The Vulture Circles Back to Aurora
Frances Ferry, NLN baseball beat writer
December 24, 2034: Bani, Dominican Republic – It is not every PEBA star who can claim he began his professional baseball career in the League of the Rising Sun in 2007, appear in 126 games and two All-Star games for The Team That Shan’t Be Named – complete with 61 saves – and then suddenly find themselves a free agent and a member of the Aurora Borealis – and winning a championship in 2009.
That would be the beginning of the tale for Juan ‘Vulture’ Suarez, who would go on to appear in 318 games for Aurora, save 190 and make four All-Star teams for the Borealis – before losing his job to Bryant Burris, who would go on to double Suarez’ total in saves over his 15-seasons with the Borealis.
And it is today that the Borealis announced that they have signed the ‘Vulture’ on to be their newest pitching coach, at San Luis Rio Colorado, following Nolan ‘’Sleepy’ Kuhn, who was named yesterday the new coach at Mokule’ia. ‘Vulture’ had been serving as a roving instructor throughout Aurora’s minors the past 5-years, and the team has been impressed enough to have him focus on one specific level.
I caught up with Suarez in his native Dominican Republic, where we met on the beach for a stroll and to discuss his new assignment.
“I am really looking forward to this adventure.” The 56-year old former-closer said. “I really I had more left in the tank when they let me go – don’t get me wrong, I get why. Bryant may have been the best in PEBA history, but… Manchester gave me a shot, and I did well enough – but they jettisoned me… I ended up in Omaha, and… that was that. It was… disappointing.”
Suarez was always front and center with the club, and he was an endless worker, perfecting his craft – traits that the club hopes he will bring to his new job and will instill in Aurora’s young arms. “I’m particularly looking forward to work with the young closer Toshikuni Kichida. What I’ve seen of him, he has an uncanny ability to shut out the stress of a situation and focus on the pitch and the hitter.”
Kichida was the 3rd round selection of last year’s draft, and after posting a 1.83 ERA and 13 saves at the University of Queensland, he earned 27 saves at Mokule’ia with a 0.73 ERA, with 44 K in 37 IP. “We need to get his walk numbers down – you can’t average 3.4 BB/9 and be an effective closer – so that’s going to be the first thing we work on,” Suarez said of the youngster “and I’ve already spoken to him and given him notes on what I had seen over the course of last season.”
“I’ve enjoyed being home – the mountains and the beaches, but the last few seasons really had me craving the dugout, the bullpen, the brotherhood of a club. There’s nothing like it I’m excited.”
Aurora fans should be excited to, as the cerebral nature of Suarez should payoff huge benefits for the Organization. He will have a young, inexperienced staff to work with, so we shall get a good look at his abilities right away.
