Just good baseball

It never hurts to be a fan of the underdog.

And if like me, you are a fan of this year’s Oakland Athletic’s, we are indeed the underdog.

For one, we should not even be discussing this. Anyone recall that we went into the month of September way behind the Texas Rangers. We were supposed to be out of it by then. If one listened to various pundits, the A’s were heading for another losing season. Building for the future. The same excuse we’ve heard for all too many years.

You can question Lew Wolfe and his approach to baseball. It is no secret that what Lew is really after is a real estate development, not a winning baseball team. As the managing partner of the team, he has cheaped out time and time again. San Jose remains his destination of choice. Say it or not, the method has been that if the team was bad enough, folks would stay away. When attendance numbers dropped to the right spot, he could make the case that moving the team was the only option.

Unfortunately, this bunch of misfits has been playing some good solid baseball through the 2012 season. Good enough to defeat the Rangers on the very last day of the season and to win the Western Division title in the American League. You won’t find league leaders among the A’s. But you will see a bunch of guys who have done what it takes to win games when it counts.

If they manage to win tonight, it is on to the American League Championship Series. Best of seven games to decide who represents the AL in the World Series. Been a long time since the A’s got to that point. Fans who have stuck with the team over the years are more than ready to see it happen again in Oakland.

As Coco Crisp said after the Game 4 victory last night, “At some point, it’s got to be just good baseball,” Crisp said. “There’s no magic.”

He’s right. “Just good baseball” gets it done. That is what October baseball is all about.