Edinson Volquez took the mound for Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday, Oct. 27, just hours after his father, Daniel, died of heart problems at age 63 in the Dominican Republic. The news had been circulating on social media before he threw his first pitch, but according to several reports, the Royals starter himself wasn't told until after he came out of the game, per his family's request.
ESPN cited a source saying that Volquez had been told on his way to Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., but the New York Times and other outlets said he found out when he was taken out after the sixth inning. Fox Sports, which broadcast the game, held off mentioning the death on air, in case Volquez didn't know and was watching the network between innings in the clubhouse.
Broadcast generally on in clubhouse. Conflicting reports on whether Volquez knows. We are not taking chance he would find out through us.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 28, 2015
The Times cited the Royals for their information, saying Volquez's wife, Roandy, told GM Dayton Moore about Daniel's death and requested that he refrain from telling her husband until after his start. According to Royals manager Ned Yost, only one other player — pitcher Chris Young — knew before the game, and that was just in case they needed Young to start in Volquez's place.
"It was very hard for me," Yost told the Times and other reporters after the game. "There is no road map, but you do what the family asks you to do, and it was real special to them that Eddy goes out and pitches this game."
Both the Times and USA Today report that Volquez's wife was waiting for the athlete in the clubhouse when he left the game. They spoke privately in Moore's office.
"I could tell he was devastated," Royals pitcher Jeremy Guthrie told ESPN after the fact. "I had never seen him like that before. He was very subdued, very quiet."
The Royals ultimately went on to beat the Mets in extra innings. Volquez reportedly left the stadium before the game ended — at 14 innings, it was the longest Game 1 in World Series history — but his teammate Alcides Escobar said he'd received a text from the pitcher afterward, saying, "Thank you guys, for winning that game for me."
