THE FUNNEL REPORT 5/7/12 - Last week got off to a good start for the Tornadoes, with a 3-game sweep of the So Cal Republic.  And slugger Brian Adams continued his hot-hitting, extending his hitting streak to 21 games in the first 2 games of the series.  But while the hitting streak remains active to this day, Adams suffered a strained rib cage in the series and has landed on the 15-day DL.  His pursuit of the hitting streak will have to continue when he returns in 2-3 weeks. But Adams' misfortune was just the beginning of the injury bug for the team last week.  After sweeping the Republic in three games, the Tornadoes went to Mile High for a four game series that saw injuries pile up one after another.  The most serious of these injuries befell second baseman Armando Rodriguez.  The Tornadoes first round draft pick tore his ACL running the bases on Friday and is out for the remainder of the season.  Ricardo Marquis, the team leader in home runs, suffered a bruise to his right foot running the bases and is listed as day-to-day.  No word yet from the team on how cautious they will be with Marquis' timetable for return.  It was so bad for the Tornadoes in this series, that they were dropping like flies even before the game.  Starting pitcher Fabrizio Palgani was struck in the head by a wild pitch during batting practice, although it is believed he won't miss a start.  And then, adding insult to injury, the team reports that the ace of the rotation, Antonio Gomez, was diagnosed with a serious sinus infection on the plane ride out of the Mile High city.  He is expected to miss his next start. And so, a week that began with an exciting three game sweep, ended with a team that was decimated with injuries in losing 3 of 4 to their division rival.  There is no word from management yet as to who is going to be promoted from Joplin to replace Adams and Rodriguez on the active roster.

THE FUNNEL REPORT 4/30/12 - With all of the negative press that the Tornadoes pitching staff has garnered, there have been some offensive heroes that have been lost in the fog.  Perhaps the best example is Brian Adams, who has very quietly put together a 19-game hitting streak heading into the final day of April.  Manager Damian Conor was so impressed that he moved Adams up in the lineup this past week.  Adams responded with 10 hits in six games, batting .370 in the third spot in the order.  "He's really in a zone right now," said veteran slugger, Ricardo Marquis.  "He's putting a lot of pressure on opposing pitchers, and that just makes our job easier."  It's not surprising at all that Marquis is a big fan, as he is also coming off a solid week of his own since swapping positions with Adams in the order.  Marquis has 11 hits in his past 6 games, including a 5-hit performance just yesterday against the Mountain Cats.  "I'm just seeing the ball very well right now," said Adams of his hitting streak.  But then, Adams has always been a true free-swinger and rarely sees a pitch he doesn't like.  He is on a pace that would have him walk just 34 times and strike out just 47 times in 668 at bats.  With stats like that, some players have been called a "hacker".  But hitting coach Amaro Vagos dismisses this label.  "It's ok to be a hacker when you're batting over .350."  Well said, coach.  With a 19-game hitting streak in his hip pocket, the pressure on Adams will certainly turn up a notch this week, as the Tornadoes continue on their 13-game road trip with stops in So Cal and Mile High.

THE FUNNEL REPORT 4/23/12 - The struggles for the Tornadoes continued in the third week of the season, as they were swept by the division leading Jokers, and then lost 2 of 3 to the Seattle Sasquatch.  The Tornadoes are now just 5-13 on the year and the big wart on the team face has been the pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation.  After 18 games, the Tornadoes feature a league-worst ERA of 6.64, with the rotation posting a ridiculous 7.60 ERA.  The reputations of the Manager and Pitching Coach are both among the league's best, but they haven't been able to stop the slide at this point.  "There's no denying that our pitching staff is putting the team in a terrible hole right now," said manager Damian Connor.  "But there really isn't a magic bullet.  We just have to continue to try to lead these guys out of the slump and ultimately someone in the rotation has got to step up and give us a big game that can pump some confidence into the staff."  No one in the organization believes this team will end the season with an ERA over seven.  Nevertheless, the longer the pitching staff serves up runs on a silver platter, the more it will come to define this team.  The larger the sample, the more your stats represent who you are.  The clock is officially ticking, and judgement day is coming early for the 2012 Tornadoes.

THE FUNNEL REPORT 4/16/12 - The launch of the Kansas City Tornadoes franchise did not get off to the best start, as the team from the midwest started 1-8 in their first 8 games.  But just when you thought the Tornadoes might fold early, the team rebounded with a 3-game sweep of the Jacksonville Jacks and take a 4-8 record in the season's third week.  But while this sweep has brought optimism to the clubhouse, it's hard to look past the dismal 6.33 ERA the team has posted thus far.  Clearly, the Tornadoes are going to have to turn this around quickly if they want to stay in the race for the Sparky Anderson Division.  Management must be thinking the same thing, as they have demoted a couple of young, struggling hurlers---  Paul Carter and Jim Davis.  Replacing them on the active roster are Ray Clay and Antonio Gonzalez, as the Tornadoes prepare for a 3-game set in Las Vegas against the division leaders this week.