World Series Game 1: Five things you need to know before first pitch
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On the day the Royals and the Mets square off in Game 1 of the World Series, some folks here in Kansas City awoke to wet roads and the prospect of more drizzle throughout the day.
Yes, weather could be a factor in Game 1 at Kauffman Stadium, just like it was in Game 6 of the American League championship series, which incurred a 45-minute rain delay. While rain could make for a dreary day in Kansas City, both forecasters and baseball officials are hopeful that the game itself (which starts at 8:07 p.m. ET and airs on Fox) won’t be impacted.
[Related: World Series preview: Can the Mets put a stop to the Royals’ redemption?]
The local forecast calls for rain throughout the day, but it’s expected to die down by the evening. There’s a “60 percent chance of light rain and mist,” according to KCTV. But around the stadium on Monday, as Game 1 preparations were everywhere, nobody seemed to be bracing for a rainout.
Even MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred weighed in on the weather situation.
“I would be reluctant,” Manfred said, “to begin a game or — even more reluctant to begin the warm-up process if I didn’t think we could play a substantial portion of that game … I think we know enough about the forecast that we’re not going to get in a situation that we start at 8:07 and get rained out at 8:12 and burn two starting pitchers.”
HERE ARE YOUR WORLD SERIES ROSTERS
Neither team had *huge* questions as they compiled their World Series roster, but each roster does have an interesting selection. But first, the rosters, which were announced Tuesday morning:
The Royals made the most fascinating move by adding Raul Mondesi Jr. and dropping Terrance Gore. Mondesi, a 20-year-old shortstop, has never played above Double-A and could be the first player in history to make his MLB debut in the World Series, should he get into a game. He’s a backup to the backup infielder, so that part may not happen, but Mondesi can run, so maybe Ned Yost uses him as a pinch runner.
The Mets, meanwhile, are on the other side of the age spectrum. They added 36-year-old Juan Uribe to their roster. He’s both a beloved baseball character and a guy with a flair for the dramatic. He should only see time as a pinch hitter, but Uribe is a two-time World Series winner (in 2005 and 2010) and could come through in a big spot for the Mets.
GAME 1 PITCHING: IT’S VOLQUEZ VS. HARVEY
Both the Mets and the Royals are turning to players with baggage for Game 1. There’s Matt Harvey (13-8, 2.71 ERA) on the Mets side, their ace who is in his first year back from Tommy John surgery and publicly feuded with the team in September about how many more innings he could pitch. That’s in the past now, but you bet people will still be watching his workload closely, even in the World Series.
Royals starter Edinson Volquez, meanwhile, has revived his career the past two seasons after basically being cast aside in 2013 by the Padres and Dodgers. The 32-year-old put up a 13-9 record with a 3.55 ERA this season, which isn’t going to win him the Cy Young or anything, but earned him enough confidence from the Royals to start Game 1.
MURPHY’S HOMER STREAK IS STILL GOING
You might have forgotten, since the Mets have had five days off since winning the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs, but Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy is riding a six-game homer streak into Game 1. That’s a postseason record, and an unlikely one for Murphy, who only hit 14 homers during the regular season. The Royals have certainly taken notice.
[From Tim Brown: How Daniel Murphy became Mr. October for the Mets]
“He’s been very, very hot,” said Kansas City skipper Ned Yost. “We talked about in our advance meeting how he stands on top of the plate like Barry Bonds did. So when you’re on that kind of run like he is, he’s very hot. He’s seeing the ball well. You better execute pitches, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
THE ROYALS FEAST ON FASTBALLS
We’ve heard a lot of talk about the Mets rotation and their power arms in the lead up to this series and it’s completely true. They throw hard, regularly popping the glove at 95 mph or higher. This would seem to be an advantage for the Mets … well, except for one thing.
As Marc Carig of Newsday noted, the Royals are among the best fastball hitting teams in baseball. In fact, they hit .284 this season against fastballs at 95 mph or higher. That’s going to be a fun clash to watch, but it also means the Mets have to adjust. Manager Terry Collins says his flame-throwers will have to mix up their pitches, even more than they already have been in the postseason.
“We went into the Cubs series saying exactly the same thing,” Collins says. “These guys are very good fastball hitters. We’ve got to change speeds and continue to pound the strike zone, but we can’t continue running 97 mph fastballs, they’re eventually going to get to them … I don’t care how hard you throw, you’ve got to mix them up a bit.”
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
