Three Sweeps and a Loss

Over the long weekend, the Athletics, Tigers and Mets swept their opponents in division series play. Oakland's advancement was sweet because, well, for all practical (and postseason) purposes, they're the hometown team. The Tiger and Met victories were particularly sweet since that meant the elimination of the Yankees and Dodgers, respectively.

After the Yankees lost, rumors spread that George Steinbrenner would fire Joe Torre. Fortunately, the rumors weren't true. Today, Torre announced in a press conference that he'll managing the team next season.

Of course, I'm happy Joe has a job next year, but I would have been happier if he had announced that job would be in San Francisco in 2007. With no chance of that fantasy being fulfilled, it'll be interesting to see who Brian Sabean hires as the new Giants skipper. Lou Piniella is a possibility, but with so many teams wooing him, he may be a long shot. Other names I've seen tossed around include Ron Wotus, Ron Washington, Bob Brenly, Bud Black and Dave Righetti.

As I had hoped, the Dodgers went away quickly, quietly and without humiliating themselves too badly. In fact, they only had one embarrassing moment. It came in Game 1, when in a bizarre series of events, two runners (Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew) were thrown out at home plate, one right after the other, in the same play. If three runners had been cut down in a row, the team would have been forced to change its name from the Dodgers to the Los Angeles Lemmings.

By the way, San Diego was the only losing team to avoid the sweep. I'm proud of them for snatching a win from St. Louis. Next year's goal: win two games. It's all about baby steps.

Game 1 of the American League Championship Series between Oakland and Detroit is tonight. Barry Zito faces Nate Robertson. I'm hoping to get home in time to catch at least part of the game on television.

Finally, on a sad note, the world lost Buck O'Neil, a baseball great, on Friday, at the age of 94. Earlier this year, he had been conspicuously excluded from the list of 17 Negro League inductees into baseball's Hall of Fame. An ambassador of the game and one of the last survivors from baseball's segregated era, he accepted an invitation to speak at the induction ceremony despite the snub.

I remember first seeing him in Ken Burns' Baseball. He always had a smile, a twinkle in his eyes and a gentle and affable way about him. He could also tell a good story. I immediately took a liking to him. His omission from the Hall of Fame still rubs me the wrong way and I secretly harbor the hope that they'll come to their senses and induct him. Baseball was blessed to have somebody like Buck and I'm saddened by his passing.