PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Dan Warthen still winces a bit when he recalls Jeurys Familia's trickery exploited. Familia had just thrown a sinker so devilish to Alex Gordon that the Royals outfielder spun in place while fouling it off. Watching from the Kauffman Stadium visitors' dugout in the ninth inning of World Series Game 1, Warthen, the Mets' pitching coach, wanted Familia to throw the exact same thing again -- same grip, same timing, same location, same everything.
Instead, Familia shook off catcher Travis d'Arnaud once, brought the ball to his waist and did not pause at the set, missing his spot by a matter of inches.