2014 World Series Preview: Momentum versus Experience

In stunning fashion, two wildcard teams have now reached the 2014 World Series.  The surprising Kansas City Royals and the budding dynasty of the San Francisco Giants will meet for the Fall Classic, and it has all the makings of an enticing competition to determine baseball’s world champion!  Neither team has exceptional superstars, and yet here we are in late October with these bunches of over-performing players ready to embrace immortality and a World Series title.

For the Royals, the team is built around a tremendous bullpen and a bunch of speedy runners capable of stealing bases in the blink of an eye.  Meanwhile the Giants have a more balanced squad and the experience of winning two World Series in the last several years.

For me the key will be Kansas City’s questionable starting pitching.  Both James Shields and Yordano Ventura haven’t quite played to their best while only Jason Vargas has been impressive.  If the Giants can get up early in games, they may be able to win this series.  However, if Shields finally plays to his true value, the Royals may just claim a title in their first postseason trip since 1985.

In many ways, most casual baseball fans will be hoping for the Royals to win this Series.  They’ve endured so many disappointing seasons and there really is the feeling that this will be their only chance for many years.  They’ve earned their place here with a late-season surge and have gone undefeated in these playoffs.  If momentum is any guide, the Royals should be well on their way.

But if anyone can overcome a hot team it’s the Giants.  They’ve won 9 straight postseason series and have won the World Series twice in the last four years!  Starters Madison Bumgarner, Tim Hudson, and Jake Peavy have pitched marvelously while their bullpen is no slouch either.

Hitting wise the teams are quite evenly matched.  While the Royals lacked power in the regular season, their big bats have come alive in the playoffs, especially that of Mike Moustakas, who has 4 postseason home runs.  The Giants have good hitters too, and anyone with a decent memory can recall the glorious blasts by Pablo Sandoval in the team’s recent championships.

All in all, this is a tremendously matched World Series and could very well go either way.  While my heart wants to see the Kansas City Royals win an unexpected title, I think the current dynasty of the San Francisco Giants will continue, largely due to their remarkable starting pitchers.  Everyone knows that pitching wins titles, not stolen bases.  It has been a remarkable run by the Royals, and their momentum could definitely push them ahead, perhaps even leading them to a sweep, but I think that the Giants are simply the better team.  Remember that they have only lost two games in these playoffs and are on quite a hot streak as well.  The 2014 MLB season certainly has been a special one and it’s coming to a tremendous close.  I think the Giants will get to have the last laugh though, and they will win it all in 7 games!

Doesn't matter which team you are rooting for to win the World Series, we have collectibles for both the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants.  Our autographed memorabilia is guaranteed for life to be authentic as they are obtained from the most trusted sports companies in the industry and our autographs are done during paid private signings with the athletes.  We also carry officially licensed sports collectibles and display cases for all MLB teams.  New products are added regularly so visit us often to see what is new.

Which MLB Playoff Races will come Down to the Wire?

It’s practically an inevitable occurrence within the current landscape of professional baseball; each and every year there are several MLB division races that go down to the last day. Meanwhile, the wildcard race can also crack the playoff door open for several lucky teams while leaving others ruthlessly out of the glorious postseason that encompasses baseball and reminds us why this sport truly is America’s sport. Like any other, this year figures to be a tight contest all the way to the end! Here’s some of the more enticing MLB playoff races on the horizon and how I expect them to pan out:

The AL Central – While the Cleveland Indians seem to be fading and fading fast, the main culprits are going head to head, tooth and nail to the final day! The free-spending Detroit Tigers are the clear choice to win based on their roster and pre-season hopes, but the Kansas City Royals could be the surprise team of the year, and are currently right on their heels. James Shields has been his usual tremendous self, but the collective hitting and unity has seen the Royals play far beyond their talent and has brought about a new level of belief. While everyone is rooting for them, who knows if they’ll be able to muster enough wins to overtake Max Scherzer, Miguel Cabrera, and the rest of the tremendous Tigers. The upcoming 3-game duel between these two clubs this weekend could decide the AL Central division’s fate, though the wildcard certainly presents an outlet for either team, but both know that facing an entire season’s hopes on one game is certainly far from ideal... These teams will desperately want to claim the division. I think the Royals will do it.

The NL West – Between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants a tremendous west coast rivalry has been simmering for years. But while the Dodgers have been spending big to recruit top players in the last few seasons, the Giants are the one with two recent World Series Championships. Nevertheless, with guys like Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez, and Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers are rapidly becoming the team to beat and have been getting hot just in time to claim the division and potentially start a deep playoff run. Meanwhile, the Giants with Buster Posey, Tim Lincecum, and Madison Bumgarner actually have a proven track record of getting hot just in time for the MLB playoffs. The pinnacle series will be early next week between the two sides and could decide their fates, leaving the loser in the dreaded wildcard match. The Dodgers look too good to mess this up, and I suspect they may win it all.

It’ll be interesting to see how these teams fare once the playoffs begin. While other baseball clubs may benefit from being able to rest their players in the last few weeks of the season, teams like the Dodgers, Giants, Royals, and Tigers could benefit from the momentum gained by winning such a tight race. By the time the October playoffs arrive, they’ll be hardened by a full month of living on the edge and could be better equipped to handle the playoff pressure. As such, the winners of these close divisions might just be hoisting the World Series trophy at the end of it all!

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