I keep hearing this will be a bad World Series — those people are so wrong

I keep seeing references to what a bad World Series this is going to be. Even seen a few claiming it will be the worst World Series ever.

That’s the worst thing about the Internet age. All kinds of clowns who could’ve never written for a publication a decade ago can now act like they are experts.

All I know is I see an American League team in the World Series that hasn’t lost since September. You know, three whole weeks ago.

That would be the Kansas City Royals, who are an attention-getting 8-0 this postseason. And this is Kansas City’s first trip to the World Series since 1985.

Amazing story, no matter how you slice it.

Then I see a National League team that is in the World Series for the third time in five seasons. Repeat, three times in five seasons.

Heck, the San Diego Padres have only gone to the World Series twice in their entire history. Seems there shouldn’t be an issue with the Giants playing in late October.

Another solid story.

The Giants are managed by Bruce Bochy, who managed the Padres to one of their two World Series appearances. Bochy is four victories away from knowing he’s headed to the Hall of Fame.

San Francisco has solid hitters in catcher Buster Posey, third baseman Pablo Sandoval and right fielder Hunter Pence. The Giants surround them with role players, including Travis Ishikawa – now forever known for hitting the game-winning three-run homer to finish off the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series.

The Giants have a pretty solid bullpen – Santiago Casilla being the best of the bunch – but it is nothing like Kansas City’s collection of arms. The nation now understands why Royals closer Greg Holland is considered the best closer in the majors.

The Royals have some solid offensive players in first baseman Eric Hosmer, left fielder Alex Gordon and designated hitter Billy Butler. Then they have defensive stalwarts and fast pinch runners everywhere.

Manager Ned Yost isn’t considered as being on par with Bochy and he does some downright weird stuff. The funny thing is a lot of the wacky moves work. That’s actually amazing too.

The starting pitching will probably decide this series so one guy on the spot is Kansas City Game 1 starter James Shields. He somehow has landed the nickname “Big Game James” and nobody knows why.

He has a 5.63 ERA this postseason and only lasted 5 1/3 innings per start. Compare to that to San Francisco Game 1 starter Madison Bumgarner, who has a 1.42 ERA while averaging 7.9 innings. (See stellar Game 1 preview here — http://cbpost.sportsdirectinc.com/baseball/mlb-preview.aspx?page=/data/MLB/matchups/g4_preview_1.html)

What does this tell me? Look for “Big Game Mad Bum” to win Game 1 and then watch the Kansas City Royals do their thing.

Look for Kansas City to win the series in six games.

Timing leads yours truly to see Lincecum no-hit the Padres — second of my lifetime

Sometimes timing has a really interesting way of playing out in your favor.

I decided to take a vacation to my beloved hometown of San Diego in July instead of June because I have a crazy quarterly tax payment due in June and it crippled me two years ago when I took a vacation right before the payment was due. In addition, the baseball All-Star break cuts into my work income so it makes sense to take a vacation that overlaps the break.

Then I was pretty much committed to spending Saturday night, July 13 at my very cool sister’s house an hour north of San Diego. She was getting her car worked on at a mechanic’s shop close to where I am staying and I was going to pick up her vehicle and drive it up the freeway and spend the night at her house.

But I had lunch with the terrific radio engineer of the San Diego Padres on Friday afternoon and he offered to get me two tickets to Saturday’s game.

So there I was at Petco Park on a night that I had previously decided would be a very bad night to be at the downtown ballpark. Edinson Volquez was to pitch for the Padres and I had minimal interest in watching his act live during what is supposed to be a stress-less vacation.

Volquez lived down to my expectations – and probably surpassed them on the horrible scale – by getting hammered for eight runs and nine hits in five innings in a dreadful performance that helped San Diego lose 9-0.

But look at what happened on the other side of the ledger – San Francisco pitcher Tim Lincecum pitched a no-hitter. He struck out 13 and threw 148 pitches in a stellar effort.

That’s no-hitter No. 2 in my baseball watching career. I was at Qualcomm Stadium on Sept. 3, 2001 – it was Labor Day – when Bud Smith tossed one of the more unlikely no-hitters in major-league baseball history as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Padres 4-0.

Lincecum’s gem is only the fourth no-hitter ever thrown in San Diego – Dock Ellis (1970) and A.J. Burnett (2001) also turned the trick – and the first one ever tossed at Petco Park.

Giants right fielder Hunter Pence landed the co-starring role with a homer and five RBIs but I will always remember him more for what happened with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Alexi Amarista laced a bullet to right field that looked like a sure hit. But Pence got a superb break on the ball at the crack of the bat and sprinted inward and made a spectacular diving shoestring grab to preserve the no-hitter.

Lincecum then worked through the ninth inning and wrapped up the no-hitter by getting Yonder Alonso to fly out to left field to set off a wild celebration.

It was quite a crazy scene at Petco Park with the ballpark being filled by San Francisco fans. The enthusiasm throughout the contest was so much in favor of the Giants that it made you wonder if the game was actually at AT&T Park.

Quite an embarrassing night for the Padres to have another team’s fans take over your ballpark and get no-hit on the same night.

But it certainly qualifies as a terrific night for me personally to see a second no-hitter in my lifetime. The first one was bizarre – and has become even more so in ensuing years – as Smith only won seven major-league games before fading into oblivion.

Of course, if you’re going to see a no-hitter in San Diego, it has to come from a visiting pitcher. The franchise has never thrown a single no-hitter in its 45-season history.

And, um, we all know Edinson Volquez wasn’t going to be throwing one on Saturday night.

As for my sister’s vehicle, the mechanic didn’t get it done on Saturday anyway. I can always see my sister but you can’t always view a no-hitter in person.

This makes two no-nos … hmmmm, when’s No. 3 coming down the pike?

Timing, my friends. Just good old-fashioned lucky timing.