Columnists
Play ball!
The 2014 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals opened on Tuesday night in Kansas City. The teams will play three games in Kansas City, fly out to the West Coast to play one game, potentially two, then fly back to KC for the final games.
Both of these teams arrived rather unexpectedly in the final—they were both Wild Card teams. A brief explanation: neither team finished well enough in the division to merit an automatic berth in the playoffs. They both had to sneak in the back door by winning a qualifying game. However, when they got to the playoffs, both teams turned it up a notch or two, and charged to the finish line.
The Royals have just completed a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, in four straight games, to win the League Championship Series. The Giants knocked off the St. Louis Cardinals in five games. This is the third time in five years the Giants have gained a berth in the finals. Naturally, experience can play a big factor in these things, and the Giants will rely on that as they take the field.
time since the Royals dug in at home plate in Championship play. In 1985, they faced the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series. In order to get to the finals that year, they had to dispose of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays led the Royals three games to one, only to lose the final three games. Those were exciting times in Toronto, the first postseason experience for the Jays. They borrowed from experience eight years later, when they went on to win the World Series in 1993 and 1994. Only the work stoppage in 1995 prevented them from accomplishing a three-peat, according to many baseball analysts.
The Giants have a strong starting rotation to begin the Series, led by Madison Bumgarner. He is a crafty left-handed pitcher who relies on his slider to confuse opposing batters. The North Carolina native averages one strikeout per inning, and has pitched more than 200 innings in the past four seasons. Another brilliant Giants hurler, Tim Lincecum, has yet to pitch in the postseason for the Giants this year. The enigmatic Lincecum began his career in San Francisco in 2007, winning Cy Young Awards and World Series rings. But it has been a rocky road for him lately, undoubtedly due to injury.
The Royals will rely on speed and defence. That was the assumption going into the playoffs. I recently heard a report indicating the Royals’ outfield, led by Lorenzo Cain, ranks with the best in baseball history. They are quick, and have a lot of ground to cover in either cavernous stadia. But they also have been swinging the bats on their way to the championships. They have won eight straight games in the playoffs, going back to 1985. The Giants have a string of 11 straight playoff series titles. Neither team is interested in breaking those strings.
Pablo Sandoval leads the Giants from the cleanup position. The popular player, affectionately known as “The Panda,” caries almost 250 pounds on his frame, less than six feet in height. He also turns in spectacular plays from the hot corner at third base.
To those of you who put all your shekels down on both teams in Vegas prior to the start of the season, I tip my cap. A most unexpected pairing in the final games of the season. In this World Series, anything can happen.
Play ball!
Comments (0)