Alex Bregman was 3-for-5 with an RBI as the Houston Astros (79-52) were sextupled by the Texas Rangers, 12-2. He also made this nice play at shortstop, where he started the game before moving to his usual position at third base. Bregman is hitting .338 since the All-Star break, and he’s hitting home runs and gathering RBIs at about twice his pre-break pace. The Astros will be playing their home games at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay — home of the Rays — for the foreseeable future due to the awful situation caused by the rain and flooding in the Houston area.
Kevin Pillar was 1-for-3 as the Toronto Blue Jays (61-71) were shut out 3-0 by the visiting Boston Red Sox. No fancy fielding today.
Ryan Braun was 1-for-4 as the Milwaukee Brewers (68-64) were quintupled by the visiting St. Louis Cardinals (66-65), 10-2. Ryan Sherriff continued his pleasant experience in the Majors by striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning of relief.
Danny Valencia won the “Golden Sombrero,” indicative of striking out in all four of his at-bats, as the Seattle Mariners (66-67) were shut out by the host Baltimore Orioles, 4-0. Richard Bleier did not appear for the O’s (67-75).
Ian Kinsler was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts as the Detroit Tigers (57-74) lost to the host Colorado Rockies, 7-3.
The game between the NY Yankees and Cleveland Indians was postponed by rain, so no Craig Breslow sighting.
Danny Valencia highlighted the doings for the few MOTs in action. He hit home run #14, good for one run, but the Seattle Mariners (66-65) lost to the host Baltimore Orioles (66-65), 7-6. Valencia, who played right field and first base (but not at the same time), also had a single and a walk. Richard Bleier did not appear for the Os.
Kevin Pillar doubled (#31) and scored a run in four at-bats, but the Toronto Blue Jays (61-70) lost to the visiting Boston Red Sox, 6-5. He also made a phenomenal, diving catch.
Ian Kinsler was 1-for-4 for the Detroit Tigers (57-73) in their 4-3 win over the host Colorado Rockies. Manager Brad Ausmus is still bemused by his recent suspension in the aftermath of the Tigers-Yankees brawls last week.
Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of August 21-27, 2017:
Barash
Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Michael Barash
C Michael Barash (Angels/High-A) had a career game on August 24, going 5-for-6 with a home run, 4 RBIs and a walk. For the week, he hit .500 (7-for-14) with 2 HRs, 5 RBIs and an impressive 6 walks. Barash is hitting .236 this season, with 10 HRs, 19 doubles and a .326 on-base percentage.
Bleich
Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Jeremy Bleich*
P Jeremy Bleich* (Dodgers/AAA) pitched 3 scoreless innings across 2 appearances, yielding just one hit and no walks while striking out 4 and earning his third save. Since being promoted to Triple-A on June 16, Bleich is 5-1 with a 2.66 ERA, has 3 saves in 8 chances, and is yielding an average of just 0.97 walks/hits per inning, #4 among all Pacific Coast League pitchers with 40+ innings.
Awards
The Seattle Times named CF Braden Bishop (Mariners/AA) the Seattle Mariners’ minor-league player of the year. Bishop began the season in High-A, where he hit .296 with 2 HRs, 3 triples, 25 doubles, 32 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and a .385 on-base percentage. He has performed even better since his July 22 promotion to Double-A, hitting .336 with a home run, triple, 9 doubles, 11 RBIs, 6 stolen bases and a .417 on-base percentage.
Other highlights
C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AAA) hit .294 (5-for-17) with a double, 4 RBIs, 4 walks and a stolen base.
LF Mike Meyers (Red Sox/High-A) hit .389 (7-for-18) with a double, triple, home run, RBI, walk and 2 stolen bases.
C Andy Yerzy (Diamondbacks/rookie) saw his hitting streak end at 22 games on August 24, but he went on a 3-game tear after that, during which he hit .571 (8-for-14) with 2 HRs, a double and 3 RBIs to lift his average above .300 for the first time this season.
P Max Fried (Braves/AAA) was dominant in his first-ever Triple-A appearance. He tossed 4 scoreless innings in an August 24 start, yielding one hit and 2 walks while striking out 6.
P R.C. Orlan* (Nationals/High-A) tossed 3 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding just one hit and no walks while striking out 2 and earning his fifth save.
P Kenny Koplove (Marlins/A-short-season) pitched 2.2 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding a hit and a walk while striking out 5.
P Ike Davis* (Dodgers/rookie), who is refashioning himself as a pitcher, threw 2 scoreless innings across 2 appearances, yielding a hit and a walk.
P Keith Weisenberg (Braves/rookie), a 2017 draftee, pitched 2 scoreless innings on August 23, yielding one hit and no walks while striking out 2. For the season, he is 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA and one save, and he is holding opposing batters to just 1.11 walks/hits per inning.
P Spencer Kulman (Padres/rookie), a 2017 draftee, pitched 2 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 2 walks and no hits while striking out one. For the season, he is 1-0 with a 1.25 ERA, 3 saves in 4 chances, and is limiting opposing batters to just 1.06 walks/hits per inning.
Transactions
P Ryan Sherriff* (Cardinals) was called-up from Triple-A on August 23 and made his MLB debut on August 25.
P Craig Breslow* (Indians) was called-up from Triple-A on August 26.
P Max Fried (Braves/AAA) was sent down to Triple-A on August 23. The Braves had promoted him from Double-A straight to the Majors on August 5.
1B Cody Decker* (Mets/AAA) was placed on the disabled list August 26, retroactive to August 24.
P Kenny Rosenberg (Rays/A) was played on the temporary inactive list on August 23.
SS Elliott Barzilli (Marlins/rookie) was released on August 24. The 2017 draftee was hitting .254 with 2 HRs and 8 RBIs in 63 at-bats.
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.
Welcome, Ryan Sherriff, who had a darned good debut for the St. Louis Cardinals (66-65) on Friday in a 5-1 loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Sherriff — who toiled in the minors for seven years — came on in the 7-3 loss, tossing three shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk while striking out four. Sadly, there’s no clips from MLB.com to mark the occasion but there are these, including an interview with his mother, Renee.
And welcome back, Craig Breslow. The veteran lefty was called up by his new team, the Cleveland Indians (75-53), and pitched one perfect inning (two strikeouts) in yesterday’s 12-0 win over the visiting KC Royals, completing a three-game sweep.
Richard Bleier appeared in all three games for the Baltimore Orioles (65-65), who completed a three-game sweep over the host Boston Red Sox. Bleier pitched one inning on Friday with one walk; retired the only batter he faced on Saturday; and walked the only batter he faced yesterday.
Now for the batters…
Ian Kinsler accounted for the Detroit Tigers’ only run in yesterday’s 5-1 loss to the host Chicago White Sox. His 14th of the season came to open the eighth inning and was his only hit in three official at-bats (he also walked). Kinsler was 1-for-8 with another RBI, run scored, and stolen base (#13) as the Tigers (56-73) dropped two of three to the Sox. Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus was one of the Tigers suspended for his part in the recent brawls with the NY Yankees, and he’s not taking any guff from Joe Girardi.
Alex Bregman was 5-for-13 — all singles — with a run scored and his 14th stolen base as the Houston Astros (79-51) took two of three from the host LA Angels.
Kevin Pillar was 3-for-9 in the first two games as the Toronto Blue Jays (61-69) hosted the Minnesota Twins. His line also included a run scored and an RBI.
Danny Valencia appeared in all three games for the Seattle Mariners (66-65) who dropped two of three to the host NY Yankees. He was 0-for-5 on Friday, splitting time between first base and right field, in a 2-1, 10-inning win that was decided by a pinch-hit home run by Yonder Alonso, the man who basically replaced him in the lineup. Valencia entered the next game in the eighth as a pinch-hitter himself, doubling and scoring a run in a 6-3 loss. He was called out on strikes in the ninth to end the festivities. He also ended Sunday’s game, flying out as a pinch-hitter in a 10-1 loss abetted by five Seattle errors.
Ryan Braun was hitless over the weekend, 0-for-9 with three strikeouts, as the Milwaukee Brewers (68-63) took two of three from the host LA Dodgers, who lost their first series since June. Funny how wrong this preview was about Ryan’s prowess at Dodger Stadium.
The Atlanta Braves sent down pitcher Max Fried, but he’ll probably be back soon. In the meantime, the Atlanta Jewish Times posted this article on his roots.
As you may know, the last three days was set up as “Players’ Weekend.” The teams had special uniforms that bore the nicknames of most of the athletes. Many had special cleats designed which will be auctioned off as a fundraiser. Some were inspired, others not so much. Of course, the cynic in me cannot let this go without a snarky comment. IMO, this was just another money grab, as fans will no doubt flock to buy replica Jersey with these nicknames. These unis were not especially attractive either. It also gives a bit of marketing power to those companies who provide the cleats and other equipment for the players for this weekend.
Here’s a list of the nicknames for the JMLs, via MLB.com. Some names are missing either because they’re new to their team or, in the case of Joc Pederson and Scott Feldman, are not currently with theirs:
Alex Bregman: “A-Breg”
Mashing up the first initial of a first name and first syllable of a surname are common these days, as Bregman shows. Tribute patch: Brady — Brady is Bregman’s Godson, who has autism.
Kevin Pillar: “Pill”
Pillar’s usual “Superman” nickname was unavailable due to it being trademarked, so Pillar went with a variation of his name. He says he’ll still be able to wear Superman cleats for Players Weekend, along with cleats he intends to use to raise money for a charity cause of his choice. Tribute patch: Mom, Dad — Pillar says his parents are a big reason he’s made the Majors, and he wanted to pay tribute to them.
Ryan Braun: “OCHO”
Fans of the film “Dodgeball” will recognize the reference to No. 8. It’s also Braun’s jersey number. Tribute patch: Mom, Dad & Steve — Steve, his younger brother, was a minor-league infielder in the Brewers’ organization from 2008-10.
Danny Valencia: “Valencia”
Valencia chose to use his last name, because he said he really doesn’t have a creative nickname. Tribute patch: Mom and Dad — Valencia said that he will pay tribute to his Mom and Dad, as they paved a way for him and sacrificed to allow him to chase his dreams.
Richard Bleier: “Bleier” Tribute patch: Mom and Dad — Bleier’s father, Lawrence, is from the Bronx and grew up playing stickball. His mother is named Kathy. Both had a major impact on his baseball career, which started at South Plantation High School in Plantation, Fla.
Ian Kinsler: “Bootsie”
Kinsler’s nickname comes from his 2007 season in Texas. He missed a month with a stress fracture in his foot, and when then-manager Ron Washington spotted him in a walking boot, he nicknamed him. “When I got here [to Detroit], we got David Price and then he started calling me that,” Kinsler said. “I don’t know how he found out about it.” Tribute patch: Mom and Dad — Kinsler’s father got him into Little League baseball in Tucson, Arizona, when he was 9 years old. His parents drove him back and forth to games.
Ryan Sherriff made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals last night (8/25/2017), and boy, did he impress.
Sherriff
Coming on in the 5th inning, the 27-year-old southpaw tossed three shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, yielding just two singles (including a bunt) and a walk while striking out 4. The outing was longer than any of Sherriff’s 48 minor-league games this season, where his median appearance last just one inning.
Twice during Friday night’s game, Sherriff faced Rays CF Kevin Kiermaier, who wore the nickname “Outlaw” on his jersey. Sherriff got the better of the battle, inducing a fielder’s choice and a groundout the second.
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny liked what he saw. “After an outing like that, we’d like to get him back in there,” he remarked after the game.
“I should be ready to go tomorrow,” Sherriff said.
A 28th-round draft pick in 2011, the Culver City, CA, native went 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA for the Memphis Redbirds (AAA) before getting the call-up this week. He also converted 6 of 7 save chances and held opposing batters to just 0.99 hits/walks per inning, among the least in the Pacific Coast League.
Sherriff played for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic and is the grandson of Holocaust survivors. After Friday’s game, he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he couldn’t stop thinking about his late father. When Larry Sherriff died from multiple myeloma in 2012, son Ryan was ready to quit baseball, but his mother, Renee, told him his father would have wanted him to pursue his dream.
This time it was the Detroit Tigers (55-71) that scored double-digit runs, beating the Yankees, 10-6. Ian Kinsler was hitless in five at-bats in a game that was marred by hit batsmen and brawls. Pretty intense stuff, as you can see from the video. Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus was one of those ejected.
Kevin Pillar was 0-for-4 as the Toronto Blue Jays were shut out, 2-0, by the host Tampa Bay Rays. His defensive counterpart and chief rival for top honors in center field, Kevin Kiermaier, was the one flashing the leather last night, making a couple of nifty grabs.
Alex Bregman had two singles and a double (#31) in five at-bats, but the Houston Astros (77-50) fell to the visiting Washington Nationals, 5-4 in 11 innings. Since the All-Star Break, Bregman has hit .336 — 8th best in the Majors among those with 150 post-All Star at-bats — 8 HRs, 24 RBIs, 5 stolen bases and a .404 on-base percentage.
That’s it. I told you it was light. So since this entry is so thin, I’m taking the opportunity for a little shameless self-promotion by posting this story from the Cooperstown Crier about my recent presentation at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bruce Markusen, manager of digital and outreach learning at the Baseball Hall of Fame, did a great job with the interview. Photo by Greg Klein/Cooperstown Crier
The descendants of Samson put on a power display last night, with three of the five hits accrued going for home runs.
Alex Bregman hit his MOT-leading 16th, a three-run shot in the eighth inning to put the icing on the cake and give the Houston Astros (77-48) a 6-1 win over the visiting Washington Nationals. Bregman, who also singled, has gone yard in three of his last five games.
Kevin Pillar‘s #13 was indeed lucky. His only hit in four at-bats broke a 7-7 tie and gave the Toronto Blue Jays (60-66) an 8-7 win over the host Tampa Bay Rays. I’m somewhat shocked that MLB.com didn’t deem the blow worthy enough to include as a highlight clip for the game. What were they thinking? Pillar was still smarting from the previous game’s ejection.
Ian Kinslermatched Pillar’s total but it wasn’t lucky for the Detroit Tigers (54-71), who once again gave up double-digit runs to the visiting NY Yankees in a 10-2 loss. It was Kinsler’s only hit in four at-bats. He came out for a defensive replacement late in the laugher. At least it broke up the shutout. Some are still talking about his ejection.
Not getting in on the fun: Ryan Braun, who was 0-for-4 for the Milwaukee Brewers (66-62) in their 4-2 loss to the host San Francisco Giants. Although he has 13 home runs this season and is just two shy of the “magic” 300 number, the Hammer has hit just one round-tripper since July 23. Not to worry, he still has his fans (read this story; it’s very charming).
Danny Valencia started in right field and batted cleanup for the Seattle Mariners (65-63) in their 9-6 win over the Atlanta Braves. He was 1-for-5 with a run scored. The Braves farmed out pitcher Max Fried, who had appeared in four games since his MLB debut on August 8.
Richard Bleier walked the only batter he faced as the Baltimore Orioles (62-65) beat the visiting Oakland As in 12 innings, 8-7, on walk-off home run by Manny Macachdo.
And as I suggested recently, Scott Feldman is done for the year as he goes under the knife for knee surgery. He ends the season with a lot of sevens and ones in his record: 7-7 with a 4.77 ERA, giving up 21 home runs in 111.1 innings. He did manage to throw one shutout.
Ryan Sherriff" width="300" height="230" /> Team Israel alum Ryan Sherriff (right)
Fried and Chicago White Sox property Brad Goldberg may be gone, but there’s a new Sherriff in town: Ryan Sherriff, to be precise. He was called up Tuesday by the St. Louis Cardinals. The 27-year-old, 6’1″, 215-pound lefty reliever from Culver City, California, was 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA in 48 appearances for the Memphis Redbirds. Mazel tov, Ryan.
Speaking of home runs…although the only MOT connection is that the LA Dodgers recently sent down Joc Pederson, they lost in stunning fashion after Rich Hill had pitched no-hit ball for nine innings, only to give up a walk-off, lead-off homer to Josh Harrison in the 10th for a 1-0 loss. The feat is worthy of a mention here, don’t you think? As the announcer said, “No-hitter gone, shutout gone, and now the game is gone.”
The St. Louis Cardinals called up 27-year-old southpaw Ryan Sherriff today for the first time in his 7-year professional career. The Triple-A reliever will fill in a roster opening left by Trevor Rosenthal, who was placed on the 60-day disabled list. (For those wondering: Rosenthal is not Jewish.)
Sherriff
A 28th-round pick in the 2011 amateur draft, Sherriff — who played for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic and is the grandson of Holocaust survivors — has had a stellar season so far with the Cardinals’ Triple-A club, going 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA and 6 saves in 7 chances. The Culver City native has given up an average of 0.99 walks and hits per innings, the 4th lowest among Pacific Coast League pitchers with 50+ innings.
“Thank you for the opportunity!” Sherriff wrote on Twitter today. “Its been one hell of a journey for me and i know my dad is watching over me.”
Sherriff will be the third Jewish prospect to make his Major League debut so far in 2017, after Chicago White Sox reliever Brad Goldberg and Atlanta Braves reliever Max Fried. By unhappy coincidence, Goldberg was optioned back to Triple-A yesterday, and Fried — who came to Atlanta straight from Double-A earlier this month — reportedly is being sent to Triple-A today.
The Cardinals (63-62) play the San Diego Padres tonight at 8:15pm ET.
First Ian Kinsler gets in trouble with the umpire, now it’s Kevin Pillar. He was ejected by the home plate ump as he returned to the dugout following a groundout in the third inning. The Toronto Blue Jays (62-64) lost to the host Tampa Bay Rays, 6-5.
Meanwhile, Kinsler drove in his 36th run with his 21st double of the year, his sole hit in three at-bats, as the Detroit Tigers (54-70) were pummeled by the visiting NY Yankees, 13-4.
Ryan Braun was 1-for-4 and drove in the game-tying run (#48) on a sac fly as the Milwaukee Brewers (66-61) beat the host San Francisco Giants, 4-3.
Danny Valencia was hit by a pitch as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of the Seattle Mariners’ (64-63) loss to the host Atlanta Braves. Max Fried did not appear for the Braves (56-68).
Alex Bregman was 1-for-5 with a run scored as the Houston Astros (76-49) lost to the visiting Washington Nationals, 4-3.
Richard Bleier had his standard outing: 1.1 innings and no runs. But the Baltimore Orioles (61-65) still lost to the visiting Oakland As, 6-4.
Ryan Braun was 0-for-3 with a walk and the Milwaukee Brewers (65-61) mustered only four hits in a 2-0 loss to the host San Francisco Giants, 2-0.
In one of his best performances since being called up in early June, Brad Goldberg allowed one hit in 1.1 innings as the Chicago White Sox (48-75) lost the second game of a doubleheader to the visiting Minnesota Twins, 10-2.
Pardon the Interruption continued their coverage of the Ian Kinsler-Angel Hernandez feud, again seeming to back up the Detroit Tiger as umpires wore wrist bands in protest of MLB’s fine-but-no-suspension punishment. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus was not amused.
Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of August 14-20, 2017:
Bishop
Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Braden Bishop
CF Braden Bishop (Mariners/AA) hit .458 (11-for-24) with a home run, 5 doubles, 4 RBIs and 2 walks. Since being promoted to Double-A on July 22, the 23-year-old is hitting .358 with a .437 on-base percentage.
Delaplane
Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Sam Delaplane
P Sam Delaplane (Mariners/rookie), a 2017 draftee, pitched 3 innings of near-perfect relief on August 16, yielding one walk and no hits while striking out 2. His average of 13.86 strikeouts per nine innings ranks #3 among all Arizona League pitchers with at least 20 innings under their belt.
Other highlights
LF Blake Gailen* (Dodgers/AA) hit .375 (8-for-8) with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs and a walk.
1B Cody Decker* (Mets/AAA) hit .276 (8-for-29) with 2 HRs, 3 doubles, 8 RBIs and a walk.
C Mitchell Kranson (Twins/High-A) hit .333 (5-for-15) with 5 RBIs and a walk.
SS Scotty Burcham* (Rockies/High-A) hit .438 (7-for-16) with 3 doubles, 2 RBIs and 2 walks.
RF Rhett Wiseman (Nationals/High-A) hit .350 (7-for-20) with 2 doubles, an RBI and 3 walks.
2B Zane Gurwitz (Angels/rookie), a 2017 draftee, hit .429 (9-for-21) with 2 doubles, 6 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. His .436 batting average is #1 among all Arizona League batters with at least 50 plate appearances.
OF Justin Cohen (Marlins/rookie) hit .350 (7-for-20) with a triple, 4 RBIs, 3 walks and a stolen base. He has an active 11-game hitting streak.
C Andy Yerzy (Diamondbacks/rookie) hit .350 (7-for-20) with a home run, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs and 4 walks. He extended his active hitting streak to 20 games.
C Ryan Gold (Blue Jays/rookie) hit .333 (4-for-12) with a home run, 2 doubles and 4 RBIs. Despite having only 115 at-bats, his 31 RBIs are tied for #11 in the Appalachian League.
C Jason Goldstein (Athletics/A) hit .308 (4-for-13) with a home run, 2 RBIs and a walk.
P Ryan Sherriff* (Cardinals/AAA) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings over 2 games, yielding one walk and no hits. He is giving up an average of just 0.99 walks/hits per inning, #4 among Pacific Coast League pitchers with 50-plus innings.
P Scott Effross (Cubs/High-A) pitched 3.2 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 3 hits and no walks while striking out 5 and earning his 7th and 8th saves of the season.
P Kenny Rosenberg (Rays/A) earned his fourth straight decision, yielding 3 earned runs on 7 hits and a walk over 6 innings on August 16. Rosenberg’s 7 strikeouts raised his season total to 117; he’s averaging 10.74 strikeouts per 9 innings, #2 in the Midwest League among pitchers with 90-plus innings.
P Jared Lakind( (Marlins/A) pitched 4 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 3 hits and no walks while striking out 3.
P Spencer Kulman (Padres/rookie), a 2017 draftee, pitched 3 scoreless innings across 2 appearances, yielding 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. For the season, he’s 1-0 with a 1.37 ERA and 3 saves in 3 chances.
Transactions
CF Joc Pederson (Dodgers/AAA) was optioned to Triple-A on August 19.
Free agents
Players believed to be seeking employment include minor leaguer Corey Baker* and former major leaguer Sam Fuld*.
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.
Ian Kinsler was 2-for-10 with his 20th double, three walks, and a stolen base as the Detroit Tigers (54-69) dropped two of three to the visiting LA Dodgers (87-35). Despite the token handshake with umpire Angel Hernandez, as well being fined by Major League Baseball, Kinsler stood by his comments that Hernandez might do better in another line of work. Steve Phillips, former GM of the NY Mets, criticized the ballplayer, saying on his MLB Network radio show that “An umpire can’t say that a guy should be sent to the minor leagues to find a new job, that he’s not good enough to play in the league. It would be completely inappropriate.” I’m just putting that out there for the oppositionist point of view. Hernandez’s associates wore wristbands in solidarity:
“This week, a player publicly and harshly impugned the character and integrity of Angel Hernandez — a veteran umpire who has dedicated his career to baseball and the community,” the World Umpires Association (WUA) said in a statement. “The verbal attack on Angel denigrated the entire MLB umpiring staff and is unacceptable.”
Kinsler, speaking after the Tigers’ 3-0 loss to the Dodgers in Detroit on Saturday, said he didn’t care much at all about the umpires’ protest.
“I really don’t think too deeply into it. I hope they wear the white wristbands for the rest of their careers. I don’t care. I said what I felt and what I thought. If they take offense to that, that’s their problem.”
Joc Pederson started the first game of that series, going 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. It was his only appearance, because the team sent him to the minors soon after acquiring Curtis Granderson from the NY Mets. Disappointing but understandable: Pederson was hitting just .215 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs in 87 games. Hope to see him back soon.
Alex Bregman had himself a fine weekend: 5-for-13 with home runs in Friday’s and Saturday‘s games (15 on the year) along with his 30th double as the Houston Astros (76-48) took two of three from the visiting Oakland As. He drove in one run in each contest, bumping him up to 48. He also made a couple nice defensive moves on Friday.
Kevin Pillar also had a fine time, with two hits in each game of the Toronto Blue Jays’ set against the host Chicago Cubs, including two doubles Friday. Like Bregman, he drove one across the plate in each game (32), but the Jays (59-65) lost all three games, despite Pillar’s heroics Sunday. What exactly did he do? In the bottom of the 7th, Pillar dove into Wrigley Field’s centerfield ivy to rob Kris Bryant of extra bases. Meanwhile, his RBI single in the bottom of the 10th put the Blue Jays up a run. Unfortunately for Toronto, the Cubbies came back in the top of the inning to win, 6-5.
Danny Valencia played in two of the three games between his Seattle Mariners (63-62) and the host Tampa Bay Rays. He was two-for-seven with his 61st RBI.
Ryan Braun started all three games for the Milwaukee Brewers (65-60) against the host Colorado Rockies, going 2-for-11 with a walk and two RBIs (39). An article about a deal that was almost made with the Dodgers reminded me of a joke my boss told when a colleague of mine tried to alibi his way out of a situation: “And if my mother had wheels, she’d be a bus.” You had to be there.
More bad news for Scott Feldman: the Cincinnati Reds (53-72) put him back on the DL after just one appearance. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was done for the year.
In his only appearance of the weekend, Max Fried pitched one inning Sunday, allowing a run on two hits as the Atlanta Braves (55-67) beat the Cincinatti Reds, 8-1.
After a couple of shaky outings, Richard Bleier appeared twice for the Baltimore Orioles (60-64) against the visiting LA Angels over the weekend. He pitched 0.2 innings with a walk in a 9-7 win on Friday, followed by 1.1 scoreless innings the next day in a 5-1 loss.
The Chicago White Sox (47-74) keep giving Brad Goldberg opportunities, and unfortunately he’s not making the best of them. In his lone appearance, he yielded one run on one hit and two walks in Saturday’s 17-7 loss to the host Texas Rangers. Goldberg has a horrible WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) of 2.53. In 10.2 innings, he’s given up 13 hits and 14 walks while striking out just two. Sorry to say, but I know if I was on his team and saw him coming in from the bullpen, I would not be too happy.
Back from a great trip to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, where I spoke about my Hank Greenberg book.
But, my, what a lousy night for the trio of MOTs who appeared yesterday (plus one as a defensive replacement).
As they frequently say about games at Wrigley Field in Chicago, the wind was blowing out. Scott Feldman, recently off the DL and still having knee issues, lasted just 3.2 innings for the visiting Cincinnati Reds (51-71), and five of the seven hits he allowed left the yard. In all, he gave up six earned runs and stuck out one. If there’s a positive note, it’s that no one else was really that much better (misery loves company). Final score: Reds 13, Cubs 10. But more alarming: could this be Feldman’s last game as a Red? Or last game, period? Sad, if so.
Although he wasn’t actually charged with the loss,Brad Goldberg gave up what proved to be the “losing” run as the Chicago White Sox were bested by the host Texas Rangers, 9-8. He walked four and gave up a hit in two-thirds of an inning.
Alex Bregman was 0-for-4 as the Houston Astros (74-47) continued their doldrums, shut out 4-0 at the hands of the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
Kevin Pillar appeared as a defensive replacement for the Toronto Blue Jays (59-62) in their 5-3 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.
Max Fried did not appear for the Atlanta Braves (54-65) in their 10-4 win over the host Colorado Rockies.
And the war of words continues for Ian Kinsler, who was ejected from a game a few days ago by umpire Angel Hernandez for arguing balls and strikes. Kinsler thinks Hernandez should look for a new line of work. The incident was deemed hot enough to be included in a segment on Pardon the Interruption,where co-hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon kinda/sorta stood up for the ballplayer in questioning the ump’s ability without actually calling him incompetent. There are others who hold opinions similar to Kinsler, and based on the number of hits that came up in a Google search, they may have a point. So do you think there was a lot of pressure on Kinsler to shake hands with Hernandez at the Wednesday game? If the baseball thing doesn’t work out for Ian anymore, there’s always this.
Poor showing by the boys. The only hit came off the bat of Kevin Pillar as the Toronto Blue Jays (57-61) beat the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 2-1.
As for the others:
Ian Kinsler returned to the lineup after missing Sunday’s game (sore hand). But he was ejected in the fifth inning after going 0-for-2 for “looking” at the umpire after a called ball — not even a strike! Brad Ausmus was also tossed, killing two Jews with one thumb. The Detroit Tigers fell to Kinsler’s former team, the host Texas Rangers, 6-2.
Alex Bregman was 0-for-3 with a walk as the Houston Astros (72-46) were shut out by the host Arizona Diamondbacks, 2-0.
Danny Valencia entered the game between the Seattle Mariners (59-61) and visiting Baltimore Orioles (59-60) as a defensive replacement in right field. He was o-for-2 at the plate as his club lost, 11-3. O’s reliever Richard Bleier did not pitch.
That’s it. If there were other games with MOTs on the team, they didn’t play. The Dodgers, white Sox, and Brewers had the day off.
Scott Feldman returned to action, as it were, when he started for the Cincinnati Reds (49-69) on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers (61-59). Feldman pitched just four innings, giving up three runs on a walk and seven hits including a home run. On the plus side, he also struck out six. Feldman did not figure in the decision as Milwaukee won in 10 innings, 6-5.
Ryan Braun hit his 13th homer against Cincinnati, but it didn’t come off his landsman. All told, Braun was 5-for-12 with the home run, two doubles, two walks, four runs scored, and two RBIs, inching closer to the coveted — if out-of-favor — .300 batting average. It was his first long-ball in more than a dozen games and puts him two shy of the 300-club.
Kevin Pillar was 1-for-7 with two walks, a run scored, a stolen base, and two RBIs as the Toronto Blue Jays (56-61) took two of three from the visiting Pittsburgh Pirate.
Ian Kinsler was 1-for-9 in the first two games of the series between the Detroit Tigers (53-64) and the visiting Minnesota Twins. He did not play in yesterday’s finale — won by the Twins to take the set, 2-1 — as an aftereffect of being hit on the hand by a pitch the previous day.
Alex Bregman was 2-for-11 with two runs scored and an RBI as the Houston Astros continue to struggle, even though they still have the best record in the AL at 72-45. Prior to yesterday’s win against the host Arizona Diamondbacks, they had lost five in a row and seven of their last 10.
Max Fried threw a scoreless inning of relief for the Atlanta Braves (52-63) in Saturday’s 6-5 loss to the host St. Louis Cardinals, walking one and striking out one.
Brad Goldberg struggled a bit Sunday as the Chicago White Sox (45-70) lost to the visiting KC Royals, 14-6. Goldberg pitched the final two innings, giving up two runs on one hit and three walks. It was his only appearance for the weekend.
Richard Bleier retired the only batter he faced for the Baltimore Orioles (58-60) in their 5-4 loss to the host Oakland As on Friday. Yesterday, he endured a rare bad outing, giving up a two-run homer in 1.1 innings in another loss.
Danny Valencia did not get a single at-bat over the weekend for the Seattle Mariners (59-60), who were swept by the visiting LA Angels in a series that began Thursday. No injury, just supplanted by their new first-base acquisition in Yonder Alonso.
Joc Pederson was 0-for-7 for the LA Dodgers (83-34), who took two of three from the visiting San Diego Padres. He has just one hit in his last 32 at-bats. But the only game they lost was the one in which Pederson did not appear (Friday night).
LF Zach Borenstein* (Diamondbacks/AAA) hit .458 (11-for-24) with 4 HRs, 2 doubles, a triple and 12 RBIs last week. All 4 HRs and 11 of his RBIs came during a incredible two-game stretch on August 9-10. We’re not the only ones to honor Borenstein; the Pacific Coast League also named him its Player of the Week. Now in his second full season at the Triple-A level, the 27-year-old is hitting .283 with 20 HRs, 75 RBIs, 25 doubles, 5 triples, a .361 on-base percentage and a .578 slugging percentage.
Sherriff
Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Ryan Sherriff*
P Ryan Sherriff* (Cardinals/AAA) pitched 2.1 perfect innings across 3 relief appearances last week, yielding no hits or walks while striking out 3 and earning his 6th save in 7 chances. The 27-year-old is 5-1 with a 3.33 ERA and is holding opponents to just 1.01 walks/hits per inning, 4th-best among Pacific Coast League pitchers with 50+ innings.
Other highlights
1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays/AAA) hit .400 (10-for-25) with 2 doubles, 5 RBIs and 4 walks, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
1B Cody Decker* (Mets/AAA) hit .353 (6-for-17) with 2 HRs and 2 RBIs. He also released his latest video.
C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AAA) hit .294 (5-for-17) with 7 RBIs in his first full week at the Triple-A level.
CF Braden Bishop (Mariners/AA) hit .360 (9-for-25) with a double, 2 RBIs, 3 walks and a stolen base. Since his promotion to Double-A, he is hitting .329 with 6 RBIs in 85 at-bats and a .420 on-base percentage.
RF Rhett Wiseman (Nationals/High-A) hit .333 (7-for-21) with a HR, 2 doubles, a triple, 5 RBIs and 2 walks.
OF Justin Cohen (Marlins/rookie) hit .467 (7-for-15) with a double, RBI and 3 walks. He notched four consecutive 2-hit games.
C Andy Yerzy (Diamondbacks/rookie) hit .389 (7-for-18) with a home run, double, 3 RBIs and 4 walks. His hit streak has reached 15 games.
P Josh Zeid* (Cardinals/AAA) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.
P Scott Effross (Cubs/High-A) pitched 5 scoreless innings across 3 relief appearances, yielding 3 hits and a walk while striking out 6 and earning his 6th save. He has a 1.93 ERA in his last 10 games.
P Spencer Kulman (Padres/rookie), a 2017 draftee, earned his first 2 professional saves, yielding one run, one hit and one walk over 4 combined innings while striking out 3.
P Keith Weisenberg (Braves/rookie), a 2017 draftee, pitched 5 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding 3 hits and no walks while striking out 4 and earning his first professional save.
P Sam Delaplane (Mariners/rookie), a 2017 draftee, pitched 5 innings of one-run ball across 2 games, yielding 5 hits and a walk while striking out 9. He has 36 strikeouts and just 5 walks in 21.2 innings.
Transactions
C Ryan Lavarnway* (Athletics/AAA) was sent outright to Triple-A by Oakland on August 7.
P Craig Breslow, who signed a minor-league contract with the Cleveland Indians on August 4, made his debut with the franchise’s Triple-A club on August 9.
Free agents
Players believed to be seeking employment include minor leaguer Corey Baker* and former major leaguer Sam Fuld*.
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.
Kevin Pillar was 1-for-3 and drove in the third run of the game for the Toronto Blue Jays (54-60) in a 4-0 shutout over the visiting NY Yankees.
Ryan Braun singled twice in four trips to the plate as the Milwaukee Brewers (59-58) lost to the visiting Minnesota Twins, 7-2.
Alex Bregman split time between third base and shortstop, going 1-for-4 with a walk as the Houston Astros (71-43) continue to sputter, relatively speaking. While they have the best record in the American league, they have lost seven of their last 10 games. including last night’s 3-2, 11-inning defeat at the hands of the host Chicago White Sox (4-68). Brad Goldberg lowered his ERA to under 9.00 with 2/3 of an inning of work in which he walked one.
Ian Kinsler was hitless in four at-bats as the Detroit Tigers (52-62) lost the rubber game of their series to the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-5. According to the Detroit News, an unidentified team has claimed Kinsler off revocable waivers, but he’s probably not leaving the Tigers.
Joc Pederson was also 0-for-4, but his LA Dodgers (81-33) beat the host Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-6.
Danny Valencia was 0-for-3 with a walk as the Seattle Mariners lost to the visiting LA Angels, 6-3.
Richard Bleier had a bit of an off night. Facing three batters, he allowed two hits and struck out one as the Baltimore Orioles (57-58) beat the visiting Oakland As, 7-2.
No game for Max Fried, as the Atlanta Braves had the night off.
The Cincinnati Reds may activate Scott Feldman from the disabled list as early as tomorrow.
A couple pf days ago I mentioned that MLB will feature a “player’s weekend” starting Aug. 25 during which which the athletes will be allowed to wear whatever nickname they like on the backs of the jerseys. Braun will supposedly wear “Ocho,” since he wears “8” as his number. Booooooring. It would have been much cooler if he wore “Hebrew Hammer,” or at least “Hammer,” if the Hebrew part might go against some policy. I hope to be able to compile a last of what all the JMLs wore, after the fact.
On the day the Detroit Tigers (52-61) placed Ian Kinsler on revocable waivers, the stalwart second baseman had his best game in a while, becoming the third MOT in the last week or so to just miss a cycle. He hit his 11th home run (solo), 19th double (to drive in three), and a single in four official at bats (he also walked), driving in 40 percent of the team’s runs in their 10-0 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
Alex Bregman singled and doubled (#29) in four at-bats as the Houston Astros (71-42) fell to the host Chicago White Sox (43-68), 7-1. Brad Goldberg did not appear for the Sox.
Ryan Braun, back in the familiar #3 spot in the lineup, was 2-for-4 as the Milwaukee Brewers (59-57) were shut out by the visiting Minnesota Twins, 4-0.
Joc Pederson only put the ball in play once, but that was enough. After striking out twice (he also walked), he drove in the game-tying run with a double (#19) in the seventh inning and then came around to score what proved to be the winner as the LA Dodgers (80-33) edged the host Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-2. He also made a nice defensive play.
Batting in the fifth spot, Kevin Pillar hit his 26th double in five at-bats, but the Toronto Blue Jays (53-60) lost to the visiting NY Yankees, 11-5. In another attempt to make money, MLB has scheduled an “anything goes” weekend at the end of August where players will be allowed to wear uniforms with whatever nickname they like. Pillar’s will simply have “Pill” on the back.
Once again, Danny Valencia sat out a game for the Seattle Mariners in favor of their newly-acquired first baseman, Yonder Alonso. The Mariners (59-56) beat the host Oakland As, 6-3.
Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (56-58) in their 5-1 loss to the host LA Angels.
Max Fried did not appear for the Atlanta Braves (51-61 ) in their 3-2 loss to the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.
Scott Feldman update: According to Cincinnati.com, the Reds’ pitcher “threw a bullpen session and performed some on-field agility activities Wednesday in hopes of being able to make a start Saturday. Manager Bryan Price said the 34-year-old looked able, but doubts if Feldman will look fully healthy the rest of the year.”
“I’m not going to say he looked good,” Price said. “He looked like he’s capable. I’m not putting it out there and saying this guy’s 100 percent, because he’s not.”
Welcome to the club: Max Fried made his Major League debut last night, tossing the final two innings (scoreless!) in the Atlanta Braves’ 5-2 loss to the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. He walked two (one intentionally) and gave up two hits while striking out one. Mazel tov, Max!
Alex Bregman had a two-out, game-tying, three-run triple (#4) for the Houston Astros (71-41), but the host Chicago White Sox (42-68) came back for an 8-5 win. Bregman, batting in the leadoff spot, was 1-for-3 with two walks. According to RotoBaller, he has 13 extra-base hits over his last 14 games. He wasn’t so great on the basepaths, however, getting picked off as well as caught stealing. Brad Goldbergdid not appear for the Sox.
Ryan Braun, still batting in the second slot in the order, hit his first three-bagger of the year to go along with his 17th double and a single, but the Milwaukee Brewers (59-56) lost to the host Minnesota Twins, 11-4.
Danny Valencia hit a game-tying, pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as the Seattle Mariners (58-56) beat the host Oakland As, 8-7, in 10 innings. Ryan Lavarnway, whom the As had designated for assignment, cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA Nashville.
Ian Kinsler was 1-for-4 with a run scored, but the Detroit Tigers (51-61) lost to the host Pittsburgh Pirates, 9-3. Here’s an interesting take from FanGraphs.com on how players market themselves:
MLB players haven’t become ubiquitous in popular culture the way stars in other sports have. While the players themselves have remarkable talent, and fans already watching the game will know the names Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Miguel Cabrera, but a casual observer or non-fan on the street would be hard pressed to pick those players out of a lineup. Whether it’s the structural problems the sport presents — star players are involved in a fraction of a Major League game, unlike in other sports, where teams can make sure their best players are involved on nearly every play — or the failings of the teams and the league itself to market their stars, baseball players just aren’t the marketing behemoths that basketball and football players often are.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities out there for players interested in marketing themselves, rather than leaving the heavy lifting to the league or their organization. What former Cubs catcher David Ross and Detroit Tigers second-baseman Ian Kinsler have done recently is demonstrate what happens when a player takes control of their own story, and uses the power of social media, television, and a bounty of available resources to help sell themselves (and perhaps a few products as well).
Kinsler has done well for himself on the field over the last several years, but has the kind of skills that often fly under the radar. He’s a career .275/.343/.448 hitter, a four-time All-Star, and a 2016 Gold Glove winner, but he’s not usually been regarded as a franchise player, despite performing like one. He’s precisely the kind of player who is beloved on his own team but gets little notice beyond that, in spite of turning highlight-reel double plays, or textbook perfect ball-drops.
Ian Kinsler is not a typical magnet for marketers. Because his appeal doesn’t have the same reach as bigger-name guys on the team like Miguel Cabrera or Justin Verlander, Kinsler is not the first choice for most companies. In spite of that, he has managed to craft an image for himself that mirrors his on-field persona.
In 2016, Warstic, the baseball bat company Kinsler co-owns with Ben Jenkins and White Stripes frontman Jack White, were approved for use in the MLB. Soon the bats were being sported by Kinsler and teammate Nick Castellanos in Tigers games and their popularity spread to other teams. Leading into the 2017 season, Kinsler and White loaned their individual talents to the promotion of Warstic by putting out a series of videos featuring Kinsler preparing for games as if he were a warrior heading into battle, while White’s music accompanied in the background. Kinsler, Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris, and Ben Jenkins were also featured in a short film ahead of the season in which the men learned sniper rifle techniques from Navy SEALs as a means to find their focus in the pressure of a game.
Even in a commercial where Kinsler promoted Beats by Dre headphones, his persona was the same. He is always careful about how he is portrayed, manipulating the medium to create a brand for himself. In every one of these ads he is the serious, contemplative warrior, preparing himself to face off against his enemies. The image crafted is that of a man who takes his sport and himself seriously. It is an effective method to maintain the image of a fierce competitor on the field, and a man whose life beyond the baseball diamond is a mystery, but one can almost picture him climbing onto a horse after the game and riding off into the sunset now that the battle is over.
Back to business…
Joc Pederson was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts as the LA Dodgers (79-33) lost to the host Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-3.
Kevin Pillar was 0-for-4 as the Toronto Blue Jays (53-59) beat the visiting NY Yankees, 4-2.
Richard Bleier did not appear for the Baltimore Orioles (56-57), who lost to the host LA Angels, 3-2.
Conflicting info re: Scott Feldman‘s return. One source says the Cincinnati Reds’ starter should be back by Saturday while another says he’s not as far along in his progress as had been hoped.
Correction: Yesterday I said that early 20th-century Pittsburgh Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss was the only Jew besides Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax to have a plaque in Cooperstown. Add former commissioner Bud Selig to the list. Selig was among the latest batch of inductees to go into the Hall. HT to Bob Wechsler for the reminder.
Three days after his improbable call-up from Double-A, Atlanta Braves prospect Max Fried made his MLB debut tonight, pitching two scoreless innings of relief in a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies (see game stream). In so doing, he became the 12th Jewish player in the Majors this season and only the second rookie to be promoted to the big leagues, after Brad Goldberg of the Chicago White Sox.
Fried walked the first man he faced but retired the next three batters on a total of 12 pitches, recording one strikeout and inducing two infield groundouts to close out the 8th inning.
The 9th inning was a little dicier. After retiring the first two batters, the 23-year-old southpaw gave up a double and intentionally walked the next batter. Philadelphia RF Nick Williams then hit an infield grounder that could have scored a run, but Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman alertly tossed home to nail the runner at the plate.
All told, the 6’4″ Fried tossed 15 fastballs — the fastest at 94.9 MPH — nine curveballs, one changeup and one slider.
Max Fried awaits the return of his first Major League pitch, a 93.5 MPH fastball to Cameron Rupp
A 1st-round pick (#7 overall) by the San Diego Padres out of high school in 2012, the California native sat out most of 2014 and all of 2015 with injuries and Tommy John surgery. Although he was just 2-11 with a 5.92 ERA at Double-A this season, Fried held opponents scoreless in his last three starts and impressed management with his maturity on the field.
