An owner's flight of fancy

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lew Wolff has a way to shorten baseball's postseason: Make the first round best-of-one.

"I'd make it one-game-and-you're-out for the first series," the Oakland Athletics owner said Wednesday. "It would be exciting. It would be great."

Begun in 1995, the division series has been a best-of-five competition. Some people have advocated it be expanded to best-of-seven, matching the league championship series and the World Series. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has repeatedly said he favors the current format.

Wolff said he hasn't brought up his concept with Selig.

"No, I'm afraid to do that," he said.

At the Associated Press Sports Editors regional meeting in Sacramento, the lunchtime speakers were the A's and San Francisco Giants owners. Knowing Lew Wolff is an L.A. resident, I introduced myself. He heard me say I'm from Los Angeles, and the first thing he said to me was:

"You want a ride back to Burbank on my plane? I like company."

I said I wished I could accept the offer, but I had driven to Sacramento and needed to get the car home.

Anyway, this becomes my new standard for whether a club owner is a good guy -- he has to offer me a private jet ride the first time we meet.