Royals Game 1 starter Edinson Volquez throws a pitch in the first inning of Game 1 of the World Series against the Mets Tuesday night.
(Getty Images)
Kansas City, Mo. — Jubilation on the field turned into quiet reflection in the Kansas City Royals’ clubhouse early Wednesday morning.
Shortly after the Royals beat the New York Mets, 5-4, in the 14th inning of Game 1 of the World Series, the players became aware that Daniel Volquez, the father of starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, had died of heart trouble earlier on Tuesday in the Dominican Republic.
Although the Royals management knew, the pitcher didn’t get word until after he had thrown six solid innings.
, about an hour before the first pitch, Royals Manager Ned Yost went to Chris Young, the scheduled Game 4 starting pitcher, and told him he might have to start Game 1 instead. According to the Times, Yost told Young in confidence that Volquez’s father had died. He told Young not to say anything to Volquez, at the family’s request.
“We found out before the game and the feeling of the family was, you know, let Eddie pitch,” Yost said. “So I was kind of keeping my eyed (on him), didn’t want him to hear about it. And he was fine.”
Alex Gordon, who hit a solo home run in the ninth to send the game into extra innings, said the Royals players were unaware of the death.
“Most guys didn’t know,” Gordon said. “I found out in, I think, the 14th inning, right before we won the game. I was standing next to Ned and he told me. He said, ‘Let’s win this game for Volquez,’ and then explained what happened.”
Said first baseman Eric Hosmer, who hit the game-winning sacrifice fly in the 14th: “It just hits everybody hard. You just get done walking off and winning a big ballgame, and you come in here and something like that happened to one of the guys in here. It’s never a good feeling.”
According to the New York Times story, Roandy Volquez, the pitcher’s wife, told general manager Dayton Moore what had happened and asked him not to tell her husband until after he had finished pitching in his first World Series start. The team also asked the broadcasters on Fox not to announce the news.
Tags: Alex Gordon, Edinson Volquez, Ned Yost
