Players in the Postseason: #WinorGoHome #ItsBlackandWhite (Oct. 14)

Updated: Oct. 14

Trivial Pursuits

This player, whose favorite show is American Horror Story, calls himself a "horror fanatic." Although he always wanted to be a professional baseball player, if he wasn't playing baseball, he would want to go to school to do something "behind the camera," since he enjoys videography and computers. Who is he?

#WinOrGoHome #ItsBlackandWhite

It doesn't get much better than two decisive Game 5s in the same day, which is what we have going on in Toronto this afternoon and Kansas City tonight.

#WinOrGoHome II

"Obviously this is the deciding game. You either win and stay, or you go home." -- Royals Game 5 starter Johnny Cueto

The Blue Jays' Man on the Mound

The Blue Jays like their chances with Marcus Stroman on the mound.

"Stro just exudes greatness, confidence, belief, whatever word you want to use," first baseman Chris Colabello said.

The self-assured 24-year-old went 11-6 with a 3.65 ERA as a rookie, but he suffered an ACL tear on March 10 that was considered a season-ending injury. But Stroman returned in September following an aggressive rehab program at Duke University (while also finishing his undergraduate degree) and went 4-0 with a 1.76 ERA down the stretch.

"I get the chills just even thinking of being in the position that I am now, just coming from where I came," Stroman said. "I'm excited to go out and compete with my brothers and have some fun. I would say I'm confident. Some people may call it cocky. It's something that my dad kind of raised me with, a huge chip on my shoulder. I'm not scared to say that I'm extremely confident."

The Experience

The Rangers' new ace and Game 5 starter, Cole Hamels, knows a little something about pitching in big games, He's 7-4 in 14 playoff starts with an ERA of 3.05. In six starts in the Division Series, he's 3-2 with an ERA of 1.94. And, oh yeah, he was the World Series MVP in 2008.

"He's definitely a guy who wants to be out there in big moments," Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux said. "I think what separates him from a lot of people, he's been there, done that, and he knows what it takes to be successful. He knows what the finish line smells like and what it tastes like."

The HR Ball Mystery

There was some initial confusion as to where Kyle Schwarber's monstrous seventh-inning home run ball landed. At first, many believed it had left Wrigley Field and landed on Sheffield Ave. But Tom Comings, an architect for Tribune Publishing, was taking photos of the board and came forward with before-and-after photos that showed the ball sitting on top of the video board. According to The Chicago Tribune, a Cubs employee retrieved the ball this morning, it was verified as the home run ball, then returned to its original location on top of the board, where it will remain until the Cubs' postseason run has concluded.

Said Comings: "We showed them the picture and they got on radio and were verifying it was up there. They told me they'd send someone to retrieve it, and then they called us back and gave us some stuff as thanks -- a (Jon) Lester bobblehead, a thermos lunch bag and an Ernie Banks pin."

The Man

Game 4 at Citi Field demonstrated why Clayton Kershaw already has three NL Cy Young Awards, including the past two, at age 27. Pitching on three days' rest, he held the Mets to three hits and a walk over seven innings while striking out eight batters. The only run was a solo homer by Daniel Murphy.

Said catcher AJ Ellis: "We see what this guy does behind the scenes. We see this guy when nobody else does. And the consistency he has as a man and as a teammate and his work ethic. He deserves this. He deserves this moment. He deserves to be on this stage."

The Fan

Cubs superfan Eddie Vedder, who has been with the club often in recent weeks, vows better scheduling for Pearl Jam in the future after acknowledging that he wouldn't be able to attend any 2015 World Series games because the band is going on tour later this month.

"It's been a surprise. We're touring and I have to leave before the World Series," Vedder told Fox Sports Midwest. "All I'm saying is that the next few years we're not going to play in October." 

What Curse?

By the time players reach the Major Leagues they have typically played for many teams in many ballparks and many cities, some of them in different countries. So they don't always get as caught up as fans in their clubs' histories. Sure, it's understandable when Cubs fans are a little pessimistic, considering they have gone 107 years without a World Series victory and their "curse" is part of baseball lore in the Windy City. But the players want to stay positive and confident.

Said Miguel Montero, who is from Venezuela via Arizona: "I remember we lost a couple of games in a row, so you start reading your Twitter from the fans, and they're like, 'Oh, here it comes again.' If we don't believe that we are good, we're not going to have a chance."

Montero's solution was to create a hashtag for T-shirts and social media: #wearegood.

The Schedule

Wednesday's games:

Texas Rangers @ Toronto Blue Jays; 4 p.m. ET; TV: FS1

Starters: Cole Hamels vs. Marcus Stroman

Houston Astros @ Kansas City Royals; 8 p.m. ET; TV: FS1

Starters: Collin McHugh vs. Johnny Cueto

The Trivia Answer

Cubs infielder Addison Russell

Follow us @MLB_Players and to catch our postseason social media series, titled #WinOrGoHome #ItsBlackandWhite, featuring some up-close photos courtesy of Getty Sports.