From the MetroWest Daily News:

Art Davidson - On baseball: Fewer twists for Tornadoes in year 2

A year ago the Worcester Tornadoes were a team pretty much in name only. The franchise had only a few players, and the process of transforming Holy Cross’ Fitton Field from a college facility into a modern minor league ballpark hadn’t commenced.

Today, though, the Tornadoes are the defending Can-Am League champions. In addition to being a success on the field, Worcester’s first professional baseball team since 1934 became a viable part of the community. The Tornadoes had the third-highest attendance (125,745) in the eight-team Can-Am League.

...

Tornadoes ticket prices range between $5 and $18. Fitton Field was always a good college baseball facility by New England standards, but it’s become an outstanding professional ballpark.

Rich Gedman will return as Worcester’s manager. The former Red Sox catcher and Framingham resident served as a coach for the Can-Am League’s North Shore Spirit before earning Manager of the Year honors last year in his first season as a skipper.

I had the pleasure of seeing a Tornadoes game last year. My buddy was invited to play the national anthem on his irish fiddle and I had a great time! We were comped tickets so that wasn't an issue, although I wouldn't have minded shelling out a handful of dollars to watch some decent baseball.

The game was great, although you could tell the caliber of talent was not as good as you would see in the A levels of the minors. The stadium is very nice, parking was a snap (although I did get a little lost going to the Holy Cross campus). The crowd was into the game, I'd say it was about 3/4 sold out.....there were a lot of families in attendance and really nice people surrounding us who just wanted to talk all sorts of baseball. I think the only thing that irked me was that beers were still $3.50 or so. Other than that, I had a BLAST and can't wait to go back!

I have a soft spot for the armpit that is Worcester, having lived in the oasis amongst dead industry that is Clark University... for five years.

And I was always a Geddy fan. He did what he could, having to follow Carlton Fisk for a few years there, fairly well.

I dunno about that. I don't think anyone's mediocrity has ever been as whitewashed as Geddy's. Don't get me wrong: I loved him as a kid, but he really only had 3.5 decent seasons.

Where's Tash our Tornadoes insider?

I'm here, I'm here, I'm here....

In case anyone is at all interested...

We have actively started to sell groups, picnics, season tickets, and mini-paks.....

We already have a handful of games that are sold out from that stuff alone and individual game tickets haven't gone on sale yet....

If anyone knows of anybody who can sing I am actually in charge of booking anthem singers this year. We are holding an open contest/audition on Wednesday April 26th at 6:30PM at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field located on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross...

Want to know anything else about the team just ask....

Here is your problem this year Tash. The MIGHTY Nashua Pride have joined the Can AM League and will be taking that nice shiny trophy from you by year's end :-)

HAHAHAHAHA....that's funny!!!! We've already taken their GM!!!

And they lost all their players that they had...I think they only have one or two guys from last year's squad....the salary cap in the Can-Am League is a lot lower then the Atlantic League (former league of the Pride) so they couldn't hold on to they talent they had. I'm not too worried about Nashua.

ha! Shows you what YOU know.

We have Butch Hobson.

Does anything else have to be said?

If you ever venture to Nashua let me know. I'll buy you a hotdog...or something

Oh yeah?! Well we have Rich Gedman and 75% of the 2005 Can-Am League Champions!!!!

But my staff and I are definitley gonna be doing a road trip to the Pride since our GM was there last year....so I'll let you know when I'm coming up and you can buy me that hotdog and a drink!

That's a deal.

The Tornadoes roster includes catcher Pat Perry, who was our seventh-round pick two years ago. He was released at the end of spring training after splitting time between Lowell and Greenville last season.

Former Red Sox farmhand Lee Curtis and local product Greg Montalbano are also on the roster.

Greg was on the team last year. Talk about an awesome LHP!

The other two guys are both people we picked up in the off season.

It will be interesting to see how they do during Spring Training (which in the Can-Am League is only two weeks long) and if they make the roster for opening day.

1980 debut year, late season callup: Broke wrist just before end of season.
1981: On Pawtucket shuttle.
1982-1983: Platooned with Gary Allenson.
1984: Breakout year.
1985: Even better year.
1986: # of innings caught beginning to take toll. Still decent production.
1987: Not signed until May; injured in June, out until July; re-injured and out for season in July.
1988: Broke foot in first week of season, out for 6 weeks; carpetbagger Rick Cerone called in, and despite mediocre catching, took #1 catching away from Gedman.
1989: Continuation of 1988.
1990: Tony Pena hired; Gedman permanently benched until his trade.
1991-1993: The rest of the black hole that was Gedman's waning career, backing up similarly-equipped-and-productive Tom Pagnozzi.

It's not too hard to see when and why Gedman had only 3.5 decent seasons.

From today's MetroWest Daily News:

Art Davidson - Tornadoes sport new

When the Worcester Tornadoes open their season Tuesday night at Holy Cross, several of the players who helped the team win the Can-Am League championship last year in its inaugural season won't be present.

"We had four players sign with major league organizations, another player went to Italy (to play professionally) and two retired," said Tornadoes skipper Rich Gedman, who was named the league's manager of the year last season.

Change is a way of life for all independent league teams. Independent leagues like the Can-Am League give players another opportunity to be scouted, and in some cases signed, by a major league club.

...

Another ex-member of the Red Sox, Bob Ojeda, returns as Worcester's pitching coach. Ojeda will work with former Sox farmhand Ed Riley, an addition to the Tornadoes pitching staff, who followed Gedman's footsteps as a star at Worcester's St. Peter-Marian High.

In addition to their success on the field, the Tornadoes were embraced by the fans of Central Massachusetts last year. Worcester finished third in the league in attendance behind Brockton and Quebec. The Tornadoes have transformed Fitton Field into an excellent minor league facility.

From the May 22 Worcester Telegram & Gazette:




Jim Wilson - Can-Am champs ready for sequel


Worcester begins its second season at 7 p.m. tomorrow against New Jersey at Hanover Insurance Park, and although they have some stars returning, the Tornadoes have some new additions to the cast.

The pitching staff should be Worcester’s strength, as stalwarts Reid Willett (10-4, 3.56 ERA), Alex Pena (5-3, 3.50 ERA) and Junior Guerrero (6-3, 3.80) return, along with Greg Montalbano (2-2, 3.13), Dallas Mahan (4-2, 4.21), Chris Shank (2-3, 5.19) and closer Dave Byard (3-3, 3.16, 13 saves).


Newcomers Mike Meagher (Holy Name) and Matt Weagle (Shepherd Hill) lead an impressive cast of newcomers, and join Elvis Jimenez and Jamie Merchant to bolster the pitching corps.

The 20-year old Jimenez last pitched in 2003 for Philadelphia’s Gulf Coast League team, going 0-1 with a 5.45 ERA in 16 starts. The right-hander is one of eight rookies to make the final roster.

From the May 24 Worcester Telegram & Gazette


Jennifer Toland - Ceremony rings in Worcester’s new year

WORCESTER— The Tornadoes’ inaugural season really couldn’t have gone much better. The team won the Can-Am League championship and, perhaps even more importantly, the support of area fans.

How to improve on such swift success? Keep winning and keep the crowds coming.

The Tornadoes made good on the second of those objectives in their 2006 opener last night at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.


A standing-room-only crowd of 3,241 filled the place, but the New Jersey Jackals, helped by three Worcester errors, scored four runs in the ninth for a come-from-behind, 5-4 win.

Starter Alex Pena pitched five shutout innings and left with a 2-0 lead thanks to a two-run homer by shortstop Bob Tewksbary. Locals Chris Colabello (Milford) and Keith Beauregard (Leominster) each knocked in a run in what looked to be an important two-run eighth. Right-hander David Byard, who pitched the ninth, took the loss.



Jim Wilson - A Tornado twist; Jackals’ 3-run 9th ruins the opener

Worcester got off to a rough start in its opener, as the New Jersey Jackals scored three runs on three errors in the top of the ninth off closer Dave Byard to escape with a 5-4 win last night in front of 3,241 at Hanover Insurance Park.

Byard, who finished third in the Can-Am League last year with 13 saves, gave up four runs on three hits, and wasn’t helped by three infield errors that gave New Jersey the win.


“That’s why we play. We’ll get better,” manager Rich Gedman said. “We’re fine. It was one of those ones that if you have it in the bank in the eighth, we’ll learn from this.”

The loss spoiled a solid start from Alex Pena, who allowed two hits while striking out three and walking one in five innings. He threw 62 pitches, 40 for strikes.

From the May 28 Worcester Telegram & Gazette:

Jim Wilson - Double delight for Tornadoes


Worcester completed its second doubleheader sweep in franchise history, taking a pair of games yesterday from New Jersey, winning the first game, 8-4, and the second, 4-1 at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.

The Tornadoes received a strong start in the nightcap from Reid Willett, who went five innings and allowed just two hits while striking out six.


...

Catcher Onix Mercado and Chris Colabello provided most of the offense for the Tornadoes, with the pair each getting three hits. Mercado doubled Colabello home from first in the sixth to make it 3-0 and doubled him home again in the eighth to make it 4-0.

Colabello has started the season on a tear, hitting in seven of 11 at-bats and driving in four runs.



...

Jeff LaHair of Worcester, a recent graduate of Worcester State where he was the two-time MASCAC Player of the Year, went 1 for 3 in his pro debut for Worcester.

“It was nice to get the first one under the belt,” said the second baseman, who singled for his only hit, but was thrown out trying to stretch the line drive to left into a double.

From the May 29 Telegram & Gazette:

Jim Wilson - Jersey heats up against ’Nadoes; Worcester loses 5-1 lead

Jamie Merchant made his Worcester debut in the sixth and retired the first two hitters he faced, but New Jersey cut the lead to 6-5 on an RBI double by Bill Peavey and an RBI single by Ricardo Cordova. Elvis Jiminez also debuted for the Tornadoes, pitching 1 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and walking one.