Knoxville Winter

I haven't blogged in a while. I don't know what to say/type. Right now I'm sitting in my hotel room in downtown Knoxville, anticipating a little snow. It's cooooold outside. I like Knoxville. I really like small cities that are on a river, and when they are near mountains... even better. Knoxville has a nice old-town architectural look to it, good food, good bars, a good coffee shop, good outfitter, and it's a hop away from the Smokies. If you're ever here, go to Barley's in old-town K-ville and get you some good brew, and check out Mast General Store too.

Life has been crazy the past 2 months. Crazy in a really good way. A REALLY good way. I'm humbled and thankful for new things. I've never been a vulnerable guy, but now, I'm finding such value in having close friendships and trust. The past 2 years have been a struggle... financially, relationally, career, and just life in general, and now... because of new things that have happened and new, wonderful people who I have found... it all makes sense. Those struggles happened for a reason. New developments to come.

Putting Baseball Performance Into Perspective

I was having lunch with my friend Keith yesterday, and he brought up some interesting points about baseball and sports stats in general. Keith is great with numbers... for work he has to be, and he brought up a funny point about baseball... looking at it from a corporate standpoint.

He said, "You know, in sports, and in baseball, a person gets rewarded for getting it right two-thirds of the time. I mean, a guy hits .300 and you think he's actually doing good and he gets his picture on a Wheaties box."

I have never thought about this! He's right... look at the benchmark standards for baseball... percentages are based on a .1000 scale system... meaning .1000 is perfect:

• A .300 batting average is considered good, even the upper .200's is good
  
• A .400 batting average is considered incredible... I mean, Ted Williams has a career batting average of .344 which basically makes him a baseball legend.
• A winning season is .500 or better, that means if the number of games you win is just ONE more than the number of games you lost... you're considered a winning team.
  
• A good on-base-percentage for a single season is about .400

So, based on baseball's standards... the game of baseball is either really really difficult... or they have low standards. If my job adopted baseball's standards, I would be like Babe Ruth.

Another Letter to Bobby Cox

Dear Bobby Cox,

It is your fault that Tommy Hanson did not win the National League Rookie of the Year award yesterday. I told you at least three times to bring up Tommy right after spring training, but you would not listen to me. You finally came to your senses and brought him up in July... and July thru the end of the season Tommy dominated the scene. If you listened to me and brought him up at the beginning of the season, then there's no doubt that Tommy would have won the prestigious Rookie of the Year award. You owe Mr. Hanson and his family an apology. Next time listen to me, I know what I'm talking about.

On another note, if you don't make Matt Diaz an everyday player in 2010, I'm officially jumping ship. There are other teams out there that would benefit from my fanship and awesomeness. I have deep spiritual roots with the Braves and Chipper will always be close to my heart, however, if Matty (the best left fielder in baseball) gets shafted yet again, I am left with no other choice but to hang up my tomahawk and walk away. Not allowing Matty to be an everyday player basically says, "We don't want to win, and go Phillies"... and that burns my mitt.

Thank you and God bless,
Joshua James Brown

2010 Braves Strategy

Click the map to enlarge

Re-Thinking Church

This is an interview of Frank Viola, the author of "Pagan Christianity". He has written a couple of books questioning the current culture of the church that you and I know and have grown up in. This interview really explains what I have been going been going thru in my Christian walk.

CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW

sunday morning

I'm sitting here waiting for Pilch to get up so we can go do some last minute errands for the wedding. So far the bachelor weekend has gone well. Bachelor party was fun, and yesterday it was cool hangin with Pilch before he gives his life away.

Right now I'm sitting here trying to ignore Audrey, Amanda's best friend, whom spent the night last night. She's nice and all, but she talks too much and most of her stories consist of her weird husband named "Murdock" and their drug stories. She's a one-upper... every time I say something, she injects with something cooler. Right now, as I'm typing this, she's telling some sort of story about her wedding, blah blah blah.

If my wife talks this much I am going to get some Bose headphones.

K, I'm done rambling. It's cold outside.

Will Hoge

It's been a while since I have discovered something new and exciting musically to share with people and to rave about. A few weeks ago I was in Nashville seeing my friend Stephen Sebastian play in a band called Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers at the Mercy Lounge. They were opening for some guy I've never heard of, Will Hoge... who I ended up seeing sort of by accident and being blown away by. His new single "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" is getting a little radio play, and I highly recommend listening to it and getting his new album "The Wreckage" on iTunes. It's some of the best American rock n' roll I've heard in a while, and it's just damn inspiring.

Here's a video of "Even If It Breaks Your Heart"