Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

[Borealis]

Inconsistency Continues to Plague Aurora
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 9, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – While management was busy scouring the draft pool in preparation for today's draft, the club continued to wallow in mediocrity - with moments of delight for the fans and times of shear frustration, as the Borealis slowly drift towards falling out of the playoff chase. While the team ponders the future of the ball club, describing trends continue to be a concern.

The past two weeks had Aurora treading water as they lost series to Yuma and Kzoo, split with Madison and beat the Codgers - and in doing so the Borealis hit as a team .304! and yet they were outscored 64-62 by a teams that hit .268. The cause? I'm sure you already know - Aurora hit 7 HR in the two week stretch ('Matchbox' had 3 and Aleman 2), while their opponents hit 19 - Neely (5) and Cluett (4) were the biggest offenders as the starting pitching gave up 11. As for the bullpen, the biggest folly might have been Hector Gutierrez with a 10th inning 3-run homer that was key to a 5-1 loss. The only starter who was reliable on the week was Man Sim, who posted a 1.69 ERA over three starts - allowing 4 R in 21.3 IP. Brian Clark looked sharp in starts against Madison and Palm Springs, but that was sandwiched between poor outings against Reno and Yuma. The aforementioned Richard Neely had a 7.11 ERA in picking up two losses - with 5 HR, 10 R, 20 H in 12.2 IP.

Of particular note were an 8-6 loss to Kalamazoo that Batista started, allowed 2 R on 8 H in 4.1 IP and Ryan Tate allowing a 2-run homer in the 8th that sealed the game; an 11-0 loss to the Badgers that had Kalamazoo hitting 3 HR off Neely in 2 IP (for 7 runs) - and then three relievers each allowing runs as well, while Alex MacDonald threw a CG shutout; Ramon Gonzales pitched into the 6th against the Codgers - Aurora looking for a 4-game sweep and some momentum, giving up 8 H and 3 runs, but Paul de Kook gave up a 2-run homer to salvage something for Palm Springs; Brian Clark had a 1-hitter going against Yuma over the opening 4 IP, but he allowed 5 R over the next 2.1-innings as 2 BB and continued difficulties for Fujii would give the Yumans the win.

Aurora's hitters were not bad - but the lack of home run power continues to plague them in the worst way. Silva hit .440 and scored 10 R and drove in 7, and Pedro de la Cruz hit .425 - but he scored only 3 and drove home 4 - particularly frustrating numbers seeing he struck out just once. 'Litterbug' hit .417 - and drove in 9 in 9 games - and the list goes on: G-Rod hit .353, Aleman .340, Simmons .298, Munoz .291 with a team high 12 RBI. Claudio Hernandez, on the other hand may have had 3 HR and 10 RBI, but he hit only .224 and left 15 on base - including 6 in one of the losses to Kzoo. In their 7 losses they totaled 70 LOB - and 4 of the losses were by 1 or 2 runs - oh, for a hit... a homer...

The off shoot of the failure to pitch effectively and hit in the clutch consistently has dropped Aurora to an uncharacteristic 8-11 on the road, 2-5 in extra innings and 10-10 in 1-run games - despite hitting an SL-leading .289 as a team. Note that. .289 as a team, yet their OBP is just .331 - 10th in the SL. At one point in the season the starters and bullpen were at or near the top in the SL, but have fallen to 7th and 5th.

What's on Tap
It doesn't ease up and the Badgers and Zephyrs are on the docket - and particularly with Reno, this becomes a critical moment in what could be a tight Desert Hills if the Borealis get their act together.

[Borealis]

Signs of Life Keep Aurora Close
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 23, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – Aurora endured a stretch in which they lost 6 of 7 to Yuma and Kalamazoo - the latter a series in which Aurora never felt like they were in it - Aurora has come back to life with three straight series wins. Two of the have been against Reno, the third against Neo-Tokyo, and all three the Borealis could have had sweeps but for quiescent bats.

Against the Zephyrs at Northern Lights, Aurora was down 2-1 in the 9th, and it took a bases loaded HBP to Juan Rodriguez to tie the game - and with Angel Silva and Jose Aleman unable to drive home the winner, the game went to extras. The game didn't spend much time in extra time as 'Hyena', who for now has reclaimed his closer role after last years Shutdown Reliever Hector Gutierrez' struggles, shut Reno down, setting up an RBI single by Pedro de la Cruz, with Raul Munoz scoring from second.

Henry Cluett and Toby Ayers were on the mound for game 2 and for 'Professor Plum' it was a shaky, yet improved effort. He walked 4, but allowed just 2 H. He and de Kook kept Reno at bay into the 9th. Meanwhile, Aurora was able to manage 4 off Ayers - three singles and an RBI double from Munoz plating three and clinching the win. Munoz would pick up another double and RBI in the 5th as a 2-out error by catcher Keagan Cooper, missing a stroke three ball, allowed 'Litterbug' to reach base.

Yoshiteru Endo saved Reno from a sweep with a near complete game - he fell an out short as the Borealis put two on the board - a 2-run double by David Simmons saving Aurora from the shut-out. Armando Batista lost his 4th game in 5 GS - and second to Reno, as Freddie Morales' 2-run homer was the difference maker in this game.

Aurora would make their second trip to Japan - and second one series trip, to face Neo-Tokyo and Ramon Gonzales had his best. day in Aurora Blue. He would hold the Akira to 4 H and 3 BB, striking out 5 in 7.1 IP, and 'Haggis' finished up with a solid 1 H and 3 K over the final 1.2 =-innings. 3B Shunsho Tanaka's 1st inning, 2-out error allowed Aurora to jump out with a 2-0 lead as Pedro, Simmons and Tony Munoz made it hurt with three straight singles to follow the error. Pedro and Simmons would add back-to-back doubles in the 5th as Aurora scored another pair in there 5-0 win.

Game 2 was like two games. For 5-innings Man Sim and Colin Hopps were dominant - Sim with 7 K in his 6.1 IP, but in the 6th they tide turned. With 2-out, Silva and Aleman would single and Raul Munoz would hit his first homer of the season to make it 3-0 and in the 7th Simmons homeroom and Montoya would double with 2-out and rookie Kirk Carr would drive him home for a 5-0 lead. Man Sim would give up a homer to Marco Sanchez in the bottom of the 7th - and after a Kevin Ramirez single chased him, Pedro Morales allowed a triple to Coy Blair to cut the lead to 5-2. That would be as close as it would get. Aurora would add 2 in the 8th and 4 in the 9th for an 11-2 win.

Jose Fernandez outdueled Brian Clark early on - despite Aurora jumping to a 1-0 lead, but 5-runs over the 4th-7th inning turned a possible win into a 5-1 loss. Ewan Carne wa the big stick for the Akira, with a 3-4 game, two doubles and 2 RBI. Arundale, Madore and Simmons all had a pair of hits, but on this day, Aurora couldn't string the hits together.

It was Aurora's turn to play visitor when the faced Reno at Washoe Field, and it was Cluett and Ayers once more - and this time it was Cluett's turn for the win - despite allowing 11 H and 4 R. After falling behind 1-0 early, they scored two in the 6th - a Raul Munoz double and Montoya single, to take the lead. Reno struck back with an old familiar face - Steve Boyer, with a 2-run homer - retaking the 1-run lead. That barely lasted 10-minutes as Aurora would load the bases against reliever Andres Perez and Munoz would hit his second homer fo the year - this one a Grand Slam that gave Aurora a 3-run lead that they would hold. Twia come on in the 9th to earn his 4th save of the year.

Reno would jump out to a 3-0 lead on Batista in game 2, thanks to a Leonard Inman 2-run homer, but Aurora would get one back in the 4th and tie it in the 7th on an Arundale 2-out, 2-run single. Aurora would make a rumble in the 9th - leadoff single by Montoya and a double by Tony Munoz had Aurora in business - and after an intentional walk to Silva, Nishimura came on for Reno and it was Arundale, agin, with the RBI single. One Munoz (Tony) would score from third on a wild pitch to the other Munoz (Raul) - with Silva scoring on a ground out. 'Hyena' came on and had another perfect save chance - his 5th, and with th 6-3 win, Aurora found themselves back in a 3-way tie for first with the Zephyrs and Bears.

The time in first would be short lived. Ramon Gonzales pitched well enough to win - 6 IP, 4 H and only 2-runs (including Pedro Rodriguez' 2nd homer), but Ji-chol Yum was better - 8 IP, 5 H and a run as Reno would save face with a 2-1 win as we head into the last week of the season.

What's on Tap
The 50-21 Win-D's come to Northern Lights before the Borealis make their third single-series trip to Japan - this time to face the improved - and tied with Aurora for the 2nd WC, Niihama-shi-shi Ghosts. Toyama's strengths are well described, but the Ghosts are lead by a strong bullpen and a pitching staff that has the lowest OAVG (.238). The lead the SL in K's and conversely walk quite a few - sort of the match for Aurora - who are second in the SL with a .287 average - and don't walk and don't strikeout - setting the table for an interesting matchup. The Ghost's offense is led by John MacVurich, who is hitting .305 with 15 HR and 42 RBI.

[Borealis]

Rumors Swirl Over Trans-Pacific Tension
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 30, 2036: Somewhere over the Pacific – First there were the suggestions that the Borealis were looking at a change in on-field leadership. Then it was a brutal week with a pair of losses to Toyama and a pair of losses to Niihama-shi. And now word has trickled off the Borealis charter flight back to Colorado that Aurora manager Ryuichi Suzuki and GM Will Topham had 'firm words' in a heated discussion that just might support the rumors - that Suzuki is out of a job.

The Borealis, in their first 29 seasons, have never fired a manager mid-season in the nine previous managerial changes since they relieved Ken Crouch of his duties after an inaugural season third place finish at 87-85, and installed Juan Toro - Aurora's winningest and longest tenured manager (6-seasons, 712-240, .747), as manager for the 2008 second season.

Suzuki, who has one year left on his contract at $736,000, has led the Borealis to first place finishes over the past three seasons - after leading AA Gatineau to 4 playoff appearances in 8-seasons. Suzuki's main failure being losing to the Great Lakes champion in the past three years, to Fargo and Kalamazoo - twice, including last years embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Badgers.

Aurora's play has gotten more erratic as the season progressed, and there have been more than one player who has whispered displeasure with how Suzuki has managed the club - and especially the pitching staff; and bullpen in particular. After a strong start to the year, a 15-6 April, the club was 10-18 in May and thus far 13-13 for June - with tonights game with Crystal Lake to finish off the summer's first month.

The big question, should Topham drop the ax on Suzuki, is: who will succeed him leading the Borealis? Do they promote Bench Coach Shigenobu Sato or former-Florida manager Hector Santana, who is in his 7th season in Aurora's minors? Or do they make a bold move and promote a 'Train Arollin'' or a 'Big Whiskey'?

Whether they keep Suzuki for now or make a wild stab with Provost or Britt, the discord is an indication that things are certainly not well on The Front Range.

[Borealis]

July Start Not Pretty for Provost
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

July 14, 2036: Manchester, New Hampshire – I've never been to Manchester, much less New Hampshire - although that would be a lie. I did take my daughter on a college tour to Dartmouth many a year ago. Quaint as I recall it and I expected much the same from Manchester: small, densely forested, people homey and friendly. That pretty much sums it up, though Manchester seemed a bit larger.

Aurora, of course has never played in Manchester before, so coming here to cover the All-Star Game at Whiten Field was a treat for this aging writer, and the old lady of a ball park shone brightly on the night we honored the PEBA and it's stars. Aurora had three participants in this year's game - CF Angel Silva got a starting job, SS Jose Aleman made his second appearance in two seasons, and Ryan Tate also made his second appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic.

Now should you think I were stalling, hesitating to get to the meat and potatoes of this blog, I'm afraid you have caught me red-handed. Covering the Borealis this year has become a massive challenge for Ray D. Enzé, and the first 12-games of July - and the first 12-games of the Michel Provost Era, have been ugly. The club who began July 2-games out of 1st in the Desert Hills and 3.5-games behind Niihama-shi - Niihama-shi - for the last wild card, somehow managed to gain a game on first but fall to 7-games out of the wild card - and frankly that is the greater concern than Reno's brief tumble that may be leaving Aurora fans with a very false sense of security.

During the stretch, Aurora lost a pair to Crystal Lake to begin the month - including a 7-6, 10-inning loss that had Aurora ahead 5-2 after 5, only to see the 'Gnats score 2 in the 9th to tie and 2 in the 10th - Twia with the blown save and Icharia getting the loss. Aurora tried to get back in the bottom of the 10th, with four singles leading to just a run as Raul Munoz put the damper in the inning with a double play ball.

Aurora would have that 'tease the fans' moment as the headed off to Great Lakes leading Duluth and take the first tow games of the series - a 4-3 win in 10-innings and a 6-1 win behind Man Sim who nearly made it through 7-innings allowing 7-hits and just a run. All-Star Ryan Tate gave up a hit and a pair of walks over a scoreless 2, with Gutierrez getting the last out of the game. The games saw Stewart Arundale, David Simmons and Francisco Montoya all with a pari of doubles to lead the Aurora offense. Brian Clark left game 3 with a 2-1 lead, but Richard Neely - who, frankly is looking more and more to be in his last year in Aurora Blue, gave up a 2-out, 3-run homer in the 7th to take home the sweep averting 4-2 win.

Aurora would return home for 4 against Neo-Tokyo who, despite their 4th place standing in their division, were a half game better than Aurora's 41-40 mark. Henry Cluett's perplexing season would continue as he pitched 7.1 IP and allowed just 3-hits - and yet he was a loser heading into the 9th, thanks to a pair of solo homers allowed to All-Star Joe Riley and Gustavo Lopez. Aurora would strike back with de la Cruz singling and Arundale with another double - then with 2-out, Simmons singled them both home with the winning runs - a 3-2 victory for 'Machete', his third on the year. Aurora had no chance in game 2 as Armando Batista surprised no one, lasting just 2.2-innings and allowing 6-runs. Three runs in the 8th - four singles and a double doing the trick, but they were already too far behind, and it would finish a 7-4 loss with Batista's record falling to 5-7. Game 3 saw Ramon Gonzales continue to show improvement, pitching to 1-out in the 8th and allowing a run on 4 H with 7 K, while Chris Morales would allow 5 R on 4 H and 5 BB in 5.2 IP. The Akira scored in 6 of the 9 innings on way to a 7-2 split earning win, while Colin Hopp stifled Aurora as he scattered 9 H in his nearly 8 IP. It was a frustrating day as 'Litterbug' was 4-4 with his 20th double, raising his average to .344.

Aurora would lift off to Japan for the final series of the first half, facing Toyama for the third time of the year - losing 4 of 6 - and that trend would continue as Aurora would lose the series 1-2. Brian Clark would surrender homers to Maeda and Harada in the second - and five runs overall for Slug, who would pick up his 5th loss (against 7 wins) and see his ERA rise to 3.01. Daniel Hernandez was too strong on this day, holding Aurora to just a run in what would end up a 7-1 win for the Win-D's. Three big innings for the Borealis in game 2 brought the series even as G-Rod and 'Matchbox' homered in the first and 'Otter' in the 6th (a 3-run jolt). Aurora's early outburst was nearly swept away, but a 6-run 6th and 3-run 7th gave Aurora a 13-5 win. The Borealis would through a late, furious rally at The Emperor late - taking a 5-0 Toyama lead to a 5-4 tight finish. Tony Munoz led the 8th off with a solo homer and Raul Munoz'2-run double and subsequent run would tighten the game, but Scottie Shorland would slam the door on any thought of a 9th inning rally - giving the Win-D's the 5-4 win, 2-1 series in and 6-3 season series win against Aurora.

A 5-7 start to July and to Provost's managing career was not how it was drawn up on the board, but this year has been anything but 'how you draw it up'. Provost is here to stay - and presumably for the long haul, but what other changes can we expect - be it roster moves at the trade deadline that is just a tad over two weeks away, of be it other coaching shake-ups. Time will tell.

What's on Tap
The Ghosts come to Northern Lights looking to take their ghostly swagger and cement their lead in the wild card, followed by four games at Crystal Lake, another single series flight to Japan to face Okinawa and then four in the desert portion of the Desert Hills with the Yuma Beings.

[Borealis]

Turn For Worst? Really??
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

July 25, 2036: Okinawa, Japan – For a year that started so strongly, just imagine if April looked like July. We are used to seeing plenty of clubs reach 5-games below .500, but the Borealis? Never - and yet, on this day, that is where we find the Aurora Borealis, 45-50 - somehow miraculously in 2nd place (how bad is the Desert Hills?), and 10.5 games behind Niihama-shi for the 2nd wild card. That's how ugly things have become. Could Aurora still make a run? Sure, with 67 games left, a game every 10 games in the standings would do it - that's reasonable, right? And with the likes of Yuma (10), Okinawa (6), Bakersfield - who have equally underperformed and with 11-games on the late season schedule with Aurora, Tempe (12), three with Palm Springs, and most importantly 7 left with Reno - including the season ending series - and on paper this should be a coast to the finish line - in a good way. But this year, the way things have gone, this could be a coast in a very horrid way.

For example, this past week. Aurora hosted the aforementioned Ghosts, who are having a break out year with their young talent having percolated to the majors, sending a clear message to the Borealis, the Rising Sun and the rest of the Sovereign League - we are here and we are here for the long haul. Aurora would take a 4-0 lead in game 1 behind Ramon Gonzales - who was cruising along before he tried to field a come-backer with his pitching hand, bruised it and came out of the game. Neely, Gutierrez and Twia followed and they were torched for 6 in the 8th to put the game away and 3 more in the 9th for S & G, coasting to a 9-0 win. Rookie John MacVurich was 5-5 with a double and homer in this one as the Ghosts ended up with 13-hits - 8 over the last two innings that included three home runs - MacVurich's, and two from Gilberto Fernandez - including a grand slam (and a 2-run homer).

Young Fernando Valdez came out in game 2 and showed that the Ghosts also have ample pitching, holding Aurora to 6 H and no runs, striking out 7 in an 8-0 blowout in which Man Sim didn't finish the 3rd. Jin-song Zambrano had two homers off Sim before he departed and was 3-3 with 5 RBI. MacVurich touched 'Slug' for a homer in the first of game 3, but behind back-to-back leadoff triples in the bottom of the first by Silva and Aleman that would give Aurora a brief lead, Aurora couldn't keep the Ghosts from scoring.

Things would not improve as the Borealis traveled to Crystal Lake. The 'Gnats, who took 2 of 3 as June turned to July and this time around they took 3 of 4 - all three wins of the 1-run variety, leaving Aurora with a 13-18 record in 1-run games - and there's a point of interest as typically it would be minimally reversed. Instead, twice Aurora took a 2-run lead in game 1 and twice Henry Cluett gave the lead away as he allowed 5-runs and 3 walks and 8-hits. 32-year old Ishii, the long-time Shisa out-dueled Batista in game 2 as the 'Gnats scored a 1st inning run and that was the day's offense. Batista pitched into the 8th, Ishii going a full 8-innings, with Kyle Weaver earning his 16th save in Aurora's 3rd straight 1-run loss.

Richard Neely saved some face with 5.2-innings of 4-hit ball in game 3, and the Aurora offense awoke with 14-hits and 9-runs - and symptomatic of the season, just two XBH - a Montoya double and 'Matchbox's 11th homer of the year (also a symptomatic problem on this seemingly lost year). Hernandez would have three hits - as did G-Rod - boosting his average to .360. That would be it for the wins. Man Sim would face 'Nitro' in game 4 - and may I take a moment and ask, When did Jim MacCowan turn 36? Crystal Lake would take a 2-0 lead that Claudio Hernandez wiped out with his 12th homer, only for Man Sim to give up a game winning homer in the 5th to Tony Torres, his 5th.

Roster Moves
Despite the poor play, Aurora showed they weren't quite ready to mail in the season as they traded $5M to Palm Springs in exchange for their closer Rudy Howard. The 27-year old Howard was a 3rd round pick in 2027 for the Codgers and is in his 5th full season in the majors. He was 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA and 18 saves for the year, and overall with Palm Springs he is 18-14 with 53 saves, a 2.52 ERA, with 264 K, 81 BB and 29 HR in 264 IP.

The 'pen has been a shaky point - despite it's higher rating than the starters, so Howard has the advantage of providing further depth - and more importantly is still under team control. as he is arbitration eligible for the next two seasons.

To make room, Aurora had to make the difficult decision of demoting Paul de Kook, who wasn't pitching so poorly - 1-1, a save and 3.64 ERA, but with a WHIP that had moved northward four the third straight season - but more critically, he had an option while other candidates - Morales and Uige in particular, did not. de Kook will be recalled by September 1 at the latest.

What's on Tap
As we move to the Trade Deadline, Aurora heads to Okinawa for three and Yuma for 4. August begins with Aurora back at Northern Lights with three against Tempe and then a home-and-home series of 6-games with Bakersfield, with the opening set on The Front Range.

If the acquisition of Howard is any indication, we may still see some moves by the Borealis - indicating that they are not waving the white flag quite yet.

[Borealis]

Fortunes Turn at Deadline; A Sign?
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

July 31, 2036: Yuma, Arizona – Following a 1-6 week, Aurora made it all back - almost, with a much more inspired bit of play, taking 5 of 7 from Okinawa and Yuma, and finishing July 50-52 - though 8.5 GB of Reno as the Zephyrs are blowing hard across the Desert Hills landscape with a 13-game winning streak. They did pick up a game on the Ghosts and the last wild card, but with 60-games left, time is starting to make a comeback unlikely - at least it's just Reno ahead of them in the Desert Hills - in the wild card they are looking up at Neo-Tokyo (+1), Fargo (+2.5) and Kzoo (+3.5) - not insurmountable there, but it's still a haul to catch the Ghosts - or the Zephyrs.

In taking 2 of 3 from Okinawa, Aurora had to overcome a 3-run lead in the 1st inning of game 1 as Pablo Garza hit a 3-run homer off Brian Clark, but the Borealis posted a 6-spot in the with 5-singles and an Arundale double as the team ended up coasting to an 8-4 win. David Simmons (with the double) also homered in this one as Clark picked up his 8th win. Shou Saitou would shut that offensive explosion down in game 2, allowing just 4-hits and striking out 6 in a complete-game shut-out for his 10th win. Cluett continued his season long struggles - giving up 8 H and 5 R over 4.1 IP - including 4 - es, that is not a typo, 4 HR - two of them to Pablo Garza, while Pablo Ortiz also had a two homer day as Okinawa hit 5 on the day. The teams played a crisp game in the rubber match - an Aurora 3-2 win that snapped the 1-run losing streak. Despite getting 12 hits, the Borealis score three (to take a 3-0 lead) thanks to a G-Rod double and Munoz RBI single in the 4th and a double by Madore, triple from Silva and a single from Arundale in the 5th. Okinawa got solo homers from Clarence Carpenter and Kyoichi Nagata in the 6th and 7th off Batista, but that would be all Okinawa could manage (or Aurora) - with 'Chattahoochee' Fujii and 'Hyena' closing the door - with Twia earning his 7th save. Armando Batista's record improved to 6-9.

The trip to Yuma proved adventurous, as Aurora had o score two in the 9th of game 1 to take a second consecutive 3-2 win. Gonzales allowed a pair of runs over 4.2 IP, but Uige (somehow) Fujii, Gutierrez and Twia would shut the door on the Arroyos. In the 9th, Jose Aleman hit a 2-run homer - his 7th, to earn the win. In game 2 - and in a sign of things to come(?), Ryan Tate made the start and he nearly completed 8 IP, and allowed 8 H and 3 R, striking out 4 - more importantly, walking none, while Aurora pieced together 5-runs off 14-hits. In this one, Rudy Howard made his Aurora debut and he got a 4-out save - striking out all four hitters. For Tate it was his 6th win (against 1 defeat) - the other five coming in relief. Young Man Sun would shut the Borealis down on 2-hits, striking out 8 - allowing just an unearned run, in game 3 while his teammates put enough hits together to plate 4-runs for a 4-1 win. Aurora would end July with 6-2 win that featured homers from Raul Munoz (3) and David Simmons (10), along with Jose Aleman's 9th triple and 34 double. Man Sim took the win in relief, with Gutierrez earning his 15th save.

Aurora ends July in a weird spot - their .280 average as a team is second best in the SL - but they are 10th in OBP and 11th in SLG. They're 15th in HR (hence the SLG) and last in walks (hence the OBP). Oddly, despite appearances, the Bullpen ERA of 3.01 is 1st in the SL while the starters are 12th with an ugly 4.44. They don't give up many hits (.257 is 3rd best), nor walk many (272 is 2nd best), and they've allowed the 5th fewest runs. So why is Aurora in this spot? They've scored 447 runs, the 11th fewest in the SL - and you can point the finger at those two stats mentioned already - walks and homers. Inch either of those numbers up a bit and that .280 average would be far more productive. Where that change will come from is the big question.

Down on the Farm
It's worth noting the efforts of Aurora's lowest minor league affiliates. Mokule'ia, whom we are used to playing well and being competitive in the Hawaiian League - and a Playoff team the past 4-seasons and 9 of the past 11, are currently tied for first with their long-time nemesis, Ewa Beach (FLA), tied for the 3rd best record in the HL at 36-23. The Oceanic are led by Masamichi Daikawa (.322) and Fernando Rodriguez (.316), with Shigekazu Sugimoto having 9 HR. Felix Rosa, an international scouting discovery, is following up last years 11 outing, 2.84 ERA over 19 IP as a reliever with 10 GS, a 6-0 record and a 1.86 ERA.

Down in the Paradise League, Montserrat is having their best season since the inception of the Rookie IBC, are 28-14, and in second behind Aruba, 4 GB - and 7-games ahead of Santto Domingo (SS), Charlotte Amalie (YUM) and Puerto Pacos (AMS). The Mystique are led by 2036 draftee, Mark Newton (3rd round) who is hitting .340 with 8 HR, catcher and 2nd round draftee Karsten Koertig (.279, 8 HR) and Declan Ingall, who came in trade with Yuma prior to last year, and he's hitting .331 with 11 HR. Also 2nd round draftees Leo Gerber and Dae-hyun Pak are performing well (4.75 and 3.29, 4-2, respectively) and Peter Linwood, a 15th round pick two seasons ao, is 4-2 with a 3.35 ERA. Closer Vince Raynor, a 2nd round pick last year has 9 saves and a 2.31 ERA.

What's on Tap
The trade deadline and Tempe as Aurora returns home for three with the Knights and three with the Bears, before heading to the Central Valley for a follow-up three with Bakersfield. 9 of the 15 games following the Tempe series will be with the Bears - potentially creating a situation where one of the two will get totally buried in the Desert hills behind the Hot Winds of Reno.

More intriguing will be to see if Aurora follows up their acquisition of Rudy Howard with another trade or two. There's been little indication from the front office - even after the Howard trade, so we all are in the dark on this.

[Borealis]

Borealis Not Waving White Flag Yet
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

August 1, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – As the trade deadline came to a close, the Aurora Borealis - 8-games back in the division and even further in the wild card, refused to wave the white flag and mail the rest of the season in by striking a deal with the Kentucky Thoroughbreds - not your typical trade partner for the Borealis, bringing 2B Ruben Ortega to The Front Range in exchange for INF Miguel Moran, who was at Montserrat, and a 4th round pick.

Ortega was a 7th round selection by Kentucky in 2028 and took 5-years to make it to the majors. Over his career with the T-breds he hit .259 with 31 HR and 202 SB. This year he was hitting .270 with 5 HR and 20 SB. He's an above average fielder, though he lacks a strong arm. He also is capable of playing around the diamond.

Aurora hopes that Ortega will bring to the lineup a little more pop than they were getting from Ed Madore and Juan Rodriguez - one of which will no doubt hit the waiver wire. Ortega will be arbitration eligible the next two seasons, so Aurora will have him around for the near term.

Moran was an international free agent signed in 2033, who was getting his first experience this year, and was hitting .406 with 3-2B and a homer. His primary positions are at the corners.

[Borealis]

Borealis Not Waving White Flag Yet
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

September 1, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – There's a lesson to be learned that should have already been cemented in ones mind - don't fall behind the 8-ball - doing so leaves your fate up to chance, and as of roster expansion day, that is exactly what has happened to the Borealis. As late as July 9, the Aurora Borealis were in first place. Come the All-Star Break they were just a game out of first place, but by the time the books closed on July the Borealis found themselves 9.5 games out of first place and 2-games below .500. Losing 5 in a row and 7 of 9 to start the second half (a common theme it feels like of late), Aurora went Searching for 8 Ball - and despite winning 4 of the month's last 5-games, Aurora had posted a poor 11-15 record for the month. During that same post-All Star stretch, Reno went undefeated - 13-wins to close out the month (and a 14th to start August) - burying the Borealis.

Why was the lesson so concerning? Aurora played improved ball in August - 17-11 in a Desert Hills-laden schedule that saw them win 2 of 3 series against Bakersfield, winning all three series with Tempe, beating Yuma and splitting a 4-game set with Reno to end the month. The lone blip on the schedule was losing a series to Madison, taking just 1-game. And yet, that strong play was not good enough - particularly needing to take it to Reno, who actually still managed to pick up ground - even if just a half game, with an 18-11 August.

There were chances for Aurora to gain ground. A 10-inning loss to begin the month - blowing a 3-0 lead, with Twia allowing a walk and a 2-out triple in the 10th for the loss. Bakersfield's Derrick Harvey shut out Aurora on 8-hits gave the Bears a win - thanks to a solo homer by Shane George off Cluett for the one run. Rudy Howard allowed a pair of unearned runs in the 7th of a loss v. Madison. Uncharacteristically Brian Clark allowed 5-runs to Yuma in a first inning he did not even finish - as Aurora lost 5-3. Armando Batista pulled a similar move, allowing 3-, 1st inning runs in a 3-1 loss to Reno as Martin Brown (of all people) baffled the Borealis. Lastly, Ryan Tate coughed up an early 3-0 lead - in part due to back-to-back homers by Inman and Boyer.

Sure, Aurora had their moments - like a 5-run rally to beat Tempe 6-5, or Angel Silva's 2-out 10th inning RBI single for a 1-0 win against the Knights. Then there was sweeping Bakersfield in the season's last series between the clubs that upped the gap between them to 5.5 games and bury them 14.5 games behind Reno (while staying 9-games off the pace themselves), finishing the year 12-6 against Bakersfield. Lastly there was the crazy 4-run 9th inning rally at Reno to tie the game - a double and five singles doing the trick, then scoring 2-runs in the 11th, only to survive walking the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th for the win.

All in all, it was an offensive month for Aurora as they averaged 5.17 RPG and the pitching staff posting a 3.01 ERA. 2nd-year shortstop Jose Aleman led the way with a .392 average for the month, with 10-2B, 4 HR, 20 R and 15 RBI. Rookie 3B David Simmons hot .347 with 5 HR and 19 RBI and scored 18 runs, and Gabe Rodriguez - who has been having his most solid season, hit .340 with 16-2B, 3 HR and 14 RBI. Claudio Hernandez finished the month with a .289 average, but hit a leading 7 HR, with 18 RBI. The recently traded for Ruben Ortega hit just .250 with a pair of HR and just 8 RBI - here's hoping for a better September.

Ramon Gonzales seemed to find his groove after a very slow start, finishing 2-0 with a 2.94 ERA in six starts, and despite a couple of difficult outings, Ryan Tate managed a 2.97 ERA for his six starts and 1-2 record. 'Haggis' Uige still continues to have a bounce back year, allowing just an earned run (a homer) in his 12.2 IP, while 'Machete', despite 7 H and 5 BB in 11 IP, posted a 0.00 ERA.

What's on Tap
Well, aside from excitement in the Caribbean and out in the Pacific, with Montserrat and Mokule'ia both vying for playoff spots and division crowns - both would be a first for Aurora's Rookie League club, the last month of the season (plus 5-October games) is filled with enough pot holes to make Aurora's post-season hopes look dismal, much less the division. Not only are they 9-games behind Reno, they are 8-games behind Niihama-shi for the 2nd wild card.

September begins with Tempe and Yuma, but Fargo, Kalamazoo, Niihama-shi and Reno are all on the schedule as well - as is a tough Okinawa club and Palm Springs - both who've provided Aurora with a fair number of headaches.

While a wild run to the finish is not likely in the cards, watching some youngsters get some experience may have to be enough - particularly as the young 'Lanza' and 'Werewolf' - Victorio Guerra and Toshikuni Kichida drive down the freeway to join the club.

[Borealis]

Slug Signs 2-Year Extension
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

November 17, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – Aurora has always had a high focus on pitching, and that has served them well - even when a lack of power threatens the team's success. Today the press met at Northern Lights Park as Aurora GM Will Topham announced a contract signing that should make fans happy - even if no home runs are filling Aurora's offensive box scores.

"We have been meeting with counsel for Brian Clark since the season came to a close for us," Topham began "and I am pleased to announce that we have avoided arbitration by agreeing to terms over a two-year extension that keeps Brian with us through his arbitration years." Clark avoided the start of his arbitration period by first signing a $10.75M extension in 2034 and then a 2-year deal during the 2035 offseason that pays him $27.25M dollars - that included $15M for the upcoming 2037 season.

'Slug, who was the Borealis' 2nd round pick in 2027 - the 76th overall selection, was thrilled to sign the extension that followed his 2037 salary with $18M for 2038 and another $18M for 2039 - though that year is in team control. "I grew up an Aurora fan - despite all my friends back home (Brookline, Maine) being Gloucester and Manchester fans. Aurora always had dynamic pitchers that I tried to emulate - Kojima, 'Quagmire', 'Sawmill' and Tillman - especially the 'Tillerman'. He was left-handed, like me. Having a chance to be part of the Aurora pitching legacy is a dream."

The $18M for 2038 will be the second most on the team (at this time) - second to the $21.5M Ramon Gonzales is racking in. Between Clark, Gonzales, Cluett ($13M) and Batista (more about him to come), the top four in the rotation will come in at least at $56M and change.

Batista is the wild card in all this, as he has two more arbitration years and both Armando and the ball club have been unable to see eye-to-eye on an extension. The rumor is the Cuban right-hander is asking for a long-term, 6-year contract with what an unnamed source called 'an unrealistic ask'. OSA financial experts put Batista's arbitration number at $3.2M - a figure that feel's really low - followed by an equally low $4.2M estimate next season. When questioned about Batista, Topham's response was "We want to pay Armando his due - he's just being unrealistic with his ask (reportedly 6-years). If he played by our financial expectations, he'd have a deal already - and not having to settle for a low-ball arbitration figure."

Batista was contacted for a comment and he failed to respond to inquiries.

Clark, like the majority of Aurora's arms, struggled this year, finished with an ERA over 3.00 for the first time in his career (3.47) - including seeing a jump in walks - that increased his WHIP over 1.00 for the first time since his rookie year (1.01). Over the past five seasons 'Slug' is 63-38, with a 2.50 ERA, with 734 K in 857 IP and a 0.95 WHIP.

[Borealis]

Contract News on Eve of the Winter Meetings
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

December 14, 2036: Aurora, Colorado – The pre-Winter Meeting window is typically a busy time for contractual stuff, and this season is no different.

Arbitration
Aurora was faced with just one arbitration case this season - the stubborn Armando Batista, who reportedly has balked numerous times at the teams efforts to sign him for a longer than 1-year deal. The Cuban left-hander was left holding his offer of $4.2M while the arbiter was impressed by the ball club's $3.7M offer. The key sticking point between club and pitcher was the significant bump in Batista's ERA (up from 2.39 last year to 4.04 this), as well as a .4 increase in WHIP - and balls in play seeming to find the outfield grass with more frequency. To be fair, the drop in defensive effectiveness at 3B with the arrival of Davis Simmons may be a contributing factor.

Team Options
Aurora held options for four players: Stewart Arundale, Claudio Hernandez, Francisco Montoya and Richard Neely. For 'Litterbug', 'Matchbox' and Montoya it was a payday as the club picked up their contract options for 2037 - Hernandez picking up the biggest share of the salary base - $18M, and he has an $18M team option for next year as well. Francisco, who also has a team option for 2038, will make $11.5M as primary backups for Aleman and Munoz, and will play short on days Aleman lineup up at second. And, as a theme, Arundale has an option on his $2.8M deal for next year as well.

Not having his contract picked up was Richard Neely, who was bought out for $1.7M on his $17M salary. And yet...

Qualifying Offers
Neely finds himself back with the club, as Aurora made him a QO, with the hope he'd sign elsewhere and the club would reap the benefit of compensation, but the pitcher who spent the later part of the season complaining in the media about his playing time, shocked the club by excepting the $15.1M offer and he will be back for 2037. What Richard's role may be is TBD - whether he starts or pitch in relief, it seems Aurora believes that Victorio Guerra is ready for prime time, which will certainly cut into Neely's swingman role - a job he will be competing with Man Sim for innings and starts. Of course, there's always the possibility of a trade...

Extensions
Two key players signed extensions for next season. SS Jose Aleman, who would have been looking at arbitration after this coming season signed a 1-year deal for $7M - a number that may very well have matched his potential arbitration figure if he played to the potential shown in his rookie and sophomore seasons. Munoz' deal - worth $14.2M also fends off his last arbitration year and set's the club with the prospect that their sweet-swinging 1B will become a free agent in 2039.

[Borealis]

Small Winter Move Ships Neely, de Kook Packing
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

December 25, 2036: Asheville, North Carolina – During a mostly quiet Winter Meetings that saw one rival get stronger (Tempe) and another weakened (Fargo) through the trading of ace SP Owen Barse to the newly branded Tempe Apollos, Aurora did manage to make a splash - moving some 'deadwood', so to speak, and pick up some future value.

Aurora turned to a familiar trade partner, of late, Okinawa, and traded the malcontent Richard Neely, reliever Paul de Kook, AAA 1B Taizo Fujii and $6.9M in cash (about half of Neely''s salary) to the Shisa in exchange for pitcher Elek Klim, Rookie League 1B Juan Carlos Sanches and Okinawa's 3rd round pick in next years draft.

Neely, who came to Aurora in a 2029 trade deadline trade with San Antonio (that included 2B Bob Pinksen, RP Theo Holder and CF Mario Flores), had worn out his welcome with a mixture of ill-timed long balls and ill-mannered behavior. Aurora declined the team option for over $17M on his contract in 2037 - offering him a qualifying offer, thinking his public complaints about his playing time, role on the team, and clubhouse dynamics would cause him to decline the offer. Instead, he accepted - setting off GM Will Topham in a tirade only his secretary was reportedly subjected to. It took little time for the Aurora GM to shop the disgruntled, yet greedy 33-year old swingman.

de Kook was a Rule 5 acquisition and then traded for piece of the bullpen who was mostly reliable. Moving Paul was more a numbers game then bad performance or cost - with the arrival of Abay Icharia and Toshikuni 'Werewolf' Kichida as viable members of the 'pen, at least one reliever needed to go. It was de Kook's number that came up.

Fujii, ironically, came to Aurora in a trade for 1B Jose Torres, whose candle flamed out much sooner than his 1st round draft choice status would suggest. Fujii showed some prowess with the bat - hitting .343 in his first pro season at Montserrat, then .302 last year at SLRC and an even .300 this year at Thornton. With Aurora set at first for at least another 2-3 seasons, Fujii was stuck at Thornton - coupled with the emergence of 2036 3rd round pick Mark Newton (who hit .329 with the Mystique this summer) and the newly signed international free agent Xavier Toro, out of Mexico (geneologist are tracking down his relationship to both Juan Toro's formally of Aurora) - who will begin his pro career with the Rapidos Blancos; not to mention the newly acquired Juan Carlos of this trade - Fujii was sure to be stuck in the minors and passed up on the depth chart.

The acquisition of Elek Klim was more favor to Aurora's Japanese rivals than anything else. The 32-year old reliever had some nice seasons with The Evil Evas during the early part of the decade, but was a mixed bag in Okinawa. It's 50-50 he see's the spring training site in Grand Junction.

The real prize, aside from a 3rd round pick - estimated to be around 85-90th overall, is 19-year old Juan Carlos Sanchez. He was the 39th overall selection in 2035 and in two seasons at Wagga Wagga hit .308 with 31 HR and 113 RBI. He also stole 24 bases in 31 attempts. The big knock on Juan Carlos is a lack of range and real slow footwork when it comes to turning the double play - both things that can be worked on during his time with the Borealis. The other benefit - and reason to get working on his defensive skills, is he is also an option at 3B - not a great option, but again, something to work on with the aforementioned Newton and Toro in a similar age bracket.

Today's move is a sound one with great upside and opens the door for a free agent signing of a trade for a more salaried player.

[Borealis]

Winter Fades With Extensions The Theme
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

February 9, 2037: Aurora, Colorado – Not a free agent signing. Not one. If you had been expecting the Borealis to dive into a free agent pool of primarily 30-something, over-priced behemoths, well, you'll be disappointed.

After turning but one trade thus far this offseason - the del with Okinawa that sent primarily Richard Neely and Paul de Kook to Okinawa in exchange for a hot minor league prospect and a 3rd round pick, it's been quiet days on The Front Range - with fans left watching '2001: A Yellowstone Story' and dreaming of a shake-up. Instead they watched the likes of Jason Box heading to Arlington and Clarence Carpenter off to Neo-Tokyo; Noberto Escamilla signing with Tempe (who have made an effort to look stronger this season) and Pat 'The Glass is Jaw' Watson heading east to Duluth; Pat Barry putting on a kilt and Manual Gonzales joining Watson with the Warriors. And those are just a sample of the moves this winter. And yet - the Borealis seem - and believe, they are a better club with what they have - despite how many HR Pat Watson may in in however few games he may play in 2037. In other words, Aurora GM Will Topham scanned the field and said 'Hard Pass.' - and frankly, it's hard to blame him.

Instead, the Boy Wonder GM looked inward, and thought "We had a bad month we could not overcome." a comment he made to the press yesterday as he announced Ryan Tate has signed an extension for 2038 at $3M, taking him to free agency. "We actually were even with Reno the whole season if you remove that bad stint. This is mostly the same club that won the division three straight years. There is no reason to believe they won't this year."

Well, except for age, trends, and that little annoyance called 'lack of power'.

Over the past two days Aurora has signed seven key cogs to extensions. Most have been 1-year deals for 2038, while two were of the 2-year variety, and one - for Stewart Arundale, was a three year deal which made his 2038 team option guaranteed and taking him through the 2041 season and is worth $8.4M - if Aurora picks up the two team options that contract holds. 'Litterbug' hit .297 last year, with 33-2B and has been a reliable player in the dugout for Aurora.

Pedro de la Cruz, who is in his last season at the League minimum, signed a two-year deal for a total $2.5M, taking him into his last arbitration year for 2040. Pedro had a break-out year - of sorts, hitting .284 last year - though his home run total remained the same. Where the. improvement was really seen was behind the plate - where he made fewer errors and threw out 37% of would be base stealers - nearly double his 2035 number. Also signing a two-year deal was Gabe Rodriguez, who in signing his second 2-year contract will have taken his first FA season off the table. He will earn $5.8M for each of those two years of his deal. G-Rod finally had the season that matched his rookie one for average - hitting .332, with 46=2B and 57 RBI, while hitting 9 HR for the third time in four seasons.

'Hyena' - Yellel Twia, had a rough 2036 season, but the club still holds out hope that he will return to his dominant form of the previous three seasons - where his 51 saves in 2034 lead the League. Last year he posted a 4.76 ERA while plagued with some nagging injuries - and watched his WHIP balloon to 1.27. Aurora has put $6.5M on the line for next season that he will turn it around.. Bullpen mate, Orinosuke 'Chattahoochee' Fujii continued to be a consistent mainstay in the 'pen for Aurora - and averaged 11.5 K/9. His 1-year extension for 2038 will be for $1.8M. Speedster and all-around infield whizz, Juan Rodriguez will see a modest pay increase of $100K over this seasons $1M salary. JR's value is more from the defensive versatility side of the coin - though I'm certain Aurora wide he brought more to the table.

Ryan Tate's extension is an interesting one. His $3M deal for next year will bring him to free agency - at a time where his role is still being figured out. A starter through the minors, he began in the 'pen for Aurora - quickly became closer for half a season - and made the All-Star game in that role, then lost the job - then missed most of 2035, then split time between relieving and starting last year - where he had 12 on the year, finishing with a 2.56 ERA, allowing just 7 HR in 113 IP, with 75 K and 22 BB. With Neely traded away to Japan, Tate is in a position to compete for a starting job this spring - his main competition being rookie Victorio Guerra - or perhaps Man Sim.

Conspicuously missing from the extension parade is Armando Batista, whom Will Topham has describe negotiations as 'difficult'. and for the third time since the start of last season, Armando has broken off negotiations.

[Borealis]

'Sukoshi Netsu' Dealt to Relieve 'Pen Log Jam
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

February 19, 2037: Aurora, Colorado – It seems like forever ago (actually April of 2028) when the Borealis sent one-time #1 pick Roberto 'Fudd' Martinez off to Toyama in exchange for a pair of young pitchers and a young ML outfielder. While Martinez would perform well for the Wind Dancers and subsequently the Coqui of San Juan, he never really met the expectations that Aurora had on that draft day back in 2023.

Meanwhile, those young arms were Henry Cluett and Pedro Morales who both have gone on to be key cogs of Aurora's pitching staff.

Until now.

With a bloated 'pen - that became more so with the arrival of Elek Klim, Aurora announced this morning that they have traded Pedro Morales to the Kalamazoo Badgers in exchange for the Badgers 3rd round pick in the upcoming draft and 18-year old (to be 19 in May) SP Ricky Anderson.

Morales, who carries the mystical nickname 'Sukoshi Netsu', spent the past four seasons in Aurora's 'pen with good result - aside from a propensity to walk a batter or three. He has also seen his ERA rise over those years, from 2.07 as a rookie to 3.18 each of the past two seasons - not that that figure is necessarily bad. What was concerning - despite averaging over 10 K/9 was the walks - nearly 5 per 9 IP. Last season he allowed 50% of his inherited runners to score. Sift through the stats and search for the negatives, but that wasn't the real motivator for making the trade.

No. Aurora's real motivation was the arrival of two minor league relievers on The Front Range last season: 22-year old Abay Icharia (acquired in a trade with Arlington for a pair of minor league pitchers) and Toshikuni 'Werewolf' Kichida, who was a 3rd round pick for Aurora in 2034 and grades out as closer material - giving Aurora a plethora of that type of arm. Icharia made 11 appearances with Aurora last year (after 13 saves and 1.79 ERA with Thornton) and he struck out 19 and walk 6 in 16.2 IP. Kichida, who had 15 saves for the Sun Dogs and a 3.56 ERA, made 8 appearances with Aurora and allowed 4 ER over 10.2 IP.

Scouts' expectations are high for the pair and Aurora is set on their being part of the bullpen - a 'pen that is impacted by the unknown roles of Ryan Tate and Man Sim, as well as where SP Victorio 'Lanza' Guerra fits into the 2037 plans. Paul de Kook has already been jettisoned (to Okinawa, bringing a 3rd round pick as well as potential star 1B Juan Carlos Sanchez) as part of the bullpen shakeup.

This trade, as well as the Okinawa deal now gives Aurora three- third round picks - clustered in the middle of the round. They have also retained, thus far, their top two picks.

Ricky Anderson will be an interesting one to follow. He was a 9th round pick by Kalamazoo out of Mobile Christian High, where he was a four year starter, but suffered a torn UCL during his first start of the playoffs last year and missed the entirety of the playoffs. Aurora's medical staff expect him to miss another two months before he can begin rehab work - but they see no problem with him being ready to step into a potential rotation spot at Montserrat this summer. He was 10-16 with a 3.74 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. His fastball was topping out at 97-mph and mixes it up with a cutter, splitter and change.

[Borealis]

'Spring Brings No Roster Surprise, But Lost Jobs; Happy Rookies
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 7, 2037: Aurora, Colorado – We knew, for the most part, what the roster was going to look like - mostly. There wasn't a lot of competition for rosters spots - not really. But what we did learn over a spring that had Aurora 16-8 and atop the Desert Hills and posting one of the top records in all the PEBA (NII, SS and SCO were all 17-7) was there were some rookies who may be closer to the big leagues then first thought and that a few mainstays were pretty much out of a job.

Aurora had already jettisoned Pedro Morales, to Kalamazoo where he was quickly jettisoned to Grand Rapids (AAA) - leading to the question 'Why was he traded?' But it's been a weird time, as finding himself on the DFA/Waiver list was RP Elek Klim, whose spring mistake was allowing all of 3 H in 5.2 IP with an unblemished ERA. Joining him on that list is long-time starter-tuned swing man, Man Sim, who had a bad start against Kalamazoo (6 R allowed), but otherwise allowed 4 H, 2 R in 6.1 IP. That's $16M of salary following Man Sim to the waiver wire. Also hitting the waiver wire was. infielder Ed Madore - despite hitting .310. His status was probably determined by the acquisition of Ruben Ortega last season at the trade deadline - coupled with the age difference, the sudden flexibility Aurora has in the infield and the $11M owed this season to Francisco Montoya - who hit .458 this spring and is anticipating hitting the FA market in the offseason, what with a team option for next year.

For Aurora it will be decision time. Both Sim and Klim can refuse a demotion once their DFA time is up - which puts the Borealis in a bind: demote somebody or eat $17.9M in salary for the year. That's a sizable chunk that even Aurora may pause upon, and demotion seems unlikely. Fujii is the only one truly out of options, but the only real prospects of getting a demotion are the two rookies who Aurora seems set on keeping in the big league 'pen: Abay Icharia and 'Werewolf' Kichida. Abay had a couple of rough outings early in the spring, but allowed just a run of four hits over his last 6 IP. Kichida was nails over 8 IP - allowing just a run, while striking out 9. The Borealis will have a tough decision after week two of the season.

Otherwise, we can't say the starters necessarily looked very good. The expected starting rotation: Clark, Cluett, Batista, Gonzales and Guerra, had a combined 4.23 - and consider that the one who did look good, Gonzales, posted a 1.69 ERA. That's how bad Clark, Cluett and Batista were. Guerra was a somewhat respectable 3.94. To be clear, Aurora really doesn't have much option - especially if the bite the bullet and release Man Sim. They traded Neely, leaving Ryan Tate the lone option on the big league roster - and Aurora has no real option in the minors - though Carlos Colon did pitch in 8-spring games and allowed runs in just one outing. Martin Gutierrez and Akihiro Tada are the lone other 'best options' at AAA.

For the moment, the opening day pitching staff looks like this:

Starters: Clark, Cluett, Batista, Gonzales and Guerra
Middle Relief: Tate, Uige, and Icharia
Set-up: Kichida, Fujii Howard and Twia
Closer: Hector Gutierrez (and Twia and Howard)

Positionally, all eyes were on Masamichi Daikawa, the young outfielder who has spent two-years at Montserrat and last year at Mokule'ia. Aurora brought him up primarily because the scouts all agreed he was ready to step in. He was a cool 13-39, though he showed little power - just a couple of doubles and a triple. Nonetheless, his work suggests he's not far away, and as such, the plans to skip A Ball and begin the year at Gatineau were scrapped and he'll begin 2037 at Thornton. Also showing some promise for the outfield was Toshikazu Nishida, making his spring debut, and hitting .355. Like Daikawa, there was little punch to his bat - but then again, why should we be surprised. On the infield there was Manuel Pagan, who hit .480 and Fernando Rodriguez, who may have hit only .235 - but he spent the spring working out at 1B where coaches are rating him as 'more than serviceable'.

The offense as a whole was pretty much cooking with Stewart Arundale leading the way with a .488 average and Francisco Montoya hoping someone notices his .458 and sticks him in the line-up. Ruben Ortega (.308) and Claudio Hernandez (.241) each had 3 HR to lead the club, while Jose Aleman - who spent the spring learning 3B as easily as he learned 2B last spring, hit .378 with a team leading 13 RBI. It's with noting that Aleman was second on the club in RBI last year, suggesting the club should move him out of the 1 or 2 hole and take advantage of his clutch bat in another spot - perhaps #3? He did lead the team in SLG last year and was second his rookie year - and was 2nd this spring with 11-2B a triple and 2 HR.

Struggling and in jeopardy of losing a job after high hopes two seasons ago is Tony Munoz, who was a miserable .147 this spring. G-Rod only hit .200, but he's been a notoriously slow starter and is coming off his best season in his four-year career. Also coming off a career year and having a fine spring, was Pedro de la Cruz, who had a .310 spring. His back-up, Lan-quing Qing, not so much - .172. Perhaps the most surprising spring result was Angel Silva - one of PEBA's bright young stars, hit only .141 with a team leading 13 K. He's not in jeopardy of losing his job, but numbers like that still cause one to pause.

With that all said, the lone 'surprise' to the Opening Day roster is the placing of Ed Madore on DFA - despite hitting .310. With Juan Rodriguez being Ed's offensive equal and a far better and more versatile defender, the decision was mostly an easy one - if not still difficult. Madore, who was a reclamation project, dragged from the heap of mediocre FAs in '32, he had been a solid contributor over the last 5-seasons. He was a fan favorite for his hustle on the field. I'd think the Organization is secretly hoping he makes it through waivers.

Catcher: de la Cruz and Qing
Infield: R. Munoz, Ortega, Aleman and Simmons
Outfield: Arundale, Silva and Rodriguez
DH: Hernandez
Bench: Rodriguez and Montoya; T. Munoz

What's on Tap
Opening Day! Yuma (10-14 on the spring) visits Northern Lights to start the 2037 season. The Yumans will have already played a pair of games (v. Bakersfield) before heading the The Front Range. Rookie Rule 5 selection Roberto Hernandez is slated to start for Yuma against Brian Clark. Hernandez made three spring starts and threw 17-innings and allowed 4-runs, and he has all the look of a blunder on Manchester's part, while good luck for the Arroyos.

[Borealis]

Quick Start, Now Test Uno
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 19, 2037: Somewhere over the Pacific – For the Borealis, there's little to be upset about as the 2037 season begins to unfold. Two game sweep of the Yumans? Check. A series win over Tempe followed by a three game sweep of Bakersfield? Check. Perhaps losing a series to Tempe at Northern Lights to bring that early season series tied 3-3 as the club rushed to the airport to make their flight to Japan on time. Perhaps. The freshly branded Apollos weren't going to stink forever, and they were somewhat of a thorn in the side during last seasons disaster.

It certainly wasn't the 8-1 start out of the gate, nor the 1st place standing, two games better in the loss column than Tempe. Those are definitely in the plus column.

Aurora finished off their two game set with the Arroyos as Henry Cluett was outstanding with 7-, 2-hit innings for a 6-0 win. Aleman, Raul Munoz, and Simmons each had two hits as everyone in the lineup had a hit on this day - including 'Matchbox's first homer of the season in a 4-run 6th that sealed the game. Aurora would follow the Arroyos south to the desert, stopping in Tempe, where Armando Batista matched Cluett's outing and upped him an inning, with 8-shutout innings in a 3-1 win for the Borealis. 'Machete' would earn his second save on the year despite surrendering a run. Angel Silva was the offensive star of the game. After a horrid spring, 'Otter' was 3-4, leading the game off with a single and scoring the games first run.

Game 2 of the Tempe series was a frustrating one - especially for Rookie Victorio Guerra. Tempe jumped out to a 6-1 lead on Aurora - Thanks to homers by Capron and Carvalhas off Guerra and Escamilla off Tate. But as it turns out, this was the wildest game of the young season. Aurora would plate 3 in the 7th - thanks in a large part by a Stewart Arundale triple - then 'Litterbug' would double home a run in the 8th making it a 1-run game. Tony Velazquez seemed to come to Tempe's aide with a homer off Abay Icharia in the bottom of the 8th, but Kenny Crochet lost the strike zone and walked three in a row following a Munoz double - scoring one, and Pedro de la Cruz singled to tie the game - it would have won the game in retrospect if Ortega hadn't stumbled rounding third - forcing him to hold. Aurora's 'pen limited Tempe to just one baserunner in extra innings - on a HBP, while Aurora looked like they might get something in the 10th - but it took 13-innings for this one. David Simmons would lead off with a homer that will go down as the winner, but it'll be noted as a 4-run inning with doubles by Ortega and Silva for an amazing, come from behind 11-7 victory. For the second time in four games, everyone in the Aurora line-up had at least a hit with 'Litterbug' pounding out 5 in 7 AB, with 3 R and 3 RBI, and Aleman knocking 4 in 8 AB.

Game 3 of the series with Tempe would frustrate. Ramon Gonzales, who had a wonderful spring, pitched well. He allowed just four hits and ushered the game to the 7th tied 1-1 - the teams exchanged runs in the 3rd - Li Capron his 2nd homer of the series tying it for Tempe, and despite taking a brief 2-1 lead in the 6th - Jose Aleman leading that off with a double, Gonzales couldn't get the last out in the 7th - surrendering a 2-out, 3-run homer to Ricky Menendez - his first of the year, and Aurora's first loss.

Aurora returned home to face Bakersfield in their second home series of the year, and as the opener wandered to the late innings a Mauro Mata 2-run first inning homer off 'Slug' and a pair of solo homers by Hernandez and de la Cruz had the game tied at 2. That's when Pat Willis lost it in the 7th and Jon Andrews never had it. Four singles and a FC gave Aurora 3-, 7th inning runs and two doubles (de la Cruz and Silva), two singes (Tony Munoz and J-Rod) and an intentional walk allowed another 3-runs in the 8th. 'Chattahoochee' Fujii would take over for Clark in the 7th and 'guide' the game over the last three innings, allowing four hits and a run, to pick up the win in an 8-3 victory.Cluett wasn't quite as sharp in his second start - but he was yet tough as he would allow two Bear runs over 8 IP, while Aurora would scratch out three solo runs - two on homers by Hernandez and de la Cruz for the second straight day - Pedro's second homer and 'Matchbox's third. Gutierrez would earn his 3rd save in a 3-2 win.

Robert Cisneros, who historically has given Aurora fits, pitched in trouble all game as Aurora had runners in scoring position in 3 of the first four-innings - yet he held the Borealis at bay. Until the 5th. Then it all came crashing down - and hard, as Aurora put up 7-runs and put the game away. Five singles and two walks - including one with the bases loaded, culminated by an Arundale 2-out, 2-run double (off German Godina who finally relieved Cisneros of the pain of the inning). The sweep of the Bears was the continuation of the past couple of seasons in which the series has been lopsided in Aurora's favor. At this point - only two weeks in, the big question is whether in a season where Reno looks to repeat their division crown, Tempe looking to follow in their expansion brother's footsteps and Palm Springs adding some fresh - if not older, blood - is this the year Yuma escapes the dog house and it becomes a Bear house?

It's early. Remember that - it's early, and Bakersfield has loads of talent, but at this moment, the Bears are 3-9 and only 2-12 Neo-Tokyo are sitting worst in the SL.

Aurora would round out the first two weeks if the season with Tempe coming north to The Front Range, and Ramon Gonzales would face off with an old nemesis - Owen Barse, whom Tempe picked up in a winter meeting trade with Fargo. Gonzales was once again outstanding - he held Tempe to 3-hits over 7 IP with 10 K and no walks, while Barse was not so lucky. Barse would walk 2 - with both scoring as Aurora would score - scratch out, 5-runs with the aide of G-Rod and Aleman doubles, as part of a 7-0 Aurora win. 'Haggis' would finish the final 2-innings of the game - giving him 6.1-scoreless innings thus far over 4 relief appearances. He's allowed just 3-hits and struck out 8 while walking none. The just tired 28-year old Scotsman is looking like he's ready to follow up his fine 2036 with another excellent campaign.

The past two games, leading to this lengthy red-eye flight to Japan, were frustrating. Game 2 v. Tempe had Guerra back on the mound an this time around, 'Lanza' was better: 6.1 IP, 3 H and a run - a solo homer to Escamilla, his 5th on the year, while Fujii got the game to the 9th tied at 1 - a de la Cruz RBI double in the 6th doing the job. This game was decided in the 10th by the mostly reliable 'Machete' not being reliable at all. A burnt hit, a pair of walks (one intentional) and a bases-loaded, bases clearing double off the bat of Ed Lindner - busted the game open and would give Tempe the win. Pedro de la Cruz would hit a solo homer in the bottom of the 10th, but that was far to little too late. Tempe liked everything they saw from Brian Clark in the rubber match of the series. 'Slug' allowed 8-hits over 5 IP - 4-2B and a HR - adding up to 4-runs. That would have been enough, but Fujii and Twia would each allow a run in relief to give the Apollos a 6-4 win. Aleman had a triple and G-Rod was 3-4 with 2 RBI for the Borealis.

Thus far on the season, Gabe Rodriguez is leading the way with a .359 average (following up on last years .332) with 5-2B and 7 RBI. Aleman is at .341 with 3-2B and a triple and 6-8 in SB. Pedro de la Cruz (.314) and 'Matchbox' (.270) lead the team with 3 HR each, with Claudio also leading the team with 10 RBI. Disappointing starts thus far for Ruben Ortega, whose Opening Day grand slam has faded away in the glare of a .206 start with just a double and 3 RBI outside that slam. Arundale is 7-9 in SB and Silva (.250) is 6-7.

Amongst the starters, Cluett, Batista and Gonzales are looking strong after a couple of starts, while the aforementioned Uige and 'Werewolf' Kichida are the lone relievers to have yet surrendered a run. Shockingly, Rudy Ho0ward has yet to appear in a game.

What's on Tap
This long as hades plane flight will land us in Japan, to face The Evil Evas and the Giant Slaying Ghosts - with an off day between. The Evas are off to a slowish start, 5-7 and tied for 3rd in the rising sun - a record that includes a season opening sweep at the hands of the Win-D's, and series losses to both Okinawa and Niihama. They have already played 3-extra inning games (lost two), and 5 of their 12-games have been of the 1-run variety. For the moment, it's Logan Malone leading the way for Shin Seiki, with an SL leading .400 average. 'Entrop' Yi is leading the rotation - and he'll pitch game 2, with a 2.40 ERA. The Ghosts are leading the Rising Sun with a 9-4 mark - tied with Duluth for the 2nd most wins and 3rd best percentage in the SL (Aurora nudges past them on that one) - having swept the Win-D's (whom they visit before the square off with Aurora), and taken series from division foes Shin Seiki and Okinawa - after splitting four to open the season at Fargo. Former-Bear Steve McDonald (.364) and PEC hero Jin-song Zambrano (.354, 5 HR, 13 RBI) are leading the way for the Ghosts' offense, while their starting rotation has looked strong - though only Carmelo Lamberti has averaged 5 IP per start.

Cluett, Batista and Gonzales will face off with The Evil Evas Flores, Yi, and de Roode, while at Niihama it's likely Leith, Lamberti and Yamashita for the Ghosts against Guerra, Clark and Cluett. This will be an excellent early season test for Aurora as they have played the Evas evenly over the years in some grueling games, and they are coming off a year where the Rodriguez Cup holders beat up on the Borealis pretty good. Aurora will the finish up the road trip at Fargo - always a challenge, before coming home to end April and begin May against Duluth.

Peeking ahead, May provides us with not only the Warriors, but four games at Bakersfield and a return trip to Tempe followed by a visit to The Biggest Little City - the start of a 20-day straight stretch of games into June - ending with four more with the Bears and our first peek at the Codgers.