I'm not a fan of this lede by the
Daily Herald's Mike Spielman:
As long as Frank Thomas plays for the Oakland
A’s, any questions about impending trips to the West Coast inevitably
will center on the former White Sox slugger.Get used to it.
I don't want to, because the controversy is stupid -- especially when considering this is what set off the most recent round:
Thomas lived up to that billing (of causing controversy) recently when he
was asked by the Sporting News which would be sweeter: for the A’s to
take out the White Sox in October or for the A’s to reach the playoffs
and the Sox to be left out?
All Thomas would say was, “The possibilities have crossed my mind.”
What is wrong with that? The only way he could've been kinder is if he said something to the effect of, "Certainly gentleman, it wouldn't behoove me to act in a manner not sporting when discussing the organization with which I've had many a difference. With utmost respect, fair scribe, I request a pass on your query." Though even if he said that, people would assume he was sarcastic and talking down to the organization.
The funny thing is that Frank's team is winning its division, while the guy the Sox replaced him with -- the harder-working, friendlier, more professional and all-around greater guy Jim Thome -- is currently leading a team to third place.
That's not indicative of Thome's worth -- Thomas wouldn't have been making up the difference of the pitchers' declines either. But if Thomas were on the Sox in this same situation, you'd have to think many knee-jerkers would say, "Hey, wait a minute...when Frank wasn't playing, we won it all. Now that Frank is playing, we're going to miss the playoffs! Dag gummit, it's Frank's fault!"
Considering this is the treatment Frank received for the last five years, he has some room to gloat. But even when he takes the high road, but everybody assumes it's the underpass.