Topham Resigns Managers Post, Welcomes Octávio Ríos
by Ray D. Enzé, Aurora baseball blogger

November 19, 2022: Aurora, Colorado – The history of the Aurora Borealis and their managers is one of stability and rockiness – all in one. For every Juan Toro (6 years) or Don James (5 years), there is a Ken Couch (1 year), Roberto Rosado (2 years) and a Koki Kojima (1 year). Now you can add the Boy Wonder GM/Manager to the list.

Late last night, the Borealis released a brief statement to the effect that Will Topham would be stepping down as manager of the Borealis, effectively immediately. And, just as unconventially as hiring himself was, his choice to replace himself in the dugout is equally ‘unconventional’.

“We are here today to usher in a new era of Aurora baseball. As you’ve all heard by now, I am stepping out of the dugout – hopefully for good, so that I can focus on my duties as GM. Despite winning the championship this Fall, I do not leave with any qualms. I do so voluntarily and everyone in the organization knows the score on this move. I never intended for this to be a long-term solution to our managerial needs, nor did I view this as a long-term job. I’m the GM and I’d like it to stay that way, with no complications. Dad wanted it that way.”

The not-so-young-anymore GM glanced offstage, to his left and with a nod, turned his attention back to the crowd of reporters. “So with no further ado, I’d like to present the 7^th manager of the Aurora Borealis – Octávio Ríos.”

Should you be as stunned as the crowd of reporters who had never heard of Ríos, here’s what you need to know: the 59-year old – to be 60 shortly before the start of the season, is a Columbian national with limited professional experience. From 2010 through 2014 he managed the Middle Bass Vintners, Canton’s A Ball team, and although his clubs finished above .500 in the first 4-years of his stint at Middle Bass, the club still finished in the middle of the pack. They did manage to with the Coastal League in 2013 with an 82-46 record, but they were bounced in the first-round by Jackson Hole in a year that San Luis Rio Colorado won their fourth NAFTA Title. Afer a year off, he served for three years as the Bench Coach for the Querétaro Desperados of the Mexican League. They won their division two of those three seasons, and made the playoffs the third, but in each case they were eliminated in the first round each time.

Examining Ríos’ resumé, one finds that he just may be a good fit for the job than his unassuming demeanor may lead one to believe. He likes the running game – something Aurora has used well the past couple of years with Hale, Pope and Ferringo, and he likes to see his baserunners be aggressive – another positive for a team filled with good baserunners. He tends to be patient with his pitchers, giving them a chance to work out of trouble. He eschews the bunt – something consistent with the Aurora hitting philosophy – let the great hitters in the line-up do their job, as Kojima once said, and he is not one to get caught up in the current wave of defensive shifts – ‘I’m just an old school kind of a guy’ were his words when asked to describe himself.

Topham was asked – quite bluntly, about Ríos and his hiring, replying “We thought we were set for a few years – Kojima was a perfect fit, had done good things in the organization. Frankly, he burned us. His decision to play hardball and not simply come to us and address his concerns was… demeaning. He had a bigger agenda – they had a bigger agenda.” They are presumed to be the ‘managers coalition’ that raised havoc between the 2021-22 seasons, looking to shake the PEBA for higher coaching salaries. “It made sense for me to step in, take on the job, because no one out on the market felt ‘clean’ and putting our own guys on the hot seat was kind of a conflict of interest, emotionally, and, frankly… who’s clean?”

Who’s clean, indeed? When asked ‘why Ríos’, Topham said, “He’s from outside the PEBA stock. He’s experienced, he’s managed and coached in the post-season, his philosophy matches our’s and the nature of our roster. He’s not a rebel-rouser. We’ve got ourselves a ‘what-you-see’ kind of a guy. I believe he will do well, despite his limited major league experience.”

Or lack there of.

When asked for his thoughts for the coming season and what his expectations were, Ríos said, “I try not to get caught up in that sort of thing,” in some pretty darn good English for a guy from Columbia – if I say so myself, “I leave that up to you reporter-types. I just want to do the job I was hired for and manage the team.” Good to see clichés thrive in Columbia, too. “I mean, what else can I say? I get to write down Michel Provost’s name down every five days. The same with Randy Smith. How bad of a manager can I be with those guys on my side?”

That, my friends, to quote a long-ago sports anchor, is why they play the games.