No Sleeping on Bullpen Mound
Frances Ferry, NLN baseball beat writer
December 23, 2034: Pullman, Washington – They called him ‘Sleepy’, for he always had that look – eyes kind of droopy, body language slouched, but when Nolan Kuhn took the mound he was anything but Sleepy, with a blazing fastball that kept batters on their toes with his penchant for leaving one a little ‘high and tight’ on more than one occasion.
Today, the former-2014 1st round pick (out of Villanova) of the Borealis, has been named Pitching Coach for the Mokule’ia Oceanic of the Surf and Snow – Aurora’s Short A minor league club.
Kuhn spent three full seasons in Aurora’s minor leagues – including the 2014 season at Mokule’ia, in which he had 12 saves in 22 games striking out 35 in 21.2 IP and a 0.83 WHIP – a number he never could replicate in his major league career. ‘Sleepy’ spent 7-seasons in Aurora, where he was 24-12 with 11-saves and a 4.38 ERA -striking out 349 in 283 IP. He would win four titles while a member of the Borealis.
By 2023, though, his time was up with the Borealis, and he lost his roster spot and found himself a Rule 5 selection by Okinawa, where he pitched for a year, before he signed free agent deals with Bakersfield and Crystal Lake – spending three-years with the Bears and his final four with the ‘Gnats. Over his 15-year career he. Was 41-22 with 17 saves and a 3.76 ERA.
The 42-year old native of Pullman, Washington returned to his hometown upon retirement and opened a baseball academy, focusing on pitching, that attracted players from all over the northwest and it was here that ‘Sleepy’ evolved from reliever to teacher. His current clutch of future stars rave about his ability to breakdown the mechanics of pitching into their physical components – allowing them to develop effectively.
When asked about returning to his original organization, Nolan was excited, but what he was really looking forward to was a reunion with ‘Tugboat’. “I credit Randy for teaching me the value of details – where you start your motion, finding the exact spot of pause and balance. I never had a coach who broke it down for me like that. I think the greater success I found in Bakersfield and Crystal Lake were a result of Randy. I made it my mission, upon opening my academy, that I would teach from ‘Tugboat’s perspective.”
Nolan Kuhn is of course referring to Randy ‘Tugboat’ Smith who is currently the manager at Mokule’ia, who praised the Organization for looking outside the box in picking Kuhn, whom he refered to as an ‘excellent student of the art of pitching’.
The Borealis are hopeful that Randy Smith is spot on with his description, and that Aurora’s future draft classes benefit from the appointment of ‘Sleepy’ to a position he won’t need a pillow for.
