"Returning home from a long vacation, you look for some encouraging news.

Maybe there's no sign of that neighboring dog who barked at nothing for 18 hours a day. Maybe there are signs of life from the Warriors, or a ban on radio ads in which some chatterbox rattles off a phone number four times.

As unlikely as it seemed, the Oakland A's actually got worse while I was away. While the Angels and Rangers spend wildly, separating themselves from Oakland in a manner reminiscent of Microsoft vs. Ted's Bakery, the A's have essentially told their fans that the 2012 season will be a sort of minor-league carnival, complete with minuscule crowds, low-budget promotions, vaguely familiar names and the occasional shred of hope."