October 30^th, 2011
featuring A.K & Nelly

PEC Questionnaire

Will Aurora close out Florida in Game Six?
Nelly
Is this a rhetorical question?  Aurora has outplayed Florida for the better part of the series.  I don’t see this changing in Game Six.  Aurora has out-hit, out-pitched and out-fielded Florida.  They have shown to be the superior team.  Aurora is a team full of men amongst boys.

It’s going to be Halloween, so expect Aurora to get the treats while Florida ends up being tricked.  Ha!  That was clever, huh?  I came up with that myself!

A.K.
Oh yeah, baby!  Florida will win Game Six!  Game Six starter Franklin Browne has shown he can win in a pivotal playoff games in this past month.  His numbers are ugly, but the only stat that matters is the win stat.  Browne is 2-0 in the playoffs and I expect that he will find a way to pull off another win in Game Six!  The guy is like Houdini – he just knows how to put on a magic act, baby!

Florida has shown to be a gritty team.  They won 23 straight games in the regular season.  They made a huge comeback down the stretch to overtake West Virginia and Charleston in the standings.  This is a confident team and they will show it in Game Six!  Book it, baby!

Who has been Aurora’s unsung hero?
Nelly
Unsung hero?  There’s no unsung hero on this team.  This team is expected to win.  They’re full of proven and talented players.  What about the biggest dud instead?  I’d nominate Mark Richardson for that.  The Borealis traded for him and he has failed to deliver.

A.K.
My pick is Ángel Lara, baby!  Lara never made a start this entire regular season, but he has come up huge with his spot start against Florida and Crystal Lake!  Lara has proven himself in the playoffs.  He’s due for a big pay raise, baby!  Once his contract runs out, he’s gonna be a hot commodity!

Which Aurora and Florida players have improved their stock during the playoffs the most for next season?
Nelly
For Aurora, It’s gotta be Artie Tillman.  Tillman was an afterthought in Aurora’s rotation.  Now all of the sudden, Tillman has been the ace of the staff in the playoffs.  He’s one of the main reasons why Aurora will win the Cup.  You can bet Aurora fans and the organization will not forget it.  Tillman just earned himself immunity for next season.

For Florida, I would have to say Michael Kelly.  He’s a pending free agent and there have been doubts about Kelly.  The man used to be a beast for Manchester.  To some scouts, he has proven himself in the playoffs.  Scouts will smile at his .322 playoff batting average and .850 OPS.  They’ll rave about his defense.  Some team is going to sign Kelly because of this, but Kelly does not fool good ol’ Nelly – he’s a bum!

A.K.
Grrr, you stole my Aurora answer!  Fine!  I’ll pick Salvador Bernal instead!  Bernal has come up big during the playoffs.  He plays an excellent center field and was ripping the cover off the ball!  He’s been shopped by Aurora in the past.  Critics wonder if he still has the bat speed, but man, he proved himself during the playoffs!

I’m going with Kwang-chih Zhu for Florida.  There’s been rumors that Zhu could be available this offseason with the emergence of hotshot rookie Luis Torres.  During the playoffs, Zhu has shown to be a dangerous and dynamic hitter.  Best of all, he has shown he can produce at a high rate despite all of his nagging injuries.  At 24 years old, Zhu is on the cusp of breaking out to stardom.  You heard it here first, baby!

Which Aurora and Florida players have lowered their stock during the playoffs the most for next season?
Nelly
Ok, this is more like it.  This question is more of my type.  For Aurora, this is a no-brainer.  It’s John Roach.  His numbers speak for themselves.  0-2.  9.26 ERA.  2.31 WHIP.  He even got benched for a pitcher who has never made a start in his Aurora career!  How pathetic is that?

I know Aurora has publicly stated that this is not the end of Roach.  Of course they have to say that!  He is still on their team.  Of course you have to talk him up.  How could Aurora expect to trade Roach if they publicly admit that he is a shell of his former self?  Actions speak louder than words.  All you need to know is that he got benched.  With tons of money left on their contract, you can expect Aurora is praying someone will take him off their hands.  I’m sure there is a team willing to take him.  As we have seen in the past, there’s always an owner waiting to be duped!

I’m gonna go with a pitcher also for Florida.  The biggest Featherhead loser is Dustin Moyer.  He has pitched as poorly as Roach has.  A 1-2 record and 7.20 ERA is not going to cut it in the postseason.  You can surely bet Florida has already explored their options to remedy this weakness.  Florida has some young pitching talent down in AAA.  Moyer could be the one that receives the boot.  If he does, I say good riddance.  He not playoff material.

A.K.
George Thompson has shown to be vulnerable this postseason.  He had that clutch win against Bakersfield in the first round, but that was, like, eons ago.  Baseball is a, “What have you done for me lately?” sport.  What has Thompson done lately?  Diddly-squat!  He has walked 15 batters in 21.1 innings.  That’s just crazy!  With those types of numbers, he might as well throw with his right hand, baby!

I nominate Roberto Merán for Florida.  Merán has struggled with a .163 postseason batting average.  His poor performance may have cost him a starting spot for next season, especially given the fact that he will turn 35.  That’s the circle of life, baby!  You got signed to replace another shortstop (Naoaki Kichida) and now someone will come in to replace you.  We all gotta go some time.

If Florida loses this series, would this season be considered a failure?
Nelly
If? They are going to lose!  Of course it would be considered a failure!  Florida has dominated the regular season for two consecutive seasons now, and what do they have to show for it?  Nothing! The team is just too soft, and a major revamp is needed!

They need to get rid of the weaklings on the team.  Get rid of António Rivera!  He has choked in the playoffs!  September pitcher of the month???  What a bunch of bull!  Get rid of Roberto Merán too!  He’s too old to play shortstop!  While we are at it, get rid of that second baseman, too!  Kevin McNeill has stunk up the joint!  They need to trade him before other teams realize how crappy he is.

A.K.
No way!  I consider this season a success, baby!  Last season, the team learned how to crawl.  This season, they learned how to walk.  Expect the team to learn how to run and sprint in the upcoming seasons!  With their youth, the team is just going to get better!  In fact, I’m going to say that losing this series could be the best thing that ever happens to the team!

You have to fail first before you understand how to succeed!  A disappointing PEC series loss will only motivate the team more.  They are so close to tasting the Cup.  Once you get that feeling in your mouth, you are going to do whatever it takes to get back there!  So if they lose this series, expect the team to get even hungrier and more focused next season!  This could be a blessing, baby!  But let’s not count the chicklets before they are hatched!  There’s still a game or two to be played, baby!