anybody else see the ensberg 700 club thing?

[Rebel Jew]

saw this on deadspin.com ("this should put a definitive end to those 'is he jewish or not' questions, by the way" was their joke):

The Link

[Cnote]

Heard him say before on 610 that both of his parents are Lutheran Pastors back in California, solid guy in my book.

[Tralfaz]

I file this under 'too much information'.

[Dobro]

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I file this under 'too much information'.

Fuck off.

[BizidyDizidy]

There goes Dobro's roid rage again....

[Dobro]

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There goes Dobro's roid rage again....

Go take a shot of testosterone so your nuts will drop, pencil dick.

[ASTROCREEP]

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I file this under 'too much information'.

I file this under 'who cares' just HIT!

[EasTexAstro]

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I file this under 'too much information'.

I file this under 'who cares' just HIT!

Shouldn't that be "Christ! Just hit the ball!"

[S.P. Rodriguez]

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I file this under 'too much information'.

I file this under 'who cares' just HIT!

Shouldn't that be "Christ! Just hit the ball!"

Or, What Would Jesus Hit?

[ASTROCREEP]

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I file this under 'too much information'.

I file this under 'who cares' just HIT!

Shouldn't that be "Christ! Just hit the ball!"

Or, What Would Jesus Hit?

WWJH

I see him as a slap hitter, with occasional gap power.

[pravata]

We seem to be surviving a political discussion.  I don't think a relegious one would go as well.  Part of the thing that makes the Astros clubhouse what it is is that there are some players, not to mention the owner, who have very public religious convictions.  This has come and gone with the Astros through time.  Glen Davis comes to mind.  The fact should be noted and then move on.

[toddthebod]

Who ever thought he was Jewish?

[T. J.]

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Who ever thought he was Jewish?

Two guys -- a Jew and a Chinese guy, strangers to each other -- were riding in a train. Suddenly, the Jew belts the other guy in the mouth. "What did you do that for?" the Chinese guy asks. "Listen, buddy," says the Jew. "I remember Pearl Harbor."

"Pearl Harbor?" cries the Chinese guy, indignantly. "That was the Japanese. I am Chinese." And the Jew says -- "Chinese, Japanese, what's the difference?"

They keep riding in stony silence for a few minutes, until the Chinese guy punches the Jew in the nose. "What was that for?" the Jew asks.

"Listen, buddy," says the Chinese guy, "I remember the Titanic."

"The TITANIC?" says the Jew. "The Titanic was sunk by an iceberg."

The Chinese guys says, "Iceburg, Eisenberg --what's the difference?"

[Taras Bulba]

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Who ever thought he was Jewish?

"They're not making Jews like Jesus anymore."

Kinky Friedman

[No? in Austin]

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We seem to be surviving a political discussion.  I don't think a relegious one would go as well.  Part of the thing that makes the Astros clubhouse what it is is that there are some players, not to mention the owner, who have very public religious convictions.  This has come and gone with the Astros through time.  Glen Davis comes to mind.  The fact should be noted and then move on.

The Astros' "God Squad" is well known in the major league circles.  However, it is never used as a cruch or an excuse or even as a reason for success and/or failure.  The 2004 Boston RedSox were known to have the most FCA (fellowship of christian athletes) on thier team.  Pitcher Curt Schilling then got into some bit of controversy for his statements after the series attributing success on his part as a God-thing.  He was severely misunderstood because it is really hard to provide context to a larger audience than fellow believers in such matters.  It can, and most times will, be taken in different directions what you say, and most of the time, it will be taken literally.  I heard most of the comments by the national media on Schilling's comments and it was as expected: literal translations.

I don't blame the media per se, or anyone else, for such interpetations.  Most of the time, it is best to share one's faith (or beliefs) in the context of a relationship that can withstand misunderstanding and lack of context.  The people in such a relationship can work their way through the context to get to the essence of what is shared.

National pastimes provide no such relational environment and thus suffer context if the fan and the player, or the media (who present to the fan the information) and the player have no such relational context either.  But it rarely stops the fan or the player from connecting to each other and losing the perspective at times, especially in a highly emotionally charged situation, such as a world series game or playoff environment.

Players hits a homerun to win a pivotal game, mic is trust in his face by media, players screams out "Thank you Jesus!", fan reacts in either appreciation because of likemindness or indifference because of lack of the same.

No big deal.

[No? in Austin]

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Who ever thought he was Jewish?

Methinks they mistook the players.  It has always been thought that Brad Ausmus is Jewish.  It made some sort of news until Brad said he wasn't.  But the rumor remains to this day that he is.  Brad is an Astros player.  Ensberg is an Astros player.

Pick one, go with it, makes for good copy.

[Taras Bulba]

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Who ever thought he was Jewish?

Methinks they mistook the players.  It has always been thought that Brad Ausmus is Jewish.  It made some sort of news until Brad said he wasn't.  But the rumor remains to this day that he is.  Brad is an Astros player.  Ensberg is an Astros player.

Pick one, go with it, makes for good copy.

I may be off track on this, but I think I recall Ausmus' mother being Jewish and him commenting that he did not grow up especially observant, one way or the other.  This in response to a question asking if he would sit out a game due to Yom Kippur.

[MusicMan]

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I file this under 'too much information'.

I file this under 'who cares' just HIT!

Shouldn't that be "Christ! Just hit the ball!"

Or, What Would Jesus Hit?

WWJH

I see him as a slap hitter, with occasional gap power.

Are you saying that Jesus Christ can't hit a curve ball?

[Tralfaz]

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I file this under 'too much information'.

Fuck off.

Forgive me.

[Taras Bulba]

Satan pitched him low and away but Jesus was able to lay off that stuff.  He walks a lot.  Sometimes on water.

[EasTexAstro]

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Satan pitched him low and away but Jesus was able to lay off that stuff.  He walks a lot.  Sometimes on water.

I was about to agree that this thread had little to add, but this line made the whole thing worth it.

[lc_db]

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Satan pitched him low and away but Jesus was able to lay off that stuff.  He walks a lot.  Sometimes on water.

Not to mention his ability to turn singles into triples.

[VirtualBob]

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Satan pitched him low and away but Jesus was able to lay off that stuff.  He walks a lot.  Sometimes on water.

Not to mention his ability to turn singles into triples.

Yeah, but no matter how many RBI's he gets, he'll always leave the bases loaded.

[pravata]

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Satan pitched him low and away but Jesus was able to lay off that stuff.  He walks a lot.  Sometimes on water.

Not to mention his ability to turn singles into triples.

pffft, that aint a miracle, Biggio could do that when he was playing center.

[HudsonHawk]

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Who ever thought he was Jewish?

People have commented on him being Jewish, I guess based on his German name.

[lc_db]

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Satan pitched him low and away but Jesus was able to lay off that stuff.  He walks a lot.  Sometimes on water.

Not to mention his ability to turn singles into triples.

pffft, that aint a miracle, Biggio could do that when he was playing center.

To quote from the The 2nd Book of Drayton, "To error is human, to forget divine".

[Ty in Tampa]

Not to mention his ability to turn singles into triples.

I'll bet he's the MAN at Wendy's

[BUWebguy]

 

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When Brad Ausmus of the Houston Astros, went to Cheshire (CT) High School, I umpired a few of his games. According to Bert Leventhal, the Cheshire coach at the time, Ausmus? mother was Jewish, his father not. After he turned pro, I wanted to write an article about him for a Jewish newspaper. I was told he prefers not to be reported as Jewish.

That doesn?t say he is not Jewish, nor does it say he is. It just leaves the thought as to where he stands up in the air.

The Link


 

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Although one of his grandfathers was a rabbi, Detroit catcher Brad Ausmus does not consider himself Jewish.

The Link

But then, ESPN and MLB.com both listed Ausmus among the Jewish players in MLB:
The Link
The Link

[Rebel Jew]

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We seem to be surviving a political discussion.  I don't think a relegious one would go as well.  Part of the thing that makes the Astros clubhouse what it is is that there are some players, not to mention the owner, who have very public religious convictions.  This has come and gone with the Astros through time.  Glen Davis comes to mind.  The fact should be noted and then move on.

The Astros' "God Squad" is well known in the major league circles.  However, it is never used as a cruch or an excuse or even as a reason for success and/or failure.  The 2004 Boston RedSox were known to have the most FCA (fellowship of christian athletes) on thier team.  Pitcher Curt Schilling then got into some bit of controversy for his statements after the series attributing success on his part as a God-thing.  He was severely misunderstood because it is really hard to provide context to a larger audience than fellow believers in such matters.  It can, and most times will, be taken in different directions what you say, and most of the time, it will be taken literally.  I heard most of the comments by the national media on Schilling's comments and it was as expected: literal translations.

...Players hits a homerun to win a pivotal game, mic is trust in his face by media, players screams out "Thank you Jesus!", fan reacts in either appreciation because of likemindness or indifference because of lack of the same.

No big deal.

This brings up an interesting issue which has been the subject of many a joke, the whole "did jesus really want your team to win more than the other" joke after an athlete thanked christ for his team's victory.

In Ensberg's article he says ?We mess up so much as we are fallen man. That?s unfortunately in our nature, and it?s tough. I think that just continually knowing that God is going to be there and love you? You mess up, He loves you, you mess up worse, He loves you, and you?re not necessarily trying, but when you mess up, it?s an over- abundance of love that just continues to flow from Christ. It?s incredible because you know He hates sin, yet he still is completely willing to give every single thing for you.?

Now, you can take these comments two ways.  You can take them literally and assume that Ensberg thinks that every good thing or bad thing that happens is because of Jesus' will.  Or you can view it as a way to express a certain type of emotional therapy that we all feel or try to feel.  I think immediately of that Hank Williams song "Everything's Okay," with its repeating refrain "we're still a'livin' so everything's okay."  That very secular message seems to me to be basically the same as what Ensberg's saying, only instead of Hank trusting in the renewing powers of free will-- that every day is a new opportunity to change your fortunes-- people like Mo are trusting in the continuing opportunities afforded by the life that God gave you.

Maybe serious Christians would argue with my trivializing their faith as a euphemism for secular human emotion, but I think it applies.

[No? in Austin]

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We seem to be surviving a political discussion.  I don't think a relegious one would go as well.  Part of the thing that makes the Astros clubhouse what it is is that there are some players, not to mention the owner, who have very public religious convictions.  This has come and gone with the Astros through time.  Glen Davis comes to mind.  The fact should be noted and then move on.

The Astros' "God Squad" is well known in the major league circles.  However, it is never used as a cruch or an excuse or even as a reason for success and/or failure.  The 2004 Boston RedSox were known to have the most FCA (fellowship of christian athletes) on thier team.  Pitcher Curt Schilling then got into some bit of controversy for his statements after the series attributing success on his part as a God-thing.  He was severely misunderstood because it is really hard to provide context to a larger audience than fellow believers in such matters.  It can, and most times will, be taken in different directions what you say, and most of the time, it will be taken literally.  I heard most of the comments by the national media on Schilling's comments and it was as expected: literal translations.

...Players hits a homerun to win a pivotal game, mic is trust in his face by media, players screams out "Thank you Jesus!", fan reacts in either appreciation because of likemindness or indifference because of lack of the same.

No big deal.

This brings up an interesting issue which has been the subject of many a joke, the whole "did jesus really want your team to win more than the other" joke after an athlete thanked christ for his team's victory.

In Ensberg's article he says ?We mess up so much as we are fallen man. That?s unfortunately in our nature, and it?s tough. I think that just continually knowing that God is going to be there and love you? You mess up, He loves you, you mess up worse, He loves you, and you?re not necessarily trying, but when you mess up, it?s an over- abundance of love that just continues to flow from Christ. It?s incredible because you know He hates sin, yet he still is completely willing to give every single thing for you.?

Now, you can take these comments two ways.  You can take them literally and assume that Ensberg thinks that every good thing or bad thing that happens is because of Jesus' will.  Or you can view it as a way to express a certain type of emotional therapy that we all feel or try to feel.  I think immediately of that Hank Williams song "Everything's Okay," with its repeating refrain "we're still a'livin' so everything's okay."  That very secular message seems to me to be basically the same as what Ensberg's saying, only instead of Hank trusting in the renewing powers of free will-- that every day is a new opportunity to change your fortunes-- people like Mo are trusting in the continuing opportunities afforded by the life that God gave you.

Maybe serious Christians would argue with my trivializing their faith as a euphemism for secular human emotion, but I think it applies.

I don't find it offensive or trivialization what you say.  However, the difference is what type of God would He be if... *IF*... he were no better an option than a man?  Therein lies the crux of being a believer.  God is not small or equal in any way to anything, so it never makes sense to compare.  Having said that, what Mo speaks of is when you have a disposition to think of God as bigger than anything, and that includes your own situations in life and all other circumstances, then you then lean not on your own understanding of things, but live on faith.

Faith is difficult to understand unless you begin with your own understanding of how big (or small) God is in your own walk through life.

[toddthebod]

I know that we've discussed this before.  Under the laws of traditional (Orthodox) Judaism, if your mother is Jewish, you are Jewish.  You can consider yourself whatever you want, but you are Jewish and would be treated as such.

As an aside, I think that the Astros have had the second most number of Jewish ballplayers on their team -- not bad considering that they have been around for less than 50 yrs.

[NeilT]

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IAs an aside, I think that the Astros have had the second most number of Jewish ballplayers on their team -- not bad considering that they have been around for less than 50 yrs.

You're not counting Ensberg, are you?  What about Blum?  Wasn't he Irish?

Actually, who was number 1?

[Mike S]

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Who ever thought he was Jewish?

People have commented on him being Jewish, I guess based on his German name.

I believe the name is Norwegian, actually.