Tommy Lasorda, that is.

I can't believe I just wrote that. As an Astros fan who had to put up with Lasorda and the Dodgers all those years they were in the 'Stros division, I developed a healthy fan dislike of the team and its former manager.

But I love Major League Baseball's commercial with Lasorda urging folks to watch the playoffs even if their team didn't make it into the running for a World Series berth.

Sorry. I couldn't find the ad anywhere online, so you'll just have to watch the playoffs on TV to see it. The closest I could come was this MLB page where you can send a Tommy "boo hoo" e-card to a friend (or yourself) encouraging you (or your friend) to watch and root for some other team (except the Yankees; that's my message, not Tommy's or MLB's).

C'mon. It's America's pastime. And, at least for a couple of days, day baseball is back. Call in sick and watch the games at home. Or at least listen online while at work.

As Tommy says: "It's October! Pull yourself together, man!"