I'm ready for the World Series to begin already.
And when the World Series does begin, it will be at a 7:05 PM CT start time. As ESPN Dallas' Jeff Caplan reports, all games of the World Series will start at 7:05 PM CT.
Brad Townsend reports that when the World Series begins, the teams could be playing in temperatures as low as 33 degrees in St. Louis for games 1 and 2. That's 70 degrees lower than many games the Rangers played in Arlington this summer.
C.J. Wilson will indeed make the Game 1 start as T.R. Sullivan notes. No official word on who will start the second game in St. Louis but according to Sullivan it is between Colby Lewis and Derek Holland. If Holland doesn't pitch Game 2, he would pitch Game 3 with Matt Harrison in line to start Game 4.
In further World Series roster news, Caplan writes that Mark Lowe feels he is healthy and wants a spot in the bullpen. If the Rangers continue to go with eight relievers in this round, like they did in the ALCS, and they feel like Lowe is ready to contribute, Lowe could replace Koji Uehara or Yoshinori Tateyama.
Drew Davison has a bunch of notes from the Rangers' workouts yesterday.
Sullivan and Louie Horvath share a notebook and update us on how the Rangers hope to use their experience from last season's World Series to their advantage, the Cardinals and Rangers lack of history, and Lowe, among other notes.
MLB.com has one of those Position-By-Position battle articles. You know the ones. Teams are sized up to determine which team should be favored by matching the teams as though the first baseman on one team fights the opponent's first baseman while the bullpens war and the managers engage each other in a duel and so on. But, this type of article does seem to be a pretty nifty conversation starter. Other battles:
- Who would win in an pie eating contest: Mike Napoli or Gerald Laird?
- Who could massage their wife's feet more satisfactorily: Mike Maddux or Dave Duncan?
- Who is the more generous tipper: Ian Kinsler or Nick Punto?
- Who is most likely to honk at someone in front of them who hasn't noticed the light has turned green yet: Colby Lewis or Kyle Loshe?
Josh Hamilton might have trouble with his center field fight with Jon Jay because, as Jon Machota writes, Hamilton feels like he's only at about 50 percent right now due to mounting aches and strains. However, Hamilton goes on to say: "I'm going to give you 100 percent of my 50 percent."
Joey Matches has a piece on how -- as previously seen from such series as the 2011 ALCS -- the Rangers can win the World Series on the backs and arms of their deep and deeply talented bullpen.
Behind the DMN paywall, in case you're still bothered by words Lance Berkman said nearly ten months ago, Gerry Fraley has something of a mea culpa from Berkman.
Richard Durrett has a piece on Nelson Cruz's road from thrice traded quasi-prospect to ALCS legend. It's nothing we haven't read dozens of times before but it's still quite a story and it's especially interesting to read the details of how Scott Servais and other Rangers' minor league hitting instructors helped Cruz reinvent his swing.
Mac Engel writes yet another piece that offers praise to a man the local media used to refer to as "Boy Blunder."
Finally, Nolan Ryan says: "I think we'll get it done in six."