SF Gate: Jenkins: Can Frank Thomas fit with A’s this time?

Your usual Jenkins fare...including these poils.

But Thomas, in tandem with his agent, was just plain crazy to leave Oakland. Granted, there was more money in Toronto. Look at the big picture, for crying out loud. That’s a team run by the highly unimpressive J.P. Ricciardi and hotheaded manager John Gibbons, both of whom could be out of a job at any time. Toronto means a look of resignation toward the penthouse, where the Yankees and Red Sox reside.

...I remember walking the streets just beyond downtown Cleveland, to visit a friend, on an A’s road trip many years ago. It was a stark, unforgiving place, lifeless in both architecture and mood. On streets virtually empty in mid-afternoon, you might spot a low-life hood, sporting a really bad jacket, ducking into a tavern. I’ve found that to be a recurring image these days - every time Hank Steinbrenner pops onto the television screen.