Gutted

It's been a hard year in Baltimore. A few months back, I did my annual post about the Orioles and their struggles this year. Generally, teams that have little hope of playoff contention start selling off players on expiring contracts . . . and the Orioles did so this past week, unloading a whopping nine players (see graphic for the names).*

As MLB rosters carry 26 players, that means the Orioles traded away just over a third of their team. It gutted them . . . and me. Their new-look roster:

The Orioles underperformed this year, and that's been hard to see after two-plus seasons of respectability (even excellence). And yet . . . you never want to see your team dismantled. You want to see them turn things around. There is a lesson here.

There is a time and a place to make changes. I get that. And baseball is a business. I get that too. But it is more than just numbers and wins and successes. In a way, there is a family element here impossible to ignore. Love or hate a given player, we root for a team and stick by them through thick and thin. We enjoy the success and endure the defeats. But we do so together. The situation reminds me of something my pastor said in a recent weekly email to the congregation:

Perhaps we all reach a point in life where we find our joy in the ‘doing’ of life more than in the achievements of life . . . I [now] value the experience more than the outcome. And I prioritize the people I am with over the activity I am performing. For me, it has not always been that way.

I know what he means. There was a time where I would have wanted the O's to sell off people. But now? I'd rather see Cedric Mullins (I'll miss him most) make an amazing catch in the outfield. Or Ryan O'Hearn hit a clutch home run. Or even one of the newer Orioles contribute in some way. Do I want them to win? Absolutely. But I want them to win; the "them" is now more important to me than the "win." Good thing I'll never own a major league club. 

*In return, they got 16 prospects. Most experts gave them middling grades for the deals.

The Templars (Dan Jones)

The Templars are the subject of much speculation and even conspiracy theories. In this book, Dan Jones looks at who they really were historically, from their founding in 1119 (shortly after the First Crusade), to their sudden demise in 1307. Broadly, he looks at their roles and transitions from pilgrims (knights protecting those journeying in the Holy Land) to soldiers (taking a more formal militaristic role in the defense of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and other holdings) to bankers (tending their vast estates throughout Europe and handling money transfers for royalty and wealthy) to heretics (being falsely branded by the French King in a money grab).

This was a good, accessible introduction to "God's holy warriors." Jones writes well. Having read about the Crusades long ago, this was an interesting perspective on the same era, focused on this specific Order. Parts felt a tad rushed, but this was probably necessary to cover such scope in a relatively short work. Overall, recommended.

Rating: A