World Series Preview: 1985 vs. 1986

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY: World Series Preview

The Royals last won the World Series in 1985. The Mets' latest championship came the following year. Now the two will meet in the Fall Classic, which begins with Game 1 at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday. The Mets boast a devastating rotation and are coming off a four-game sweep of the Cubs in the National League Championship Series. The Royals, who advanced with a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night, sport a balanced, battle-tested club looking to finish what it started last season. "It was a driving force for all those guys coming into Spring Training, knowing we want to get back in that situation and get that one extra out, that one extra run," said Royals left fielder Alex Gordon, whose team came within 90 feet of a potential World Series title in 2014. "They've been doing it all year, this team, and we still have a long way to go." The Mets announced that they'll go with Matt Harvey for Game 1, with Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz following in that order. The Royals haven't announced their rotation, but they'll likely turn to Edinson Volquez for Game 1, followed by Johnny Cueto in Game 2, Yordano Ventura in Game 3 and Chris Young in Game 4. The Royals have the home-field advantage by virtue of the AL's 6-3 win at the All-Star Game, meaning they'll host Games 1 and 2 and a potential 6 and 7. The two teams have never met in the World Series and haven't faced each other since the 2013 regular season, when the Royals took two of three at Citi Field. "Kansas City, they've got so much confidence that they're going to win," said Mets infielder Kelly Johnson, who was on the Orioles team that got swept by the Royals in last year's ALCS. "They've now done it two years in a row. That lineup is equally tough. They have some power, but they also don't give in. They're going to fight off pitches, make you work and try to just get guys on. And the next man up will try to get the job done." Boosted by a deep October run last fall, the Royals went for it all this year, acquiring Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist midseason and ultimately cruising to their first division title in 30 years. They won the AL Central by 12 games, won an AL-best 95 times, then beat the Astros in five AL Division Series games -- thanks largely to an epic comeback in the eighth inning of Game 4 -- and defeated the Blue Jays in six ALCS games. Now they'll face a Mets staff that threw harder, on average, than all but two teams this season -- with a lineup that made contact more frequently than anybody else. "They're very good," Zobrist said of the Mets. "They throw the ball really hard, they have a great staff all the way around. But we believe that we're capable of hitting anybody. We're going to come ready." The Mets entered the season with high hopes thanks to their young, talented rotation. The Mets were mediocre through the first four months, then acquired Yoenis Cespedes before the non-waiver Trade Deadline and took off, winning 20 of 28 games in August to finish with 90 wins -- 11 more than the prior season -- and run away from the Nats in the NL East. In their first postseason series in nine years, the Mets outlasted the Dodgers in a five-game NLDS, then stormed past the Cubs thanks in large part to Daniel Murphy, who has homered in a record six consecutive postseason games. They'll enter the World Series with five days off, hoping the long layoff does nothing to halt their momentum. "This team is kind of a combination of the 'Miracle Mets' and 'Ya Gotta Believe, '69, '86, 2000,'" said Mets third baseman David Wright, his team back in the World Series for the first time since 20000. "To be able to be mentioned in the same breath as those teams, we're going to go down in Mets history as one of the greatest Mets teams ever assembled. And I'm proud of that."

Three things to know about this game:

• Cespedes received a cortisone injection for his sore left shoulder Friday was expected to take batting practice on Sunday. He expects to be ready for Game 1. The long layoff has allowed Cespedes to get some rest, while letting Mets manager Terry Collins align his rotation.
• Murphy has the most experience against Volquez and has hit him well, going 6-for-15 with a double and two walks. Wright, meanwhile, is only 2-for-13 lifetime. Alex Rios (1-for-3) is the only Royals player who has faced Harvey, and backup catcher Drew Butera (0-for-3) is the only one who has faced deGrom.
• Here's a safe bet for the World Series: At one point or another, Alcides Escobar will probably swing at the first pitch. The Royals' leadoff hitter, fresh off being named the Most Valuable Player of the ALCS, has swung at the game's first pitch in nine of 11 postseason games. That approach, Escobar said, gives him the aggressive mindset that helps him thrive.

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

World Series

New York at Kansas City

Game 1: Tuesday, October 27, at 8:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

More rumors... no news but interesting reading. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.

Would We Have The Same Matchup Had One Move Not Happened?

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

There have been a couple interesting article posted on MLB.com lately about the top 5 moves that lead the Royals and Mets, respectively, to the World Series. Below are those lists:

Mets:

1. The R.A. Dickey trade – After Dickey won the 2012 NL Cy Young Award, the Mets, knowing that they had pitching depth in their organization, smartly decided to trade the ace at his peak value rather than sign him to an extension. They found a buyer in the Blue Jays, and in return, they extracted two potential premium players from them. At 23 years old, Noah Syndergaard has been as impressive as any rookie starting pitcher, leading all first-year starters with 166 strikeouts while posting a 3.24 ERA. Meanwhile, catcher Travis d'Arnaud is finally healthy after dealing with a variety of ailments, and put up a .268/.355/.487 line over 268 plate appearances. That slugging percentage would have led all catchers had he qualified. Both guys are key pieces for the Mets this season and years to come.
2. Re-signing David Wright – When Wright was a year away from free agency following the 2012 season, he and the organization both had to take a leap of faith. The front office had to decide on whether it should invest $138 million over eight years to arguably the best position player in franchise history. Conversely, Wright had to decide if this was the organization that was going to take the steps necessary to win. Wright believed in the plan, and the front office showed incredible discipline and decision-making in the Draft and internationally over the past several seasons (15 players on the roster are homegrown, the most of any playoff club). Wright isn't the player he once was, but he still posted an .814 OPS this year, is a consummate leader, and was integral in convincing the likes of Curtis Granderson and Michael Cuddyer to buy in and sign with the club.
3. Signing Curtis Granderson – In a move to infuse more offense, the Mets signed Granderson to a four-year deal during the 2013 Winter Meetings. They hoped he would be a middle-of-the-order bat and run producer. But after a slow 2014 season, manager Terry Collins and new hitting coach Kevin Long felt his best place in the lineup this year was batting leadoff. After making a couple of mechanical adjustments under Long's observation, Granderson became one of the best leadoff men in the NL, leading the Mets with a .364 OBP. Granderson's productivity has gone under the radar in the postseason due to Daniel Murphy's torrid October, but he has set the table for the Mets, posting a .385 OBP while driving in seven runs and even stealing four bases in five attempts.
4. Trading Ike Davis – This was less about trading Davis and more about the fact that it opened up the door for Lucas Duda to take over as the everyday first baseman. It seems like an obvious move now, but when the 2014 season began it was unclear who the Mets would choose as their long-term answer at first. Davis, the Mets' first-round pick in the 2008 Draft, hit 32 homers in 2012, and was considered a better defender. The organization tried to keep both, playing Duda in the outfield (he played 100 games in 2012 and another 58 in '13), but as Davis' struggles continued beyond '13, the Mets decided it was time to cut ties with him and make Duda the full-time first baseman. He responded by hitting 30 home runs in '14 and another 27 this past year, with an impressive .838 OPS while playing solid defense.
5. Acquiring Yoenis Cespedes – OK, so there was one move from 2015 that had to be on this list. No player moved at the non-waiver Trade Deadline made a bigger impact for a team this year than Cespedes. His numbers as a Met are gaudy: In only 230 at bats, he hit 17 home runs, had 44 RBIs, a .942 OPS and a 157 OPS+, while playing mostly center field for the Mets (starting 39 of his 53 games in CF), a position that evaluators were convinced he was not comfortable playing anymore. Over the course of the summer, the Mets acquired two other veteran bats in Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, promoted rookie Michael Conforto from Double-A to the Majors, and welcomed Wright's return from a long disabled list stint, and all of those moves helped create a deeper and more dynamic lineup. But the Cespedes acquisition almost single-handedly allowed the Mets' offense to come alive, as it averaged more than five runs per game in the final two months of the regular season.

Royals:

1. The Zack Greinke trade – In December 2009, one year after he won the American League Cy Young Award, Greinke was traded along with Yuniesky Betancourt to the Brewers for Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress. Kansas City was coming off a 67-win season and desperately needed an influx of young talent. What's amazing is that this trade almost didn't happen. The Royals made a lot of progress on a trade with the Nationals, but Greinke made it clear he would not waive his no-trade clause to go there. At the time of the trade, it was unclear who the best piece was coming back to Kansas City, but general manager Dayton Moore took a chance on athletes, and in doing so he acquired Cain, the 2014 AL Championship Series MVP, Escobar, the 2015 ALCS MVP, as well as Odorizzi, who was used in the trade with the Rays that brought back Wade Davis and James Shields. That one trade laid the foundation for this great Royals team.
2. Hiring Dayton Moore – That Greinke trade wouldn't have happened without Moore at the helm. He was hired in 2006 to bring some of the scouting and player development acumen he picked up while working in the Braves' front office. With a philosophy built around relationships, loyalty and a team approach, Moore built one of the deepest farm systems in history, and then parlayed that into the juggernaut you see now. This is a team that can beat you with pitching depth, defense, speed, contact hitting and even power. It does not have a glaring weakness, and Moore is the man responsible for putting this group together.
3. Drafting Alex Gordon – If you're going to pick in the top five of the Draft, you have to make it count, and the Royals had an impressive run of top-three picks that began with Gordon, the No. 2 overall pick in 2005. In the subsequent three years, they drafted Luke Hochevar No. 1 overall in 2006, Mike Moustakas No. 2 overall in 2007 and Eric Hosmer No. 3 in 2008. And one common thread among all of these guys is that none of them was an instant sensation. Kansas City had the patience to stick with these guys as they struggled in the Minor Leagues and early on in the Majors. Gordon had to switch from third base to left field, Hochevar moved from the rotation to the bullpen, Moustakas struggled to hit lefties and Hosmer dealt with vision issues in the low Minors. Many in the game doubted that these guys would pan out, but the only people who didn't waver were the folks who were developing them and the front office who drafted them. Their patience has been rewarded.
4. The Salvador Perez extension – In today's game, every organization needs a productive Latin American program, one that consistently adds impactful talent to the organization. No player represents the Royals' Latin American program better than Perez, who they signed out of Venezuela as a 16-year-old for $65,000 in 2006. After a solid debut in 2011, hitting .331 in 39 games, Kansas City gave Perez a five-year, $7 million extension with three club options that might be the best bargain in baseball. Other products of that Latin American pipeline are Yordano Ventura and Kelvin Herrera, both signed out of the Dominican Republic. Like Perez, Ventura was signed for a bargain bonus ($28,000), and he also received a club-friendly contract after his rookie campaign. He signed a five-year, $23 million deal before last season that includes club options for 2020-21.
5. Hiring Ned Yost – Yost was hired in 2010 to replace Trey Hillman, and he spent the next four years slowly nurturing a young core of players. His patience, belief and humility eventually showed itself in 2014, and again this season. With Yost and Moore paired together, the Royals have an outstanding combination that has been able to adapt consistently to the ever-changing challenges of the game. As you can see, Kansas City is a complete organization where each area of the baseball-operations department impacts its current roster. It is an organization that is blessed with continuity, and it is led by humble quality people who truly understand what an organization should represent.

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

World Series

New York at Kansas City

Game 1: Tuesday, October 27, at 8:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

Plenty of rumors floating around but no news yet!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.

Phillies Mount Comeback, Look To End Season Strong

GAME RECAP: Phillies Shock Mets 7-5

Ten walks, seven wild pitches, four hit batters, 17 pitchers and two ejections. The Mets' quest for home-field advantage took a turn for the ugly in a 7-5 loss to the Phillies on Wednesday, when three hours and 59 minutes of baseball produced a crowded box score and a clubhouse full of frustrated Mets. Freddy Galvis' two-run single and a pair of wild pitches allowed the Phillies to complete a comeback from five runs down with a three-run sixth, taking their first lead of the game. By that point, Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was long gone, having been hit on the hand by a Justin De Fratus pitch in the third. Also absent were reliever Hansel Robles and manager Terry Collins, both of whom were ejected. "You look at some of the at-bats, and we're better than that," Collins said. "After the big celebration and the big events over the weekend, we've got to get rekindled here." However, with the Dodgers' loss to the Giants, the Mets maintained their one-game lead over Los Angeles for home-field advantage in the National League Division Series with four games to play. "Yeah, I mean, I know it's in my head," De Fratus said of spoiling the Mets' home-field hopes. "At least if we can't play for a spot in the playoffs, then it's nice not to do them any favors."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Phillies rookie Alec Asher lasted just seven batters, allowing five runs and two home runs in just two-thirds of an inning. Asher finished his season 0-5 with a 9.00 ERA in six starts, making him a long-shot candidate to make the 2016 rotation out of Spring Training. "He needs some polish," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's going to be a good pitcher. He's not quite there yet. It's our job to polish him up."
• Asher's early exit forced the Phillies' bullpen into action. They used seven relief pitchers, allowing just three hits, and none after the fourth inning. The Phillies also walked two and struck out six in 8 1/3 scoreless innings. "I had a line of relief pitchers that had smiles on their faces," Mackanin said. "They all contributed."
• The Phillies challenged Eric Young Jr.'s stolen base in the sixth inning, believing second baseman Darnell Sweeney tagged Young before he reached the bag. But the ruling on the field stood as called.
• The Phillies won a game in which their starter did not finish one inning for the first time since Sept. 2, 2006, when Scott Mathieson didn't record an out. It was also the first time the Phillies clinched a series against the Mets since April 9-11, 2014.
• "Absolutely. Absolutely. It makes it that much sweeter. It would be nice to get another one tomorrow." -- Rupp, on if there is any satisfaction beating the Mets, knowing they are fighting for home-field advantage in the NLDS.
• In what was momentarily a scary scene on the field, Cespedes left the game after De Fratus hit him on the left hand with an 89-mph fastball in the third inning. X-rays were negative, and Cespedes escaped with nothing more than a bruise of his middle and ring fingers.
• Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (2-3, 3.07 ERA) gets the start for the Phillies. He has been one of the Phillies' few bright spots in the second half of the season.
• Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Ryan Howard is unlikely to play for the remainder of the season, although he could be available to pinch-hit. Howard has been sidelined since Sept. 14 with a bruised left knee.
• The Mets have 14 victories this season against the Phillies. It is only the fourth time in franchise history they have won 14 or more games against a team in a single season.

NEXT GAME:

The Mets and Phillies hope to beat the rain Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. The teams bumped up their previously scheduled night game to 12:05 p.m. ET because of heavy rains in the forecast. The Mets need to play with home-field advantage at stake for the National League Division Series. They lead the Dodgers by one game. The Mets are expected to make Thursday a bullpen game, with left-hander Sean Gilmartin getting the start. Steven Matz had been scheduled to pitch, but he has been slow to recover from upper back discomfort, which has his postseason availability in question.

PHILS PHACTS:

Wake Up Music – The spoiler role is no motivator for Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. He is not standing in the middle of the Phillies' clubhouse before games rallying his team to beat the Mets because, hey, wouldn't it be nice to prevent New York from having home-field advantage in the National League Division Series? No, Mackanin has bigger fish to fry. But playing spoiler sure seemed to motivate Mackanin's players, who thoroughly enjoyed Wednesday night's 7-5 victory over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. "Yeah, I mean, I know it's in my head," Phillies right-hander Justin De Fratus said. "At least if we can't play for a spot in the playoffs, then it's nice not to do them any favors. That was big time. That was a lot of fun tonight." "It makes it that much sweeter," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. Rupp felt pretty good about the victory, considering he helped spark it. Mets reliever Hansel Robles threw a 2-2 fastball near Rupp's head in the sixth inning, which caused the benches to clear. "That was the second time at home," Rupp said. "This one was a little more dangerous. I don't know if the guy knew where it was going or not. I don't know. If you're going to do it, make sure you know where it's going." Folks might remember Robles as the pitcher who threw quick pitches to Rupp and Darin Ruf on successive nights in late August before they were ready to hit. The occurrence to Ruf prompted benches to clear and Larry Bowa to be ejected. Robles was ejected this time -- and Mets manager Terry Collins -- because both teams previously received warnings. De Fratus hit Yoenis Cespedes in the left hand in the third inning, forcing him to the leave the game with bruised fingers. Adam Loewen plunked Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the fifth inning. Mets pitcher Logan Verrett then drilled Odubel Herrera in the middle of the back in the fifth, prompting the warnings. Bobby Parnell replaced Robles and walked Rupp and Chase d'Arnaud to put runners on first and second with one out. A wild pitch from Parnell advanced the runners to second and third. Freddy Galvis then laced a two-run single up the middle to tie the game at 5. Dario Alvarez replaced Parnell and got Herrera to pop out for the second out. But then Alvarez hit Aaron Altherr with a pitch on the foot to put runners on first and second. Carlos Torres became the Mets' fourth pitcher of the inning. He threw two wild pitches, allowing Galvis to score on the second one to give the Phillies the lead. The Phillies enter their final four games of the season at 61-97. They need to split to avoid 100 losses for the first time since 1961. "I know I wake up every day knowing I don't want to lose 100 games," De Fratus said. "That wouldn't be a nice thing to sit on in the offseason."

Movin’ On Up – The start time for Thursday's game between the Mets and Phillies in Philadelphia has been changed from 7:05 p.m. ET to 12:05 p.m. due to the anticipation of inclement weather. Jerad Eickhoff is scheduled to pitch for the Phillies, while the Mets will start Sean Gilmartin. Since debuting for the Phillies on Aug. 21, Eickhoff has gone at least six innings in six of his seven starts.

Unlikely To Return – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Wednesday that it "doesn't look good" for Ryan Howard to play again this season. Of course, Howard's return to the field before the end of the season Sunday is almost inconsequential at this point. The Phillies entered Wednesday with just five games to play. His return from a bruised left knee will not help the front office, manager or coaching staff learn anything new about him. But Howard is arguably the greatest first baseman in Phillies history and he is one of two remaining players from the 2008 World Series championship team. His continued absence is noteworthy, especially because he is set to earn $35 million next year, which includes a $10 million buyout on a 2017 club option. Howard was sick Wednesday, so he was unavailable to comment. "But I'll see what he wants to do," Mackanin said. "If he wants to play a game, I'll throw him in there." If Howard does not play again this season, he will finish hitting .229 with 29 doubles, one triple, 23 home runs, 77 RBIs and a .720 OPS in 129 games. He posted a respectable .802 OPS against right-handed pitchers, which ranked 54th out of 144 qualified hitters in baseball. But he posted a troubling .418 OPS against left-handers, which is the ninth-lowest mark in baseball in the past 20 seasons (minimum 100 plate appearances against lefties). "He put up some productive numbers, but his average is down, not to where we'd want it to be," Mackanin said. "Very similar to last year. So as far as analyzing his performance, it wasn't the best performance, it wasn't the greatest. He needs to get better." Mackanin said Howard needs to improve his defense, too. It seems clear that if Howard and Darin Ruf both return next season, that Mackanin will employ a straight platoon at first base, with Howard starting only against right-handers and Ruf starting only against left-handers. Ruf's 1.092 OPS against left-handers is second in baseball (minimum 100 plate appearances against lefties). "For me, numbers mean something," Mackanin said. "When I have a player in Ruf who's hitting .370 against lefties and has the [second] highest OPS in the Major Leagues against left-handed pitchers, it only leads me to believe that's the guy we should play against lefties. So I'll just leave it at that." Asked if this is just who Howard is at this point of his career, Mackanin said, "Possibly. I can't ... I don't want to go there yet. You look at a guy like Raul Ibanez, a guy who was pretty productive when he was 39 or 40. It all kind of comes down to Ryan's health, how healthy his legs are next year. That's going to be a determining factor."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last place in the NL East with a record of 60-97. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope for this year! All time, the Phillies are 30-27-0 on this day.