2014 MLB World Series - Giants v Royals (SETTLED)

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Giants vs. Royals: Looking ahead to the 2014 World Series
By Dayn Perry | Baseball Writer - CBSSports




According to sketchy message board scuttle, the Royals have won the American League pennant, and the Giants have claimed the National League pennant. As the ancient laws of combat mandate, these two teams will meet in the 2014 World Series.

The Royals will be trying to hoist the trophy for the first time since 1985, while the Giants will be trying to do the same for the third time in the last five seasons.

First, the schedule ...

Game 1 @KC: Tuesday, Oct. 21, 8:07 pm ET
Game 2 @KC: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 8:07 pm ET
Game 3 @SF: Friday, Oct. 24, 8:07 pm ET
Game 4 @SF: Saturday, Oct. 25, 8:07 pm ET
Game 5 @SF: Sunday, Oct. 26, 8:07 pm ET (if necessary)
Game 6 @KC: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 8:07 pm ET (if necessary)
Game 7 @KC: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 8:07 pm ET (if necessary)

Now with that laid out, some (very) preliminary observations and considerations ...

•Obviously, we don't know pitching match-ups yet, but the Royals will of course be able to start James Shields in Game 1 on extra rest. As for the Giants, Madison Bumgarner started Game 5 of the NLCS, but the schedule is such that he'll be able to start Game 1 in Kansas City on normal rest.

•Speaking of rest, the Royals will have a five-day layoff prior to Game 1. There's no evidence whatsoever that teams get rusty after such a break. If anything, the extra rest should benefit a bullpen-reliant team like KC.

•This is just the second time that two wild card teams have met in the World Series. The first was 2002 when the Angels topped, coincidentally (not ironically), the Giants in a taught seven games.

•Thanks to the curiosities of interleague play, these two teams met in the regular season. The Royals swept the three-game series at home that unfolded from Aug. 8 through Aug. 10. Over those three contests, the Royals out-scored the Giants by a margin of 16-6. As for starters, the Royals beat Tim Lincecum, Tim Hudson and Bumgarner.

•Who's the better team? It's still somewhat difficult to compare across leagues, but ... The Royals won one more game in the regular season; however, the Giants had the better run differential (+51 to KC's +27). Head over to FanGraphs and check out the BaseRuns numbers (i.e., what their records should have been based on basic offensive and defensive events and stripped of luck), and we find that the Giants should have been 86-76 during the 2014 regular season, while the Royals should have been 81-81.

•As for strength of schedule during the regular season (as measured by opponents' winning percentage), the Royals ranked 15th with a mark of .501, while the Giants were dead last with a figure of .489.

•Unlike the Orioles in the ALCS, the Giants likely won't mind hitting in Kauffman Stadium. Pick your split -- overall runs, homers, doubles, lefty hitters, righty hitters -- and AT&T Park is a tougher environment for offense than Kauffman is. The Giants still managed to rank fifth in the NL in runs scored this season.

We'll have a more exhaustive World Series breakdown and preview in the coming days, but consider this an appetizer.

[DemonGeminiX]

Go KC.

[Goofy]

Go Giants!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Go Giants!

[Goofy]

What? I read the piece you posted, apparently they've won it twice in the last 4 years........ so therefore they know how to get the job done

[Goofy]

Didn't the Giants used to be an American Football team?

[DemonGeminiX]

Didn't the Giants used to be an American Football team?

Yeah, they got tired of losing football games in New York so they're trying their hand at a different sport in a brand new city.

[Goofy]

Yeah, they got tired of losing football games in New York so they're trying their hand at a different sport in a brand new city.

Sounds like they made the right move

[redred]

i put 500 on the under dogs is that good

[Muddy]

San Fag is the parent team to our local team here... So we are defo. pulling for the Giants!

[Goofy]

Giants lead 1-0

[DemonGeminiX]

Series tied 1-1

[DemonGeminiX]

Tied 2-2

[DemonGeminiX]

3-2, Giants lead by 1.

[Goofy]

Go Giants!