The Kansas City Royals are reportedly planning to seek retribution against the New York Mets on Opening Day for a Noah Syndergaard fastball that went over the head of Alcides Escobar during last season's World Series.
Marc Carig of Newsday reported "multiple industry sources" confirmed the Royals kept the moment in mind and could look to retaliate Sunday night, even though Syndergaard isn't slated to start the game.
The 23-year-old starter began Game 3 of the World Series with a pitch high and tight on the Royals' leadoff hitter. Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com noted afterward that multiple members of the Kansas City roster spoke out against the pitch, but the Mets ace didn't back down.
"If they have a problem with me throwing inside," Syndergaard said, "then they can meet me 60 feet, six inches away. I've got no problem with that."
Game 3 was the only one the Mets won as the Royals went on to capture the championship in five games. But raising the trophy and a long offseason of celebration clearly weren't enough to make the Royals move past the incident.
Syndergaard won't be directly involved in Sunday's game, though. Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reported earlier Tuesday that Matt Harvey is back in line to start the opener after passing a blood clot that affected his bladder, which initially left his status in question.
In the bigger picture, this is another issue relating to a clash of the old school and the new school. The conflict was on full display earlier in spring training when New York Yankees legend Goose Gossage called out several players, including Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista, for showboating.
Baseball has more so-called "unwritten rules" than any other sport. It's led to a lot of self-policing over the years, where the players themselves handle problems, such as the Royals being unhappy with Syndergaard throwing inside on Escobar, rather than wait for the league to step in.
Whether it's the right approach for the modern game is certainly up for debate. But Kansas City won the World Series using an old-school approach on the field and now it appears the team plans to settle its lingering dispute with the Mets the same way Sunday night.
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