**2015 World Series - Mets vs Royals**

[caulfield12]

There are two ways of getting a point across about the current state of the White Sox.

 

One is to follow in the wake of Thad Bosley (including the 35 years line repetitively about JR), or to mirror Lip, Balta (preseason/preparation, etc.,) Flash Tizzle...which gets kind of boring and redundant since that leads to endless nobody can prove quantifiably that Robin Ventura isn't a good manager OR the lack of loyalty from White Sox fans (and not the ineptitude and lack of a clear vision from the front office) endless black holes.

 

So at least I can praise teams that are doing things right because, in and of itself, that's inherently more positive and optimistic (hoping your favorite team will eventually wake up) than endlessly whining. Blind faith, hope and loyalty doesn't cut it for 98% of White Sox fans. Trust has to be earned.

 

If I wouldn't have lived in KC for a decade, it wouldn't have mattered. The whole time I resided there, the White Sox just ran over the Royals, like the Globetrotters and the Washington Generals. So I suppose if it was the 90s Indians, the 2002-2010 Twins or the 2011-2014 Tigers, I rooted against those teams because I hated them for beating the White Sox so consistently and bringing out every frustration possible as a fan. Because the Royals were so terrible, it almost forced you to empathize with them when the Yankees or Red Sox would come to town. KC was flyover territory, irrelevant to everyone on the East and West Coast. As a native Midwesterner, this mentality of pity, disdain and ridicule from afar (pretty much any reference in the movies to Iowa or Kansas is poking fun at you) almost forced one to pull for the underdog against the big, bad bullies.

Edited October 25, 2015 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2015/story/...sas-city-royals

 

Kurkjian of EsPn picks Royals in 7...provides five compelling plot points for the series.

 

It will be Cueto and Ventura at home and then Volquez in Game 3 in NYC.

 

Mets are going Harvey, deGrom, Snydegaard and then presumably Matz.

 

 

Royals will choose from Young, Medlen and Duffy for Game 4.

[greg775]

Tough call. I'd say the Mets' pitching is pretty nasty. Royals definitely aren't as good this year as last year.

 

The Royals' ONLY hope is if the Mets have cooled off. If the Mets are just as sharp as they were in the Cubs' series, it's the Mets in four or five. I mean the Mets' pitchers were great. Throwing bullets. But baseball's a funny game. Maybe they'll have returned to mediocrity.

 

The Royals' bullpen isn't nearly as good as last year. They have only 2 good relievers this time around and Ned doesn't seem too intent on going two innings apiece every game with Herrera and Davis. Madson and Medlen blow chunks. Duffy sucks. KC's starters don't seem too apt to go more than 5 2/3 innings.

 

Logic tells me Mets in five or six unless the Royals' batters try to take that heat to the opposite field and have professional at bats.

Edited October 25, 2015 by greg775

[caulfield12]

There you have it.

 

Greg just presented the World Series to the Royals on a golden platter.

 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-royals-ar...-100548685.html

Edited October 25, 2015 by caulfield12

[High Mileage]

Royals definitely aren't as good this year as last year.

 

I don't know how you can say that. This years' Royals team is MUCH better than last years'. Morales>>>Butler, Zobrist>>Infante, Young>>Guthrie, Rios>Aoki. You could even argue Volquez>Shields. Hard to quantify Cueto at this point, but the talent is there and it's definitely an improvement over Vargas. Everyone else was back and had a better year than last, save maybe Gordon who missed a lot of time with injury. The offense has been TONS better, not to mention more complete. The offense may not be as hot this October as last, but it's still better overall.

 

The bullpen clearly isn't as good as last year, no Holland clarifies that real easy. Herrera is a bit erratic but still very reliable. Madson has struggled as of late. Duffy hasn't got it going in the bullpen. No Finnegan this year, but they have a true lefty "specialist" in Franklin Morales. Wade Davis is still WADE DAVIS, and he's probably more valuable as a closer than as a set-up man.

 

The Mets have great starting pitching, no doubt. They do not have a dominant lefty though, and that eats the Royals up, this year and last. Their bullpen is solid but questionable and somewhat unproven. Their offense is hot but has relied heavily on Murphy and Cespedes. Both are due to cool off at any point. And that sane offense before Cespedes, YUCK.

 

I'm not familiar with the Mets defense, but I doubt it's anywhere as close as good as the Royals.

Edited October 25, 2015 by High Mileage

[caulfield12]

Rios

 

That said, Zobrist and Morales were huge additions.

 

Young vs. Matz (lhp) in Game 4 will be key, if they don't use Medlen or Duffy instead. Young is a bit more predictable, and a bigger change of pace from three hard throwers in a row. Blanton and Medlen essentially replaced Jason Vargas.

 

Even if Familia=Davis, the Mets don't have anyone as good as Herrera or even Madson.

 

Defensively, the Mets are a tick or two above average but nowhere close to KC.

[greg775]

I don't know how you can say that. This years' Royals team is MUCH better than last years'.

What made the Royals special last year was the bullpen. Herrera to Davis to Holland. Now Holland is gone and there's no eighth inning bridge. Madson and Medlen and Young are done. So you can get to the bullpen. Luckily for KC Herrera and Davis are as good or better than last year but that missing piece makes the team worse. The starting pitching right now is a hittable mess.

You are gonna get five innings max out of these guys with Volquez their best pitcher right now. All 3 are not gonna give you more than five right now.

 

Rios is a black hole in right, making them worse. I'll give them credit for different hitters getting some key hits and gutting out big postseason wins but they IMO are way worse than last year.

 

KC's hope has to be Cueto returns to form against the NL team. And another hope would be that the Mets don't play as well as they did against the Cubs, that they choke, if you will.

Edited October 25, 2015 by greg775

[pettie4sox]

The Royals have to go through New York's big three. That will be too much for them to overcome. All of KC's pitchers are very hittable.

[Jose Abreu]

How many homers does Daniel Murphy hit throughout the series? 6?

[southsider2k5]

How many homers does Daniel Murphy hit throughout the series? 6?

 

0

[flavum]

Juan Uribe is active for the World Series.

[Kyyle23]

Juan Uribe is active for the World Series.

 

the Uribe effect will cancel out the greg effect

[cabiness42]

Juan Uribe is active for the World Series.

 

How many players have rings with 3 different teams?

[flavum]

How many players have rings with 3 different teams?

 

Off hand, I know Lonnie Smith and Jack Morris have.

 

You can look at this to get the complete list...

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/...ost_rings.shtml

Edited October 27, 2015 by flavum

[LittleHurt05]

Raul Mondesi Jr replaces Terence Gore on the Royals roster. Mondesi has never played above Double A

[flavum]

Raul Mondesi Jr replaces Terence Gore on the Royals roster. Mondesi has never played above Double A

 

That just seems wrong to be a kosher move.

[southsider2k5]

Jeffrey Flanagan ‏@FlannyMLB 14m14 minutes ago

 

Raul Mondesi Jr. could become the first player in history to make his Major League debut in the World Series. #Royals #MLB

[southsider2k5]

FanGraphs Baseball ‏@fangraphs 1h1 hour ago

 

The #WorldSeries has never featured two expansion franchises before this year.

[Buehrle>Wood]

How is he eligible? Don't you have to be on the 40 man berode rosters expand?

 

Also don't get it. You'd think someone like that would be a pinch runner, but Gore is one of the fastest players out there so it's not that. Guess Zobrist's injury is way way worse than thought?

[flavum]

How is he eligible? Don't you have to be on the 40 man berode rosters expand?

 

Also don't get it. You'd think someone like that would be a pinch runner, but Gore is one of the fastest players out there so it's not that. Guess Zobrist's injury is way way worse than thought?

 

They just have to be with the organization on Aug 31.

[flavum]

How many players have rings with 3 different teams?

 

If Uribe plays and the Mets win, he'll be number 9 to play and win the Series for three different teams.

 

The last three were Dave Stewart, Jack Morris, and Lonnie Smith. A couple 59 Dodgers were before that (Roger Craig, Clem Labine), and the others were in the 20's....Wally Schang and Bullet Joe Bush were teammates in 1913, 1918, and 1923.

Edited October 27, 2015 by flavum

[shysocks]

One of my favorite annual traditions just went up - Grant Brisbee's worst ads of the MLB postseason.

 

Omitted but thankfully discussed in the comments: the GMC commercial that tells us a pitcher who can paint the corners is known as a Rembrandt even though NOBODY HAS EVER SAID THAT GAAAARGH

[clyons]

If Uribe plays and the Mets win, he'll be number 9 to play and win the Series for three different teams.

 

The last three were Dave Stewart, Jack Morris, and Lonnie Smith. A couple 59 Dodgers were before that (Roger Craig, Clem Labine), and the others were in the 20's....Wally Schang and Bullet Joe Bush were teammates in 1913, 1918, and 1923.

 

Ironic that his screw up on the basepaths in G7 of '91 is probably what kept him from winning 4 with 4 different teams.

[Buehrle>Wood]

One of my favorite annual traditions just went up - Grant Brisbee's worst ads of the MLB postseason.

 

Omitted but thankfully discussed in the comments: the GMC commercial that tells us a pitcher who can paint the corners is known as a Rembrandt even though NOBODY HAS EVER SAID THAT GAAAARGH

Link didn't work for me.

 

But I'm guessing Viagra and Sportslock featuring a guy naked on the toilet and the other one of two people f***ing.

 

Seriously, wtf. When did mlb get so low brow? Why even allow those commercials. That's stuff I'd expect on some late night tv. Can't imagine all the fathers watching the games with their son and those 3 same commercials coming on every half inning. Ugh.

[shysocks]

Link didn't work for me.

 

But I'm guessing Viagra and Sportslock featuring a guy naked on the toilet and the other one of two people f***ing.

 

Seriously, wtf. When did mlb get so low brow? Why even allow those commercials. That's stuff I'd expect on some late night tv. Can't imagine all the fathers watching the games with their son and those 3 same commercials coming on every half inning. Ugh.

Hmm, link works fine for me. Just Google "worst commercials mlb postseason" if you're still curious.

 

You're spot on with Viagra - it's number 1. I'm grateful I don't have a kid every time I see ads for an ED pill. You want the fanbase to get younger, MLB? Maybe tell the networks to keep it under 7 Viagra commercials an hour.