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Former Major League Baseball third baseman Aramis Ramirez announced his retirement Thursday on a talk show in his native Dominican Republic after 20 professional seasons, per Yahoo Sports‘ Israel Fehr.

It didn’t come as a huge surprise. Ramirez hinted in spring training that 2015 could be his last year, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com: “I don’t want a multiyear deal,” Ramirez said. “I’m going to play this year, and probably be done after this year. I don’t know if I want to play after this year. I think this is it. I had a nice career, and I think enough is enough.”

Ramirez racked up 2,303 hits, 386 home runs and 1,417 RBI while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs. He started his career in 1998 with Pittsburgh and was traded back to the team this year to finish out his career. He was hitless in his lone at-bat during his final game—a 4-0 loss to the Cubs in the 2015 National League Wild Card Game.

The 37-year-old hit at least 25 home runs in a season 10 times and knocked in 100-plus runs seven times, yet he was named to only three All-Star Games. A career .283 hitter, the third baseman never received the accolades he deserved. As Jerry Crasnick of ESPN pointed out, he retires as one of the most prolific-hitting third basemen of all time:

After hitting 76 home runs in parts of six seasons with the Pirates, Ramirez was traded to the Cubs in 2003, where he blossomed. In nine seasons he slashed .294/.356/.531 with 239 home runs and 806 RBI. He earned two of this three All-Star selections while in Chicago.

In his first season with the Brewers in 2012, he led the league with 50 doubles. In 2014 he earned his final All-Star selection.

Ramirez’s numbers are impressive, but he won’t be a Hall of Famer. He never played in a World Series, although he did play in the postseason four times in his career.

He never won a ring but certainly deserved one. As Crasnick pointed out, Ramirez’s career is one he can talk about with pride. Although he is done with MLB, he said it’s possible his playing days aren’t over. He hinted on the radio station suiting up for his hometown Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League is not out of the question.  

It would be great if he were able to keep playing and a thrill for local fans to be able to cheer on one of their own.

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After a three-decade wait, the Kansas City Royals are once again the World Series champions thanks to their 4-1 series victory over the New York Mets.

The hard work is over, and now it’s time for the Royals and the people of Kansas City to celebrate. Unseasonably warm weather should make for a great day as the city holds its first World Series parade since 1985.

The parade will begin at noon CT and includes a 2.3-mile trek to Kansas City’s Union Station, where a “Royal Celebration” will take place at 2 p.m. CT, per VisitKC.com.

The website provides information on the route, parking, transportation and more, though information for live streaming is not available. See below for details on how to witness the parade live or watch it on television.

Royals Championship Parade Info

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 3

Time: Noon CT

Route: Beginning on Grand Boulevard and ending at Union Station

TV: Fox Sports Kansas City, Fox 4

Live Stream: TBA

Fox Sports provided more information about the parade’s television coverage:

FOX Sports Kansas City, the TV home of the Royals, will televise the Royals’ victory parade and celebration (#RoyalCelebration) live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 12 p.m. CT.

FOX Sports Kansas City broadcasters Ryan Lefebvre, Rex Hudler, Joel Goldberg, Jeff Montgomery and Morgan Uber will contribute to the coverage, which will be presented in partnership with WDAF-FOX 4. Lefebvre will host the victory rally in front of Union Station at approximately 2 p.m., shortly after the parade ends. FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX 4 are the official broadcast partners of the Royal Celebration.

Fans can see the telecast on FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports Midwest, including DirecTV channel 671 and Dish channel 418 or 412-08.

The program will be replayed immediately after the live airing, and again Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Thursday at 7 p.m.

The team arrived back in town Monday afternoon amid hundreds of cheering fans, per Kansas City’s Fox 4 News:

Tuesday’s weather should not be an issue for parade-goers. Weather.com predicts the high temperature to be in the low 70s, with only a 10 percent chance of rain.

The Kansas City Star‘s Jeff Rosen provided a map of the parade on his Twitter account:

Kansas City Mayor Sly James noted that the parade is taking place Tuesday because Major League Baseball rules require the winning team to hold its parade within 48 hours of the final World Series game, per Len Jennings of KMBC.com.

The streets should still be packed for the celebration, however, because kids will have an excuse to be there, per KCTV5:

It will be a festive occasion for a city that had witnessed just two combined championships from its professional baseball and football teams: the Royals in 1985 and Chiefs in 1969.

It’s safe to say that Kansas City residents will not get a lot of work done Tuesday—unless you count the fans’ job to show their Royals how much they support them one more time.

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The Kansas City Royals’ never-say-die attitude kept them alive throughout the postseason, and it helped them wrap up their first World Series title since 1985 with a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday.

Another come-from-behind victory in Game 5—their eighth of the postseason—gave them a 4-1 series win over New York.

The Royals again defied reality, taking a 3-2 lead on a pinch-hit RBI single from the seldom-used Christian Colon in the top of the 12th inning. In fact, it was his first at-bat of the postseason. Here’s the game-winner, via the Royals’ Twitter account:

Some aggressive baserunning from first baseman Eric Hosmer tied the game up in the ninth after the Royals entered the inning down 2-0:

The heads-up play came after Mets starter Matt Harvey shut out the Royals through eight innings, then talked his way back onto the mound for the ninth before walking leadoff hitter Lorenzo Cain. Per baseball writer Molly Knight, Kansas City had a slim chance to win heading into the inning:

When the Royals took the lead on Colon’s hit, Kansas City’s Power and Light District was ready to celebrate a title:

When the Royals notched the final out, the celebration was on:

Any World Series win is great, but this one was historic, per Fox Sports Live: 

The Royals’ most historic player enjoyed watching the team win its first title since he helped clinch one 30 years ago, per CBS Sports:

Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez has made a living out of giving Gatorade baths to his teammates after victories, and he wasn’t letting manager Ned Yost get away from him tonight, per the Royals’ Twitter account:

Perez can do more than celebrate, though. He can play the game, too. The 25-year-old earned 2015 World Series MVP honors. He was all smiles when Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews presented him the trophy, per MLB on Twitter:

He was giving out hugs, too, and an extra-special one for Game 5 starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, whose father passed away on the same day he pitched Game 1, per the Royals’ Twitter account:

It’s one thing to celebrate on the field, but there was a bigger party in the clubhouse, as the Royals showed everyone:

It’s been 30 years in the making, but this win must feel good for the Royals, who came within 90 feet of tying the Giants in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series.

There is no reason to think this team won’t make a run at a third straight World Series appearance in 2016. It will have some decisions to make in the offseason, such as whether to make a run at re-signing midseason acquisition Johnny Cueto. Kansas City may also have to choose between Ben Zobrist and Alex Gordon.

For now, though, it’s all about 2015 and the franchise’s second World Series crown, per MLB’s Twitter account:

This win is a tribute to the players, Yost and upper management, especially general manager Dayton Moore. Yost was complimentary of Moore even before the Royals took the crown.

“He’s filled this team with a bunch of tremendous athletes with tremendous character and a will to win,” Yost said Thursday.

He has, and now all the hard work is paying off.

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Kansas City Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez will start Game 5 of the 2015 World Series, per USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale.

Volquez pitched six innings Tuesday in Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Mets, allowing six hits and three earned runs while earning a no-decision in the Royals’ 5-4 victory in 14 innings. 

Volquez’s father, Daniel, died Tuesday. Nightengale reported Wednesday the Royals broke the news of the death to the starting pitcher after he was taken out of the game, per his family’s wishes. Kansas City manager Ned Yost expressed his feelings on the situation after the contest, per Nightengale. 

The whole time I kept thinking, Eddie was out there pitching his tail off, and I kept thinking, his dad isn’t watching him. His first start in a World Series and his dad isn’t watching him.

I was really monitoring him. He was happy, upbeat. He was there talking to all of his friends. Ok, he doesn’t know anything.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Volquez flew back to the Dominican Republic on Wednesday. The Kansas City Star‘s Andy McCullough reported he will return to the team sometime when it is in New York. 

In the meantime, the series resumes Wednesday night with Johnny Cueto on the hill for the Royals, facing Jacob deGrom of the Mets. The Mets used six pitchers Tuesday, while the Royals sent seven to the mound in the 14-inning affair.

Not having Volquez in the rotation would have posed a major problem for the Royals.

Kansas City pitched Chris Young—whom it scheduled to pitch Game 4—three innings in relief Tuesday, and he ended up getting the win. The Royals announced Young, who lost his father to cancer in September, will pitch his scheduled start on three days of rest despite throwing 53 pitches in Game 1, per Major League Baseball’s Twitter account.

It’s not clear when Volquez will rejoin the team, but it seems he will be ready to go for his final start of the year. After winning 13 games in the regular season with a 3.55 ERA, Volquez has posted a 1-2 record and a 4.37 ERA in four postseason starts this year.

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The Kansas City Royals and New York Mets will square off for the first time in the World Series starting Tuesday in what should be an evenly matched contest.

The Mets went from one end of the spectrum to the other, battling the Los Angeles Dodgers for the full five games in the National League Division Series before sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series.

The Royals were tested in both of their matchups, coming from behind to win the American League Division Series over the Houston Astros in five games and holding on to an early lead to knock off the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series, 4-2.

Below is a schedule with dates and television times for the Fall Classic along with a breakdown of some interesting in-game matchups between the teams:

Royals Bullpen vs. Mets Starters

It’s a chicken-or-the-egg issue when it comes to both teams’ pitching. What is more important: a rotation that can help you take an early lead or a lethal bullpen that can turn games into six-inning affairs?

We are about to find out.

The Royals had won 111 games in a row when leading after the seventh inning, dating back to 2014, before blowing back-to-back saves in August, per CBS Sports‘ Mike Axisa. They lost closer Greg Holland to a season-ending elbow injury in September, but setup man Wade Davis stepped into the role admirably. The former starter saved 17 games and sported a 0.94 ERA during the regular season in addition to pitching 6.2 scoreless innings in the postseason.

Kansas City’s top relievers during the playoffs—Davis, Kelvin Herrera and Luke Hochevar—have yielded just one run in 21 innings.

The starters—Yordano Ventura, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto and Chris Young—on the other hand, have posted a combined 5.56 ERA. That’s where the Mets have the advantage.

Despite their average age of 25 years old, Mets starters Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard are pitching like savvy veterans with a combined ERA of 2.62. They also don’t lack any confidence. On Thursday, Syndergaard claimed the Mets would win the World Series before he even knew which team they would play, according to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.

 “I’m 100 percent confident,” Syndergaard said.

When asked again if he was sure the Mets would win, he didn’t back down, per Kernan.

“One hundred percent,” he said.

It remains to be seen whether Syndergaard is a prophet or gave the Royals some bulletin-board material. Either way, there is a 100 percent chance this is going to be a good series.

Who Will Blink First?

Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy and Kansas City’s defense have both been spectacular in the postseason, but will they keep it up in the World Series? Murphy has homered in six straight playoff games, a Major League Baseball record, and the Royals have committed one error in 375 chances through 11 postseason games.

Murphy is doing more than hitting the ball over the fence. In nine games, he’s batting .421 with seven home runs and 11 RBI. If he keeps up this pace, he’ll shatter the record of eight home runs in a postseason, per Baseball-Reference.com, and the hearts of Royals fans everywhere.

The Royals are hitting a postseason-leading .271 and also have the most RBI (58) and second-most home runs (15) behind the Chicago Cubs. When you couple that with a .997 fielding percentage, it almost seems unfair to have to play them.

The law of averages would have you think both Murphy and the Royals defense will drop off during the World Series. That drop in production, or lack thereof, will play a role in determining which team will be hoisting the championship trophy this year.

Although Murphy is just one player, he has set the tone for the Mets offense, and after hitting home runs off 2015 Cy Young candidates Clayton Kershaw, Jake Arrieta and Zack Greinke, Murphy’s play has rubbed off on his teammates.

A great defensive play can pump up the crowd and get the offense going in the next inning. Keep an eye on both throughout the series and see who blinks first.

Sensational Skippers

Royals manager Ned Yost, who was fired by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008 with just 12 games remaining in a season in which the team made the playoffs, hasn’t always been loved in Kansas City. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s David O’Brien remembers well:

On the other side, Mets upper management had to dispel a rumor July 3, per ESPN.com’s Adam Ruben, suggesting manager Terry Collins was going to be fired as New York, once 10 games over .500, fell to 40-40.

Both managers got the last laugh, however, guiding their teams to the sport’s pinnacle.

Yost is the first Kansas City manager to reach the Fall Classic twice, and he’s done it in back-to-back seasons, all while becoming the franchise’s most successful manager in terms of regular-season wins. 

Collins is third on the Mets’ all-time wins list. Despite the fact that New York has had eight managers since 1986, Collins has done what only one of them, Bobby Valentine, was able to do by reaching the World Series.

It’s hard to say who has the edge here. Yost has increased the Royals’ wins total in all six of his seasons with the team. Collins managed the Mets to 11 more regular-season victories this year than they had in 2014 while working with a talented but young pitching staff.

It feels like this series will be a chess match, and the team that wins will be the one with the manager who makes that final expert move to seal the victory.

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The Kansas City Royals finished off the Toronto Blue Jays Friday night in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series to set up a date in the World Series with the National League champion New York Mets. 

It’s the first meeting in the World Series between the two teams, but the Royals are in the Fall Classic for the second straight season, while the Mets are back for the first time since 2000.

After losing Game 5 of the ALCS Wednesday in Toronto, the Royals held off the Blue Jays 4-3 in front of a wild home crowd in Game 6. Meanwhile, the Mets dispatched the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series in four games with strong pitching and a historic effort at the plate that saw them break their team record for home runs in a postseason.

Below is a schedule of all seven games, as well as some analysis and predictions for the series.

Will Daniel Murphy Continue His Hot Hitting?

In short, no. However, that is only because it’s hard for any player to continue to hit .529 (as he did in the NLCS) and blast a home run every game. That’s not to say the Mets second baseman won’t have a good series, but if he continues at his current pace, he’ll be talked about alongside the all-time great postseason players.

His homers in each of his past six games are already a record, and even if he only produced at 50 percent of his production in the NLCS, he would hit .264 with two home runs and three RBI in the World Series—not too shabby.

Considering Kauffman Stadium is one of the harder places to hit a home run and the Royals held the majors’ best home run-hitting team in check during the ALCS, expect a drop-off for Murphy. 

Is the Royals Defense Really This Good?

The Royals have made one error in the postseason. In 375 chances over 11 games, Kansas City has a .997 fielding percentage. The Royals were 11th in baseball with a .985 fielding percentage in the regular season, but in the playoffs they are 0.12 percentage points ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who led the majors this season.

Like Murphy, that number is not likely to hold up in another full series. The Mets were one spot ahead of Kansas City with a .986 fielding percentage, but they also faced a pitcher at the plate two to three times each game. The Mets (39.7) were also one spot higher than the Royals (38.7) in team defensive WAR, per FanGraphs.

In other words, the Mets were an ever-so-slightly better defensive team during the regular season, but the Royals have been better in the playoffs, although not by much. If Kansas City continues its stellar defensive play, it would be a huge advantage, one it did not have against the Mets in the regular season. However, count on the Royals to make at least two errors in the World Series and play at a similar level on defense as the Mets.

Who Will Win?

This should be a matchup that heads back to Kansas City for a sixth or seventh game. The Royals have the better bullpen, but the Mets’ overall pitching has been the best this postseason.

Terry Collins said he is turning to Matt Harvey in Game 1, per Mike Vorkunov of NJ.com. Harvey was 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA this season and said he is ready to go, according to the team’s official Twitter account:

Per Vorkunov, Harvey didn’t mince words when Collins asked him if he was ready.

“Damn right,” Harvey said.

Collins explained his decision a little further, after Harvey did not have to pitch Game 5 of the NLCS.

“I don’t want to give him five more extra days if I could help it,” the manager said.

The Royals will counter with an offense that outscored MLB‘s top-scoring regular-season offense, 38-26, in the ALCS. Every regular for the Royals hit a home run in the series except leadoff man Alcides Escobar, and all he did was win the ALCS MVP Award.

The Royals can shut down any team with their deadly bullpen, but if they are hitting like that, they will be tough to beat. The Mets, who had a team ERA good for fourth in the NL during the regular season, will throw a group of young starters in Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz at the Royals, but expect Kansas City to be ready.

Given that the Royals are hitting, pitching and fielding well and carry the experience of a World Series appearance last season in their back pocket, look for a close series win, their second in franchise history.

Prediction: Royals win in seven.

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