I have two sisters, Irene and Sandra, a.k.a. Sandie, which is close enough to Sandy to give you the idea of what it was like growing up with two future hurricanes.

They really weren’t bad and, in retrospect, I think they probably treated their little brother well. And they have provided me (actually, it was our parents’ doing) with this unique position of having two consecutive hurricanes to strike the northeast named for close relatives.

My wife and I were fortunate to avoid Hurricane Irene 14 months ago; we were out of the country. Seeing that we didn’t miss Hurricane Sandy, I hope my sister Irene isn’t offended.

Living in Northern New Jersey, we missed the devastation that Sandy created farther south. We somehow didn’t even have much rain. What we had was ferocious wind and large trees toppling throughout the area, up the street, down the street, one tree landing on the roof of our neighbor behind us.

We lost power for four days, living without light and heat, not to mention computer, which is why I was forced to miss a column last week. Fortunately, the hurricane held off until the World Series was completed.

Based on the television ratings, this World Series was not watched by too many people besides me. I can understand that. The Series lasted only four games, and the first three offered nothing dramatic.

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The winners of the post-season awards won’t be known for a couple of weeks, but the debate over the American League most valuable player is already heated and figures only to get hotter. It should come as no surprise that new-age statistics are generating the heat.

Proponents of WAR, which means “wins above replacement,” insist that the Angels’ terrific rookie Mike Trout should obviously win the award. Those of us who use common sense, not common statistics, say the winner should be the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera.

The Trout supporters would vote for him because he had the top WAR rating among all players. That thinking only reinforces my view that to satisfy stats zealots a list of statistics should be used to determine award winners and Hall of Famers. No voters would be needed.

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Bud’s Big Bash has arrived. It began Wednesday night in San Francisco. You know it as the World Series.

By now, you probably also know it has started in San Francisco because the Giants are the National League champions and the National League won this year’s All-Star game. Commissioner Bud Selig and baseball’s club owners decided a decade ago to link the outcome of the All-Star game with homefield advantage for the World Series. If you don’t remember that origin of the site of Games 1, 2, 6 and 7, be assured I will remind you of it once or twice a year.

I do that because I believe the link is the silliest step Selig has taken among his many major worthy decisions, and I keep hoping he will wake up one day, come to his senses, conclude the link is a silly idea and end it.

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