And Stark Jinxes It! ;)

[Heathbar012]

2012 World Series prediction - ESPN

 

[msgkings322]

Nice find, Heath. Phantom rep.

I really liked this part, got me even more hyped up:

"We've talked about this, about how you don't want to have to open in that park," a player on one NL playoff team said earlier this season. "That's a tough, tough place to play. It's tough to hit. It's tough to score. The atmosphere is unbelievable in a big game. It's a lot more travel. And then you've got to face that pitching staff. I know you're not supposed to care who you play. But to have to open in that place? No thanks."

I agree. So I could easily see the Giants winning Games 1 and 2 against the Reds, a team whose addiction to the home run won't be helped any by AT&T Park. Then the Giants would hit the road, where, until this week, they hadn't lost ANY of the 11 series they'd played away from San Francisco since the All-Star break (10-0-1).

And Stark just quantifies how much a crapshoot the playoffs always are, especially this year. What's annoying is the post hoc narratives that always get created, about teams that 'couldn't close the deal' or teams that 'really showed grit and passion', when really they were either unlucky or lucky.