Great time to be a sports fan

It's been a fun ride: Even if neither the Giants nor the A's make the playoffs this year, at least they made it fun.

Both teams got off to putrid starts and the fact that they are in pennant races (yes, the Giants are in a race), is a tribute to both teams, and the horrible play of the San Diego Padres.

The A's are 1 1/2 games behind the Angels for the American League West title and are three games out of the wild card race. The Giants, despite being 10 games under .500, are only five games out of first. If they can somehow keep pace over the next several days, their four-game series with the Padres should decide the National League West.

Down the stretch they come: Has there been a more exciting race for a number of divisions than the 2005 baseball season? The A's are a game-and-a-half behind the Angels, the Yankees are half-a-game behind the Red Sox and Cleveland has gained 12 games on the White Sox, who owned a 15-game lead in early August.

And let's not forget the wild card races. Houston, which was dead and buried earlier, has a two-game lead over Philadelphia while Cleveland leads the American League wild card.

When the wild card was first introduced 10 years ago, baseball purists were up in arms. You don't hear how the added playoff race has hurt the game now, do you?

Don't-miss television: The top three baseball players that make people pay attention when they come to the plate - 1. Barry Bonds; 2. David Ortiz; 3. Manny Ramirez.

Did you see the bombs those three hit Tuesday night? Bonds hit the upper deck at RFK, while "Big Papi" Ortiz and Ramirez each hit a pair against Tampa Bay. Absolute mamoth shots, all five of them.

Ortiz and Ramirez have been doing it all year, but can you believe Bonds? The guy misses 140 games, no spring training, no minor league rehab assignment, and he's hit four homers in 20 official at-bats. Are you kidding me? Steroids, no steroids, Bonds can flat-out rake.

Get over it: To those Raider fans who believe there is a conspiracy when it comes to officials screwing the Raiders, please. All right, the pass interference call against Randy Moss in the end zone was a bad call, but don't tell me Langston Walker didn't hold that guy when LaMont Jordan scored a 54-yard touchdown. It wasn't holding - he hog-tied the defender. Even if the play wasn't run in his direction, there was no way the official could not have thrown a flag.

If you're going to get upset, why not question the Raiders' play-calling in the fourth quarter. Moss, arguably the best big-play receiver in the game, disappeared and, facing a fourth-and-six inside the 20-yard line, they throw to the end zone to Jerry Porter who was double covered? Why not pick up a first down and have four shots at the end zone?

Will the real 49ers please standup: All the warm, fuzzy feelings the Niners and their faithful were feeling after their season-opening win over the St. Louis Rams were replaced by bitterness and bewilderment following their 42-3 debacle of a loss to Philly Sunday.

Relax. The Niners are not as good as they showed against the Rams and are not as bad as they were against the Eagles. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Just rest assured that the team is better than the 2004 edition. Trust me.

Get 'Lost' Oct. 1: One of the best sprinters will be in town Oct. 1 when undefeated Lost in the Fog runs in Bay Meadows' $100,000 Speed Handicap. Some people questioned, including myself, why Fog's handlers didn't run him in the Triple Crown this spring. Now it's easy to see why - why mess with a good thing? Lost in the Fog has absoutely dominated the competition this season in the sprints. He has not even been pushed. He'll stop by Bay Meadows, sweep up a hundred grand, whip the competition in the Breeders' Cup sprint and become a contender for Horse of the Year honors.

Nathan Mollat can be reached by e-mail: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 117. What do you think of this column? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.