THREE REASONS TO WATCH RERUNS

.378, .444, .486. Three figures that elicit great big ho-hums. Athletics, Cubs, and Giants. Scrounging around beneath the middle of the pack, trying to find their legs. Although the "About" blurb for Small Ball includes the As, I have failed to write anything about the Bay Area's other team, our American League "contenders," because most of my doom-saying has been reserved for the Giants.

While driving home from a client visit today, I listened to KNBR's Rick Barry and Rod Brooks dig their catty claws into the As behinds, leaving no room with optimistic callers for anything but apocalypse. The As have no chance. They can't hit balls. Who cares if their pitching is any good? Their management stinks. Shut up, I'm talking and I'm right, goodbye. Next caller?

Since I've lived here, the As always have filled the unfortunate role of poor man's Bay Area b-ball team. Even though they've done well in recent years, they are no match -- in PR, dollars spent, radio and TV time, sheer talent, stadium quality, you name it -- for the Giants. It's ironic that the Giants are doing only marginally better, but still enjoying the prestigious glow of favorite son...as if they were light years ahead of Oakland in the standings. Ugh, I refuse to watch any inter-league game between Bay Area teams because I don't know what would be more pathetic...watching the As lose (predictable outcome) or the Giants lose (like watching a shrivelled old man beat up a strapping young one -- a bad metaphor since the As are young and the Giants are old).