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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2014
PAGE 9
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THE DAILY DEBATE
Should Danny Duffy start a game in the World Series?
"YES"
The Royals haven't needed Danny Duffy this postseason.
Ned Yost and Dayton Moore have pointed out the main reason for Duffy's relegation to the bullpen has mostly been his shaky mechanics in recent starts. The Cardinals employed Shelby Miller in a similar fashion last season and pitched one inning last postseason. However, if the Royals want to defeat the best pitching staff they have faced this postseason, Duffy should take the bump in place of Jason Vargas or Jeremy Guthrie.
Duffy didn't end the season is the best fashion, most notably against the White Sox, but one can argue that Duffy, without question, has the best stuff on the Royals pitching staff. Vargas can go
off the rails anytime he gets hit hard. He has been consistently solid this postseason, but has still given up three home runs in two postseason starts. Fortunately for Vargas, all of them have been solo shots, but Vargas' production curtailed along with Duffy's at the end of the regular season, yielding 18 runs in his last four starts.
The Giants' offense contains a sizable portion of lefties in its lineup with five. Over the season, Duffy has proved to be tougher against lefties than Vargas. Duffy is giving up a .136/.225/.161 line against lefties compared with Vargas'. .266/.306/.355.
Obviously, Duffy would be a huge stretch to start, but not entirely out of the question considering the Royals' back line of the rotation just needs to hold its court and get to the sixth inning. Vargas' regression to the mean could be imminent and more of the reason to start Duffy.
There is also a case to be made for Duffy to start for Guthrie, who has only started in one postseason game going five and one-third innings but never remaining
in total control. His peripheral stats are slightly worse than Vargas'. Guthrie gave up more home runs and walks, and strikes out fewer batters than Vargas did in the regular season. Guthrie is known, like Vargas, as a pitcher who pitches to contact and uses the Royals' defense to his benefit. This has worked for both pitchers thus far in the postseason, but there's a possibility things could get ugly.
Duffy was spectacular in the regular season, leading all Royals starting pitchers with a 2.53 ERA during the regular season and leading the team to nine wins. If the mechanical issues hadn't occurred against the Yankees, he probably would be favored to start over Guthrie and Vargas. With Duffy's decline in velocity and not striking out as much of batters as he used to, you can see why Yost and the front office would take caution. However, if you compared Duffy's ceiling for making a dominant start, it would far weigh Vargas' or Guthrie's.
- Edited by Rob Pyatt
Kansas City's pitching staff and defense have been the key to success. Unlike the regular season, manager Ned Yost has gone with a four-man starting rotation of Shields, Yorkano Ventura, Jason Vargas and Jeremy Guthrie.
Throughout the regular season,starting pitcher Danny Duffy was among those four. During the season,Duffy posted a 2.53 ERA,the best of any starting pitcher on the Royals' roster.
"NO"
In a game on Sept. 6 versus the Yankees, Duffy threw one pitch being before being taken out due to shoulder discomfort. His injury was eventually diagnosed
D during an undefeated run over the last eight games.
as an inflamed shoulder. Duffy missed two starts and returned on Sept. 22, picking up a win against the Cleveland Indians.
Going into the postseason, Ned Yost said Duffy would be kept in the bullpen to be used only in relieving situations.
Duffy is another weapon on the loaded bullpen, with pitchers such as Greg Holland, Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera and Brandon Finnegan among others. Although Yost's move was unorthodox, it will continue to make the Royals' bullpen that much more intimidating against San Francisco.
Duffy made his first and only playoff appearance in Game 1 of the ALDS (American League Division Series) against the Los Angeles Angels. Duffy picked up the 3-2 win, coming in relief the 10th inning, and the Royals eventually finished it off in the 11th.
Yost has made multiple jarring decisions this postseason. Whether it was pulling James Shields five innings into the wild-card game against Oakland, or
constantly bunting to advance runners, regardless of who was at the plate. So far, each move has worked out.
When the rotations for the World Series were announced for Games 1 and 2, Duffy again was slotted for the bullpen. Barring an injury in the starting rotation, he should stay there for the entirety of the series.
Yost's decisions have not only worked out, but have been to Kansas City's benefit. He shouldn't change anything that has been working, especially with how well the Royals' have been playing during this postseason.
That doesn't mean there won't be an injury, and it doesn't mean Yost won't pull something out of his hat. But for now Duffy is a weapon out of the bullpen, and the current starting rotation gives the Kansas City Royals the best chance to win its first World Series since 1985.
Edited by Lyndsey Havens
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