Dear Fellow Athletics Nation Member,

I have been cranky, irritable, mean-spirited, and I have also posted things to provoke fights between some of you that I vehemently disagree with - a violation of the rules and etiquette for members.

I am taking a hiatus from this site (no, not from reading it silly...from submitting posts) until the Athletics are a full five games above .500.  I do not have a separate alias, so I will not be cheating and posting under a different idiotic name.

My length of absence is in the player's hands.  This may cause some of you to actually believe that you're now somehow torn on whether or not you'll want Oakland to play well any time soon.  Rest assured, this stunt changes nothing...and neither do any of your rants about who should get benched or traded; the only thing that you could possibly do to affect a move - short of having lunch with the "has-Beane" (hey that's what I'm hearing) - is your attendance at the games.

So, Ta ta for now and I'll be back probably around next month...when it's safer to be an optimist.