THE TORNADOES SECRET WEAPON REVEALED!

As the 2014 ABL All-Star Game approaches, and with more than half the votes counted, there is only one ABL infielder in either league to be a unanimous choice of his peers to appear in the high profile exhibition of the league's best talent.  Shortstop Jim Crawford of Nottinghamshire?  Nope.  First baseman Peter Blanchard of Minnesota?  No, sir.  Not even Tornadoes slugger Jesus Cruz can boast unanimous All-Star support.  The answer is Cruz' teammate---  third baseman Howard Lawrence, who is starting to get noticed in the ABL and will represent the Thurman Munson League in the ABL All-Star game in a little more than a week.

Lawrence's development has been somewhat obscured in KC behind seemingly bigger names like Jesus Cruz, Armando Rodriguez, Antonio Gonzalez, and even speedy Lawrence Fox.  Howard Lawrence didn't exactly burst onto the scene in Kansas City.  Selected in the 32nd round of the inaugural 2012 draft with the 747th overall selection, Lawrence was selected with hope that he might develop into the quintessential utility infielder.  "He played all of the infield positions with some skill and seemed to have all of the intangibles that we are looking for," said Tornadoes GM Tim Ervin when asked about Lawrence recently.  And when the Tornadoes GM speaks about intangibles, team insiders will tell you that is code for work ethic, something that is valued very highly in the heartland.  "Nobody works harder than Howard," said outfielder Bob Watkins.  "He's a quiet leader that everyone in the locker room has come to respect."

But everyone knows that respect is earned on the field, and the ABL debut for Lawrence far from spectacular.  Lawrence was having success in AAA for the Joplin Fireballs, batting .293 with 15 homers playing mostly at shortstop.  When he was promoted late in 2012 to the parent club, the team was looking for someone to fill in for their injured second baseman, Armando Rodriguez.  "Those were big shoes to fill," recounted Lawrence when asked about his debut.  "He was the first-ever pick of this franchise, and I'll be the first to admit that it was pretty overwhelming to be called up to try and play his position.  I was pressing too much."  The Tornadoes stuck with him for a few weeks, but to say that it did not go as Lawrence had hoped...   well, that might be an understatement.  In 85 AB's Lawrence batted just .165 and he was promptly sent back down to the minors.  "It was disappointing, but I knew it was coming," said Lawrence.  "I don't regret it because that taste of The Show just made me that much more hungry to get back."  And he didn't have to wait very long.

In 2013, Lawrence opened season on the Tornadoes roster, presumably as the utility infielder he was drafted to become.  But when the Tornadoes traded aging 3B Emilio Guerrero to the Montreal Bandits midway into the season, Lawrence was given the opportunity to play at the hot corner every day.  It didn't take too long for Lawrence to earn the respect of his teammates with his performance.  Lawrence finished 2012 with 345 AB's, batting .270 with a stellar OBP of .366 and 15 home runs.  After posting number like that, the man that had been groomed as the Tornadoes utility infielder had surprisingly secured himself an everyday spot in the lineup.  But he was not done exceeding expectations....  not by a longshot.

This year, Lawrence has taken his performance to a new level.  He has missed just one game all season and is batting .334 with an OBP of .374 and 18 home runs.  He is on pace for 36 dingers and more than 100 runs and RBI's.  Even his defense has improved this year and, though he won't compete for a gold glove, he has been very solid defensively with a +2.0 ZR and a 1.012 defensive efficiency.  All of this has led to his being a unanimous selection in the voting so far for the 2014 ABL All-Star Game.  Of course, like all perfectionists, Lawrence tends to dwell on his shortcomings.  "There's always room for improvement," said the KC third baseman.  "Starting with stepping up more in big moments."  Some team members advised us that Lawrence is still stewing about a less than stellar performance during a big three game showdown with the rival Mile High Mustangs recently.  Lawrence was just 1-for-15 in that series and struck out 6 times.  "It was a difficult pill for him to swallow because he has been so consistent," said veteran shortstop Stephen Everett.  "But this game has its ups and downs and he's learning that."  Everett also noted that Lawrence carried the offense in the series just prior to the trip to Mile High, homering in all three games against the Eureka Hornets. 

But if the career trend for Howard Lawrence is any indication, he may still be developing.  Which is a scary thought for a guy that has come so far in just one season.  He played in relative obscurity until now.  But with an appearance in the All-Star Game this year, the league is starting to notice what the Tornadoes have already acknowledged...  Debris Field is lucky to have this guy "in the funnel".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOWARD LAWRENCE - 27 years old today!

Funnelmaster

The 2014 TORNADOES – The SURGE, THE SCOURGE, and the PURGE!

The Kansas City Tornadoes were a surprise last season when they pushed the Hornets for an entire season, eventually finishing 2 games behind the team from Eureka with an 86-76 record.  This filled the team with hope coming into the 2014 season.  The first 69 games have been an interesting journey, which can best be laid out into three chapters:  The Surge, The Scourge, and The Purge.

CHAPTER ONE:  THE SURGE – The Tornadoes certainly felt ready to compete as the season began, but even their most ardent supporter probably wasn’t expecting the type of early SURGE this team experienced.  After 45 games, the Tornadoes had a blazing 30-15 record on the year.  With the season more than 27% done, the team was on a blistering pace that would extrapolate out to 108 wins.  And while the GM would be the first to admit he was not predicting 108 wins after just a quarter season, there was every reason to believe the team was legit and formidable.  The pitching and defense was performing sensational, and the hitting was also holding its own despite some early struggles for Jesus Cruz and Ricardo Marquis.  “I never doubted them for a minute,” said Manager Damian Connor about his sluggers.  “They’re dependable, and it was just a matter of time before their bats started ripping.”  Cruz batted just .250 in the opening month of the season, but improved to .343 in May, and then .391 in June.  When you have a well-rounded team with a hitter like Cruz in the heart of the order, and an arm like Antonio Gomez at the top of the rotation, you have a recipe for success.  And that’s exactly what the Tornadoes experienced on their way to blitzing out of the gates this year with a 30-15 record.

CHAPTER TWO:  THE SCOURGE – Since that red-hot start, the Tornadoes have gone just 9-15 in their next 24 games.  One of the big reasons that the team began to struggle was the terrible SCOURGE of injuries.  After going the entire season with any injuries hitting the farm system, the big league club finally began to suffer some serious losses.  In the last three weeks, the Tornadoes have lost MR Marshall Olson for 11 months, SP Rodney Armstrong for 2 months, 2B Armando Rodriguez for 3 months, and CF Bob Watkins for 3 weeks.  The most devastating of these injuries is to Rodriguez who has played Gold Glove caliber defense this year, while batting .332 with a pace for more than 20 HR’s, and 100 RBI’s and Runs.  A team as good as the Tornadoes should be able to overcome almost any injury.  But when you get four big injuries at about the same time, the team finds itself just trying to hold together long enough to get some of this talent back.

CHAPTER THREE:  THE PURGE – The early season surge got this team in a position to think about contending for a title.  But the scourge of injuries which hit the Tornadoes in recent weeks has left the team a little vulnerable to their division foes.  Add in a bullpen that has gotten worse and worse as the season rolls on, and the GM has decided to make some adjustments---  some BIG adjustments.  In the last couple weeks, the Tornadoes have made three trades involving a total of 15 players.  These trades served to PURGE much of the prospect talent for an organization whose minor league talent ranked 6^th in the ABL.  Only time will tell how much this ranking drops as a result of these trades.  But the real story that will be written for this franchise is whether the trades will serve to give the team a boost in their efforts to make the 2014 post-season.  Here is a brief summary of the trades:

1.        The Tornadoes traded SP/MR Gerald Webb (ML) to the Nottinghamshire Outlaws for RF John Byford (AAA) and C Wayne Strickland (AAA).  This deal was made prior to the injury to SP Rodney Armstrong, or it likely never would have happened.  With the trade, the Tornadoes were trying to bring in an exciting RF prospect that was close to ready and performing well in AAA, with plans to groom him as a replacement for the aging Ricardo Marquis, who has just one year left on his deal.

2.       The Tornadoes traded CF Shinsaku Kamida (A) to the Seattle Sasquatch for SP/MR Dave Sharp (ML).  Sharp was not good enough to make the rotation in Seattle, but the Tornadoes were fresh off the trade of Webb and the injury to Armstrong, and became a little desperate for a starter that can help them get through  this tough time.  After exploring some options that were more expensive, the Tornadoes settled on Sharp, who comes with a manageable price tag of just $850k this year and $950k next year.  While Sharp has had an ERA over 5.00 in his career in Seattle, Sick Stadium is one of the bigger hitter-heavens of the ABL, and the Tornado braintrust is gambling that he can keep his ERA under 4.50 in a more pitcher friendly park. 

3.       The Tornadoes traded SP Kazuhiko Kanno (AA), C Takaaki Hirayama (ML), 1B Takuji Hakui (AA), RF Chance Parks (AAA), RF Taylor Thompson (AA), and 3B Jeff Hall (ABL) to the SoCal Republic for SP Pepe Lopez (ABL), MR Dave Walton (ABL), C Freddy Castillo (ABL), MR Peter Anthony (AAA), and $5 million.  The Tornadoes parted with six prospects in this trade, not a single one over 24 years old.  The real gem of the trade is MR Dave Walton, who has kept his ERA under 2.30 for each of the past two seasons, and is just 32 years old with a very team-friendly contract.  He becomes an immediate shot in the arm for a bullpen that has been in a terrible slump.  SP Pepe Lopez should give the team some more depth that might help down the stretch, as does Freddy Castillo, whom the Tornadoes traded to the Republic just a year ago.  Finally, Peter Anthony is a good young arm that the team hopes to have developed in time for next season, which the Tornadoes see as their very best opportunity to compete for a title.

One thing is for sure:  By making so many deals in such a short span of time, the Tornadoes have definitely put the league on notice.  “We feel we have a window over the next two years where we think we have a real opportunity to compete for ABL Title,” said GM Tim Ervin.  The SURGE, SCOURGE, and PURGE got them through the first 69 games.  But it’s the next 93 games that will write the final chapter in this story for the 2014 Tornadoes.  And if they can stay close in the next two months while they work some of their injured players back into the lineup, this team may just claim the ultimate prize.