After a grueling six months full of heartbreak and miracles, it’s time for the one week non-baseball fans remember it exists.
It’s the World Series, and if you’re a West Coaster, you’re really gonna want to pay attention to this one.
Here’s everything you need to know about the annual fall classic, plus a few tidbits to sound baseball-smart with your friends.
What teams are playing?
The Houston Astros will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-seven series.
When is the World Series?
The games switch off between each team’s home stadium, so here are the dates and locations for each. Remember, it’s best-of-seven, so we could get as few as the first four games listed below.
Game 1: Tues, 10/24 in LA
Game 2: Wed, 10/25 in LA
Game 3: Fri, 10/27 in Houston
Game 4: Sat, 10/28 in Houston
Game 5: Sun, 10/29 in Houston
Game 6: Tues, 10/31 in LA
Game 7: Wed, 11/1 in LA
Note that all of the games start around 8 p.m. ET.
Where is the World Series played?
Games will be played in Houston Texas at Minute Maid Park and in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium.
How can I watch it?
All of the games will be broadcast on FOX.
If you are a cable cutter and want to know where you can stream it these services will be streaming it:
Is the weather going to be nice?
The forecast for the first pitch of the World Series in Los Angeles Tuesday night is 99 degrees. If it gets that intense, it would be the hottest World Series game on record.
READ MORE: Historic weather predicted for 2017 World Series
How much are tickets?
Tickets will put you out about $800.
The most expensive Game 1 ticket on reseller site Vivid Seats is about $33,000 as of Tuesday morning, which is about how much Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander makes with every five pitches he throws.
Who has won more World Series?
The Dodgers have won six World Series titles, and the Astros have won…zero. However, both of these teams are extremely good and past performances don’t really matter on this current stage. Why? Because the last time the Dodgers won a World Series (1988), most of the players on both teams’ rosters weren’t even born yet.
I don’t mean to be rude but what, exactly, is a Dodger?
The name dates back to when the team played in Brooklyn, and it’s a testament to the deeply athletic feat of not getting run over by streetcars. From the Dodgers website:
“The term ‘Trolley Dodgers’ was attached to the Brooklyn ballclub due to the complex maze of trolley cars that weaved its way through the borough of Brooklyn. The name was then shortened to just “Dodgers.”
Both teams in this series have had different names in the past, some cooler than others. The Astros used to be the Houston Colt .45s. The Dodgers, for a time, were the Brooklyn Bridegrooms.
Players to know
On the Astros, you should watch José Altuve, who’s one of the best players in baseball and also holds the honor of being the shortest active MLB player at 5′ 6″.
On the Dodgers, follow Clayton Kershaw, who some say is one of the best pitchers in the game. If you can believe it, he makes, even more, money throwing baseballs than Justin Verlander does, and was, in fact, the highest-paid MLB player this year.
If it’s a good story you’re looking for, look no further than the Dodgers’ Kiké Hernandez. He is Puerto Rican and has raised more than $100,000 for recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
He also loves hitting home runs.