Francisco Liriano and Other Nightmares

                As I write this, I am staring at a list of transactions that has turned the 2012 Trade Deadline into a nightmare for Texas Rangers fans.  With the news that Cole Hamels signed an extension with the Philadelphia Phillies (3 days after I said I wanted to see him on the Rangers, not sure if that qualifies as a jinx or not, but just to be safe this post will mention nothing about a Phillies southpaw who once carried the Rangers to their first World Series), the market for starting pitchers became unusually thin.  Zack Greinke became the best pitcher available, with a significant drop-off between him and a “second-tier” featuring Jason Vargas, Francisco Liriano, and WandyRodriguez.  Sure enough, the Rangers refused to include 3B Mike Olt in a deal to acquire Greinke, and he ended up on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  With the Angels only 5 games behind the Rangers, this move could very well alter the course of the AL West race (not to be overlooked – the A’s are actually in second place, 4.5 games back).

                Since I cannot face the fact that this was a great move for the Angels (arguably the league’s best rotation now - Jeff Weaver, CJ Wilson, Greinke, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana – 5 All-Stars), I want to instead focus on the arrival of Francisco Liriano in the Windy City.  Liriano has been the epitome of inconsistency this year – recently striking out 25 batters in a 2 game stretch before yielding 7 runs at the White Sox in less than 3 innings.  He always seems to attract attention in fantasy leagues thanks to his remarkable K/9 (9.81 this year – 6th best in the league if he qualified).  For some reason, his strikeout totals are enough to have fantasy owners crawling back to him after he posts a stellar outing.  These owners, though, are always left bitter when the inevitable start arrives where he gives up 6+ runs and doesn’t get out of the third inning.

                So will a change of scenery help Liriano? In short, no - Despite his impressive K/9, Liriano is 1 of 7 pitchers ever (with at least 17 games started) to have a K/9 of at least 9.8 and still have a K:BB ratio under 2.  He may be striking batters out, but any advantage it would normally give him is erased by his horrifying tendency to issue free passes (currently 55 walks in 100 innings).  While the other 6 pitchers include Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Sandy Koufax and Bobby Witt, it is important to point out that their combined ERA is 3.92 and they have a combined record of 141-152.  Also, Liriano’s ERA+ this year is 77.  What does this mean?  It means that Liriano is a well below-average pitcher this year when you remove ballpark factors (the average pitcher’s ERA+ is 100).  This is especially revealing as Target Field is a notorious pitchers’ park and he will no longer be making half of his starts there.  It is also important to note that Liriano has a 1.74 WHIP away from Target Field.  Also, his K:BB ratio is 1.6 and opponents are hitting an impressive .296 against him.  Long story short? I hope you aren't a White Sox fan...

Miscellaneous Notes about the Rangers:

Josh Hamilton continues to struggle at the plate, even to the point where Nolan Ryan called him out for being too aggressive (when Nolan Ryan says you are being too aggressive, you have some serious problems).  One of the reasons?  Hamilton hit .385 in April-May on pitches away in the zone.  Since June 1^st he is hitting only .171.

Mike Olt is supposed to be the centerpiece of any deal the Rangers make at the deadline, but it was recently revealed that they refused to include him in a deal for Zack Greinke.  Why?  With Adrian Beltre at 3^rd, I can only assume he is being groomed as the 1B of the future.  I really like Olt (what’s not to like – his splits at AA Frisco, in 92 games, are .291/27/80, and oh by the way he plays above-average defense at third), but I think I’d pull the trigger for he-who-will-not-be-named-in-this-article.  I would not, however, include him in a deal for James Shields, Josh Beckett, Josh Johnson, etc.  Olt could very well be starting at first (or in the OF) next year.

Until next time,

JT 

My Favorite Time of Year

The end of July is approaching, which only means one thing - The Trade Deadline is nearly here.  As an avid baseball fan, July is my favorite month that does not start with "Oct".  Now that the Rangers are once again relevant in baseball, I spend most of my day scrounging absurd blogs and websites hoping to see "Texas Rangers agree to ship 2 D- prospects and a sack lunch to the Phillies for Cole Hamels."  While this may be overly optimistic, the playoff race is shaped in July, and I long to pick up that one piece that will finally get the Rangers their first championship.

Good Not Safe

   As many of you know, I am preparing to leave on my self-identified 'Year of Service' in Rehoboth, New Mexico. I will be joining Rehoboth Christian School in their Finance and Advancement Departments in providing a support role for their bookkeeping and cost accounting for the school. The decision to leave the wonderful East Coast and go into the wild, beautiful West for a year was not taken lightly. The cost is going to be great. The step of faith required is more than I have ever experienced before. The amount of sadness in leaving and fear of the unknown is mounting. So then, why on earth am I going?

The Harvest

      What does message does a church give to the watching world if the people in attendance are of the same race, culture, background and/or socio-economic level? I want that to be the central question of this post as I continue to delve into the murky, scary waters of racial reconciliation. Please note: this applies to ALL churches. Not just 'white' churches. Not just 'black' churches. This is an applicable question to every Christian and every church in every denomination. The discussion in this post will revolve around the main theme of an earlier post, "Comfort Zone Religion." What I want to do is push us further into this problem of settling in our respective areas of religion and familiarity. It is going to get intense. It is going to get tough. You ready? Lets go!

A Fully Fantastic Father

    Today is Fathers Day, so I wish to take a moment of your time to celebrate my father. Do not get me wrong, I am sure your father is a great guy. I am sure he is loving and kind and a decent person. But my father beats your father, though perhaps only in the metaphorical sense. As per his love of alliteration, (notice the title?) I will be using 'F' words to describe him.

Hip Hop and Reconciliation

     After getting great feedback on my first blog post on racial reconciliation, I have decided to continue the series. Trust me, this series is going to get intense, personal, and convicting. If it does not, I will have failed my readership. This is too important of a topic to treat lightly. I am going to have some friends post as well, so that we can get different views from different backgrounds. Please continue to email me (timnicodemus3@gmail.com) if you have any topics in this regard you want looked at from different perspectives.

          With that being said, I want to address the issue of hip hop and Christianity. To start, I think the question needs to be asked: as Christians-- especially those of us raised in upper-middle, white communities-- how should we react to the hip hop culture? Even more broadly, how should we react to cultures of which we are not a part? The broader question applies to everyone of every race and culture, so for the time being, I will begin to address the first question in the context of the second.

Fantasy Friday: Revenge of the Injuries

    This post is the first of (hopefully) a weekly post for all my baseball-loving followers. I will be discussing the ever important, life-altering activity known as Fantasy Baseball. If you care little for either of those words, then by all means, read over older blog posts, play some video games (what I will be doing after this), or go be not like me and go be social/ have friends.
      For this post, I will discuss each of my teams and then give some general advice. Next week, I would prefer to make the players/teams I discuss to be based on your teams, not mine. Please email me at timnicodemus3@gmail.com or find me on Facebook or Twitter (@timnicodemus) to ask questions or names you want me to vet for you. I will say my one weakness is evaluating trades, especially if you do not provide enough background info (ie what type of league, how many teams, points system, etc.) If you ask a trade question, please provide gratuitous information. Keep in mind, my strength is pitchers and random hitters. Use that information to your advantage!

Alejandro De Aza- "I Knew Him When..."

    Realizing that the last few blog posts have gotten intense, personal, and heavy in tone and focus, I want to send out a blog post reprieve-- one that focuses on the statistical side of baseball, that will be enjoyed by several (like, one or two?) of my loyal readers. Today and tomorrow will have baseball-related blog posts, followed by another discussion of my previous post, and then later next week I will begin to discuss some business-related topics. For now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the trip into the world of sabermetrics.

Comfort Zone Religion

    "Passion without action is pity." It is amazing how one sentence can rock your world. The quote was said during my time at Rockbridge, a week long camp for chapters of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and it profoundly changed my view on racial reconciliation and my tendencies towards classism. I want to devote several blog entries to my changing views on those issues, but I want this one to talk about one step I have taken and the ramifications on my view of the Church.

    To make a long and detailed story short, I left Rockbridge with a feeling of discontent. I knew change needed to happen in my life. From viewing the giving of money as an acceptable substitute for caring about those who are marginalized (passion without action?) to my horrible heart attitude on topics like diversity and the global church. The knowledge of my need for change had been a long time coming-- reading great books, such as Radical or Don't Waste Your Life, or having deep talks with friends had begun to show me the error in my ways. Rockbridge, however, drove all the points home. It was time for me to stop saying the right things, and start doing the right things.

The One Where I Celebrate My Mother

    If you know me at all, you know that I am a momma's boy. Always have been, always will be. Her loving guidance has made me into who I am (or, at least the good parts of me) and it is because of her that I have avoided a lot of potentially huge life mistakes. Do not get me wrong, my father is one of my two biggest heroes (my grandfather is the other, in case you actually care) and if I am 1/10th of the man and father he is when I am older, I will consider my life a smashing success. He is absolutely a driving force in my life, but this post is about my mother, so I will focus on her.

Beyond Unfair

  If there is one piece of advice I remember that my mother taught me growing up is that life is not fair. Sometimes 'things' happen. Sometimes life seems to spin out of control beyond our desires and reach. Baseball is not immune to the sad, depressing happenings of life.
   Unless you are totally in left field (wordplay!) you have heard of Mariano Rivera. Greatest closer of all time. "Enter Sandman." Cutter of death. Postseason hero. Simply put, as cliche as it sounds, there will never be another Mariano. Fans of all teams love his professionalism, his work ethic, and his devotion to baseball, family, faith and heritage. Opponents rave about how incredible his on-filed presence is, while also participating in his off-field charity work. Mr. Rivera has been the New York Yankees closer since 1996, wracking up save after save after save, not to mention all the World Series rings. He came into the 2012 season mentioning that it might be his last season. The Yankees were positioned as one of the best teams in Spring Training. Yankee fans began to dream; Could one of the Core Four (Derek Jeter, Andy Petite, Jorge Posada and Rivera) end his career at the pinnacle?

Jackie Robinson Day

‎"A life is not important except the impact it has on other lives."    -- Jackie Robinson   

   Today around the MLB, every player is wearing a jersey with a 42 on it. If you happened to catch a game, you may have wondered if the jersey manufacturers had gone on strike or if there was some freak mishap. After all the Nationals did, once, have to wear jerseys with 'Natinals' on it....   
     But no, the reason everyone has the same jersey number is to recognize the work of Jackie Robinson, who played his first game in the Majors 65 years ago today. Even non-sports fans know who Jackie is; the first African-American player to play in the Majors. Crushing the door open to all races and leading baseball into a more fair- and competitive- sport. The impact that Mr. Robinson had on baseball, sports in general, and the culture cannot be overstated. More importantly, we can all learn from his example, especially in today's interesting culture. What I want to do in this post is to examine his impact on baseball, especially with a sabermetric perspective, and then examine his role in society today.

Beyond Baseball

   With most Opening Day games occurring this week, I was recently pondering all that had happened in the off-season. I have already addressed the issue of Josh Hamilton's relapse, but certainly many other events jump to mind. Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder both signed asininely large contracts. We saw Ryan Braun improbably found innocent on a publicized drug test. Frank McCourt sold the Dodgers to Magic Johnson (and others) for a lot of money (~$2 billion) only to declare that he was keeping a few parking lots for himself. All of these events generated lots of press, pundits talked ad nausium about the implications of each action, and fans argued over which side was correct. While all these events held my interest, there was another event that continues to intrigue me. This story goes beyond petty squabbles over money, fame, or success. It was literally a matter of freedom and security. I am, of course, referring to Wilson Ramos and his amazing story of survival and rescue.

     For those who do not follow baseball, that probably sounds overly intense. How can a baseball player, who gets paid tons of money to play a game, have a rough life? Can his life of leisure and fame really teach us anything and/or grow our appreciation for what we have in the USA?

Maryland My Maryland

      If you are a fan of non-confrontation, then be prepared to skip this blog post and go do something else. I want to speak very candidly yet politely about the recent bill passed into law in Maryland that allows same-sex couples to wed. I know this is a hot-button issue for many people, but I hope to express my views on this issue in a coherent and respectful fashion, allowing for honest and open debate in the comments section below.
      To start off, I am a Christian that believes in the inherency of Scripture. In other words, I believe that the Bible is the true Word of God and anything it says is true. Yes, some of the laws or cultural activites have changed over time (I do not adhere to strict Old Testament dietary laws, I do not expect women to cover their heads in church, etc.), but I still maintain that all Scripture is "breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). What God calls a sin, is a sin. What God promises, He will fulfill. What God says He will do, He will do.

Sweet Goodbyes

   To start this post, I need to come clean; this post has nothing to do with beliefs, business, or baseball. Call it what you will (a non-related post perhaps?) but I need to put down some thoughts as I get back from my last home Wake basketball game.
    I can remember growing up waiting to come to Wake. I was able to attend a few games in middle and high school and those times will always be looked upon as wonderful moments in my childhood. The rocking, loud, and tie-dye clad student section awed me as I vowed to one day carry on the Screamin Demon ethos. That day has now officially come and gone, and I now face watching the games online or on TV as I will be no longer a Wake student. Do not get me wrong, I will be back in the Joel at some point. But not with such regularity, not in the same section, and not with such dear friends.
     So what is it about Wake basketball that made the drive back to Wake silent as three friends sat in sadness and reflection on the past four years? What about saying goodbye to friends and fellow passionate Wake fans- not to mention that last look into the Joel- makes life seem so sad? I posit that it is not the actual sport, the physical building, the players, or the history of Wake basketball. Do all those play a part? Of course they have their place in the experience, but I think it comes down to the community.

Yankees Sign Ibanez- B/R App Essay

    The following post is my application piece sent into Bleacher Report for a possible part-time writing position with the site. Check them out at  http://bleacherreport.com/. It is more concise in analysis than I would like, but it was fun to put together and share a sabermetric viewpoint on a current transaction.

Baseball Time

    I am typing this post as I look out at the snow coming down in the frigid air, and I am reminded of Rogers Hornsby and his famous quote, "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Many of us have been waiting for several months, proverbially staring out windows, waiting for the day to come where we would have baseball again.
    That day is here! As of today, every MLB team has seen their respective pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. In a few more days, position players will report and the first few scrimmages will begin in earnest. While I will be unable to travel to either Florida or Arizona for Spring Training, I am content with the thought that I can wake up tomorrow and begin to see pictures of players throwing, running, or talking with fans. Many people wax eloquently about the magic of Spring Training, and I am not going to be able to top such loquaciousness, but I want to offer my meager thoughts on the excitement that permeates my being as I consider the upcoming season.

Birthdays and Beginnings

   Let me begin this post by saying 'Happy Birthday' to my favorite (and only) niece, Caroline Eva Johnson.This rather long blog post is my attempt to look at the past year in the lens of the joyous occasion of a birth and how God can work through the painful events of life to show us His mercy and love.
     Some of you may not know this, but Caroline was born to wonderful parents (you know that part!) around 6 pm on February 19, 2011. You also probably do not know that this was only about 18 hours after I was written up by the Winston-Salem police for alcohol consumption (BAC was 0.01, but still...) of an underage person. That evening/ early morning was bad. After all, that had happened once before, so this time it was a permanent event on my record. I can vividly remember talking with the policeman and feeling deeply ashamed and frustrated for being so stupid.
       Even more than just that one event, I was in the midst of an intense search for a finance internship (and trying to pass my asininely difficult finance classes) which had consumed my time and energy, leaving me a rude, selfish finance student with the sole goal of personal success, no matter the cost. Trust me, I was a pretty bad person. On the exterior was a smart, funny, Christian guy with friends and a lot of positives. On the inside, I was quite distant from God and was 'burning bridges' left and right. I was struggling to find peace and was trying to find true happiness through riches, romantic relationships, social status, and secular pleasures. And then my phone rang.

Beliefs and Baseball

   I want my first subject post to be about two of the namesakes of the blog. Before I begin, this blog will in no way be me trying to get more details about a tragic event. It is not me trying to blow up a small personal matter into something bigger. This is me simply trying to come to terms with a recent event.
   Any attentive reader has probably heard about Josh Hamilton and his recent admittance to an alcohol relapse. His press conference happened Friday, and in it he addressed very little of what actually happened. What we know is that he went to a bar and had a drink. He hung out with people. He did things he is not proud of. Period. End of story. Press conference over.

First Post

   Hello there reader! For those of you who do not know me, I am a senior, Finance major at Wake Forest University. I was recently in a Legal and Business class and a guest speaker came in and talked about the merits of blogging, especially for improving writing and being able to talk about a blog in job interviews. Combined with the fact that I have been wanting to blog for a while, I decided to start a blog myself. The point of the blog is to share my views on three subjects: Beliefs (Religion), Business (Finance, Accounting, current events), and Baseball (sabermetrics, fantasy, etc). The title of the blog reflects those three main interests in my life. As followers, please leave constructive comments, compliments, and general thoughts. This is to be an open forum where I express thoughts but everyone is welcome to give input.
   Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Until next time, continue to be a blessing to those around you.