Matt Holliday: A Free Agent Mystery

but when a player is semi-legendary for aggressive proselytization, and other players are on record with condemnative observations about how that made them feel in the clubhouse with that player, it isn’t a stretch anymore to feel like there’s other players, potentially with other clubs, that might not be into having the guy come up on them in a professional situation and start into Evangelizing them for Christ. And that this might find its way to GMs and maybe be a factor in them thinking about how well the dude is gonna mesh with their team as a potential FA signing.

So yes, 99% of the time it’s extracurricular to baseball, but in the case where someone is chatting away to Pat Robertson on TV about how humans deserve to go to Hell, it’d be a stretch (IMO) not to wonder if teams are shying away from him out of reticence to engage someone who is known for creating, or attempting to create (as with Colorado) such an atmosphere in the clubhouse or around the team.

thanks for your writings on this, this is what I meant to trigger discussion on although I was looking for a more neutral way to say the controversial, I guess.

What I am asking is whether Holliday’s known rep as an aggressive (key word: aggressive) proselytizing Christian may have caused players here to be wary of him, or helped contribute to the sort of poopy-pants, unengaged demeanor we saw him display whilst in Oakland.

An answer to this can be an emphatic no or a convinced yes, or anywhere in between, but the fact remains that Holliday did go on the TV show of someone who has called for war on gays (I am one) and the assassination of foreign leaders, so it does bear inquiry at the least as to what effect the totality of his rigorous approach to religiosity might have had or might continue to have in whatever clubhouse he inhabits… again thanks DFA for your well-chosen words.

I guess my sort of speculative question is all about whether, like Barry Bonds installed dead-center in the SF clubhouse like a dictator in his Lazy-Boy recliner, does a player’s intense religious devotion (and demonstrated desire to “convert” others around him, as was documented on the 2006-7 Rockies) have any sort of deleterious effect on his engagement with the other 24 guys, and if so can that effect be quantified in any way.

Ive worked my entire life with the exception of one summer and some winter breaks at a pet shop for political candidates, state government, civic engagement organizations, and now a labor union, all of which bring meaningful and positive change our world.

Yes, those organizations are sooooo selfless and pure of heart and charitable. (insert amused eye-roll here) Hoo boy, that’s a good one.

The best part is that you seem to actually believe it. Shit, the pet shop was probably more noble and selfless than any of the others.

Ive worked my entire life with the exception of one summer and some winter breaks at a pet shop for political candidates…

In a West End town?

Just wanted you to know who flagged you if it’s a CGV, in interest of full disclosure

What with your awesome comment-to-FanPost ratio.

I think that some people believe that prayer is like asking the genie in the lamp for wishes to grant. While others believe that prayer is all about thanking Him, asking for inner strength to overcome life’s challenges, and asking for forgiveness but only receiving that forgiveness to the same degree that the praying person is willing to forgive others.

I’m in the later camp; therefore I agree with what you’ve written here.

Michael states the following, so Rajai may have company in this regard come mid-season, dunno:

Work as if everything depends on you and Pray knowing that everything depends on God. That has served me well.

Every interview I have ever seen with Raj, he comes off as a lovely person, positive, humble, nice. The thing with Holliday is that for someone who so wholeheartedly claims embrace of the teachings of The Prince of Peace, he kind of comes off so aloof and smug, negative-ish in a way. Of course it’s all subjective and maybe I am wary of Born Again people at some level because I am gay and many of them want me not to be breathing right now, but in real life I have known many and actually gotten along fine with them so I dunno.

To be honest I am totally groovy with anyone, whatever they believe, as long as they don’t try to hurt me with it, which let’s face it they sometimes do… even though I ultimately forgive them in the case of the anti-gay stuff because I understand that many are just trying to eradicate the possibility for their own, unwanted desires to find focus in other people at any cost.

My biggest problem with Evangelicals (is that what they’re called? I profess ignorance here) is that so many of them are a)tremendously wealthy and b)tremendously selfish, as if Jesus broke into the moneylenders’ temple to tell them all what a wonderful job they were doing, you know?

… the 24-foot open jumper;
… the easy pop fly;
… the called third strike;
… [you name it].

It just doesn’t seem right that the theodicy problem is excluded from sporting arenas, when it plays such an important part of the remainder of world affairs.

Coming soon in paperbackectomy.

one thing that a (non christian) friend said when I told him about this survey was “well, that’s the benefit of lowered expectations.”

Did anyone really think clear-headed, rational intellectuals have better sex?

I think it’s pretty obvious that the low class knuckle dragging quadropeds have the craziest freakiest monkey sex possible (NOT REAL MONKEYS, NICO)

“It’s not the pretty ones that get laid. It’s the persistent ones”

but I love the way you think.