he's posted a 78-138 record with the FasTrax, but the $500K owed for next year was enough to get the 'semi-penny pinching' Borealis to keep him, hoping a change of scenery will do him well. And perhaps it will, as SLRC posted a 6-1 mark in his first week.

Replacing Colon at Thornton is long-time Acapulco manager Yasuhide Adachi. 7-times he led Acapulco to the playoffs, with one title, and 4-times he was named Mexican League Manager of the Year. This year they finished 55-55 and despite winning MoY last season, he was given his walking papers. Previous to his time in Mexico, he managed three years in the Reno system.

Aurora also said good bye to AAA hitting coach Hiroshi Hayagawa, who spent just a year and a half with the Organization, and seemed to be impressing no one. He was replaced by former-Calzone HC Scott Martinez. Rumors are Aurora is looking at their minor league performances closely and there may be other's who may wear the scapegoat's horns.

Also leaving town is 31-year old infielder Pancho Moreno. Signed last year to a minor league deal, and re0signed this offseason, the former-Havana player was viewed solely as a quality infield back-up, who was made somewhat redundant when Roy Duke was picked up in the Rule 5 draft. Moreno didn't get any major league ABs last year, but this year when Britt went on the DL, then followed by Duke, Moreno did get his chance to prove his worth - and all Aurora got for the opportunity was 6-hits in 50 AB. With the Draft having come and gone, and the need to move bodies upward in the minor league food chain, a 31-year old hitting .120 clearly needed to be released.

Back to the month of June. What spurred the Borealis to win 6 of 9 series (with 2 splits)? Well, for starters... the starters. That later half of the month saw 'Tugboat' finally return from his lengthy DL stint, and he would win all three starts - two against The Evil Evas, with some impressive numbers - even for Randy Smith: 20 IP, 16 H, 4 R, 15 K and a single walk. But he wasn't alone. Bartolo Esquivel, who might have won the Pitcher of the Month if it hadn't been awarded to Closer Bob Burns, was 4-1 with a 1.09 ERA - doubling his win total (he's 8-4) and lowering his ERA to 2.29 - 5th best in the SL. Luis Nieves may have been just 2-2, but his 2.55 and 26 K, 2 BB in 42 IP (6 GS) was really only marred by a poor June 6 start v. K-Zoo. In the 'pen, Bob Burns earned the accolades with an 11-save month, 21 K and just a walk in 15.1 IP and no runs allowed. Set-up man John Gray threw 15-innings as well and allowed just 5 H and a run, while striking out 24 and walking 3.

At the plate, we saw a resurgence of Paul Carlisle, who hit .381 on the month, with 5 homers and 14 RBI. Coming into the month hitting .248, Carlisle has his season mark up to .289. Pablo Medrano has also upped the ante with his performance, albeit platooning as the DH against right-handed starters, he hit .353 in June with a pair of homers. Domingo Gutierrez also made a case, as the former-starting catcher, whose poor play early caused him to lose playing time to 'Fido' who was playing better - until a .237 June (but 4 HR) begins to look pale against the .435 Domingo posted. With none of those three hitting worth a lick against lefties, the status is likely to remain quo. Quietly having an excellent season is SS Teddy Loetzsch. After a .318 June, with 3-2B and 3-3B, he's hitting .297 with a 3rd on the team .414 SLG thanks to 15-2B and 8-3B. Don't look now, but in a League (Sovereign) that boasts Juan Hernandez, Brian Coleman, 'Joker' Raines, and Bryant Hawkins, Teddy Loetzsch is leading all SS in the SL in average and WAR (for all you Met-Heads). That .414 SLG is second in the SL to Roberto Diaz of Okinawa, who also has 11 homers.

What's not working this past month, that could derail any hopes of catching the Bears and making a title hunt? Well 'Big Whiskey', 5-35 in his 10-games back with the club to end June, obviously needs to improve. Britt has a vesting option on his contract, requiring 500 AB - and he's sitting at 183. That means he needs 317 to vest over Aurora's last 80 games - in essence 4 a game, and let's be frank, he's not going to play in all 80 games, so, like 'Tugboat', Britt is technically now in a contract drive. With only 6 homers so far in 2029, Aurora is going to need him reach 20 for the 13th consecutive season. Derrick Dwyer his only .178 in June, and his season mark is down to .253. He had one XBH the entire month. That needs to change for the Borealis to challenge. Thirdly, Jose Torres, who spent most of the season above .300, has slumped hard. After 9 HR in the first two months, he hit only 2 in June and his average is down to .277. He's on pace to match his rookie numbers and his 2027 AAA numbers, but Aurora simply needs more from him - especially if Britt doesn't rebound.

On the mound, what's not working, has been 7th-inning set-up man Mike Monroe. Over 16.1 IP in 11 outings Monroe posted an 8.27 ERA after being nearly unhittable for most of the season. With the middle relief corp of Field, Latour, Erickson and Lagerveld looking tenuous at best, Aurora is going to need Monroe's efforts to be strong to bridge the 6th and 7th innings and get leads to Gray and Burns. Rob Imhoff remained healthy! That's a plus, but he also posted a 6.75 ERA in his 5 starts. After the first two looking promising (a total of 4-runs over 10-innings to the Badgers), he allowed 9-runs in 11 IP to Toyama and 6-runs in less than 4 IP to Shin Seiki. He was by far the weak link. With not many viable options (barring a trade), it is Imhoff's spot to grow or die on the vine.

The latter part of June saw some interesting outcomes. Aurora had 5 games with The Evil Evas, losing 3 of those - the first two being shutouts to the hands of 'Bullfrog' and the newly acquired Iwao Maruyama (and were Aurora fans steamed that they missed out on that one). 'Tugboat' was the star of the two wins. Nieves and Turner nearly returned that favor upon the Bears to end June - 'Chief' with a 2-0 win and JT handing a shutout over to Gray, who allowed a run in a 2-1 win. Aurora would then open July by pounding Martin Ramierz and Alfredo Garcia for 6-runs ver 5.2 IP, with Ricardo Zamora having one of his best games, a 4-5 night that included a double and a homer.

So what lies ahead for a Borealis team that many on The Front Range are expecting so little? Looking at July, Aurora has Reno and the Bears before the All-Star game, followed by 8 with Yuma and another 3 with the Zephyrs (while the Bears flip that around). Aurora then will travel to Japan to face Okinawa and Neo-Tokyo before heading home for to host the Shisa and await the trade deadline - a deadline Aurora was very busy at least season, but one we would expect might be quite - or see a few familiar faces hit the road as the team waves and early white flag.

But who knows? Better, consistent play could keep this team a contender. With an August schedule of 6 with Fargo and the Codgers and series with the Akira and the 'Gnats, they could thrust themselves into a relative position. Aurora's chances really will come to this: The last week of the season see's Aurora and Bakersfield squaring off in the penultimate series - with Reno and Yuma making up the rest of those two teams final four series. Both teams will face Crystal Lake, but the Bears get the Evas, while Aurora faces the Badgers, Warriors and Longshoremen. With some luck, Aurora will have a very difficult set of decisions to make in a few weeks. Decisions that will either bankrupt the club or jettison more of their famous core. The Devil may get aid either way.

[Ghosts]

Aurora's chances really will come to this: The last week of the season see's Aurora and Bakersfield squaring off in the penultimate series

*wipes cold sweat from brow*

[DrewV]

Man I could not get Adachi to come back to the states. I guess the open Colorado air is more enticing than the fog off Lake Superior.

[Borealis]

Resurgence Catches Bears, Throws Monkey Wrench into Cogs
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

July 16, 2029: Aurora, Colorado - Back on May 24th the Borealis were floundering-to-treading water 23-25 and they sat 7 games out of the division lead, as the surprisingly hot Palm Springs Codgers had grabbed the division by the horns. 26-days later, the Codgers had lost an amazing 10-games in the standings, falling 7.5 games back, into third - and yet the Borealis, who had played better ball of late, remained 6.5 games back of the division lead - then held by Bakersfield. Aurora was 15-9 during that stretch - yet had lost 2-games in the standings to Bakersfield. The only thing that kept hopes alive was the Borealis never dropped far from the final wild card spot - there was a modicum of hope for the season.

It's amazing what can happen in 21-days. Then again, we've seen this picture show before. Last year, at nearly the same date - May 23rd to be exact, Aurora was 10-games! out of first, and yet by nearly the same time as this last year, that lead had been erased and surpassed (only to be given back in what would become an epic race to the finish, which saw Aurora win the division).

As of this morning, the Aurora Borealis are tied for the Desert Hills division lead - well, technically .001 behind, but the Bears have played 2-fewer games. That's great, that's exciting, and in the wildcard, Aurora trails Neo-Tokyo by only 1.5 games. But I ask, Aurora fans, to what end? Last year, with 'Train Arollin'' being a 'Train Sidelined' things were clear. They were still a contender, they made the moves of a contender, and they were looking at the potential of a massive offseason debt - they weren't living the debt. The moves they made last year in their (failed) attempt to get back to the PEC (and a hope of reducing the debt) just put them deeper in the red - to a point that for the first time in League history this storied franchises faced financial sanctions.

This year those sanctions appear imminent. Topped off by the fact that a lack of funds have effected their draft class, prevented them from bidding in the recent international free agent class, and prevented them from offering contracts to potential free agents Derrick Dwyer, Tomas Flores and Mike Monroe. Making the situation worse is the salaries that are 'on the books' for 2030 that will definitely not be on the books by December 1 - the combined $56M that 'Tugboat' and 'Big Whiskey' were scheduled to make if their contracts vested. Neither will, as extended time on the DL this year has guaranteed.

Why do I bring up all the doom and gloom just as the team has thrust themselves into a playoff race that by all appearances was going to leave them in the dust? I bring it up because it is that exact thing - the promise of winning; the promise of returning the Rodriguez Cup home to The Front Range, that has this team stuck between a financial rock and a performance hard-place.

The surest way out of the financial abyss is to win and draw fans into the park. Earlier this year, once the bloom wore of the new season, attendance dragged - compared to previous seasons. An early season series with Canton barely averaged over 30,000. That was just at the low-point of the year for Aurora. Then summer came, kids out of school and all... the team started to improve it's play and this recent homestead with Bakersfield, Yuma and Reno coming up, has seen 7 of the 8-games with 60,000+ crowds. For a team that was averaging just around 43,000 per game for the year, that 17,000 difference means an extra $550,000+, just at the gate. For a team running at a per game loss of -$160,000 per game compared to 2028, that's a significant difference.

And yet, the team is on pace to lose -$22M this season, and until the contracts of Randy Smith and Mike Britt come off the books, they are hamstrung. The projected $190M in salary for 2030 technically is $144M - with lots of room for extensions and free agents - not to mention the freedom to bring in help as we approach the trade deadline - every added salary puts this team closer to PEBA mandated financial sanctions. The club cannot afford that.

Trade Britt and 'Tugboat' you say? Two of the most popular players in team history? Only a return of big names would prevent such a trade from undoing the hard work that has attendance back to the team's 'historic norm' - and although 'Big Whiskey' has been struggling this year, since his return from the DL, Randy Smith has been en fuego and has led a resurgence of the teams starting pitching, with the team ERA down nearly half a run since that late May low point in the standings.

So what (should) does Aurora do as the trade deadline looms in two weeks and their last chance to move salary comes and goes - the one, sure fire, way they are guaranteed of not falling into the financial abyss? (Sure, attendance would dive, but it's not likely to have as great an effect as ditching $25M in salary - the remaining portion of Britt and Smith's contracts) Will this team really compete for a title - much less a playoff spot? The likes of Shin Seiki, Bakersfield and Crystal Lake have already been busy re-sculpting their teams in anticipation of the dog days and the September push. Fargo and Neo-Tokyo seem happy with the teams they have - the champs and the near-champs looking just as solid as they did in 2028. Aurora feels - and looks, stuck in their spot - and it feels like they are prepared to go to war with what they have and let 2030 fend for itself when the time comes. After all, if they went all in on 2029, where could this team improve? A 5th starter no doubt - though a luxury, given that 'Tugboat', JT, Esquivel and Nieves are as good a foursome as there is in the Sovereign League. A resurgent Paul Carlisle has certainly made a huge offensive difference, and All-Star Teddy Loetzsch has become quite the offensive help deep in the order. Flores, Dwyer and Britt have all under-performed, so a late surge by any one of those could be a difference maker - and by all three could tip the expected League order. Nobody is better in the 8th and 9th innings than Gray and Burns. It's the bridge guys in the 'pen where we are likely to see some change.

Change... Assuming it isn't a mass sell-off - which ultimately makes sense. Well... makes sense to the money crunchers, not so much to the men, women and children who are forking out the ticket money, beer money and souvenir money. Aurora's biggest question, in a long, long time is: Who do you make happy?

[Ghosts]

The auditors. You make the auditors happy. Definitely sell. It's a Bear(s) market, after all.

[Borealis]

The auditors. You make the auditors happy. Definitely sell. It's a Bear(s) market, after all.

[Borealis]

Aurora Back in Familiar Territory
by Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

July 23, 2029: Okinawa, Japan - The fans of the hometown 9 on The Front Range should have learned the lesson by now - baseball is a marathon, and the failings of a team - and the hole they dig in April and May can vanish in June and July. The 2028 version of the Aurora Borealis showed that - and now their 2029 counterparts are doing the exact same thing - and with it, the 'For Sale' sign that went up in May, which had the team, press, and fans all crying Death of a Dynasty, has been replaced by the 'Full Steam Ahead' sign that a buyer would often put up this time of year.

Is it false hope, built on the backs of games with Yuma and Reno? Not entirely, but having played the Bears more than tough (5-5) - not to mention The Evil Evas (6-7), this weeks games with Neo-Tokyo may be the litmus test of that hope (Aurora is 2-3 against the Akira).

But, the schedule says you have to play the likes of Yuma and Reno, and so you play - and complain not! And for, in essence, the second week in a row, it was the Desert portion of the Desert Hills that were on Aurora's plate - first up, the Zephyrs.

Game 1 with Reno was over early, and poor Ed Emory saw his ERA raise nearly a full run (ok, .8, but still) as Aurora put up 7 runs over his 2 IP - making an easy winner for Rob Imhoff - who needed to make it through 5 (healthy) - which he did. Mike Britt was the offensive star for Aurora, with a 3-5 day with 3-runs and 3-RBI and a homer (his 8th). Jose Torres also homered, his 14th and 55th RBI. It's fun (and highly uncommon) when a save is earned in a 14-4 game, but that's what Hugh 'Mister' Jones got for his 4-innings of relief, allowing only a run on 2-hits, a walk and 5 K.

And... That's when the fun stopped for the week and the games became more interesting. Take game 2 with the Zephyrs. Reno jumped on 'Tugboat' for 3-runs in the first - Rowan Stuart's double (he would have two against Smith) a big blow an a day that the Aurora ace was not sharp - he walked 4 and had just a strikeout. Reno made it 4-0 in the top of the 6th, before Aurora stormed back with a 4-spot in the bottom of the inning - Jose Torres' 2-out, 2-run homer (#15) the final blow of the inning. The bullpen's on this day kept things mostly in check as the game entered the 11th inning - that's when Robin Baldwin lead-off and took John Gray deep to give the lead to the Zephyrs. Aurora fought back. Torres led off with a single, and after Britt flew out, 'Fido' singled in front of Teddy Loetzsch - who doubled Torres home to tie the game, and Howard Joyce hit a liner to CF, deep enough to get the speedy Castro home with the winning run.

John Turner would take the mound in game 3 and he held Reno to just 3-hits - one a Stuart 2-run homer - all that Reno would muster against JT & Co. Meanwhile it was the Nick Heath show - he was 3-4 with a double to start the game and a 2-run homer later on to account for 3 of Aurora's 4 runs in the 4-2 win, sweeping the series, and giving Aurora a 5-1 mark agains their Desert rivals.

Aurora then headed off to Yuma, and the pesky Yuman's gave Aurora a battle. The Borealis may have walked away with a 3-1 series win (and 7-1 on the year), but these games, like the previous two with Reno, were tight. In game 1, Ken Juggles hit a 2-run shot off Esquivel in the 4th to give Yuma a 3-1 lead. Vinnie de Brouwer looked sharp in one of his better starts (6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB and 4 K), while Bartolo Esquivel was a mixed bag over his 5 IP (6 H, 3 R, but 6 K and 0 BB). Aurora would strike back and tie in the 8th - Flores double and scoring after wild pitches to successive batters, then the Borealis would take the lead in the 9th on singles by Castro, Medrano, Carlisle and Heath - around a walk to Teddy, giving Ron Latour his first save of the year.

Yuma would return the late inning heroics after Aurora took a 2-1 lead after two against Ed Madison. Ken Ruggles would tag 'Chief' for a 3-run blast with 2-out in the 6th to give Nieves' outing a little less luster and the Yuman's a 4-2 lead. Aurora would turn walks into runs in the 8th and 9th to tie it, but John Gray would have one of those nightmare innings. 'Big Whiskey', who just entered the game, would boot a ball to start the inning. Flustered, perhaps, Gray would walk Hector Marroquin on a 3-2 pitch, and after River MacCausland bunted them over, Yeong-hun Kim was walked intentionally to load the bases. That looked like a genius move, after Stan Greer struck out swinging, but Bob Cox would work a full count, and on the next pitch, Gray was well outside of the zone, walking in the winning run. UGH!

Game 3 was a well pitched game by everyone - especially Rob Imhoff. The oft-maligned, oft-injured former #1 pick was at his best - as the team has long expected, as he threw 8-, 2-hit innings, with only an Alexandre Perreault solo homer blemishing the day. Yuma's lone All-Star, Jose Campos, started well, but came out after an out into the 4th with wrist soreness that may land him on the DL. Markus Cameron allowed four singles in the 6th, allowing 2-runs and that's all this day would have in a 2-1 win for Aurora.

In the series finale, Randy Smith was back on track - much to the relief of the coaching staff that were a bit worried after his previous start. 'Tugboat' went 8-innings and allowed just 5-hits while striking out 5. 'Fido' carried the day for 'Tugboat' with an RBI single and a 2-run homer.

With that, on July 21, the Borealis moved a game up on the Bears - where we stand today. Not long ago the folks at StatsLab Services had Aurora's postseason chances in single-digits. Today, they are a slim favorite to win the division and are posted as a 74% chance at the playoffs, with an opponent's W% left in the year that is just slightly higher than Bakersfield - who find themselves now in the 2nd wildcard seat, just a half game ahead of Crystal Lake and 2-games up on Palm Springs.

There's a lot of baseball left to play - at 60-40, Aurora has 62-games left, while the Bears have 64 left on their schedule. So the question now is: Will this team, long describing itself as a seller during this year, suddenly become a buyer - and if so, is there anything left to buy after the crazy, trade happy Evil Evas, Bears, Alleghenies and Sandgnats have picked through the league. The Trade Deadline is in 8-days, and we should have an idea before then.