Jewish Baseball News

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Not quite the fireworks we had last weekend…

One of the very few bright spots for the Baltimore Orioles, Richard Bleier, is probably done for the year, the victim of a lat strain he suffered June 13. Here’s wishing him well.

But the show must go one. The O’s — with the worst record in the Majors at 20-50 (fifth/last in the AL East) — lost two of three to the visiting Miami Marlins. Danny Valencia was 0-for-3 in Friday’s 2-0 loss; had two singles and an RBI in four at-bats in Saturday’s 5-4 loss; and did not appear in Sunday’s 10-4 win.

Kevin Pillar was hitless in the first two games as the Toronto Blue Jays (33-38, fourth in the AL East) hosted the Washington Nationals. But he had two hits, including his 23rd double, plus a run scored, an RBI, and his 10th stolen base in yesterday’s 6-5 win over the former Montreal Expos to complete a three-game sweep.

Ryan Braun was 0-for-4 on Friday as the host Milwaukee Brewers (42-29, first in the NL Central) beat up on Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (37-32, third in the NL East), 13-5. He had two singles in four AB’s in Saturday’s 4-1 loss, plus the 200th stolen base of his career, making him the 24th player in MLB history with 300+ HRs and 200+ RBIs. Braun was o-for-2 Sunday as the Brewer’s dropped the rubber game, 10-9, coming up one run short when they scored four in the bottom of the ninth. Braun came on as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and struck out. He remained in the game and fanned the following inning. This article on MLB.com cites Braun as “the Brewers’ unluckiest hitter” this season.

Joc Pederson — whose June success might be attributed in part to a stance adjustment — was 0-for-3 out of the leadoff spot for the LA Dodgers in a 4-1 loss to the visiting San Francisco Giants on Sunday, their only loss in the three-game series. Pederson appeared in the other two games as a defensive replacement. The Dodgers have quietly moved into second place in the NL West with a record of 37-33.

Ian Kinsler hit home run #9 on Friday, a solo shot in the fourth to help the LA Angels (38-34, third in the AL West) beat the host Oakland As, 8-4. After going hitless in four at-bats in Saturday’s 6-4 loss, he had a single and his 13th double in a 6-5, 11-inning loss yesterday.

Alex Bregman gets MOT of the Weekend honors. He was 5-for-13 including a double and two home runs (a solo shot on Friday and a three-run blast in the ninth on Saturday), making him the first JML to reach double figures in that category. He collected five RBIs and scored five runs in the three games as the Houston Astros swept the host KC Royals, extending their winning streak to 11 games. The ‘Stros have the best record in the Majors with a mark of 48-25 and lead the AL West.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of June 11-17, 2018:

Lavarnway

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Ryan Lavarnway*

C Ryan Lavarnway* (Pirates/AAA) hit .438 (7-for-16) last week with 2 HRs, 3 RBIs and a .526 on-base percentage. He has hit safely in 8 straight games.

Lazar

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Max Lazar

• P Max Lazar (Brewers/rookie), a 2017 draftee, had a marvelous season debut on June 15. The 19-year-old righty yielded one hit and one walk over 6 scoreless innings while striking out 5.

Mazel tov

• P Dean Kremer* (Dodgers/High-A) was named to the California League All-Star Game. A dual Israeli-American citizen who pitched for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Kremer is 5-2 with a 3.39 ERA, a league-leading 99 strikeouts in 66.1 innings, and is holding opposing batters to a .234 average.
• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/High-A) was named to the Carolina League All-Star Game. The 2016 draftee is 1-2 with a 1.59 ERA, a perfect 8 saves in 8 chances, and is yielding just 0.95 walks/hits per inning.
• C Scott Manea (Mets/A) was named to the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. He is hitting .243 with 4 HRs, 17 RBIs, a .378 on-base percentage, and has thrown out an extraordinary 17 of 30 attempted base-stealers (56.7%).
• C Michael Barash (Angels/AA) was named to the  Southern League All-Star Game. He is hitting .213 with 3 HRs, 16 RBIs, and a .357 on-base percentage, and has tossed out 8 of 46 attempted base-stealers (17.4%).
• Jeff Urlaub, who had a stellar career as an Oakland Athletics prospect, is the new baseball coach at his alma mater, Horizon High School in Scottsdale, AZ. Urlaub helped Horizon win the 2005 state championship, and the coach he’s replacing is a legend, having served as coach there for the past 38 years.
• Tyger Pederson, brother of Joc Pederson and a former minor-leaguer in his own right, has been named a field manager for the Duluth Huskies, a summer collegiate-league team.
• Former minor leaguer Zach Kapstein is working as a coach in the Chicago White Sox farm system.

Draft update

• P Zack Leban, selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 12th round of the 2018 draft, has been identified as Jewish by Jewish Sports Review. A right-handed closer who had 12 saves for the University of Kansas in 2018, he is the 10th player in the 2018 draft to be identified as Jewish.
• SS Michael Wielansky, selected by the Houston Astros in the 18th round of the 2018 draft, made his professional debut with the franchise’s A-short-season club on June 16.
• P Simon Rosenblum-Larson, selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 19th round of the 2018 draft, made his professional debut with the franchise’s A-short-season club on June 17.

Other highlights

• 1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays/AAA) hit .304 (7-for-23) with 2 HRs, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, his 4th stolen base, and a .385 on-base percentage.
• LF Zach Borenstein* (Mets/AAA) hit .217 (5-for-23) with 2 HRs, a triple, 6 RBIs and a .357 on-base percentage. His 15 HRs are tied for #4 in the Pacific Coast League, and his 46 RBIs rank #6.
• C Mitchell Kranson (Twins/AA) hit .400 (4-for-10) with an RBI and a walk.
• SS Scotty Burcham* (Rockies/AA) hit .333 (3-for-9).
• RF Rhett Wiseman (Nationals/High-A) hit .320 (8-for-25) with a home run, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs and a .452 on-base percentage.
• 2B Adam Walton (Diamondbacks/High-A) hit .400 (6-for-15) with 4 RBIs and a .438 on-base percentage. He has hit safely in 9 straight games.
• C Jason Goldstein (Oakland/High-A) hit a grand-slam HR on June 13. It was his first home run of the season.
• C Andy Yerzy (Diamondbacks/A-short-season), rated Arizona’s #18 prospect, hit .500 (4-for-8) with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, and a .556 on-base percentage in his first week of the 2018 season.
• SS Preston Grand Pre (Dodgers/rookie) hit .286 (2-for-7) with 2 doubles in his first week of the 2018 season.
• P Max Fried (Braves/AAA) was dominant in a June 13 win, yielding one earned run on 3 hits and zero walks over 7 innings while striking out a career-high 11 batters.
• P Jeremy Bleich (Athletics/AAA) pitched 3 scoreless innings across 2 games and earned his first save of the season. Bleich yielded one hit and zero walks while striking out 4.
• P Brad Goldberg (Diamondbacks/AA) pitched 2 hitless innings across 2 games, yielding just one walk while striking out 5 and earning his 2nd save in 2 chances.
• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox)/High-A) pitched 3 hitless innings across 2 games, yielding just one walk while striking out 4 and earning his first win of the season.
• P Jake Fishman (Blue Jays/High-A) tossed 2 hitless innings across 2 games, yielding one walk and striking out 2.
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/High-A), making his first appearance since April 2017, pitched 2 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding a hit and a walk while striking out one.
• P Sam Delaplane (Mariners/A) pitched 2 scoreless innings on June 14, yielding one hit and zero walks while striking out 3. The 2017 draftee is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA, 3 saves in 4 chances, and 46 strikeouts in 30 innings.
• P Alex Katz* (Orioles/A) pitched a scoreless inning of relief on June 12, yielding one hit and zero walks.

Transactions

• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/High-A), a 1st-round draft pick in 2013 who has been plagued by injuries in recent years, made his season debut.
• 2B Adam Walton (Diamondbacks/High-A) came off the disabled list on June 12.
• P Spencer Kulman (Padres/rookie) was assigned to San Diego’s rookie-league club.
• P Andy Rohloff (Giants/rookie) was assigned to San Francisco’s rookie-league club.
• SS Preston Grand Pre (Dodgers/rookie) was assigned to the Ogden Raptors, a rookie-league club.
• P Max Lazar (Brewers/rookie) made his season debut with the Helena Brewers, a rookie-league club.
• LF Adrian Spitz (Athletics/A-short-season) made his 2018 debut with Oakland’s short-season club.
• LF Tyler Benson (Padres/rookie) was assigned to the franchise’s rookie-league club.

Free agents

• Former major- and minor-leaguers believed to be seeking employment include Scott Feldman, Elliott Barzilli, Dalton Blumenfeld, Mike Meyers*, Troy Neiman* and Jeremy Wolf.
• Ike Davis*, a former major leaguer who tried to reinvent himself as a pitcher in 2017, is rumored to have retired, but this is unconfirmed.

Disabled list

• 1B Cody Decker (Diamondbacks/AAA, since June 8.
• P Ryan Sherriff (Cardinals/AAA), since May 18. Out for season with Tommy John surgery.
• P Craig Breslow (Blue Jays/AA), since May 2.
• P Zack Weiss (Reds/AAA), since early May.
• P Mitchell Osnowitz (Cardinals/High-A), since April 9.
• P R C Orlan* (Indians/AA).

Note to readers: Minor-League Monday does not include stats for all current Jewish minor-leaguers. Click here for a complete list of players, and then click on a player’s name to be taken to his stat page.

Members of Team Israel’s 2017 squad are marked with an asterisk.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

In the only MOT player action Thursday, Alex Bregman, batting in the leadoff spot, was 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored as the Houston Astros (45-25) completed a three-game sweep of the host Oakland As with a 7-3 win. In fact, it was the eighth straight win for Houston.

Baltimore Orioles reliever Richard Bleier, who left Wednesday’s game with a lat injury, is listed as “day-to-day” (aren’t we all?), but I’m willing to be he’ll go on the disabled list soon.

Gabe Kaple’s Philadelphia Phillies (35-31) beat the visiting Colorado Rockies, 9-3.

All the other boys had the day off. Here are a couple of articles about Joc Pederson‘s improvement over the last few weeks. But consistency is the key.

And finally, remember Nate Freiman? Though he’s retired from playing baseball, he’s reinventing himself as a writer and analyst of baseball analytics.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

That’s just great. Richard Bleier was having a terrific season for the Baltimore Orioles (19-48), perhaps the one bright spot in a disappointing year for the O’s. But in yesterday’s 5-1 loss to the visiting Boston Red Sox, the lefty reliever left the game with an apparent lat injury after retiring the two batters he faced. Bleier was scheduled to undergo an MRI today. According to EutawStreetReports.com (an Orioles-centric blog), “With just under seven weeks until the trade deadline, there’s virtually no chance a team will be able to deal for the injured left-hander now.” Meanwhile, Danny Valencia, again batting cleanup, had one of Baltimore’s four hits.

Ian Kinsler hit his 12th double, his lone hit in four at-bats as the host Seattle Mariners scored two in the ninth to beat the LA Angels (37-32), 8-6. Kinsler also walked and scored a run.

Kevin Pillar was 0-for-4 as the Toronto Blue Jays (30-38 ) lost to the host Tampa Bay Rays, 1-0, on a walk-off single with two outs in the ninth.

Ryan Braun was 0-for-3 for the Milwaukee Brewers (41-27), who enjoyed their own 1-0 victory over the visiting Chicago Cubs.

Joc Pederson entered the game for the LA Dodgers when Matt Kemp was ejected after this play at the plate (see video). Pederson went 0-for-3 but the Dodgers (35-32) won the affair, 3-2, in 11 innings. According to JewishBaseballNews.com, for the moment Pederson has more home runs in June than any other player, with seven.

Alex Bregman was given a rare day off as the Houston Astros (44-25) beat the host Oakland As, 13-5.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (34-31) lost to the visiting Colorado Rockies, 7-2. Now that the Phils are having some problems again, there are impatient concerns about Kapler’s methods, although he did get this vote of confidence from the team’s general manager.

The Atlanta Braves swept the bumbling NY Mets yesterday, and while there’s no immediate need, I’m hoping to see prospect Max Fried back in the bigs soon. Yesterday he matched a career-high with seven innings and set a career best with 11 strikeouts, allowing just three hits and one earned run as the Gwinnett Stripers beat the Norfolk Tides, 10-2..

And finally, we’re all excited about the prospect of a new JML, but with all dues respect to the St. Louis Jewish Light, their headline — “Size didn’t prevent baseball whiz from making Major League” — is inaccurate. Michael Wielansky, the young man in question, hasn’t made anything yet; he was simply drafted in the 18th round of this month’s MLB draft by the Houston Astros. And since the shortstop is currently 6’2″ and 175 pounds, I wonder where the size factor plays in on this. Yes, at one point he was quite short and small — weren’t we all? — but that’s no longer the case, making the “David and Goliath” theme a bit moot.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Where have all the home runs gone? Long time asking. After Friday’s glut, only one.

On Tuesday, Joc Pederson blasted his 7th home run in the month of June, 5th in his last seven games, and eighth overall.  This time it was a two-run, two-out job off the Ageless Wonder, Bartolo Colon, in the second inning. The LA Dodgers beat the visiting Texas Rangers, 12-5. Pederson, batting eighth in the lineup, also cracked two doubles and scored an additional run.

Danny Valencia — batting cleanup and playing third — was 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI as the Baltimore Orioles (19-47) lost to the visiting Boston Red Sox, 6-4. Richard Bleier — dubbed Baltimore’s “unsung hero” by ESPN.com’s Craig Edwards — did not appear in the game for Baltimore. Here’s what Edwards had to say:

The Orioles lefty is putting up a line from the dead ball era: an 11.5 percent strikeout rate, a 3 percent walk rate and no homers allowed in 32 innings. Not much is going right for the O’s this season, but the bullpen has been decent, and Bleier has played a big role.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-4 with a walk as the Houston Astros (43-25) beat the host Oakland A’s, 6-3.

Kevin Pillar had one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ (30-37) five hits in a 4-1 loss to the host Tampa Bay Rays.

Ian Kinsler was 0-for-4 with a walk, a run, and his 7th stolen base as the LA Angels (37-31) fell to the host Seattle Mariners, 6-3.

Ryan Braun did not appear for the Milwaukee Brewers (40-27) in their 4-0 shutout of the visiting Chicago Cubs. Just a day of rest.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies beat the visiting Colorado Rockies, 5-4.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Danny Valencia returned to action after missing Sunday’s game because of illness. His double (#6) in five at-bats was one of five hits for the Baltimore Orioles (19-46) in a 2-0, 12-inning loss to the visiting Boston Red Sox. Richard Bleier struck out two in a scoreless ninth to lower his ERA to 1.97.

Ryan Braun was 1-for-4 with a walk as the Milwaukee Brewers fell out of a first-place tie due to a  7-2 loss to the visiting Chicago Cubs. More important were the two great defensive plays he made.

Kevin Pillar was 0-for-4 as the Toronto Blue Jays (30-36) fell to the host Tampa Bay Rays, 8-4.

Ian Kinsler was hitless in five trips to the plate as the LA Angels (37-30) lost to the host Seattle Mariners, 5-3.

Alex Bregman, Joc Pederson, Gabe Kapler and their respective teams had the day off.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

What is going on with all these home runs? Not that any JML fan will be complaining…

I’ve consulted with my experts, and the consensus is that Friday accounted for the most home runs by different Jews on a single day. A total of five players homered that day, one of them twice. Mazel tov, boychicks.

On Friday, Ryan Braun had two HRs in four at bats — one for three runs to start the scoring in the first, the other for two to make it 11-0; both came with two outs — as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers beat up Gabe Kapler’s slumping Philadelphia Phillies, 12-4. According to Statcast, the second was the hardest ball Braun has hit in three years, leaving the ballpark at 112.9 MPH. Amazing what they can keep track of these days, isn’t it? Braun — who now has eight home runs — was 4-for-8 in the two other games, including his 11th double and first triple of the season, with an RBI in a 12-3 win on Saturday and a 4-3 loss on Sunday (this one was deemed the “Badger Mutual Insurance RBI of the Game”). His good play carried over to the field with plays like the one below on Sunday. The Brewers are 39-26, first in the NL Central, with the best record in the National League. The Phillies, who have lost seven of their last 10, are 33-30, third in the NL East.

Also on Friday, Kevin Pillar hit his sixth HR of the year and third in his last seven games, a solo shot in the eighth that gave the host Toronto Blue Jays (30-35, third in the AL East) the final run in a 5-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles (19-44, last in the division). Two days later he hit #7 (solo) as the Jays crushed, 13-3. He also singled, scored another run, and drove in another.  In the in-between game on Saturday, Pillar was 2-for-5 in a 4-3, 10-inning win.

Danny Valencia — dubbed here a “rare bright spot in dismal Orioles season” — was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in the first game; 2-for-4 with a walk in the second game; and did not play in the finale due to illness. Of the six Jewish position players who hit the field Friday, he was the only one not to homer. Richard Bleier retired the one batter he faced for the weekend in the O’s Saturday win.

Also on Friday, Alex Bregman — lauded here for his improved plate discipline — hit his eighth HR, a solo shot in the Houston Astros’ 7-3 win over the host Texas Rangers. He had a double (#20) the next day in a 4-3 win and his first triple of 2018 in Sunday’s controversial 8-7 victory on a “retroactive balk,” so he missed a “cycle” for the weekend by a lousy single. The Astros are 42-25, tied with the Seattle Mariners for the top spot in the AL West.

Also on Friday, Ian Kinsler‘s seventh homer — into the second deck, and good for two runs in the seventh inning — gave the visiting LA Angels the cushion they needed in their 4-2 win over the host Minnesota Twins on Prince Night. His eighth home run — and fifth so far in June — came the next day to give the Angels their first run in a 2-1 win, their sixth straight victory. On Sunday, he “rested” with just three singles and two runs scored in a 7-5 loss. The Angels are 37-29, third in the AL West.

And finally — also on Friday — Joc Pederson launched lucky #7 — his sixth in June — as the LA Dodgers beat the visiting Atlanta Braves, 7-3. He had a double in Saturday’s  5-3 loss and did not appear in Sunday’s 7-2 win. The Dodgers are 33-32, second in the NL West, and Pederson has provided a “much-needed spark.”

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of June 4-10, 2018:

Tellez

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Rowdy Tellez

1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays/AAA) hit .389 (7-for-18) with a home run, 3 doubles, 3 RBIs and a .421 on-base percentage last week.

Stock

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Robert Stock

• P Robert Stock (Padres/Triple-A) earned 3 saves in 3 appearances last week, yielding a hit and a walk over 3 combined innings and striking out 3.

Other highlights

• C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AAA) hit .389 (7-for-18) with an RBI and a .476 on-base percentage. In an injury-shortened season, Stubbs is hitting .368 with 16 RBIs and a .412 OBP in 116 at-bats.
• C Ryan Lavarnway* (Pirates/AAA) hit .429 (3-for-7) with a double, an RBI and a .556 OBP.
• LF Zach Borenstein* (Mets/AAA) hit just .217 (5-for-23) last week but still managed to pound 2 HRs and a double and drive in 5 runs. He leads the Las Vegas 51s with 13 HRs and 40 RBIs and is among Pacific Coast League leaders in both categories.
• C Michael Barash (Angels/AA) hit .357 (5-for-14) with a home run, 3 doubles, 4 RBIs and a .471 OBP.
• C Ryan Gold (Blue Jays/A) hit .273 (3-for-11) in his first week of the 2018 season, including a double and an RBI.
• P Jake Fishman (Blue Jays/High-A) tossed 3.67 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 3 hits and a walk while striking out 4 and earning his first save of the season.
• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/High-A) pitched 2 hitless innings on June 7, yielding one walk and striking out 2 while adding his 8th save in 8 chances.
• P Dean Kremer* (Dodgers/High-A) earned his fourth straight win on June 7, yielding one run over 5 innings on 9 hits, a walk and 7 strikeouts.
• P Brandon Gold (Rockies/High-A) won a 6-inning start, yielding one run on 6 hits and a walk while striking out 7.
• P Sam Delaplane (Mariners/A) pitched 2.67 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 and earning his 3rd save in 4 opportunities.

Transactions

• P Ryan Sherriff (Cardinals/AAA) announced that underwent Tommy John surgery and will be out for the remainder of 2018.
• 1B Cody Decker* (Diamondbacks/AAA) was placed on the disabled list.
• P Jason Richman (Dodgers/AAA) was promoted to Triple-A.
• P Brad Goldberg* (Diamondbacks/AA) was assigned to Arizona’s Double-A team.
• C Mitchell Kranson (Twins/AA) was promoted to Double-A.
• C Ryan Gold (Blue Jays/A) was promoted to Single-A.
• P Jordan Scheftz (Indians/short-season-A) was demoted to short-season-A.

Free agents

• Former major- and minor-leaguers believed to be seeking employment include Scott Feldman, Elliott Barzilli, Dalton Blumenfeld, Mike Meyers*, Troy Neiman* and Jeremy Wolf.
• Ike Davis*, a former major leaguer who tried to reinvent himself as a pitcher in 2017, is rumored to have retired, but this is unconfirmed.

Disabled list

• 1B Cody Decker (Diamondbacks/AAA, since June 8.
• P Ryan Sherriff (Cardinals/AAA), since May 18. Out for season with Tommy John surgery.
• 2B Adam Walton (Diamondbacks/High-A), since May 14.
• P Craig Breslow (Blue Jays/AA), since May 2.
• P Zack Weiss (Reds/AAA), since early May.
• P Mitchell Osnowitz (Cardinals/High-A), since April 9.
• P R C Orlan* (Indians/AA).
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA), since April 5.

Note to readers: Minor-League Monday does not include stats for all current Jewish minor-leaguers. Click here for a complete list of players, and then click on a player’s name to be taken to his stat page.

Members of Team Israel’s 2017 squad are marked with an asterisk.

Get your Jewish baseball news via e-mail

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Another home run-happy day for the Hebrews.

Joc Pederson remains hot: He began the day with a home run leading off in the first and ended the day with another homer in the eighth as the LA Dodgers (31-31) used nine pitchers to beat the host Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-7. Pederson also had a double (#11) in five at-bats.  That gives him five long balls in his last seven games. He’s batting .471 this month with a slugging percentage of 1.471.

Kevin Pillar flied out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning for the Toronto Blue Jays (27-35), but he remained in the game and delivered an RBI that knotted their game with the Baltimore Orioles at 4-4. The Jays won in 10, 5-4. Danny Valencia hit a long home run (#6) in the eighth to give the O’s (19-42) a 3-1 lead. He also had a single and a walk in five trips to the plate batting cleanup. Richard Bleier pitched one scoreless inning (one hit) and picked up his ninth hold.

Alex Bregman hit his seventh dinger, 19th double, and scored twice as the Houston Astros 39-25) beat the host Texas Rangers, 5-2.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (38-28) lost to the host Chicago Cubs, 4-3.

Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers had the day off as did Ian Kinsler and the LA Angels.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ian Kinsler‘s sixth home run of the year broke a 1-1 tie as the LA Angels (35-28) held off the visiting KC Royals, 4-3. The two-run shot came in the sixth inning to give the Halos a 3-1 advantage. Kinsler — who has 24 lifetime homers against the Royals — also doubled (#11) and scored another run. Since sinking to a season-low batting average of .178 on May 27, he has hit .341 (14-for-41) with 4 HRs and 8 RBIs.

The Baltimore Orioles (19-41) got only five hits, and Danny Valencia — playing third base  — didn’t get any in four at-bats. But the O’s still managed to beat the slumping host NY Mets, 1-0, on a Manny Machado sac fly in the eighth. Richard Bleier appeared in the game and for the second day in a row induced a double play ball (on this nice defensive move) to escape potential danger. He picked up his eighth hold.

The Toronto Blue Jays (26-35) managed just four hits in a 3-0, 13-inning loss to the visiting NY Yankees. Kevin Pillar was 0-for-5 with two whiffs.

Alex Bregman had two singles in four at-bats plus a walk, a run and an RBI as the Houston Astros beat the visiting Seattle Mariners, 7-5.

Joc Pederson was announced as a pinch-hitter but did not come to bat as the LA Dodgers (30-31) lost to the host Pittsburgh Pirates, 11-9.

The Milwaukee Brewers (37-25) again kept Ryan Braun out of the lineup as they lost to the host Cleveland Indians, 3-1. What’s up with that?

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (32-27) lost to the host Chicago Cubs, 7-5, on a walk-off grand slam by Jason Heyward with two outs and a 2-2 count in the ninth.

Say a mishebeyrach for Ryan Sherriff of the St. Louis Cardinals. His season is over as he underwent Tommy John surgery on Tuesday. He will miss at least a  good portion of next year as well. The 28-year-old lefty  made his debut last season when he tossed 14.1 innings in 15 games, striking out 15 and walking just four. This season, Sherriff pitched just 9.2 innings in both the Majors and minors before going under the knife. Here’s wishing him well.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

The 2018 MLB amateur draft is over. So, you might wonder, which of the 1,214 college and high-school draftees are Jewish?

Our friends at Jewish Sports Review, the invaluable bi-monthly newsletter, have assembled an initial list shown below. Jewish Baseball News will update it as additional players are identified.

The list so far includes:

1. Noah Davis (P), UC-Santa Barbara, Cincinnati Reds (Round 11/#319 overall)
2. Zack Kone (SS), Duke University, Pittsburgh Pirates (13/384)
3. Michael Wielansky (SS), College of Wooster, Houston Astros (18/552)
4. Simon Rosenblum-Larson (P), Harvard University, Tampa Bay Rays (19/570)
5. Jake Miednik (P), Florida Atlantic, Cleveland Indians (20/613)
6. Albee Weiss (C), Cal State-Northridge, Minnesota Twins (23/694)
7. Ben Gross (P), Princeton University, Houston Astros (34/1032)
8. A.J. Bregman (P), Albuquerque Academy, Houston Astros (35/1062)
9. Itamar Steiner (P), Niles North High School, Chicago Cubs (40/1208)

The most recognizable name in the group is A.J. Bregman, a high-school pitcher and brother of Houston Astros star Alex Bregman. If he signs, Houston will have two Bregmans in its franchise.

Do you know of other Jewish draftees? Let us know.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Joc Pederson is on one of those streaks. He hit his third homer in the last three games to help the LA Dodgers shut out the host Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-0. Pederson’s fourth dinger of the year came in the second inning with one man on and was his only hit in four at-bats. The win brings the Dodgers’ record to the .500 mark at 30-30.

Meanwhile, Kevin Pillar hit home run #5, accounting for half of the offensive production for the Toronto Blue Jays (26-34) in a 7-2 loss to the visiting NY Yankees. The solo blast came in seventh and, like Pederson, accounted for Pillar’s only hit on the night in three at-bats. Pillar also made this nice catch in the fourth.

Danny Valencia’s sacrifice fly in the first gave the Baltimore Orioles (18-41) the winning margin in their 2-1 victory over the sliding host NY Mets. He was hitless in three official plate appearances. Valencia made a throwing error in the eighth after Richard Bleier entered with one on and one out, putting runners on first and second. But the lefty reliever induced an inning-ending double play to earn his seventh hold. The Orioles — with the worst road record in baseball — handed the Mets their fifth straight loss.

Ryan Braun was 1-for-4, striking out twice, as the Milwaukee Brewers (37-24) lost to the host Cleveland Indians, 3-2.

Alex Bregman singled once in four at-bats as the Houston Astros (37-25) lost to the host Seattle Mariners, 7-1.

Ian Kinsler was 0-for-4 as the leadoff batter, but the LA Angels (34-28) held off the visiting KC Royals behind a one-hitter by Andrew Heaney, pitching on his 27th birthday.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (32-26) beat the host Chicago Cubs, 6-1.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

In the only Major League contest with Jewish participation, Ian Kinsler was 0-for-4 with a walk as the LA Angels (33-28) scored three runs in the eighth to break a 6-6 tie and beat the visiting KC Royals, 9-6.

The game followed a week in which Kinsler hit .429 with 3 HRs (see video below).

That was easy.

MLB held the first two rounds of its annual draft yesterday. Jewish Baseball News will post occasional updates on Jewish draftees. Stay tuned.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

The Hebrews were homer happy over the last few days.

Mazel of the weekend goes to Joc Pederson, who went 4-for-5 on Sunday with two solo home runs (three on the year) and a double in the LA Dodgers’ 12-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, 12-4. He was unsuccessful as a pinch-hitter on Friday and 0-for-2 on Sunday as the starting leftfielder. The Dodgers swept the weekend to move to 29-20, third in the NL West.

The other LA Jew — Ian Kinsler of the Angels — also homered twice, but on successive days. The first one came with one on and two out in Friday’s 6-0 win over the visiting Texas Rangers (which ended on a weird note). The next came on Saturday to lead off the sixth, bouncing off the foul pole. Kinsler also had a single for three hits in 14 at-bats as the Angels (32-28, third in the AL West) took two of three in the series .

Alex Bregman was 3-for-13 for the Houston Astros (37-24, second in AL West) against the visiting Boston Red Sox, including his sixth home run (a two-run job in Saturday’s 5-4 loss). Houston lost two of three to the Sox.

Ryan Braun‘s only hit in 11 at-bats over the weekend for the Milwaukee Brewers (37-23, first in NL Central) against the host Chicago White Sox came in the first inning of Friday’s 8-3 loss.

The Baltimore Orioles (17-41, last in the AL East) were rained out of two of their four games with the visiting NY Yankees. Richard Bleier appeared in Friday’s game, giving up two hits but no runs in one inning in a 4-1 loss. Danny Valencia returned from the paternity list, cracking two doubles in four at-bats out of the eighth spot in Saturday’s 8-5 loss, adding a run and an RBI.

Kevin Pillar was 1-for-13 over the weekend with one run scored, dropping his batting average to .259, as the Toronto Blue Jays (26-33, fourth in AL East) lost two of three to the host Detroit Tigers.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (31-26, third in the AL East) lost three in a row to the visiting San Francisco Giants.

According to CBSSports.com, the Chicago White Sox traded pitching prospect Brad Goldberg to the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash. Goldberg appeared in 12 games for the Sox last year to the tune of an 8.25 ERA.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of May 28-June 3, 2018:

Borenstein

Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Zach Borenstein*

LF Zach Borenstein* (Mets/AAA) hit .333 (8-for-24) with 3 HRs, a double, 7 RBIs, a stolen base and a .429 on-base percentage. He leads the Las Vegas 51s with 11 HRs and 35 RBIs.

Kremer

Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Dean Kremer*

• P Dean Kremer* (Dodgers/High-A) pitched five shutout innings in a June 1 win, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out 9. The dual American-Israeli citizen leads the California League with 83 strikeouts. This is Kremer’s second straight Pitcher of the Week nod; he tossed 6 no-hit innings on May 27.

Mazel tov

• Rancho Cucamonga Quakes teammates Dean Kremer* and Jason Richman teamed up for a shutout on June 1. Kremer, the starter, earned the win with 5 scoreless innings, while closer Richman earned the save with 2 scoreless innings.

Other highlights

• C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AAA) hit .455 (5-for-11) with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs and a .600 on-base percentage. He his hit safely in 10 straight games.
• 1B Cody Decker* (Diamondbacks/AAA) hit .333 (4-for-12) with a home run, 3 RBIs and a .467 on-base percentage.
• P Jeremy Bleich* (Athletics/AAA) pitched 2 scoreless innings across 2 relief appearances, yielding 2 hits and no walks while striking out 3. In his last 10 appearances, he is 1-0 with a 0.56 ERA.
• P Max Fried (Braves/AAA) pitched in both the majors and minors last week. He tossed 5 innings of one-run ball for Atlanta on May 28, and did the same in Triple-A on June 2.
• P Brad Goldberg* (White Sox/AAA) pitched 1.1 perfect innings on May 29 while striking out 3. He was traded later in the week (see below).
• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/High-A) pitched 2 perfect innings across 2 games, striking out 2 batters and earning his 7th save in 7 chances.
• P Jason Richman (Dodgers/High-A) pitched 4 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 and earning his 3rd save.
• P Jake Fishman (Blue Jays/High-A) pitched 2 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding one hit and zero walks while striking out 3. He has walked just 3 batters in 23 innings.
• P Sam Delaplane (Mariners/A) pitched 5.1 innings of one-run ball across three games, yielding one hit and two walks while striking out 6. He is averaging 14.42 strikeouts per 9 innings — and just 3.7 walks.

Transactions

• P Max Fried (Atlanta Braves) was called up from Triple-A on May 28. He pitched that day and then was returned to Triple-A on May 29.
• P Brad Goldberg* was traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Arizona Diamondbacks. If the D’backs send him to Triple-A rather than Double-A, he’ll be reunited with Team Israel teammate Cody Decker*.

Free agents

• Former major- and minor-leaguers believed to be seeking employment include Scott Feldman, Elliott Barzilli, Dalton Blumenfeld, Mike Meyers*, Troy Neiman* and Jeremy Wolf.
• Ike Davis*, a former major leaguer who tried to reinvent himself as a pitcher in 2017, is rumored to have retired, but this is unconfirmed.

Disabled list

• P Ryan Sherriff (Cardinals/AAA), since May 18.
• 2B Adam Walton (Diamondbacks/High-A), since May 14.
• P Craig Breslow (Blue Jays/AA), since May 2.
• P Zack Weiss (Reds/AAA), since early May.
• P Mitchell Osnowitz (Cardinals/High-A), since April 9.
• P R C Orlan* (Indians/AA).
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA), since April 5.

Note to readers: Minor-League Monday does not include stats for all current Jewish minor-leaguers. Click here for a complete list of players, and then click on a player’s name to be taken to his stat page.

Members of Team Israel’s 2017 squad are marked with an asterisk.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ian Kinsler continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-4 (see below) with his 10th double and a run scored, but it didn’t prevent the LA Angels (30-27) from losing to the host Detroit Tigers, 6-2. Maybe he just had some extra incentive versus his old team: he had nine hits in 14 at-bats over the four-game series with a homer, three doubles, three RBIs and two walks.

Alex Bregman was o-for-3 with a walk and a run scored as the Houston Astros (36-22) beat the visiting Boston Red Sox, 4-2.

Joc Pederson struck out twice in four at bats hitting out of the leadoff spot as the LA Dodgers (26-30) lost to Gabe Kapler’s visiting Philadelphia Phillies (31-23), 2-1. (Read here about Kapler’s unusual way of thinking.)

The game between the NY Yankees and host Baltimore Orioles (Danny Valencia, Richard Bleier) was postponed by rain. Valencia should be back from paternity leave for tonight’s contest.

Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers had the day off, as did Kevin Pillar and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Joc Pederson was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a sacrifice fly as the LA Dodgers (26-29) beat Gabe Kapler‘s visiting Philadelphia Phillies (30-23), 8-2. Speaking of Kap, Yahoo has an interesting interview with him.

Ian Kinsler was back in the leadoff spot for the LA Angels (30-26), going 2-for-3 — including his ninth double — with a walk (and a caught stealing) in a 6-1 loss to the host Detroit Tigers, his former team. The two hits lifted Kinsler’s batting average to .204. Just think: he could have been an Arizona Diamondback and wearing one of those hideous uniforms right about now.

Kevin Pillar, batting in the #2 spot, was 1-for-4 with a run scored as the Toronto Blue Jays (25-31) lost to the host Boston Red Sox, 6-3.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-4 as the Houston Astros (35-22) lost to the host NY Yankees, 5-3.

Ryan Braun walked as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning for the Milwaukee Brewers (36-21) in their 3-2 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

Neither Danny Valencia nor Richard Bleier appeared for the Baltimore Orioles in their 2-0 loss to the visiting Washington Nationals. Can’t speak for Bleier, but Valencia had a good reason for his absence: he and his wife had a baby.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ian Kinsler was dropped to seventh in the lineup and responded by going 3-for-3 with a double (#8), home run (#3), single and a walk. He scored three runs and drove in three for a nice line in the box score. The homer came in the second with two on and gave the LA Angels (35-20) a 4-0 lead over his old team, the host Detroit Tigers. “It’s a comfortable place for me,” he said afterward about Detroit’s Comerica Park. The Angels would eventually win by a final score of 9-2.

In comparison with Kinsler, Kevin Pillar was moved to second in the order and responded by striking out in four of his five trips to the plate as the Toronto Blue Jays (25-30) lost to the host Boston Red Sox, 8-3.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-4 with a run scored and his sixth stolen base, but the Houston Astros (35-21) lost to the host NY Yankees, 6-5, in 10 innings.

Ryan Braun — still batting fifth and having a tough season — was 0-for-3 with a walk as the Milwaukee Brewers (35-21) fell to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, 6-1.

Joc Pederson grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning as the LA Dodgers (25-29) lost to Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (30-22), also by a score of 6-1.

Neither Danny Valencia nor Richard Bleier appeared for the Baltimore Orioles (17-38) in their 3-2 loss to the visiting Washington Nationals.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

The Atlanta Braves (31-23) called up Max Fried to pitch the opening game of a day/night doubleheader with the visiting NY Mets. He had mixed results. On the one hand, he gave up four walks and four hits in five innings. On the other hand, he struck out six, picked off two runners — Michael Conforto and Jose Bautista  — and allowed just one earned run (two total). He was not involved in the decision, a 4-3 Braves win on a walk-off, pinch-hit home run by Charlie Culberson after the Mets had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth on a pinch-hit home run of their own. Fried was sent back to AAA after the game; he was just used as the 26th man, a relatively new tool available for teams playing doubleheaders.

Ryan Braun had his best offensive outing of the year, going 3-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring three runs and driving in another to lead the Milwaukee Brewers (35-20) to an 8-3 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Braun was batting fifth in the order, dropped down from his normal third spot.

Kevin Pillar hit his AL-leading 20th double for his only hit in three at-bats (plus a walk). He also stole his ninth base in nine attempts and scored a run as the Toronto Blue Jays (25-29) lost to the host Boston Red Sox, 8-3.

Joc Pederson — batting in the leadoff spot — doubled for his only hit in three at-bats (one run scored, one RBI to put his team on the board) as the LA Dodgers (25-28) scored five times in their last three innings to overcome a 4-0 lead by Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (29-22) and win 5-4. Pederson came out of the game in the eighth for a pinch-hitter. The Dodgers went without a hit until the sixth inning.

Ian Kinsler was 1-for-4 as the LA Angels (29-25) lost to the host Detroit Tigers, 9-3.

Richard Bleier had his worst game of the year, giving up three runs on five hits and retiring just two batters as the Washington Nationals beat the Baltimore Orioles (17-37), 6-0. His ERA shot up from 1.37 to 2.33. All this after all those articles citing how he was one of the few bright spots on a dreadful Orioles roster. Jinx! Danny Valencia was 2-for-4 as the starting third baseman, batting fifth.

The Houston Astros (35-20) gave Alex Bregman the day off as they beat the host NY Yankees. 5-1.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ryan Braun entered Friday’s game for the Milwaukee Brewers (34-20, first in NL Central) against the visiting NY Mets as a defensive replacement at first base; he did not come to bat. He was the starting left-fielder, batting third, in Saturday’s 17-6  blowout, going 1-for-4 with two runs scored, two walks, a stolen base (#5) and an RBI. Braun lined out as a pinch-hitter Sunday in an 8-7 win but had a single in a subsequent at-bat when he stayed in the game in left as the Brewers took their third straight against NY.

Kevin Pillar’s 19th double drove in a run as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays (25-28, fourth in AL East) beat Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies (29-21, second in NL East) on Friday, 6-5. It was his only hit in four at-bats. He singled as a pinch-hitter the next day in a 2-1 loss and was hitless in four trips to the plate yesterday in a 5-3 win.

Speaking of Kap, the Virginian-Pilot ran a fascinating article on his early career missteps, including getting kicked out of college and losing a near-full scholarship.

Richard Bleier — ever wonder what makes him so effective? — picked up his fourth hold on Friday, tossing one inning of scoreless relief (one strikeout) as the Baltimore Orioles (17-37, fifth in AL East) shut out the host Tampa Bay Rays. It was his only appearance for the weekend. Danny Valencia did not play in that one, but he was 1-for-3 in each of the next two contests (with a walk on Sunday), both losses. His triple on Saturday was one of only three hits for the O’s in a 5-1 downer.

Alex Bregman was 2-for-15 with three runs scored, two walks, and his 18th double as the Houston Astros (35-20, first in AL Central) lost two of the last three of a four-game set against the host Cleveland Indians.

Joc Pederson entered Friday’s game for the LA Dodgers (24-28, fourth in NL West) against the visiting San Diego Padres as a defensive replacement in a 4-1 win. On Saturday, he was 1-for-4 with an RBI and his third outfield assist in 10 games (see below) in a 7-5 loss. In Sunday’s 4-1 win, Pederson went 0-for-1 after coming in as a defensive replacement.

On Saturday, Pederson earned his third assist in last 10 games

Ian Kinsler’s struggles continue. He was a combined 0-for-10 as the LA Angels (29-24, third in AL West) dropped two of three from the host NY Yankees.

Finally, from John Harper’s Saturday column in the New York Daily News:

Remember Team Israel from the 2017 World Baseball Classic, a group that earned national attention by making it out of the qualifying stages and, as the 41st ranked team in the world, stunned the likes of Korea, Chinese Taipei, and the Netherlands to advance out of the round-robin round of the tournament?

A documentary was made of the team’s journey entitled, “Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel.” The award-winning doc makes its New York City debut on Tuesday at the JCC Manhattan.

MLB.com reporter Jonathan Mayo hatched the idea for the film about a group of Jewish major leaguers traveling to Israel to discover their roots. Except it became more than that when the team outplayed expectations.

“When we first began the project,” Mayo said. “we really thought it was going to be about all these Jewish baseball players exploring what it means to be Jewish by exploring Israel. While that’s obviously still a large theme in the movie, their run in the WBC made it much more about baseball and their Cinderella Story than any of us could have ever imagined.”

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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