Building a Relief Corp
by Francis Ferry, NLN baseball beat writer
February 27, 2034: Grand Junction, Colorado – Spring Training has begun and as is the case each year, there is hope for those who dream of a future in the big leagues and there is the dashing of those dreams when the talent doesn’t quite match said dreams. Going into last season, one of Aurora’s biggest needs was a revamped bullpen – and to that end, Aurora had a dream – a big dream, that they could pull together a collection of minor league starters – young guys, and put together a dominant bullpen.
That would be a dream fulfilled.
Ryan ‘X-Factor’ Tate, Pedro ‘Sukoshi Netsu’ Morales, and Orinosuke ‘Chattahoochee’ Fujii combined for 287 games started in the minors and 285 of them were starts – yet last season for Aurora they combined for 148 relief appearances and nary a start as Fujii finished with a 1.45 ERA, Morales a 1.80 ERA and Tate, who was unhittable prior to the All-Star game, finished with a 2.30 ERA.
This year Aurora will be at it again, as young Hector ‘Machete’ Gutierrez – who has 44 career starts in the minors, is expected to take on a prominient role this season.
Last year’s rookie non-starter, Yellel ‘Hyena’ Twia, will be joined by 2026 9th round draftee, Jose ‘Big Cedar’ Suarez, who like Twia, has been a career reliever.
I met with the group to talk pitching and last year’s success, but the conversation turned to one abut nicknames.
“Yeah,” Ryan Tate started, “that crack pot owner down in Florida – he’s a looney like the rest of them in that state. When I signed he looked at me and said, ‘You, man, you’ll be our X-Factor – in the future.’ and ever since he started calling me that – ‘Hey, X’ I’d hear all spring training – and yet he never gave me a chance to pitch beyond A Ball. IDK – I think he just likes the name and doesn’t know the origin. And he’s supposed to be some financial whiz…”
“Well that’s better than what my teammates in Toyama’s International Complex started calling me – ‘Sukoshi Netsu’ – I don’t even know what that’s all about. I googled it and all I got was ‘little fever’. What’s a guy to do with that??”
While the conversation rolled through Gutierrez and how he helped his grand father in the ‘cane fields in Puerto Rico, and Twia’s penchant to ‘prey upon’ other team’s batters, it was Fujii and Suarez that elicited the biggest laughs.
“Ol’ ‘suke here,” Twia said “he’s got the best – ‘Chattahoochee’ – a George Crocker original classic! You heard the story about his hiking through the mountains, giving everyone nicknames?”
“I don’t know, Yel’ – It’s got a nice ring to it.” replied Orinosuke ‘Chatahoochee’ Fujii. “Sure beats what Jose got saddled with.”
Looking at the 6-foot, 11-inch Jose Suarez, who checks in at a reedy 220, I gave him an inquizative look.
“’Big Cedar’, that’s what he tagged me with and what the guys have grabbed. I suppose it’s more original than ‘Redwood’ – which I heard a bit in high school (Osaka Toin High). Cedars are big, sturdy – they are rocks of the forest, so to speak, so I’m using it to channel my energies and focus on the mound. It’s a tough group I have to compete with if I’m going to be a force for the big league club.”
Jose Suarez certainly has his work cut out for him to make the roster out of spring training, but he certainly does fit in with the group of relievers that is comprised of colorful nicknames.
