The A's are the emperors of the AL West. Who would have thought? But after last night's win against Texas (12-5), the little team that could proved just that, making them and the Giants the leaders of the AL and NL West, respectively. Once again, the Bay Area rules. Oakland wins. All is harmonious. For now.

"We knew this is a beast of a team we would have to beat, and to be able to beat them three games in a row and win the division on top of it, really it's a magical-type thing," manager Bob Melvin explained to Associated Press.

Could we see another Bay Area World Series? Let's hope so. Another '89 would be neato. (And yet, not so much.) And could you, a Giants fan, root for the A's? Sure. Why not. After all, as McCovey Chronicles points out, it's a one-sided feud. In part of an excellent article on bigamous Bay Area city love, Grant Brisbee explains:

I'm amazed by the A's. It's a fascinating team with a rich history and unique obstacles to overcome in today's game. They're led by the guy who got high on the couch in True Romance, which is a really neat factoid. They're doing this all on the backs of rookie pitchers. Rookie pitchers! Those are supposed to explode if you put them in sunlight. But the A's are making it work. I'm kind of infatuated.

I like the A's, and I'm rooting for them. To pull a number from me hindquarters, I'd wager that 60 or 70 percent of the comments and tweets I've read from Giants fans are expressing a similar message. How can you not root for the A's? Because a very vocal contingent of their fan base is unhinged when it comes to Giants-related paranoia? That's your prerogative, I suppose. But I find the story on the field more compelling.

And it just gets better. Brisbee evokes Arby's, farts, and Gene Hackman in The Conversation. (Read it in its entirety at McCovey Chronicles.)