25 Man Roster Made up of Current Free Agents.

25 Man Roster Made up of Current Free Agents.

MLB.com has an interesting article posted right now about the Top 25 free agents still available. I didn't believe there was a strong enough market to make a decent team, but it seems like I was wrong. On the other hand, this team would be way overpriced. I went through and added in their 2009 salaries (some will make more, some will make less, but it's a good starting point), and found the team would be WAY overpriced (in my opinion) at $195,593,291. That places them squarely in between the two most expensive teams, the New York Yankees and the New York Mets... and I would expect the quality of their play to be somewhere in between the two.

Here's the list (with 2009 salaries added by me). The article will follow.

The Free-Agent 25-man Roster (Salary)
Starting Pitchers:
RHP John Lackey $10,000,000
RHP Joel Pineiro $7,500,000
RHP Ben Sheets $12,125,000
RHP Justin Duchscherer $3,900,000
LHP Aroldis Chapman $3,240,000 (avg. 2009 MLB salary)

Relief Pitchers:
RHP Jose Valverde $8,000,000
LHP Mike Gonzalez $3,450,000
RHP Fernando Rodney $2,700,000
RHP Octavio Dotel $6,000,000
LHP Darren Oliver $3,665,000

Catchers:
Bengie Molina $6,500,000
Rod Barajas $2,500,000

First Base:
Carlos Delgado $12,000,000

Second Base:
Orlando Hudson $3,364,877

Third Base:
Adrian Beltre $13,400,000

Shortstop:
Migel Tejada $14,811,414

Outfielders:
Matt Holliday $13,500,000
Jason Bay $7,800,000
Johnny Damon $13,000,000
Mike Cameron $10,000,000
Jermaine Dye $11,500,000

Utilityman:
Mark DeRosa $5,500,000

Corner Infielders:
Nick Johnson $5,500,000
Troy Glaus $12,137,000

Middle Infielder:
Felipe Lopez $3,500,000

Team Salary $195,593,291
Average Salary $7,823,732

Impressive roster of free agents remains
With Meetings over, plenty of Hot Stove action to come
By John Schlegel / MLB.com

12/12/09 12:00 AM EST

The shopping season that began in earnest in Indianapolis is far from over, and the inventory of free agents remains stocked to the rafters.

An ace and two slugging outfielders have dominated the spotlight so far this offseason, but they are only part of what could be a full roster of free agents who can contribute to clubs.

A few good men -- from right-hander Rich Harden getting a fresh start with the Rangers and veterans like catcher Pudge Rodriguez and starter Randy Wolf -- have landed on rosters for next season.

There remains a lot of talent to be had, and plenty of shoppers who didn't get very deep into their checklist at the Winter Meetings in Indy.

Of course, there are also some big names available on the trade market, starting with Toronto ace Roy Halladay and including slugging second baseman Dan Uggla and right-hander Derek Lowe. There also will be another haul of free agents come Saturday, when some talented players such as Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins are not expected to be tendered contracts by the deadline to do so.

Whatever this year's class of free agents might lack in chart-topping largesse compared to a year ago, the current group already makes up for in depth.

At the top tier, starter John Lackey and sluggers Matt Holliday and Jason Bay likely won't be ringing the same financial bells CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira did a year ago. But then the field of free agents covers a little more ground right now than it did a year ago.

Enough to fill a team from scratch? Perhaps. Could be fun.

OK, then, in the spirit of the shopping season, here's an empty, reusable shopping bag and a 25-man roster spree down the 2009-10 free agent aisle:

Starting pitchers (5): Lackey, Joel Pineiro, Ben Sheets, Justin Duchscherer and Aroldis Chapman.
Lackey's far and away the class of the group, and Pineiro is coming off a career year with the Cardinals. The rest of the group has potential issues, of course, as do other possible selections like Jon Garland, Erik Bedard, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson, Kelvim Escobar and Brett Myers. And Chapman, the 21-year-old Cuban defector? Why not?

Relief pitchers (5): Jose Valverde, Mike Gonzalez, Fernando Rodney, Octavio Dotel, Darren Oliver.
The Astros have moved on from Valverde, picking Brandon Lyon from the free-agent aisle and acquiring Matt Lindstrom via trade. Valverde stands out with two 40-save seasons preceding a 25-save campaign in '09. But the rest all could contribute.

Catchers (2): Bengie Molina, Rod Barajas.
With Pudge Rodriguez off the market with the Nationals now, the catcher most coveted on the market is (and was) Bengie Molina, who works a staff as well as anyone and hits well enough that he batted cleanup for the Giants (although that was a bit of a stretch). With Jason Kendall now snapped up, Barajas is a solid backup choice.

First baseman: Carlos Delgado.
If he's indeed healthy after hip surgery and he can return even to his 2008 form, Delgado could be big again in the middle of someone's lineup. He has 473 homers and 1,510 RBIs behind him, and probably a good number of each ahead of him if he's healthy.

Second baseman: Orlando Hudson.
What a difference a year makes, eh? Last year, he had to wait and wait for the call, but this year O-Dog is top dog among second basemen. His Gold Glove defense and all-around presence is something any team would covet.

Third baseman: Adrian Beltre
No, his last deal with the Mariners didn't exactly turn out the way everybody had hoped, but he did rally a bit after a horrendous start in Seattle. He'll be only 31 in April.

Shortstop: Miguel Tejada
Since Beltre's available, Tejada can stay at shortstop on this roster. Having regained some of his dominant form while with the Astros, Tejada is one of the more coveted bats on the market.

Outfielders (5): Holliday, Bay, Johnny Damon, Mike Cameron, Jermaine Dye.
Holliday and Bay will get big deals, because they're both big-deal guys -- a lot of pop from the right side. After that, Damon and Cameron can still fill a lineup spot for pretty much any team, and Dye remains a solid choice for right field and DH if needed. Gary Sheffield, Randy Winn and Rick Ankiel are other considerations. This configuration leaves out the World Series MVP, Hideki Matsui -- who does have some NL interest in him, despite more DH credentials.

Utility: Mark DeRosa
He'll literally play anywhere, any day. In fact, that might limit teams interested in him, simply because his value might not fit their need for a multi-position player. We'll take him, for sure.

Corner infielders: Nick Johnson, Troy Glaus
Would be nice to have a first baseman of Johnson's caliber around especially if Delgado's the starter, and Glaus can deliver some pop off this bench.

Middle infielder: Felipe Lopez.
Orlando Cabrera has made the rounds, and they've won pretty much everywhere he's gone. But Lopez gets an edge here because he brings experience to the table at both middle spots and he's younger.

OK. That's 25.

But, hey, that's just one way to fill the free-agent shopping bag.

Point is, there is still plenty of inventory for those shopping GMs.

John Schlegel is a national reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

25 Random Things

For lack of better blog topic (also just because it works)... I am going to post 25 random things here...

1. I just installed Windows 7 Beta on my Eee PC 1000h, and as much as I dislike Microsoft, so far it is proving to be faster and more responsive than the original Linux OS (a Xandros flavor) that shipped with it and Easy Peasy (an Ubuntu 8.10 variant with netbook remix interface). Installing it and getting drivers was a headache that I didn't experience with the other OS's, but once installed it seems to be running quicker. Weird. I'm kinda sad.

2. I often feel inadequate as a musician. Despite this, it is my dream to one day do a tour similar to "Passion's One Day"... playing worship at locations throughout the US and giving seminars... all to culminate in one big worshipfest at some location where everyone comes to worship God together and love each other.

3. I'm a sucker for curly hair and accents.

4. In general, I will use an inferior open-source/free software product as opposed to a closed source product for philosophical reasons.

5. I was a fan of Switchfoot, Relient K, Kutless and OneRepublic long before they became big.

6. Even though I enjoy discovering obscure bands that don't sound like anyone else and have similar philosophies of distribution to me (anti-RIAA) sometimes I still enjoy the same pop crap that everyone else listens to. I just don't listen to it on the radio.

7. There are a few people who are solely responsible for introducing me to certain styles of music. I owe them more than I could ever repay.

8. I thrive on interaction with people. People, music and learning new things are three of the biggest motivators in my life. No wonder I enjoy playing new music with new people so much. Anybody have an opening in a band for me?

9. A friend recently pointed out to me that I have a Type-A personality. I'm afraid I'm still in denial. Is it really true?

10. My time at Life Pacific College was probably the best three years of my life.

11. I love to dance. Even though I really suck at it. A hidden camera in my apartment would surely ruin any hope I'd ever have of holding a public office.

12. I am less sure of what I believe after graduating with a bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies than I did going into it. I do know that I believe.

13. I generally dislike random surveys. I am only doing this because a close friend of mine did and I wouldn't want to let her down. I am also rationalizing it by thinking this isn't a true survey because I get to make up my answers and there are no questions.

14. I really like my job. I wonder if I would like it for a career.

15. My job is not my calling.

16. I shudder every time I catch myself speaking in Christianese. If you are a true friend, please slap me next time I speak Christianese without prefacing it by saying, "Pardon my Christianese, but..."

17. I say "ummm" far to often when I am thinking and talking at the same time. Bad Brad.

18. I love how welcoming my new church is. It's a diverse group of personalities that works very well together. It already feels like home. I need to pray for it more.

19. I've gone for weeks without turning on the TV sometimes. Internet... not so much.

20. I love to make new friends. New connections. New people that God puts into my life to influence me and for me to influence. And I'm nerdy enough to wish that in heaven God has some sort of graph that shows how all of our timelines interweave and affect each other.

21. I have an addictive personality. If I like something, I quickly grow to be nearly obsessed with it. Which has lead to late night conversations, all night gaming sessions and generally the destruction of anything resembling a normal sleep schedule.

22. As much as I want to live a long, full life, I want to die doing something really crazy... taking some huge risk. When my life's flame goes out I want to burn out bright. (See "Secondhand Lions" for ideas.)

23. I want to play piano like Ben Folds and Andrew McMahon. I wish I could sing like Matt Hammit and Steve Perry. If I could play Mozart's "Turkish March" on guitar I would finally be satisfied with my guitar skill.

24. I am a nerd, and proud of it. I am also certain kinds of geek and regularly act like a dork. there is a difference. Ask me about it.

25. This was originally posted on my Facebook. Anybody who reads this blog (if anybody does) is welcome to comment with 25 random things about them. Or just post this on their blog and link me to it in the comments.

Brad's Top 10 Science Fiction Novels of All-Time

So there was a time in my life when I read little else but Science Fiction novels. Over the years I have re-read a few of them, and found most of them to be better than I remembered. Here is my list of my 10 favorite Science Fiction novels.

As an aside, I believe true science fiction, good science fiction, is not merely stories that substitute techno-babble for either a good story or use technology in place of "magic" to miraculously accomplish something, or else it would just be fantasy with lasers instead of wands and space ships instead dragons. Real science fiction examines people, humanity, relationships and involves in the telling of the story science and technology. It is first about people, then about science. It's not some excuse to just babble on about possible futuristic toys. A good Sci-Fi story tells you something, or even better... makes you think about the human race and about yourself.

Without further ado...

1. Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card) - I read this book after college, and never knew why I waited so long. I did it in one sitting too, all through the night. Gripping story-line of a kid genius in training to be a general that deals with interesting questions of leadership.
2. That Hideous Strength (C.S. Lewis) - I liked this book the best of C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. In my opinion there there little in the way of science in this book, but it still fits that genre as well as any other. Medieval lore meets historical science fiction in this page turner.
3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) - A sci-fi comedy that is absolutely hilarious, especially if you enjoy British humor and the abuse of non sequiturs.
4. Dune (Frank Herbert) - Classic of the genre that explores the messiah complex, family and kingdom level intrigue in a desert science fiction setting.
5. The Last Question (Isaac Asimov) - Actually a short story, very thought provoking ending.
6. The Andromeda Strain (Michael Crichton) - A wicked nasty virus from space breaks out in the US and scientists try to stop it. Likely formed the basis for more than a few sci-fi TV series plots. *cough*stargate*cough*
7. Rendezvous With Rama (Arthur C. Clarke) - A interesting "adventure" style book revolving around mankind's curiosity and interest in an alien artifact, time capsule, spaceship traveling through our solar system.
8. Prelude to Foundation (Isaac Asimov) - I liked this prequel better than the original Foundation mostly due to the style in which it was written. Foundation was broken into what could almost be called "mini-novels" while Prelude to Foundation read straight through with multiple plot twists and a catching ending.
9. A Wrinkle In Time (Madeleine L'Engle) - A family's father goes missing and his intrepid children travel the universe in search of him. Not exactly a children's book, but often targeted at them due to the primary characters.
10. The Positronic Man (Isaac Asimov) - Intriguing story about a robot who is nearly (?) human. Brings to mind questions of what really makes one human.
11. 2001 A Space Odyssey (Arthur C Clarke) - Another book about human nature thinly disguised with technology and "the future".
    

Top 10 Science Fiction Novels Brad Wants To Read:

1. 1984 - George Orwell
2. Starship Troopers - Robert A Heinlein
3. Neuromancer - William Gibson
4. Speaker For The Dead - Orson Scott Card
5. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K Dick
6. Ringworld - Larry Niven
7. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
8. Hyperion - Dan Simmons
9. Flowers For Algernon - Daniel Keyes
10. More Than Human - Theodore Sturgeon
    

Did I miss your favorite? Am I lacking something good? Let me know!

Piracy - A Handy Guide

Note: I'm not making any comment on the morality of performing any of the above actions, just providing a reference guide for those whose definitions have become confused by those looking to deceive.

The Most Exciting Thing In Life

So I just filled out a "Connections Survey" for my alma mater, Life Pacific College, and it was interesting to notice the questions that it asked. Of course, it asked the standard stuff, Name, Years Attended and Graduated and contact info. And of course family info (I have no family of my own), so that was blank.

Then it wanted to know church info. The name, address, phone number of it. That's something that would be terribly relevant to someone in a "traditional ministry position", which is probably the occupation most people go to Bible College to acquire... but it may not matter nearly as much to someone who does something outside of church, either for their "day job" or ministry.

The survey next wants to know "Ministry Service or Career Path" since graduation. Now, I'm assuming this is information that will be going in the college's newsletter that goes out to alumni and supporters of the college to update everyone on what everyone else is doing. Is it in some way a measure of success for someone who can list off churches or ministries they've been a part of? When people receive this, do they compare what other people are doing to each other? Do they compare their own "Ministry Service or Career Path" with those of their peers? I mean, it's not like it's a competition... but it seems like human nature would turn it into one, no?

The most interesting question on it however, was the last one: Tell us the most exciting thing that’s going on in your life. Did your son just graduate from high school? Did your first grandchild just arrive? Are you in the middle of a building project at your church? To be honest, the most exciting thing in my life just happened a couple days ago, but due to confidentiality reasons I can't go into detail about it where all can read. But it has to do with my day job and it was pretty sweet.

Aside from that, I've moved out of my parent's house, I left my dad's church and found a new church (plant), I am living in an apartment on my own and I'm making a name for myself at work. Not in the "famous" making a name for myself way that phrase is usually meant (which is still somewhat true), but I'm making a name for myself in the way I conduct myself at work. The way I build relationships and the way I interact with people (customers, employees who work for me, my peers and those above me) stands out. They know I'm different than the person who had the job before me because of the way I talk, the decisions I make and how I treat people.

Of course it's a "secular" job, which means that there are politically correct things that one can and can't say and do. But I believe there is so much that words and actions can say and do without going into "politically incorrect" territory. There are dozens of people who I would love to have a conversation with when one of us no longer works for my company. But who knows if I will ever be the one to have that conversation? Maybe God is using me to (pardon my Christianese metaphors), "soften the earth", "plant the seed" or "water the plant" and someone else will "reap the harvest"?

I'm enjoying this stage of life and in truth the most exciting thing in my life right now is the relationships I am building and the lessons being learned (on both sides) from these relationships. Even with all this I can tell that this stage is still preparation, and the most exciting things are yet to come.

Necessity

From today's Quote of the Day...

"Invention is the mother of necessity."
-Thorstein Veblen

I disagree. In today's culture marketing is the mother of necessity.

1 Sam 14

So a couple things stood out to me about this chapter. First of all... Jonathan did something I am very much not comfortable with: "god if this happens, then it means yes, but if this happens, it means no." it's not that I don't think that god can't speak to us when we set up a dichotomistic choice like that, but how does one know it's a fair thing to do? How do I know I'm not just stacking the deck in my favor if I so something like that? "god if the pastor looks right at me during the altar call and sings the third stanza of the star spangled banner, then I know you want me to respond. Otherwise, you don't." an extreme example, yes, but I think you get the point?

Is this something that we should be doing today as Christians? I mean, maybe it was different for Jonathan back then because he didn't have the holy spirit? (see also: casting lots to determine guilt) But speaking of the holy spirit... How do you even know if it is really god speaking to you, and not just your self? Or worse, an "unclean spirit". (pardon my christianese) yes, I know that we can learn what god's voice sounds like, or what he would say by being familiar with what he says in the bible. But when it comes down to it, we read the bible through the lens of our mind, and that can skew god's written word as much as his spoken (verbal or nonverbal) word.

I'm not saying we can't know what god is saying to us, because there have been a few times that I've really *known*... It's just all those other times that confuse me.

The next thing... Saul had to take roll of his men to learn that his son was missing. What kind of a father is that?! Dang. I hope I never have to do that. I'm betting that Jonathan was a young man at this time, because he led an army, but I doubt he was over 20. Probably 15 or 16 as an upper age limit. So it's not like Saul took his t ball son along with him to work (war) and lost him... But still, dad... Keep an eye on your kid! If you die, he's next in line man!

And then he made a stupid oath, based on a stupid rule that he made. Strange that he mentioned his son's name in it. After "losing" him was be trying to get, rid of him? Or did he feel like he was shown up and he wanted to get rid of him? Or was it just a proof that he was really serious? If it was, then why did he divide the groups into him and Jonathan, then the rest ofnthe people? Did he know? Surely he must have known Jonathan didn't hear the stupid command, he just took role and found him to be missing. The whole thing just seems fishy too me.

Lastly, he doesn't keep the oath that he made. Why? And why doesn't he get in trouble for it either? I mean, the people sin by eating meat without draining the blood, and then Jonathan is the one the dice point at because he broke a stupid rule that his dad made that he didn't know about! Surely the people sinned more than Jonathan. Surely Saul sinned worse than Jonathan because of the stupid rule he made that endangered the lives of his men. I mean come on, I don't think that skipping meals is a good recipe for success if you want to beat down a foe who is more BA than you. Yet it's Jonathan who the finger is pointed at instead of either of the other two groups.

And then! Then! Saul allows himself to be persuaded by the people not to kill Jonathan! Saul breaks his own stupid oath by not killing his kid who broke his own stupid rule unknowingly. Wow. Too much stupidity for me.

But on the other hand... What if god's hand was in this after all? What if god knew that David would need Jonathan, and it so he just worked out the best way to keep him alive? What lessons are there to be learned from this dysfunctional family and king?

God is with those who seek him. God has a plan that stupid people can't thwart? Maybe because he knew that the philistines were more screwed up than then the israelites, god decided to overlook their sins to kick some bad guy hiney? Idunno, I don't get why god does what he does a lot of the time. Why did he even give the Israelites what they wanted (a king) if he was just going to be a screwup anyway? Why does he entrust screwup Christians, like me, to do his will anyway?

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A New Routine

So last night I realized that I needed a new bed time routine. I was losing sleep and losing touch with God with my previous one, so I decided to try something new. I liked it, so I'm doing it again. As always, we'll see if it sticks.

After getting ready, I get in bed with my iphone and read from biblegateway.com. Maybe research a little bit, maybe not. Then through the medium of blogging (again, from the iPhone... We're going for ease of use here) I meditate on what I just read. I'm not following any sort of homework assignment style of blogging. No SOAP, no exegesis, no theology, nothing but what naturally comes to mind about it. It may be brilliant, it maybe be stupid, and it will probably be full of errors. (Hence why last night's was titled 1 Sam 12 instead of 13.)

So I apologize to my one reader out there, but this is for me... Yet if God amazingly uses my ramblings to speak to you, it's because he's awesome and stuff. Don't expect anything spectacular, because it's more stream of consciousness than anything. Even so, comments are welcome and I would love to have a discussion if something said sparks something in you.

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1 Samuel 12

"A man after my own heart."

Saul screwed up and disobeyed God. I don't know if he really thought he was doing the right thing by sacrificing before battle, or if it was more like his version of a good luck charm, much like some MLB players cross themselves before each at bat, or point to the sky after a strikeout. Perhaps it was just religion (read: tradition) to make a sacrifice before battle so he was just doing what he always did because Samuel was delayed. Or maybe, this seems most likely to me, Saul was just panicking and lost his trust in God. His troops were deserting him and he wanted to get the show on the road before it became a one man show (not a good recipe for success for a new king).

An interesting thing to me is that Saul was replaced by God when be had just barely started. He didn't even get his 30 day review before God told him he wasn't going to make it as king. Yet God allowed him to remain in power (even in "lame duck" status) for 42 years.

God had found a man after his own heart in David, but what took him so long to actually reach the destination that God had planned for him? One could say he was ready to lead the nation militarily (Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands), the people loved him (the same, also killing the giant did wonders for his rep I'm sure), he had the right woman (princesses don't just marry anyone), and it seems like he was ready to lead spiritually too (he spent so much time with God as a shepherd, wrote psalms, played spiritually soothing music in the king's court).

Was God not through with Saul even though he'd rejected him? Was Israel just not ready? David certainly seemed ready, even though we see he learned many lessons between the time he was anointed and the time that he became king. But what really made David qualified to be king?

He was handsome, sure. Pretty awesome with a stringed instrument, voice and pen. He could fight, lead and stand up against hard odds. But it seems the key above all these was that he was a man after God's own heart.

What does that mean? Certainly not that he was sinless (see: Bathsheba). I think it means that more often than not, he took the actions that God himself would have taken as a man, felt what God would have felt, and lived how God would have lived.

David's priorities were in line. He worshiped God and knew He was with him. He cared more about what God thought of him than what other people thought of him. He did what was right. He honored his family. He lived and loved with his whole heart.

I hope those are things that can be said of me. I will work to be sure they are, God willing.

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Late Night TV Lessons

So watching late night tv this evening I realized something about the shows that I watch and why I watch them. I don't watch much tv, but the main show that I do watch is Stargate, both the SG-1 and Atlantis versions. I don't just enjoy the science, the special effects and the cheesy jokes... I realized I watch it for the leadership situations and what I can learn from them.

It's interesting because there are decisions that have to be made at multiple levels. Sometimes it's the leader in the field that has to make a split second decisions that affect more than just his (or her) team, but they affect the entire program, or the expedition. Some situations call for a show of force and others for an intricately negotiated peace treaty. Sometimes there are decisions that are made by those above you that you can attempt to influence, but the final say lies with someone who just may not understand how wrong the decision they are making is. Most, if not all decisions have lasting effects that will be felt by the rest of the team.

What I have been learning above all though, is that decisions have to be made. Decisons are not meant to be ignored, or thrust aside. Leaders delegate tasks, not decisions, and certainly not responsibilty.

The other show I've watched recently is the Cosby Show. Yes, the oft adored and nearly as often maligned Cosby Show. It should be obvious what I've be learning about... family and fatherhood.

I sometimes wonder if when Cosby was writing the episodes if he intentionally wrote in these lessons, or if they naturally come out of the situations that he sets up. Every interaction with his children, with his wife, with his parents, even with the neighbor kids next door... All of these are quasi-consciously analyzed and lessons are gleaned. How to motivate children to succeed, how to treat a wife, how to create a culture within the house of an open home... I could go on.

Of course, please understand all of this in context. None of this is taking place in a vacuum. I'm not just some coach potato lounging on my sofa (though that is my posture at this moment, heh) being spoonfed junk from the tube. All of this is related to the experience I had in college, in church, growing up with my family, and now in my own apartment and with my work. I am who I am because of how I was raised by my parents, the influence of teachers and professors, the way I pushed myself in school and my desire to know God more.

And finally, these lessons are not merely academic, but are fed into
the superprocessor that is the mind to be crunched, ruminated over,
and put into action in everyday life. Sometimes the lessons learned
are put into practice the next day at work, but other lessons will
wait for that nebulous time in the future when I will be a husband and
a father... Or who knows, maybe even a "pastor".

Sent from my iPhone

Response to Kristin's "Untitled"

So I was about to post this as a comment response to Kristin's "Untitled", but then realized it was probably too long to just be a comment. So it grew into a blog post of it's own.

I'm about to move out on my own with no roommate, to a city where the only people I know are my co-workers and because of my job title I'm discouraged from getting very close to any of them.

As far as the church thing if you get the weekend shift... I know it's cliche, but look outside the box. Look for places that meet more than just Sunday morning. Look for Saturday night services, and mid-week meeting times. Start a Christian community in your apartment complex or wherever you choose to live. At least, these are the ideas and things that I plan on doing. I may have even already found my church.

I'm fighting the same thoughts about Sabbath at my work, both for myself and for the people who work for me. For my role I have to work every other weekend because that's just the way it is. No ifs ands or buts. Sometimes I work early, sometimes mid-day, sometimes afternoon/late, (it rotates). For the people who work for me, we tell them, "This is retail. Or business happens on weekends. If you can't work weekends, find another job." Except usually most people don't say it quite as bluntly as that. And they won't tell the people who've worked there a long time that either. But that's another blog post.

Either way, over the past five years or so of over-working myself, I've come to realize the importance of having down time. I could be spiritual and call it "Sabbath Time" but I'll be honest because what I do on those days isn't always "holy". I play games. I goof off online. I watch movies. I generally don't do much around the house. Sometimes I pray. Sometimes I'll play worship songs. Usually though, I don't.

Perhaps over the next five years I'll realize the importance of focusing on God on those off-days. But perhaps not. Who knows? What I do know is that it seems humans require a balance between everyday life that pushes your body/mind/spirit up to the red (car analogy), and times of idling. But it doesn't always have to idle, it could be just driving in another direction. Okay, maybe it was a bad analogy, but I think you get what I'm saying.

I think Qohelet said it the best, "There is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work." Finding satisfaction in work is not to be confused with overworking oneself. For that would be meaningless. Also, Pete Seeger (and The Byrds) also agreed with Qohelet on this one, "To everything there is a season."

Steal This Comic

From XKCD...

A new tool

So I call it a tool only because it would sound wasteful to call it a
toy, but as much as I will be playing with it it may as well be a toy.
But it really is quite useful...

Sent from my iPhone

Brad's Top 10 Sports Movies of All-Time

Ehhh, I needed something opinion based to post on, so here goes....

1. The Sandlot - "Kidish" and cheesy, I know... but there's something this movie says about the spirit of the game and friendship during a magical summer playing a wonderful sport that just gets to me.
   
2. Rudy - This movie makes grown men cry. "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy..." Nuff said.
   
3. Cinderella Man - I liked this movie better than Rocky. He shows every bit as much heart, and I love the setting, cinematography, and story telling even more.
   
4. Breaking Away - Little known (it seems?) flick about a kid coming of age and fighting accepted cultural norms. Full of heart.
   
5. The Natural - Classic movie on the classic game.
   
6. Chariots of Fire - I fear most modern movie aficionados will not appreciate this due to the movie's pace, style and age, but it's a classic movie based on an athlete's motivation when it's not based on money.
   
7. Rocky (series) - Classic boxing movies that set the bar for all sports movies to come. It appeared the more they made the worse they became, but Rocky Balboa ended the series right.
   
8. Bull Durham - Sharp, witty, gritty (and a mite bit inappropriate), this movie focuses on the realities of baseball and the love of the game. I loved how authentic the characters in this movie felt.
   
9. Field of Dreams - Another classic, and while it contains quite possibly the most overused sports quote of all time, it's still a joy to watch and an inspiration for a dream.
   
10. Remember the Titans - Top 10 list would be incomplete without one movie of this ilk, and this was my favorite. A great performance by Denzell Washington that makes you feel good all over.
    
11. Shaolin Soccer - I realize this doesn't fit in standard Top "10" list, but this movie also doesn't fit in in many other ways. It's hilarious and either you love it or you just don't get it.
    

Top 10 Sports Movies Brad Wants To See:

1. Eight Men Out
2. Jerry McGuire
3. Raging Bull
4. Million Dollar Baby
5. The Pride of the Yankees
6. The Hustler
7. The Longest Yard
8. Hoosiers
9. Miracle
10. Seabiscuit

Any of your favorites I missed or forgot? Let me know in the comments!

Brad's 2008 Oakland Athletics Awards

Gosh, I really suck at this "regular posting on a blog thing". I can't believe I went a whole month without posting. And I even wrote the second part of that too! Anyway, this is borrowed from an Oakland Athletics Message Board Thread that I felt deserved a blog post...

Team Awards:
Front Office: B (Hard to see a lot of those guys go, a couple seemed like poor deals, but the dividends from Nick Swisher and Dan Haren are already apparent)
On Field Management (Geren & Co): C
Player Performance: B- (Some great surprises, some great disappointments)
CBS Sportsline A's fans: A+ (My first season on the boards, even though I was only active the first half... dang crazy new 60 hr/week job)

Individual Awards:
MVP: Jack Cust (Will probably set the K's record, but who else is more deserving?)
Cy Young: Justin Duchscherer
Fireman: Brad Ziegler (Runner Up: Joey Devine)
ROY: Ryan Sweeney
Unsung Hero: Kurt Suzuki
Best Surprise: Dana Eveland and Greg Smith (Ziegler was more unexpected, but nobody would have even thought playoffs in the first half if it weren't for these two.)
Biggest Disappointment: Daric Barton (Runner Up: Eric Chavez)
Next Year's Rookie to Watch: Aaron Cunningham
So Long and Thanks for All the Fish: Rich Harden (A Douglas Adams salute)
Don't come back Award: Emil Brown
Hope he gets it figured out award: Daric Barton
Position that needs to be filled: 3B... possibly with Jeff Baisley?
Best Athletics Player in Community: Mark Ellis (Community activism with diabetes)
Best Name for a Pitcher Ever: Josh Outman

A Tale of Two Trips - Chapter First

It was the worst of trips, it was the best of trips... or something like that. It shouldn't be that hard to get from California to Kalamazoo, Michigan... right?

We were running late. My mom took far too long to pack and instead of leaving when we planned (to arrive at the airport two hours before our plane was to depart), we left in time to arrive at the airport thirty minutes before the flight would depart. Thirty minutes to park in a strange parking lot, figure out how to leave our vehicle in the long term parking lot, then determine the route of the shuttle bus that would take us from the parking lot to the terminal, rush (haha!) through the draconian, orwellian airport security “features” while my dad gets “special inspection” and finally find the gate where we would board.

Somehow we made it. (The door was shut immediately after my parents entered.) And then the flight to Las Vegas to connect us to Chicago. Now, I've been on more than a few flights. The worst of which was from Atlanta to Los Angeles on the way back from a Hurricane Katrina relief trip where I had a fever and constantly felt like losing my lunch... and never finding it again. But this was different.

I've never experience claustrophobia before, except one time as a young child when a hay maze caved in. I'd certainly never felt claustrophobic on an airplane before, but this time the walls were closing in. The air was becoming stale. My lungs could not breathe quick enough. The oxygen was not reaching my blood. I was going to die... then I defeated it with logic. (Have I mentioned I'm a nerd?) The walls could not be closing in, there was plenty of room (and air) on the plane and there was nothing wrong with my hemoglobin. I have no idea what happened. Well, I have a guess, but that's saved for another blog. Ask me and maybe I'll tell you. ;)

Regardless, I arrived at the airport, conscious and well. However, our hotel's free shuttle did not. It was five minutes past the time that we had confirmed (twice!) that there would be a free ride for us from Midway airport in Chicago to our hotel. The hotel that we explicitly made reservations with because they offered a free shuttle from Midway airport to the hotel. The exchange went a little something like this...

“Mom, we should call and make sure they are sending us the shuttle.”
“Well, they are only five minutes late, and it's a thirty minute drive...”
“Mom, it's two in the morning... I'm sure not even Chicago has traffic at this time, and the paid employees who drive the shuttle's certainly have nowhere better to be.”
“Okay.”
*she calls*
“Oh I'm sorry ma'am, our shuttle only goes to O'Hare. We don't pick up from Midway.”
“But we made reservations with you because of your free shuttle pickup at Midway.”
“Sorry ma'am, there's nothing we can do.”
“You assured me today, twice, that you would have someone here to pick us up when we came off the plane. You told us to stand at door two at Midway and here we are... where are you?”
“I suggest taking a taxi. Goodbye.”

Supposedly, a manager was also called, but that did nothing to help the situation. We called Best Western's Guest Relations, also no help. In the end, we took a taxi. A $59 taxi. With a driver who played Elvis on his Ipod Touch. Elvis singing gospel hymns. Elvis singing my all time least like song, He Touched Me. I literally felt like I was in a nightmare that I could not wake up from.

We arrived at the hotel and the hallways smelled like a rotten seashore. It was a peculiar saltwater smell mixed with rotten fish and moldy seaweed. But we were too tired to care. We collapsed on our beds, exhausted, nearly two hours after stepping off of the plane and with our wallets $59 lighter due to non-budgeted expenses. After complaining to the manager face to face the next morning (still no help) we left in search of our previously arranged rental car so we could drive from Chicago, IL to Kalamazoo, MI.

Simply because nothing could be simple on this trip, the car rental place was found in the lobby of a hotel we eventually located three miles away. The car was a Subaru Forester and the three of us were cramped in the back seat. An uncomfortable back seat that was our little cubby hole for the next three hours while we braved Chicago construction traffic and a multitude of seemingly random “coin-only” tolls.

Five weary travelers arrived at the final destination, a(nother) Best Western in Kalamazoo, where the wedding party and family was staying. And we found the non-smoking hotel to be filled with the smell of smoke and cigarettes. While there was only a hint of smoke in mine and my brother's room, my parent's room was terrible. After a room change we were finally able to crash.

Here ends Chapter First...

#2 - Real Christian (Part 1 of ?)

From my first "About Brad" blog post:

2. Real Christian. I believe in God, Jesus, and the Foursquare Doctrine pretty much defines my beliefs, yet there is more. I'm afraid to admit my questions, failures, doubts and struggles, yet the best that I'm able I do it anyway. There is so much that I don't know.

So I think this is another one that will take longer than one post to write about. And I know it's one that will evolve over time and I'll constantly be adding new posts (parts) to it.

Real. I can't stand fakeness... not just in others... but particularly in myself. I hate faking a smile. I hate faking a tear. I hate faking emotion. I hate faking knowledge (BS'ing, as it's commonly known). Only when it's absolutely necessary will I do so... and when I do it's almost never for my own benefit, but for the benefit of others. I value honesty, genuiness. Give it to me straight or don't give it to me at all.

There are a lot of things about my faith that I don't know. There are things I don't understand. There are really hard questions about my faith for which I don't have answers. Why does it seem more often than not that God doesn't answer prayer? When I (or anyone else) "hears God", how often is it really God, and how much of it is the person themself? How could an all powerful, all knowing, immensely good God allow so much evil, pain and suffering if he has the power, knowledge and goodness to fix it? Do we really just not understand the true definition of God's "goodness" and "righteousness" because of our finite minds, or is that just a lame cop out to avoid the truth of the matter?

I could go on with questions and doubts of my faith, but deep down inside, when (if?) this period of searching in my life is ever over... I believe that it is true. In the end, I do think that my faith, my trust, my hope in God will be found out to be true. Is faith irrational? If it is irrational, is that wrong? Can something that is irrational still be true? When did rationality and things that make logical sense become the definition of truth? What makes the Scientific Method the standard for how we measure all knowledge and truth in this age? Is faith in the Scientific Method an irrationally and illogically placed faith? Is that not really faith as well, the unfounded, unproven belief that the only "true" knowledge is "a method of inquiry must be based on gathering observable, empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning. A scientific method consists of the collection of data through observation and experimentation, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses."

I'm just rambling now... so I'll make my point and move on. I do believe God is out there, and very likely in here (all around us, within us... and not in a panthiestic way, but in the Biblical, theological way)... but I'm very honest about the fact that I don't have all the answers. I don't even have all the questions... and sometimes I wonder if I even want to know the answers.

Onto theology... as I said in the "mini-summary", the Foursquare Doctrine pretty much defines my beliefs, and if you asked me a question about most theological questions I could probably give you a decent answer on what I believe. The tricky part is how it plays out in everyday life. I have opinions on homosexuality due to my beliefs, but how does that affect my voting? I have moral and ethical scruples that may be brought to bear on a work related dilemma... how do I respond? What do I do when the right "Christian decision" differs from the right "business decision"?

Regarding the bad reputation Christians have received based on "judging" others... Sadly, I feel a lot of that is justly received. People who are only slightly informed of the Bible's "big catch phrases" like to say, "Jesus said 'Don't Judge!'" In Capitals No Less. People who are slightly more informed retort, "No, it says, "Don't judge because the same way you judge others is how God will judge you!" To me, it seems very easy to for most Christians to point out how wrong someone else is when they are no better at the same thing, or even worse. I think the wiser person continues on from Matthew 7:1 and 7:2 to Matthew 7:3-5.

Finally, on the topic of the "Christian" moniker... Many people have avoided it because of the instant stereotypes and images it creates. The funny thing is it seems that today a lot of people like Christ, but hate Christians. So some people will say "I'm a believer" or "Follower of Christ" instead of calling themselves Christians. I'm not sure how important the title is as much as the lifestyle. It's trite and Christianese...ey... but the walk really is more important than the talk. Don't preach with words alone, preach with the way you live. Your way of life is the most powerful sermon ever.

#1 - Name: BarlowBrad (Part 2 of 2)

So, I graduated high school and got to college, the realm of where "dating leads to marriage" is actually possible. I had this idealistic idea that I would meet the girl I wanted to marry sometime during my freshman/sophomore years, date during junior year, be engaged senior year, graduate, get married and gallop off together on my noble steed into the gorgeous sunset of ministry together.

I'll kill the suspense right now... That didn't happen. It was strange, but I felt this sense from God that he didn't want me to date anyone until I was a senior. Well, okay, so I did that, or rather didn't. I had no dates in college. Senior year rolls around and for one reason or another nothing works out. Hey God... what happened to my perfect plans for dating? Right.

So here I am... growing older, smack dab in the middle of my "quarter-life crisis" years (thank you John Mayer) and trying to rethink this whole "dating" thing.

I've always been of the opinion that I can become good enough friends with a girl initially to know if I could see myself marrying her. And really, that was easy to do with ready-made social interactions at school, extra-curricular activities, sports, etc. But now that I've graduated and have a very much full-time job... what would that look like?

I still want to date only the one I will marry, but it seems like the odds of that happening are approaching one in a million (or worse). How do can I get to know "potentials" while still staying within the bounds of my determination of "saving myself" for my future wife? Have I reached a point where my idealism and optimism need to meet with reality so that I actually "have" a future wife?

On a separate front, since it's been so long (it feels) and I haven't yet met someone who "fits me"... are my standards too high? I know everyone says (and I say myself), "Don't settle. Don't lower your standards." But there is a point where standards could simply just be too high, right?

So here I am... a quarter to a third of my life has passed and I have yet to date. Obviously there's more to life than dating, finding your "the one" and spending the rest of your life with someone, but it's reaching that point where I'm feeling like, "Come on already... bring on the next stage of life."

I know some at this point might want to trot out that loved/loathed biblical idea... "Maybe you have the gift of celibacy." No. I don't. Some also say you can't know if you'll get married or not... but I know. God didn't make me not to get married. Trust me. If anything, I feel like I would have the spiritual gift of fatherhood. (I know, I'm not a father, so I can't speak from experience, but it's the way I feel.) The way I interact with children, how they interact with me. The desire I have to be a godly example as a husband and father. It's just too strong for it not to be something that God has put in me.

#1 - Name: BarlowBrad (Part 1 of 2)

Hopefully this is the start of some consistent blogging. I'm going to go through my initial "Table of Contents" and attempt to regularly post on them.

I picked up the name BarlowBrad (or BarlowGuy) sometime around the end of high school. Brad is my first name, so that much is obvious, but Barlow is not my last name. Barlow is a reference to the Superchick song "Barlow Girls". I picked up the name because it fit me. These lines in particular:

They don't date, they won't date
They wanna see how they're gonna grow up
Who they're gonna be
...
And yes there are guys who are willing to wait
Ask a Barlow girl on her wedding day

Now let's get this part out of the way right away... I wasn't the most popular kid growing up. In fact, I was the one that the unpopular kids made fun of. So not dating through my freshman year of high school wasn't something that was done much by choice. But I don't know how or why, but girls starting becoming interested in me after that and I had a choice to make. But then, as I looked at my friends who dated, I noticed they all broke up and most of them ended up hating each other. I decided that I didn't want to lose a friend like that.

I also realized that dating relationships tend to go one of two ways, either toward greater intimacy (e.g., marriage and all that goes with it) or away from intimacy. So I wanted to either date the I wanted to marry, or not date at all. Somehow I had the wisdom and foresight to realize that I probably wasn't going to find the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with in high school, so I decided dating in high school wasn't for me.

Eventually, I heard the song and thought, "Hey, they're like me! I suppose I could call myself that too." So I did.

Billy Beane - Genius?

Editor's Note: I refuse to give into the temptation of every couple (or nine) months starting off a blog post, "So, I haven't posted in a while..." Dang. Failed. Gave into temptation. Again.

Anyway, I wanted to put something here to show the world that "Brad is not dead" (tm) so I'm throwing a few paragraphs of a post from a sports message board. It was in response to someone questioning Billy Beane's (Oakland Athletics General Manager) status as a "genius" with regards to baseball management.

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It's funny that not until the past two years (last year while injuries ran rampant and this year in a rebuilding year) did anyone ever question Billy Beane. You know why? Because he was winning. And on a budget not even close to his competition in the AL (Angels, Yankees, Red Sox).

While the skepticism is understandable, I think that Billy Beane's "genius status" among MLB general managers is rightly placed. He was named general manager of the Athletics in 1997, and in just a few short years he was able to turn around a team that was was averaging 73 wins a season (.454 pct) into a team that went 664-469 from 2000-2006, a .586 winning percentage (average of 95 wins a season). How many other general managers have done that? Not just that, but he did it with a payroll that was one of the lowest in the majors! The Athletics made the playoffs five times in those seven years, how many other teams made the playoffs that consistently?

Only the Yankees had a higher winning percentage from 2000-2006 and made more playoff appearances, and we all know how tough that was for them with their payroll constraints (sarcasm). The Braves and Cardinals had six playoff appearances in seven years, but fewer wins over that period (and Braves and Cardinals fans can probably speak to their budget comparison to the Athletics better than I can), though you have to admit that they were in the weaker league.

Some might argue that because Billy Beane has not won a World Series it means that he doesn't belong in the upper echelon of MLB GMs. But if you add up the Athletics win totals from 2000-2006 (ranking them 2nd, just a few wins behind the Yankees) it shows that he obviously knows how to give a team the tools they need to win a championship, but it's up to them to perform (and not be injured) during that time.

I would say the simple fact that Billy Beane has built an organization that competes with (and usually beats!) teams spending four and five times as much on payroll puts Billy Beane in pretty exclusive company. I suppose it all depends on how you define genius.