2011 World Series: Does Nolan Ryan's Prediction Help or Hurt Rangers' Chances?

Texas Rangers President Nolan Ryan predicted Monday that his team would defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in six games to win the franchise's first world championship.

Predicting the outcome of a World Series, no matter what two clubs face each other, is a bold proposition, to be sure.

Just ask the 1988 Oakland Athletics, who were defeated soundly by Kirk Gibson's Los Angeles Dodgers despite being heavily favored to steamroll all comers to a championship.

But Ryan's prediction is out there, and it can't be taken back. So that begs the question, will it help motivate his club to victory, or will the pressure of expectations hurt the Rangers' chances at winning it all?

The Rangers are appearing in their second straight Fall Classic, and after being defeated by the San Francisco Giants in five games last year. Texas has unfinished business this October.

The fact that the Rangers were in this position just a season ago indicates that this roster has ample big-game, postseason experience. This means that predictions, even by their franchise's president, shouldn't really be an issue for them.

But no one likes to eat crow, and everyone around the game of baseball understands just how difficult it is to appear in three straight World Series, let alone two, which is what the Rangers would have to do if they were to lose again here in 2011.

Predictions are a risky business, but the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. And in baseball, there's no bigger reward than a World Series trophy.

Time will tell.