Golden Entertainment, Aurora Borealis Ponder Ownership Dilemma
by Francis Ferry, NLN baseball beat writer
November 16, 2034: San Francisco, California – The Borealis wandered through the 2034 season ownerless – first their owner missing – last seen embarking along the Appalachian Trail with George Crocker, and by mid-summer with the confirmation of Michael Topham’s death on the 24th of August. GM Will Topham handle much of the mundane business of the club while leading the baseball business into the postseason. But now as the club has already begun planning for 2035 – a pair of trades made and more may be on the way; team options executed to void four contracts (Juan Hernandez, Guillermo Justavo, Gabe McIntyre and ‘Fido’ Castro), a player having voided his contract (Shane Willis) – and yet one more option available to void (Wynn Berry), and a meager list of arbitration cases – Juan Rodriguez, who signed a contract extension instead, and newly acquired Yasuoka Matsumoto, who may not be in town long enough to sign a new extension before arbitration.
On top of that, the long-time GM turned part-time owner took it upon himself to up the team’s operating budget to $222M – increased from $206M last year and $186M two seasons ago. He oversaw the transfer of $17M of earnings to the League’s revenue sharing tax, and another $17.6M back into the parent organization – Golden Entertainment, as per the entertainment giant’s operating mandates. All work his deceased half-brother shoulda-woulda taken care of if he had lived.
Which brings us back to the fundamental question: who’s in charge or, who is going to be in charge?
Will Topham was back in his hometown for an exploratory meeting at the Palace Hotel, in downtown San Francisco, with Assistant GM Javier Padilla, Golden CEO Duane Castle, Sr, CFO Wellman Castle, and, if rumors can be trusted, there was a Chris Rodriguez sighting. Rodriguez, former COO of the Borealis, was forced to relinquish his share of the club as part of a bet back on Opening Day 2012, and is a shocking inclusion to the proceedings. The tale of the Connect Four event is common knowledge around The Front Range, and Aurora Lore, but what was lost in that story – the lead that was buried, was the transfer accompianied a share of Golden Entertainment that included a percentage voting right that was satisfactorally negotiated by both sides.
And so, here we are 22-years later and Chris Rodriguez is still impacting the decision regarding who controls the club. One can only imagine that fireworks will ensue.
One thing that we do know as the Organization begins the process of chosing a new CEO for the ball club is that it will not be the GM. Many have speculated across the Aurora fan base and thoughout the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance that Will Topham would step up into the position – a natural promotion for the 41-year old who had taken the reigns of GM as a 16-year old tennis phenom when Golden Entertainment assumed ownership of the club and his father, Michael Topham (Sr, to avoid confusion) became CEO, after the death of John Rodriguez, Sr. The younger, living, Topham has already stated to the press on numerous occasions that he would not be seeking the CEO position, preferring to continue his involvement in the building and development of the club.
What we also know is it won’t be the reclusive John Rodriguez, Jr – son of the original Aurora owner, who replaced his father as PEBA Commissioner, upon his death and the transfer of the club to Golden. JR, Jr has not been reached for comment, nor has he spoken publically about the tragedy that has bestricken his family’s former-asset. We also know it will not be his brother Chris. Court documents filed as a result of his loss of his share in the team show wording that precludes him taking on a controlling role within the Borealis Organization.
Speaking of wording, though it is an unspoken word within the Golden Entertainment organization, it is worth noting that all of the key positions within the company that was founded at the time of the Gold Rush continue to be held by members of the extended family – suggesting that it will once again be a member of the Castle-Topham clan. This may indicate that either CEO Duane Castle or CFO Wellman Castle will take over the club, with Golden replacing those positions internally.
The expectation is the Organization will have a decision made and will be making an announcement around the time the Winter Meetings come about.
