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Players in the Postseason: #WinorGoHome #ItsBlackandWhite (Oct. 26)

Updated: Oct. 26

The Trivia

This big, quiet player's favorite foods are steak and sushi. A favorite in the clubhouse, his teammates decided to create an Instagram page about him where they post candid and sometimes surprise photos and videos of him in the clubhouse or traveling with the club. He enjoys fishing in his spare time and is only the second player in franchise history to hit three home runs in a home game. Who is he?

The Battle

Maybe the most intriguing matchup of the 111th World Series, which begins on Tuesday at 8:07 p.m. ET on FOX, will be between the power pitchers on the Mets and the contact hitters on the Royals.

The Mets feature one of the hardest-throwing staffs in the game -- including young starters Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard -- and rely on strikeouts. They had the right opponent in the NLCS with the free-swinging Cubs, who had the highest percentage of strikeouts per plate appearance (24.5) in the Major Leagues this season.

But the Royals are the Cubs' polar opposites. They struck out a baseball-low 15.9 percent of their plate appearances this season.

The Rotations

Mets manager Terry Collins selected Matt Harvey to pitch Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday in Kansas City. Collins explained that Harvey was next in the rotation and he didn't want him to sit for an extended period between starts.

So Jacob deGrom will pitch the second game in Kansas City with Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz in line for Friday and Saturday at Citi Field. There has been some concern with Harvey, because a year after Tommy John surgery he has pitched 202 innings through the NLCS. 

The Royals decided to bring a little gamesmanship to play and keep everyone guessing about their starters until Monday's workout.

"I'm just being a little bit of a punk," manager Ned Yost joked, before announcing that Edinson Volquez will take the hill in Game 1.

The Closers

Wade Davis has emerged as perhaps the most dominant reliever in the Majors the past two seasons, posting a 1.00 ERA over 71 appearances in 2014 and improving to a 0.94 ERA over 69 appearances in 2015, including picking up 17 saves after taking that role over from the injured Gregg Holland. He has three saves over five innings in four games while not allowing a run in the postseason.

And he has a no-nonsense demeanor to go along with his stuff.

"He goes about his business," backup catcher Drew Butera said. "That's what he's all about. He doesn't need the extra flair or flash or whatever you want to call it. He's just there to do a job and gets it done."

Jeurys Familia, 26, in only his second season, allowed just 16 earned runs on 59 hits and 19 walks for a 1.85 ERA -- seventh-best in baseball -- but he posted a 0.92 ERA over his final 30 regular-season appearances, going 21-for-21 in save opportunities.

Davis averaged 10.43 strikeouts per nine innings (17th in MLB) while Familia struck out 9.92 per nine innings (21st).

The History

It's not like the Royals and Mets have been able to develop much of a rivalry over the years, playing in different leagues and never facing each other previously in the postseason, but their paths have crossed on and off the field.

They've played just nine regular-season games since Interleague play began in 1997, and the Royals have a 5-4 advantage in those contests.

There are also two notable trades that tie the two clubs together. Mets fans consider the 1969 trade of future All-Star Amos Otis to the Royals for Joe Foy one of the worst deals in their history, while Royals fans consider it one of their team's best.

Eighteen years later, in 1987, however, the Royals returned the favor by trading David Cone to the Mets for backup catcher Ed Hearn.

The Observer

Jeremy Guthrie isn't on the Royals' roster, but he's been having a memorable postseason with his club nonetheless, and sharing some of those moments with fans everywhere via social media.

On Saturday, he was engaging fans on Twitter with a random giveaway of the commemorative cap he received when the Royals won the ALCS.  

The night before, Guthrie was in the middle of the Royals' celebration, enjoying the moment with his family but also sharing it with fans.

"I don't have as many responsibilities necessarily to prepare as all these guys, so I'm trying to enjoy it and soak it all in and make the most of the moment," Guthrie told the Kansas City Star.

The Wagers

As will happen to hometown politicians during the postseason, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and a big-time Dodgers fan, lost a bet.

So instead of getting the satisfaction that would have come from receiving a bounty of bagels and watching his Democratic colleague from New York, U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, wear a Dodgers tie, Schiff stood up on the House floor and sang a truly horrible rendition of "Meet the Mets." Judge for yourselves.

Schiff, who is also sending gourmet popcorn from Pauline's Premier Sweets in Burbank to Israel as his part of the bet, ended his version of "Meet the Mets" with these unfamiliar words: "Please, Mr. Speaker, let my time be expired."

The Trivia Answer

Lucas Duda, New York Mets

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