Nothing is certain but death and taxes. Correction. Nothing is certain but Clayton Kershaw wilting in the postseason and Dave Roberts making the worst pitching and lineup decisions.
Had Tom Lasorda applied today's rote and trite sabermetrics logic in the 1988 World Series, a hobbled Kirk Gibson, with only three pinch-hit appearances over the course of the season, never would have left the bench to face the game’s top closer who led the league in saves with a signature slider known to completely neutralize left-handed batters. Meanwhile, data analysis informs the team’s current robot, er, manager, to sit his four top home run hitters (one the NLCS MVP) on the most important stage not once but twice, both losses.