Jewish Baseball News

(MiLB.com)

By Scott Barancik, editor

When the Kannapolis Intimidators handed reliever Brad Goldberg the ball Sunday (7/21/2013) with one out in the 4th inning and men on second and third bases, the odds of a historic outing were slim.

A 10th-round pick of the Chicago White Sox this June, Goldberg had only six minor-league appearances under his belt and hadn’t pitched in a week. Baseball America’s pre-draft scouting report said this about the 23-year-old: “Goldberg lacks deception and doesn’t miss a lot of bats.”

But miss bats he did Sunday against the West Virginia Power (see box score). In 3.2 innings of relief, the 6-foot-4-inch, 228-pound Ohio native struck out 8 of the eleven batters he faced, yielded no hits, didn’t allow a ball out of the infield, and saw his only imperfection — a one-out walk in the 6th inning — erased by a double play. Seven of the 8 batters he fanned struck out swinging.

How unusual was Goldberg’s performance? Among minor leaguers we can’t say, since detailed historical statistics are not publicly available.

But in the Major Leagues, only six relievers have matched Goldberg’s feat of pitching 3.2 or less innings in a game, facing 11 or fewer batters, and striking out 8 or more of them. The most recent — and most remarkable — was New York Yankees pitcher Ron Davis, who struck out 8 of the nine batters he faced during the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings of a 1981 game against the California Angels and didn’t give up a hit or a walk.

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Ian Kinsler stealing his record-tying 162nd base (7/13/2013); click photo to see video

By Scott Barancik, editor

The Eighth Commandment orders us not to steal. For Ian Kinsler, we make an exception.

When the 31-year-old Texas Ranger singled and stole second base uncontested in the 9th inning of Saturday’s win over the Detroit Tigers (see video), it was the 162nd theft of his felonious 8-year career. Rangers number-crunchers celebrated: the steal made Kinsler the team’s all-time leader, just ahead of Bump Wills‘ 161.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence that the swivel-hipped star is the son of a prison warden.

Saturday’s theft also left Kinsler tied with retired slugger Shawn Green for the career record among another tribe of players: Jews.


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Kinsler’s base-stealing prowess is well-documented. One of only a dozen players in MLB history to twice hit 30 HRs and steal 30 bases in the same season (2009, 2011), the second baseman has stalked the career record with remarkable efficiency, reaching base safely 81.4 percent of the time.


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He also has been consistent, stealing bases within a narrow range of 11 to 31 per season (see below).

Yet Kinsler’s crowning  comes at the nadir of his base-stealing arc. His 5 stolen bases in 307 at-bats this season are a career low. He’s been caught stealing 6 times so far in 2013, tying him for most in the American League. This dismal performance has been enough to knock him down from 10th on the all-time list of best career base-stealing percentages in MLB history at the start of 2013 (among players with 100+ thefts) to 26th today.

“I’ve got to keep running,” Kinsler recently told the Dallas Morning News. “My timing is a little off, and I really haven’t had many chances to go on a straight steal. Mostly they’ve been busted hit-and-runs or running with two strikes. My mentality isn’t quite there yet.”

If history is any guide, Kinsler will return to form soon. And when he steals his record-breaking 163rd, we’ll be there to cheer.

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Joc Pederson, in Team Israel uniform (2012)

By Scott Barancik, editor

2012 wasn’t a bad year for Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson.

A third-year player drafted out of Palo Alto High School, the 6-foot-1 outfielder hit .313 with 18 HRs, 70 RBIs, a .396 on-base percentage, and 26 stolen bases for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (A+). The Dodgers named him their Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year. Baseball America called him the best defensive outfielder in the club’s farm system. It also said he had the franchise’s best strike-zone discipline.

But if you thought the buzz on Pederson couldn’t get more positive, think again.

Halfway into the 2013 season, the 21-year-old is hitting more home runs and doubles than last year, stealing more bases, and getting caught far less often. His ranking on Baseball America’s list of top minor-league prospects has rocketed from 85th overall at the beginning of 2013 to 35th. At yesterday’s All-Star Futures Game — which pit the top 25 U.S. prospects against the top 25 foreign-born prospects — Pederson singled, walked, and scored a run in his only two plate appearances, and he nearly tossed out a runner trying to score on a sacrifice fly.

Here’s what Sports Illustrated had to say about him yesterday:

Pederson is an outstanding natural athlete and a grinder with a high baseball IQ. While none of his tools are well above average, all five have the potential to be average or better; he’s got a compact stroke with legitimate power, and an advanced approach at the plate that translates into on-base ability. Scouts are split as to whether he can stay in center due to the limitations of his speed and arm, but he may be able to fulfill the offensive profile needed in left field.

Despite his prowess, Los Angeles is in no hurry to promote Pederson to Triple-A, and we may not see him wearing Dodger blue anytime soon, if ever.

Added S.I. yesterday: “His future in the Dodgers’ organization is cloudy due to their expensive four-player logjam; Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig are all under contract through at least 2017. [Pederson] represents a significant trade chip if they need to acquire an impact player at the deadline, though.”

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Editor’s note: Maxx Tissenbaum is a 21-year-old prospect with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, the San Diego Padres’ Single-A team, and an honest chronicler of life in the minor-leagues. Click here to see Maxx‘s past blog entries, and click here to join the Jewish Baseball News mail list.

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By Maxx Tissenbaum/Special to Jewish Baseball News

There have been about a hundred different reasons I haven’t written since my last post, and none of them are really worth writing about, so I’ll just get to it.

We started the second half on June 20 and for whatever reason we stumbled out of the gate. Actually, stumbled may be a bit of an understatement. It was more of a face plant. Onto the sidewalk. Off a twenty story building. I think you get the idea, it wasn’t pretty. Somehow we managed to go from the world beaters of the first half, when we dominated in all aspects of the game, to the doormat of the league. Our pitchers who had been carving up hitters were suddenly falling behind, walking guys, giving up hit after hit. Our hitters who had been hammering everything thrown our way suddenly couldn’t make contact, couldn’t cash runners in, couldn’t move runners. Our defense that had been air tight suddenly looked sloppy as balls clanked off our gloves, and throws sailed high or wide. Before you could say July we were 3-7 and still playing bad baseball. We managed to shake it off for the most part thanks in part to some new faces in the clubhouse, some torrential rain and the knowledge that we had already gotten ourselves a playoff spot. As a group we weren’t nearly as down, or frustrated as you might think considering how badly we had been playing.

As we opened July we began to get frustrated, we lost our first four games of the month being shutout twice, having no-hitters thrown against us routinely into the middle innings. We arrived in South Bend for the July 2/3 mini series and we were met by Everth Cabrera, our big league shortstop. Everth had been assigned to Fort Wayne for a short rehab stint, he would play two games with us before rejoining the big club in Washington. The first day Cabby was in town we didn’t get to take BP on the field because it was pouring, I was a bit annoyed, because I wanted to get to work with him during pregame. Any time you can have a guy like him around it is a great opportunity to learn, so to just hit in the cage I felt like I was missing out a little. Again we lost, and having him in our lineup didn’t help as we again were buried early in the game and were never really in it. We got swept on the road and came home for our 4th of July game.

Independence Day in Fort Wayne was an incredible day. My family had made the trip down for the weekend, and I had a feeling that with the enormous crowd we were expected to have that we’d play better and snap our stupid losing streak. When we came out for pregame stretch at 6:45 we knew right away that it was going to be a special crowd. Well before first pitch the place looked packed. We ended up breaking the TinCaps’ all-time attendance record that night, but we were unable to get a win. We got shut out, again, and we continued to be absolutely terrible with runners on base. I was completely fed up, everyone was. We sat in stunned silence in the dugout, then in the locker room. Everyone just sat there, blank stares on their faces. There was a lot of negative self talk, a lot of swearing at bats, throwing of gloves into lockers. It was a rough night.

July 5th became the day we’d finally break out, and break out we did. We put up 20 hits, scored 16 runs, and scored in 5 of 8 trips to the plate. Everyone in our lineup had at least one hit, and I finished 4 for 6 with a double, an RBI and 3 runs scored. It was a feel-good night for our offense, but somehow in spite of our outburst we didn’t run away with the game. We led 9-1 at one point, but managed to surrender 8 of the next 13 runs, quickly turning what should have been a blowout into a game. We finished with a 16-10 win, in a long slugfest that took over 3 hours. We managed to come out the next night and score a bunch of runs again, to win our second straight game, something we’d only managed to do once in the second half. Last night we dropped the middle game of our three game set with Great Lakes, the Dodgers affiliate. Tonight we wrap up our homestand with a 7:05 start, and then we have a day off Tuesday before our LONG road trip to the Western Division. We drive across a timezone to face the Brewers affiliate, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, before finishing the trip with three games against the Beloit Snappers, the Oakland A’s Midwest League club. It’s time for our team to get it together and start playing more consistent baseball. I’m confident that we will, our team is too good not to. It’s impossible in baseball to win 15/16, like we did to finish the first half, by accident. We’ll be back to playing championship caliber baseball, no doubt about it!

To quote the immortal Ebby “Nook” Laloosh from my all time favorite movie, Bull Durham: “This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.” Over the last week and a half we have done a lot of those things very consistently. We’ve pitched really well, our defense has been much improved, and our bats have come alive. The only thing we seem to have forgotten is the “sometimes you lose” part. Since my last post we are 5-0 and today we set a new season high by winning our 7th straight. We continue to be the 8th Inning Kids, waiting around for the perfect opportunity to make life really dramatic with either a comeback, or a near disaster.

Our series at Lansing was a quick three-game set that was pretty boring. We went out and scored a lot of runs, led at almost every point, played clean defense and pitched well enough to win all three. The highlight of the series for me came in the second game when my former coach Jack Brown came down to see me play. I played for Jack as a Bantam (15 years old) at North York and then again as a 16U with the Toronto Mets. Jack and I go way back, and he is still one of my favorite coaches. I was extremely excited to be getting a start at SS the night he came down, because he’s only ever seen me play SS, so I thought it was cool that I’d be back over there. I made a few great defensive plays, didn’t pick up a hit, but it was a good effort overall. Afterwards I spent about 15 minutes standing and talking to him and his friend, catching up and discussing baseball.

We came home from our third consecutive sweep of Lansing, and finishing our first half series with them 9-0, to face the Dayton Dragons. The Dragons are a Reds affiliate, and a team that we faced when I was smack dab in the middle of my slump. I eliminated from my mind anything that I knew about their team, fooling myself into going into the series completely blind. Game one was all that it was made out to be, two first round draft picks, and Midwest League All Stars pitching against one another.

Joe Ross and Patrick Stephenson went toe to toe in one of the best pitchers duels I’ve ever played in. They matched each other pitch for pitch, seven innings of electric stuff on display. We managed three hits off of Stephenson, and Joe yielded just 5 despite carrying a no-hitter into the 5th. I had two hits off of Stephenson, a double into the RF corner and a single to LF on a 2 strike curveball. Both pitching staffs combined for 11 innings of shutout baseball. I had an opportunity in the bottom of the 9th to end the game with a walk off home run, and did exactly what you aren’t supposed to do. I tried as hard as possible to lift a ball out to win it, and flew out to LF to end the inning. After watching their lefty throw three perfect innings I got another chance in the bottom of the 12th. With Mallex on second base and one out, I told myself not to try and smash something. I knew I could get the job done with a base hit. The first pitch he threw was a fastball middle up and I stayed through it and drilled it through the middle for a walk off base hit. As always the team rushed onto the field and mobbed me, people were grabbing at my jersey, my pants, my head etc. I got celebratory hugs from almost every guy and couldn’t possibly describe how cool a feeling it was.

I knew that I’d get picked to do the post game Player of the Game interview, and I knew I was going to get doused with something. I didn’t realize it would be both the water cooler, Gatorade cooler AND a shaving cream pie to the face from our mascot Johnny. The video is pretty funny, Post Game wrap up and I had an awesome time wearing every last bit of it. It was absolutely awesome to be able to have my family there for my first ever walk off hit, and a big night in which I had three hits.

Today was an afternoon game, so neither team hit on the field. As I was walking around the clubhouse hallways I bumped into Brandon Dailey, who I had played against for most of my PBLO career. He was the Terriers’ SS, and also was a Team Canada guy. Even though we were never teammates it was still nice to see him walking to the cage and get to spend a few minutes talking to him and catching up. There aren’t enough Canadian guys in Minor League baseball, so any time we cross paths its nice to get some time to chat. Last time we faced Dayton he wasn’t with the team as he was finishing his conversion from being a middle infielder to being a catcher, while in Arizona at Extended Spring Training. He caught today, and it looks like he’s done a really good job picking up the new position, because he fit right in back there, so hats off to him for the hard work!

Max Fried took the mound for us and gave us 5 plus good innings and we managed to hang around through 8. Common theme? Don’t let the Tincaps hang around at home, it never ends well for the visitors! We were trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th inning and finally managed to get a few base runners as we loaded the bases. Diego Goris came up and laced a ball to SS, but it kicked off the heel of Zach Vincej’s glove and into the outfield to give us two runs. We took a 4-3 lead, and Luis Tejada drove me in from 3rd to make it 5-3. We handed the ball over to Leonel Campos and he locked it down for the save. As is our Sunday tradition, we wore our red tops and had our postgame autograph session in RF. My family came and stood by where I was signing and took pictures, and talked with me in between people I was signing for.

They’ve since headed home, and I’m now in bed watching the NCAA Super Regionals on tv. Tomorrow night we play Dayton again in the finale of our three game set, as we continue to inch closer to clinching a playoff berth. Hopefully we can get our winning streak to double digits, and that should be enough to let us celebrate!

Go Tincaps!

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Ike Davis after hitting a run-scoring infield single Friday (MLB.com)

By Scott Barancik, editor

After a 21-game sojourn in the minors to regain his sweet swing, Ike Davis returned to the New York Mets’ lineup with a vengeance Friday (7/5/2013), going 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs and a walk in a 12-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers (box score).

According to ESPN.com, Davis had arrived at the Mets’ clubhouse in Milwaukee yelling “Shalom, everybody!” as teammates hugged him.

Even better Friday was the news that Josh Satin, a Triple-A call-up who hit .353 while subbing for Davis at first base, would stay on the Mets’ roster rather than go back down to the minors. Manager Terry Collins said he would consider giving Satin playing time not only at first base but second base, third base, and in the outfield.

“We just sat here today and looked at his numbers against left-handed pitching,” Collins told ESPN.com. “Boy, they’re pretty stinkin’ good (10-for-24). We’ve got to get him in there.”

Davis was equally complimentary of Satin. “I was really happy when they called him up when I went down,” he said. “I wouldn’t ask for a better person. I love Josh. And I’m excited that he’s done well and has proven that he can play here, because he can. He rakes every year.”

Davis hit .293 during his stint with the Las Vegas 51s and had a .424 on-base percentage. He had 7 HRs, 7 doubles, and 13 RBIs in 92 at-bats.

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The online version of Tuesday’s NYTimes article

By Scott Barancik, editor

Josh Satin, called up from Triple-A last month to sub for struggling first baseman (and fellow Jew) Ike Davis, has 7 doubles, a .390 batting average, and an eye-popping .510 on-base percentage in 41 at-bats since then. He’s reached base in 13 straight games, including three in which he had just one plate appearance, and is hitting .400 with runners in scoring position.

But today the 28-year-old rookie has something even newer to write home about: his first New York Times profile (click here to see it).

Zach Schonbrun’s article portrays Satin‘s recent rise to prominence as unlikely. One minor-league team after another had tried to correct the 6-foot-2-inch Californian’s “unorthodox batting mechanics” and the “cartoonish way he timed every pitch, as if he were hitting in a slow-pitch softball home run derby.” Many “failed to envision Satin as anything but too old, too slow, too unconventional to be part of the Mets’ future.”

So far, Satin seems to be proving his doubters wrong, although he says they were right about one thing: the need to speed his timing. The UC-Berkeley alum made the adjustment after a “cameo” appearance with the Mets in September 2011.

Although he has played first base exclusively in this stint with the Mets, Satin has substantial minor-league experience at second base and shortstop. That may give New York further reason to keep him around when Ike Davis returns.

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(milb.com)

By Scott Barancik, editor

The Orioles obtained Scott Feldman from the Chicago Cubs today in a bid to improve Baltimore’s starting rotation.

A 6-foot-7-inch righthander who spent 8 years with the Texas Rangers, Feldman‘s 2013 debut with Chicago was shaping up to be his best season yet. Along with a 7-6 record — no small accomplishment on a team that’s 35-and-45 overall — the 30-year-old hurler had a 3.46 ERA so far, on pace for a career best.

Which is precisely why Baltimore traded for Feldman. Although the O’s are 11 games above .500 and a mere 2.5 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox in the highly competitive American League East, the team’s 4.43 ERA is second worst among the A.L.’s 15 teams, and its starting rotation’s ERA is even higher.

“He’s a proven veteran starting pitcher, and he should help stabilize our rotation in the second half of the season,” Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette told MLB.com.  Feldman is expected to get his first start for the O’s tomorrow night (7/3/2013) against the Chicago White Sox.

Feldman’s career pitching stats

In exchange for Feldman and catcher Steve Clevenger, the O’s sent two pitchers — starter Jake Arrieta and reliever Pedro Strop — to Chicago plus $338,000 in international signing-slot bonuses. Clevenger and Arrieta were assigned to their respective Triple-A teams after the trade.

Baltimore has one other Jewish player on its roster, DH Danny Valencia. Duquette, though not Jewish, was instrumental in the formation of the now-defunct Israel Baseball League, serving as director of baseball operations during its lone season.

It’s a shame Feldman won’t get to bat regularly anymore. So far this season, his first and only in the N.L., he had one HR, 2 doubles, and 8 RBIs in 34 at-bats.

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Kevin Pillar

By Scott Barancik, editor

When the Toronto Blue Jays selected outfielder Kevin Pillar in the 32nd round of the 2011 amateur draft, nobody expected him to speed through the club’s farm system.

But sprint he has. After averaging .313 or better at every level through Double-A, the 24-year-old Pillar joined the Jays’ Triple-A squad last week to become the team’s third-youngest player.

And by the looks of it, he’s not intimidated.

Yesterday, in just his sixth game with the Buffalo Bison, Pillar went 4-for-5 with four doubles. The eye-popping performance left him hitting .391 in Triple-A. And it left Jewish Baseball News wondering if the Cal State-Dominguez Hills alum — who hit a combined .323 last year with 6 HRs, 91 RBIs, and 51 stolen bases — just might get a big-league call up in September.

For more information on Kevin Pillar, see our interview with him from earlier this year, and get his daily stats by subscribing to our Facebook or Twitter feeds.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Eye color is not the first thing one notices about Oakland A’s rookie Nate Freiman. Does he part his hair on the left, or the right? No clue.

The first thing every teammate, scout, agent, sportswriter, and fan observes about Freiman (pronounced ‘FRY-men’) is his height. The 26-year-old first baseman stands 6-foot-8-inches above street level, unusually tall for a pro baseball player, and even more so for a non-pitcher.

Nate Freiman exchanging high-fives with teammates (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America)

How unusual, exactly? Jewish Baseball News conducted a search of all non-pitchers who’ve played Major League ball since 1901. And here’s what we found: Nate Freiman isn’t just “tall.” The man dubbed “Green Giant” by one wag is the tallest in baseball history, tied with retired first baseman Tony Parker.

Here’s a table showing the 10 biggest position players in MLB history. Interestingly, two of the 10 are brothers, and the highest career batting average among them is a modest .273.

Why does it matter? It doesn’t, really. And odds are, Freiman would like to go down in baseball history for more than a genetic gift. Hopefully he will.

But baseball is a statistics-mad sport. As long as we find it necessary to cite the obvious fact of Freiman’s height, let’s call him the tallest, not just “tall.”

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(Editor’s note: Coverage of the 2013 MLB amateur draft is a collaboration between Jewish Baseball News and our friends at Jewish Sports Review, a bi-monthly newsletter that tracks Jewish athletes in multiple sports around the globe. Click here for subscription information.)

By Scott Barancik, editor

Two more players selected in the 2013 amateur draft have been identified as Jewish, bringing the running tally to 13.

Scott Silverstein

Scott Silverstein, 23, was picked by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 25th round (745th overall). A fifth-year senior in 2013, he led the pitching staff at the University of Virginia with a 10-2 record, along with a 3.15 ERA, 70 strikeouts, and 28 walks in 91.1 innings.

The 6-foot-6-inch southpaw was considered among the top high-school pitchers in the country as a junior, but surgeries on his left shoulder the following year and again in college slowed his progress. The 2013 season saw him return to form.

Zach Levinson

Also drafted was Zach Levinson, a 17-year-old shortstop from Susan E. Wagner High School in Staten Island who stands just 5-foot-8-inches tall and 160 pounds. The Toronto Blue Jays selected Zach Levinson in the 39th round of the amateur draft (1,165th overall).

Following is a list of the 13 draftees in order of selection, along with their position, team, signing status, bonus information, and minor-league placement, where available:

1. Rob Kaminsky, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals (1st round, 28th overall pick). Signed for $1.78-million bonus. See article here.
2. Mason Katz, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals (4th round, 125th overall). Unsigned.
3. Zack Weiss, RHP, Cincinnati Reds (6th round, 195th overall). Unsigned.
4. Brad Goldberg, RHP, Chicago White Sox (10th round, 303rd overall). Signed for $10,000 bonus. Assigned to Great Falls Voyagers.
5. Alec Grosser, RHP, Atlanta Braves (11th round, 343rd overall). Signed for $400,000 bonus; assignment unknown.
6. Ryan Kinsella, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks (18th round, 540th overall). Signed for unknown bonus. Assigned to Hillsboro Hops.
7. Adam Landecker, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates (21st round, 629th overall). Signed for unknown bonus. Assigned to GCL Pirates.
8. Henry Hirsch, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (22nd round, 659th overall). Unsigned.
9. Scott Silverstein, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays (25th round, 745th overall). Unsigned.
10. Sam Finfer, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers (29th round, 874th overall). Unsigned.
11. Tyger Pederson, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers (33rd round, 994th overall). Unsigned.
12. Jesse Weiss, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers (36th round, 1,082nd overall). Unsigned.
13. Zach Levinson, Toronto Blue Jays (39th round, 1,165th overall). Unsigned.

Stay tuned for future announcements from Jewish Baseball News and Jewish Sports Review about the 2013 MLB draft.

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(lsusports.net)

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Alex Bregman didn’t have to go to college.

By his senior year in high school, in 2012, he had led the USA Baseball 18-and-under National Team to a gold medal, just as he had done with the 16-and-under National Team before. He had set a New Mexico single-season record with 18 HRs. ESPN had named him the No. 3 prospect among high school catchers nationwide, and Baseball America rated him among the top 150 draft prospects overall.

But Alex Bregman didn’t want to go pro just yet, and so he signed on to play for Louisiana State University.

Lucky for LSU, which plays UCLA this evening in the 8-team College World Series (8pm EST on ESPN2). As a freshman in 2013, Bregman led the LSU Tigers during the regular season in batting average (.380), doubles (18), triples (7), runs (59), and stolen bases (16 out of 17 attempts), and his season included a 23-game hitting streak. He also has won a raft of awards, including:

• Freshman Hitter of the Year (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association)
• National Freshman of the Year (Baseball America)
• SEC Freshman of the Year
• All-SEC Baseball First Team, Shortstop
• Invited to play this summer for Team USA during its 33-game international tour

Bregman also is one of three finalists currently vying for the Brooks Wallace Award, which recognizes the best college shortstop in the country.

In its 2013 College World Series preview, Baseball America wrote that Bregman, a “converted catcher,” “plays shortstop like a pro, not like a freshman.” It went on to say that “Bregman has special leadership qualities; he is the kind of player that championship teams are often built around.”

Here’s a video interview in which Bregman reflects on his decision to attend LSU rather than go pro in 2012.

Bregman’s teammate (and fellow Jew) Mason Katz — who was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 4th round of this month’s amateur draft — hit .366 during the regular season (second only to Bregman) and led the team with 15 HRs, 68 RBIs, 37 walks, a .454 on-base percentage, and a .630 slugging percentage.

In tonight’s College World Series game, Bregman and Katz will square off against UCLA, whose pitching staff includes Zach Weiss. Weiss is a recent 6th round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

We try to give you the news in bite-sized pieces via Facebook, Twitter, and our new ‘Bunts’ column, shown on the top-left corner of the Jewish Baseball News home page. But sometimes there’s more than a mouthful of news to deliver. Today is one of those days.

So what’s new?

Kinsler’s crazy slide (buzzfeed.com)

• Ian Kinsler is back. Out since May 16 due to a rib-cage injury, the three-time All-star went 0-for-4 with a walk Saturday (6/15/2013) as the Texas Rangers lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1. Kinsler initially was hurt when a ball struck his chest while he was sliding into a base, and the pain intensified when he was hit with a pitch. Or at least that’s the official story. Here is a Buzzfeed.com video of Kinsler in what it describes as “the worst baseball slide of the season, by a mile” — followed by possibly the best smile by a player in an embarrassing situation.
• Even as Kinsler was returning from the disabled list, Ryan Braun and Kevin Youkilis were going on it. Milwaukee’s Braun is out with an inflamed nerve in his right hand, while the Yankees’ Youkilis was hobbled with a lumbar strain. Get well soon, boys.
• Scott Feldman was dominant Saturday in the Chicago Cubs’ 5-2 win over the New York Mets (see video). In a 7-inning performance, Feldman gave up just one run on two hits and a walk while striking out six. He also helped himself with this two-run single. Feldman is 6-5 this season with one complete game and a 3.05 ERA; he’s struck out 60 batters and walked only 21 over 79.2 innings.
• Feldman’s hit was no fluke. As you can see in this table, the 6-foot-7-inch righty leads all MLB pitchers this season with 8 RBIs, thanks in part to a HR and two doubles.
• Also triumphant Saturday (6/15/2013) was San Diego’s Jason Marquis, who raised his season record to 9-2 with a 6-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks (see video). Marquis‘ nine wins are tied for second most in the National League.
• Congratulations to St. Louis Cardinals prospect Corey Baker, who was promoted to Double-A on Friday (6/15/2013). Baker — who was selected in the 49th round of the 2011 amateur draft — started the 2013 season at Single-A, moved up to A-Advanced, and spent only four games there before being picked up by the Springfield Cardinals (AA). Even after being roughed-up in his first start with Springfield, Baker’s overall ERA this season is 2.66 with a 1-2 record, 2 saves, 37 strikeouts, and only seven walks across 44 innings.
• Los Angeles Angels prospect Zach Borenstein continues to pummel International League (A-advanced) pitchers. In a breakout third pro season, the left-handed hitter ranks first in total bases (146), second in HRs (16/tie) and slugging percentage (.613), third in RBIs (50/tie), and fourth in batting average (.315) and on-base plus slugging (.970). And Borenstein shows no signs of slowing down: in the past 10 games, he’s hit .400 with 2 HRs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 2 walks, and 9 RBIs.

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(Editor’s note: Coverage of the 2013 MLB amateur draft is a collaboration between Jewish Baseball News and our friends at Jewish Sports Review, a bi-monthly newsletter that tracks Jewish athletes in multiple sports around the globe. Click here for subscription information.)

By Scott Barancik, editor

Two days ago we told you about high-school pitcher Rob Kaminsky, whom the St. Louis Cardinals selected in the 1st round of the 2013 MLB draft (see article).

Now, we would like to introduce you to 10 other Jewish players who were drafted last week. Here are the ten, listed in draft order:

Mason Katz

Mason Katz, 22

• St. Louis Cardinals (4th round, 125th overall pick)
• Hometown: Harahan, LA
• Position: 2B
• School: LSU (senior)
• Factoid: thru 6/8/2013, led the 2013 College World Series-bound LSU Tigers in HRs (15), RBIs (68), on-base percentage (.454), slugging (.630), and ranks second in average (.366)

Zack Weiss

Zack Weiss, 20

• Cincinnati Reds (6th round, 195th overall pick)
• Hometown: Irvine, CA
• Position: RHP
• School: UCLA (junior)
• Factoid: thru 6/8/2013, was 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in 41 relief appearances

Brad Goldberg

Brad Goldberg, 23

• Chicago White Sox (10th round, 303rd overall pick)
• Hometown: Beachwood, OH
• Position: RHP
• School: Ohio State (redshirt senior)
• Factoid: named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week twice in 2013

Alec Grosser

Alec Grosser, 18

• Atlanta Braves (11th round, 343rd pick overall)
• Hometown: Alexandria, VA
• Position: RHP
• School: T.C. Williams High School (Alexandria, VA)
• Factoid: a late-blooming pitcher better known as his high school’s quarterback

Ryan Kinsella

Ryan Kinsella, 21

• Arizona Diamondbacks (18th round, 540th overall)
• Hometown: Warren, NJ
• Position: 1B
• School: Elon University (junior)
• Factoid: named 2013 Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Year

Adam Landecker

Adam Landecker, 22

• Pittsburgh Pirates (21st round, 629th overall)
• Hometown: Calabasas, CA
• Position: 2B
• School: USC (senior)
• Factoid: hit .351 in 2013, second-best in Southeastern Conference

Henry Hirsch

Henry Hirsch, 20

• Pittsburgh Pirates (22nd round, 659th overall)
• Hometown: Scarsdale, NY
• Position: RHP
• School: University of New Haven (junior)
• Factoid: only UNH player drafted by an MLB team since 2008

Sam Finfer

Sam Finfer, 18

• Los Angeles Dodgers (29th round, 874th overall)
• Hometown: Bellevue, WA
• Position: C
• School: Interlake High School (Bellevue, WA)
• Factoid: hit .357 with three HRS, 23 RBIs, and a .520 on-base percentage in 2013

Tyger Pederson

Tyger Pederson, 23

• Los Angeles Dodgers (33rd round, 994th overall)
• Hometown: Palo Alto, CA
• Position: 2B
• School: University of the Pacific (senior)
• Factoid: older brother of Joc Pederson, currently ranked the Dodgers’ No.3 prospect

Jesse Weiss

Jesse Weiss, 22

• Milwaukee Brewers (36th round, 1,082nd overall)
• Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
• Position: 1B
• School: Kenyon College (senior)
• Factoid: at Kenyon College, ranks top five in career batting average, RBIs, hits, runs, doubles, and total bases

The current tally of players identified as Jewish in the 2013 MLB draft stands at 11. Stay tuned for future announcements from Jewish Baseball News and Jewish Sports Review.

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Rob Kaminsky

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(Editor’s note: Coverage of the 2013 MLB amateur draft is a collaboration between Jewish Baseball News and our friends at Jewish Sports Review, a bi-monthly newsletter that tracks Jewish athletes in multiple sports around the globe. Click here for subscription information.)

By Scott Barancik, editor

For the second year in a row, a left-handed Jewish high-school pitcher who idolizes Sandy Koufax has been selected in the first round of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft.

The St. Louis Cardinals chose Rob Kaminsky with the 28th pick of the 2013 draft on Wednesday (6/7/2013). An 18-year-old senior at Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, N.J., Kaminsky has committed to play at the University of North Carolina but is considered likely to sign with the Cardinals. If he does, he’s due for a bonus in the $1.8-million range.

“CARDS NATION!!! Thank you so much!!!,” Kaminsky wrote on his Twitter feed.

St. Louis wasn’t alone in coveting the 5-foot-11-inch, 190-pound southpaw. Gatorade named Kaminsky the New Jersey Baseball Player of the Year in 2012 and again in 2013. (Prior winners include Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout.) Baseball America, which had ranked him the No. 21 prospect in this year’s draft, says Kaminsky “throws a nasty, downer curveball, a present plus pitch and arguably [is] the best among high school pitchers in the [2013] class.”

[Click here to watch a 2012 news video about Kaminsky.]

Rob Kaminsky with a Sandy Koufax baseball card (N.Y. Daily News)

Why are baseball honchos so bullish on Kaminsky? Consider his senior season at Saint Joseph, when he served as co-captain. Kaminsky didn’t give up a single earned run during the first five weeks, and he ended the season with an ERA below 0.20. In 58 innings, Kaminsky struck out 118 — or two per inning — while walking a total of four batters. His fastball has been recorded as high as 96 miles per hour.

It’s not just his pitching they love. Kaminsky impressed everyone when he began collecting donations for every strikeout he recorded and then gave the funds to the pediatric care unit at a nearby hospital. Total raised by the Strikeout Challenge? $30,000. “I’ve been doing this 26 years and he’s not just the best player I’ve ever coached; he’s one of the best people I’ve ever coached,” coach Frank Salvano told the N.Y. Daily News.

The Daily News also reported that Kaminsky’s “prized possession” is a Sandy Koufax baseball card. That gives him something in common with Max Fried, a high-school pitcher in California who was chosen 7th overall in last year’s amateur draft by the San Diego Padres.

Around age 12, Fried began perfecting his curveball by studying rare footage of Koufax at work.

Rob Kaminsky (right) with St. Joseph Regional baseball coach Frank Salvano and 2013 co-captain Matt Kozuch

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Click to order

Author: Larry Ruttman (author’s website)

Other contributors: Foreword by Bud Selig; Introduction by Marty Abramowitz

Published: 2013 (publisher’s website)

Pages: 544 (including 75 photographs)

Price: $25.67 at Amazon (discounted from $34.95)

Our rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Reviewed by Stuart M. Katz for Jewish Baseball News

Overview

In American Jews and America’s Game, author Larry Ruttman shares the stories of more than 40 American Jews whose lives and careers were defined or influenced by the game of baseball.

Beginning with the 1930’s, Ruttman chronicles nine decades of the American Jewish experience through the lens of the country’s pastime. Generated primarily by interviews he conducted between 2007 and 2011, Ruttman includes stories of prominent Jewish players past and present – Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax, Art Shamsky, Craig Breslow and Kevin Youkilis, among others.

But the more innovative parts of the book are the first-hand stories of Jewish academics, fans, team owners, and other baseball royalty who influenced or observed the growth of the game – and the simultaneous progress of American Jewry. Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, megastar attorney Alan Dershowitz, former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, players union attorney Marvin Miller, and author and Yankees publicist Marty Appel are just a few of the voices that contribute to this fascinating volume.

What’s Jewish about it

Ruttman personally interviewed nearly every subject in this book, enabling him to pose the same questions to many of them. Are you religiously observant? Did you experience anti-Semitism in baseball? Are Jewish people particularly attracted to baseball? With a few exceptions, most of the interviewees describe a proud connection to their Jewish heritage and roots, even if aren’t religiously observant. Nearly all experienced or witnessed anti-Semitism associated with baseball. Many routinely participated in, or even created, charitable endeavors, to which Ruttman ascribes a Jewish ethos. Several of the interview subjects speak about Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey and the indelible mark they left on the game as trailblazers who permanently broke down long-standing barriers to equality.

My take

Ruttman covers some very familiar ground in his chapters about Greenberg, Koufax and some of the other better-known players. But American Jews and America’s Game includes stories of many lesser-known players, including Jewish stars of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Some of the accounts sound like chapters from a Jewish Geography lesson, like when Ken Holtzman of the Oakland A’s skipped a start during the 1973 American League Championship Series to go to synagogue in Baltimore on Rosh Hashanah, and ended up sitting next to and sharing a meal at the home of Jerry Hoffberger, the owner of the Baltimore Orioles, against whom Holtzman was pitching the next day.

Stories like this one, and learning about Elliott Maddox’s strong affinity for rugelach, were the highlights of this book for me. By including the stories of Marvin Miller, Chicago Cubs (and former Boston Red Sox) general manager Theo Epstein, Yankees president Randy Levine, and sportswriter Murray Chass, American Jews and America’s Game testifies to the widespread influence that American Jews have had on baseball, and from a multitude of personal perspectives.

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

Stuart M. Katz is a die-hard Yankees fan. An attorney at Cohen and Wolf in Bridgeport, Conn., he chairs the firm’s Employment & Labor Group and represents employers as well as executives.
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By Scott Barancik, editor

Oakland A’s 1B Nate Freiman was named American League Rookie of the Month after hitting .351 with one HR, three doubles, nine RBIs, and a .928 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) in May. Through yesterday’s games (6/3/2013), the 26-year-old Duke University alum ranked 2nd among A.L. rookies with 15 RBIs and a .350 on-base percentage, and third with a .793 OPS, all in only 70 at-bats.

The honor shows just how far Freiman has come despite adversity. After starring for Team Israel in the 2012 World Baseball Classic qualifiers, the 6-foot-8-inch slugger was picked up by the Houston Astros in the Rule 5 draft after the San Diego Padres left him unprotected. When the Astros placed him on waivers, Oakland stepped in. Freiman’s success so far in the Majors is all the more special since he has never played a day of Triple-A ball.

His June is off to a solid start, too. Freiman, who plays understudy to fellow first baseman Brandon Moss, is 2-for-7 with his first MLB triple (see video).

Jewish Baseball News thanks Jack W. for the tip.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Nearly a year after injuring himself during his Double-A debut, Washington Nationals prospect Cameron Selik returned to the pitcher’s mound, tossing 1.1 innings of relief in the Potomac Nationals’ 6-5 win over the Frederick Keys on Tuesday.

Selik, 25, is built like an NFL linebacker at 6-feet-2-inches tall and 235 pounds. A converted catcher, he caught games in high school for a then-underperforming teammate named Stephen Strasburg.

Last year, a combination of power and control earned him a 2-1 record at Potomac (A-Advanced) along with a 3.68 ERA, 34 strikeouts (in 22 innings) and only three walks. It also earned him a bump up to the Harrisburg Senators.

His stay there was painfully brief. Selik made his Double-A debut in the 7th inning of a game against the Binghamton Mets (box score). He retired the first batter he faced and had a 3-2 count on second batter when he left with a lat injury, just 10 pitches in. Selik — who had Tommy John surgery during junior college — wouldn’t return to the mound for nearly 12 months.

Yesterday’s game was not Hollywood perfect. Selik entered with two outs in the 6th inning, a man on second base, one run already in, and Potomac clinging to a 4-3 lead over the Frederick Keys. The University of Kansas alum struck out the first batter he faced to end the inning, but not before throwing a wild pitch. In the 7th inning, he gave up one run on a solo HR and two singles and was credited with a blown save (box score).

Thankfully, Potomac went on to win the game, 6-5. And Selik showed he was no relic: seventeen of the 25 pitches he threw were strikes.

“Definitely wasn’t the outcome I was hoping for in my return but it felt really good to pitch in a game again,” he Tweeted after the game. “Can’t wait to get even better!”

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(ESPN.com)

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Danny Valencia returned to the Major Leagues yesterday (5/19/2013), and he celebrated by hitting a double in his first at-bat as a Baltimore Oriole, a liner to the warning track in right-center field off Tampa Bay Rays ace Matt Moore (see video).

It was a sweet sound for the 28-year-old Miami native, a lifetime .316 hitter against southpaws whose once-promising career took a wrong turn in 2012 and left him mired in Triple-A with his second new team less than a year.

Valencia was the pride of Minnesota back in 2010, when he hit .311 with 7 HRs and 40 RBIs over 85 games and finished third in voting for A.L. Rookie of the Year. A year later he hit .246 with 15 HRs and a team-leading 72 RBIs. The Twins’ long search for a reliable third baseman seemed over.

But in 2012, Valencia struggled both at the plate and in the field, landing himself in Triple-A for several months. He didn’t fare much better after being acquired by the Boston Red Sox, for whom he hit just .143 in 10 games. The Sox traded him to the Baltimore Orioles during the offseason, for cash.

Valencia could have given up. After all, his career trajectory didn’t look good. He was due to open a season in the Minors for the first time since his rookie year, this time with the Norfolk Tides. But he fought back any shame or doubts and quickly caught fire. After 40 games in the International League (Triple-A) in 2013, he was hitting .306 and among league leaders with 11 HRs (1st/tie) — including seven in his last 10 games — 14 doubles (4th/tie), 35 RBIs (2nd), 29 runs (2nd), and a .600 slugging percentage (8th/tie). The O’s decided to give him another shot in the Majors.

Whether Orioles manager Buck Showalter will platoon Valencia against left-handed pitchers remains to be seen. But Valencia sounds optimistic. “The streak that I was on [in Norfolk] was probably one of the better streaks I’ve ever had in my career,” he told MLB.com. “I felt like any time they gave me a mistake to hit, I hit it pretty hard. It was a good feeling, and hopefully it carries over.”

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Editor’s note: Maxx Tissenbaum is a 21-year-old prospect with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, the San Diego Padres’ Single-A team, and an honest chronicler of life in the minor-leagues. Click here to see Maxx‘s past blog entries, and click here to join the Jewish Baseball News mail list.

_____________________________

By Maxx Tissenbaum/Special to Jewish Baseball News

Wow, what a week it has been for your fighting Fort Wayne Tincaps!  Since arriving home for our short three game set with the Great Lakes Loons, and everybody’s favorite Midwest League manager Razor Shines, we are 5-0, and have won a road series!  Hard to believe, but BELIEVE IT! That. Just. Happened.  Our home series with Great Lakes was a marked by a barn burner of a middle game, one in which four pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter.  We outscored Great Lakes 13-7, and we forced Razor to argue 26 calls, most of which he argued twice.

In the middle game, Max Fried went up against Jharel Cotton.  [Editor’s note: Fried is a Jewish pitcher as well as one of Maxx Tissenbaum’s roommates.] We faced him in our first series of the year at Great Lakes, and he’s a guy I faced in college, too.  I was looking forward to facing him now that I’d sort of found some rhythm at the plate.  I knew he was going to pitch off of his 2-seam fastball, which he locates well down in the zone.  He loves to stay away from lefties, and has a good changeup that he loves to use against lefties.  As a hitter, there is nothing better than going into a game with a very precise scouting report and an abundance of knowledge and familiarity with the opposing pitcher.  Walking to the plate knowing both tendencies and what each of his pitches looks like is a huge advantage and completely eliminates the surprise factor that pitchers try to beat you with. As Spring says on his Quality At Bats tape, it gets rid of the “whoaaaaa where’d that come from?”  I was confident that I’d play a part in a hit parade that was surely on its way.  Shortly after the first pitch was thrown, I realized this wasn’t going to be the case.  I did absolutely nothing at the plate, our team collected just five hits all night and going into the 9th we hadn’t scored a run.

The final line score from our no-hitter.

The exciting part of the game turned out to be on the defensive side of the ball.  Playing behind Max Fried, we all got chances early in the game.  We turned two double plays, our outfielders tracked down everything, and Max struck out 8 through 5.2 innings.  We were rolling. Matt Shepherd came in and immediately got a first pitch ground out to end the inning, another chance for me defensively.  He then threw another perfect inning before handing the ball to Leonel Campos, who threw a perfect inning, striking out every batter he faced. Roman Madrid threw the 9th, with a walk and a strikeout.  All night our guys gave us a chance to win the game.  We came up in the 9th inning, managed to get a hit and a pair of hit batsmen to load the bases.  It all came down to Brian Adams and [Loons pitcher] Scott Griggs. B.A. outlasted Griggs, walking on four pitches to set off the most exciting celebration in baseball, the walk-off walk.  Okay, so maybe it was a LITTLE anti-climatic, but a walk-off win is a walk-off win.  For most of our guys the no-hitter was an afterthought.  Nobody really noticed it until we were packing up and headed back to the clubhouse.  It was such a weird way to throw a no-no, there was no celebration on the mound like you always see on SportsCenter. There was a subdued mob around Adams at first base and then we all sort of just left.

We came back the next day and thumped the Loons 6-2 behind another dominant pitching performance by Justin Hancock.  We were out to a 6-0 lead before they got a run across, and by that point it was far too late.  We pulled out another home sweep, improving our record at Parkview Field to 13-3, a dominant clip.  It was great to sweep Great Lakes because as I mentioned in the open, our favorite manager Razor left in a huff.

We jumped on the bus the next morning and headed to Dayton, Ohio, to face the Dragons, the Cincinnati Reds affiliate.  Dayton’s Fifth Third Field is a stadium that currently boasts an over 900-consecutive-game sellout streak, and is one of the hardest tickets in all of pro sports to get.  I was excited to play at that stadium not because of the sellout streak, but because it seemed to bring together the long road I’ve traveled in my baseball career.

The entrance to 5th 3rd Field that my family used when I arrived at the showcase. This picture was taken from our bus as we pulled up to the players entrance yesterday.

Let me flash back to June of 2008.  I was a high school Junior, and had just been selected to play on Team Canada during its spring Dominican Summer League trip. I was beginning to receive letters from both college and pro teams requesting more information on both my playing and my academic career.  When I found out I’d be away from home for 10 days, I knew I’d be missing out on the excitement of checking the mail to see who wanted me to fill out what forms.  I told my parents that I wanted them to call me every time someone sent me baseball-related mail, and told them to open it and read it to me.  I came home from one of our games against the DSL teams and had my daily phone call with my mom, and she joked, “Okay, it’s time to commit mail fraud,” a running joke over the course of the week. What she read next floored me.  I had been a relatively obscure player in terms of the prospect rankings, and so I was totally off guard when she told me that the New York Yankees had sent me a huge package.  She read to me that they wanted me to go to a workout in Dayton, where I’d be evaluated by scouting directors, cross-checkers and other pro scouts from across MLB.  I freaked out, I wrote it in my calendar, and put in on my computer I made sure there were reminders everywhere.  When I came home I made sure to rearrange the exam I had scheduled for the morning of the workout.  My parents and I traveled to Dayton, and I walked through the home plate gate of Fifth Third Field, where I met the scout who had invited me.  He handed me a Yankees batting practice jersey and cap, and told me to head to the 3rd-base dugout.  I sat there putting on my spikes with about 50 other high school kids in either Yankees, Reds, Diamondbacks or Tigers uniforms.  We were all wide eyed, and I’d assume more nervous than any of us let on.  The workout was a blast, I got to work with all sorts of pro scouts and coaches, got to play with and against some of the top players in my graduating class and to top it all off  I was in a GORGEOUS minor league stadium.  Let’s just say it was one of my best baseball memories.

When the Tincaps arrived on Saturday afternoon, I threw my stuff into a locker and headed right to the dugout to check out the stadium I’d played on years earlier.  When I got to the field I was sort of disappointed.  I was surprised at how unimpressive the stadium looked compared to what I thought it was in high school.  I guess having never played at Alabama, Coastal Carolina, San Diego State, North Carolina, LSU, the College World Series, PK Park in Oregon, or any of the big league Spring Training stadiums, that Fifth Third Field seemed like the top of the baseball world.  I was almost as surprised about getting that invitation as I was at the weird realization that this was just another Class-A stadium, a nice ball park, but hardly the pantheon I thought it was.

The scoreboard in Dayton features two enormous dragons that spray smoke from their snouts when the home team hits a home run.

We went out and beat Dayton in the first two games, one of which I played, the other I sat and charted from the dugout.  Today we wrap up our series and head back to Fort Wayne for a three-game set against Bowling Green.  I think based on our start to the year we can finish this series off strong, because our team seems to play its best baseball in front of big crowds at nice stadiums, so Dayton has that almost homey feel to it.

Hopefully we can grab an early lead and pitch our way to another sweep, our first road sweep of the year!

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• Despite a recent slump, Rays A-advanced prospect Maxx Tissenbaum has 5 RBIs over the last 2 games and is hitting .284 (5/25/2014) ***
• First-round draft pick Rob Kaminsky had the sort of start St. Louis dreamed of Thursday, yielding just 2 hits and 1 walk over 6 scoreless innings while striking out 9. Teammate Mason Katz sweetened it with his league-leading 8th HR (5/25/2014) ***
• After playing 1B his first three years in the minors (2010-12), Pirates Single-A prospect Jared Lakind is settling in on the mound. In his 2nd game of the year Saturday, he pitched 3.2 scoreless innings, yielding 4 hits and no walks (5/25/2014) ***
• Sports Illustrated says Dodgers AAA prospect Joc Pederson, who smacked his league-leading 15th dinger Friday, “could be the next big thing” (5/24/2014) ***
• Ian Kinsler smacked 3 doubles off his former Rangers teammates Friday, his first such game since 2006 and the MLB’s 11th this season (5/24/2014) ***
• Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun left tonight’s game in the 5th inning with tightness in his right side (5/22/2014) ***
• Toronto’s Kevin Pillar singled three times Thursday in his 4th start of the season and 1st as DH. Too bad his attempted steal didn’t survive a review (5/22/2014) ***
• The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are selling a special cap as part of Jewish Heritage Night. Best part? Seeing “IronPigs” translated into Hebrew (5/22/2014) ***
• Pittsburgh’s Ike Davis went 3-for-4 with two RBIs Wednesday in a 9-8 win over the O’s, including this RBI single. He’s hitting .286 since joining the Pirates (5/22/2014) **
• Detroit’s Ian Kinsler completed an unusual kind of ‘cycle’ Thursday: single, double, walk and stolen base (5/21/2014) ***
• Of the more than 1,200 pinch-hit at-bats in the MLB this season, only four have resulted in triples — the latest coming tonight care of Cubs OF Ryan Kalish (5/21/2014) ***
• The Jewish Forward writes that, for Detroit Jews, the Ian Kinsler/Brad Ausmus combo hearkens back to the days of Greenberg (5/21/2014) ***
• Another first for Brad Ausmus: Detroit’s rookie manager got ejected today arguing a checked-swing call. See the video here (5/21/2014)
• Mariners A-advanced prospect Scott Dececco had perhaps his best start of the season Tuesday, giving up one earned run on 4 hits and a walk over 6 innings while striking out 8 (5/21/2014) ***
• Incredible game last night for second-year Cardinals prospect Mason Katz, who went 4-for-4 with 2 HRs, 4 RBIs and a walk in Peoria’s 14-3 win over Clinton (5/21/2014) ***
• Chicago’s Ida Crown Jewish Academy beat Rae Kushner Yeshiva H.S. of Livingston, N.J., 4-2 on Monday to win the 2014 ‘Jewish World Series‘ in Columbus, OH (5/21/2014) ***
• Starting at third base Tuesday in place of the slumping Mike Moustakas, Danny Valencia hit a two-run double, singled, and walked. He’s hitting .306 in limited action (5/21/2014) ***
• In his first start of the year, Toronto AA prospect Richard Bleier went five innings, yielding just one earned run on 7 hits and a walk (5/20/2014) ***
• Josh Satin is hitting .375 since the Mets sent him down to Triple-A (5/20/2014) ***
• That was quick: Dodgers prospect Jeremy Rathjen, briefly demoted last week, returned to Rancho Cucamonga with a two-run HR on Monday. He was named Power Performer of the Game (5/20/2014) ***
• Dodgers AAA prospect Joc Pederson is hitting .361 (ranked 4th in the PCL) with 14 HRs (2nd), 13 SBs (2nd/tie), .465 OBP (2nd), .663 slugging (3rd), and 41 runs (1st)…(5/20/2014) ***
• Another great game Monday for Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson, who went 3-for-6 with a mammoth HR, stolen base, 2 RBIs and 4 runs scored (5/20/2014) **
• Boston AAA prospect Ryan Lavarnway homered Sunday and went 2-for-4 Monday to raise his average to .259 — and .306 with runners in scoring position (5/20/2014) ***
• Ryan Braun‘s opposite-field HR on Monday was his first dinger in a month. More impressive was the 4th-inning toss that nabbed Atlanta’s Jason Heyward at the plate (5/20/2014) ***
• Minor setback: three prospects — Baltimore’s Sammie Starr, Pittsburgh’s Robert Stock, and the Dodgers’ Jeremy Rathjen — were demoted recently (5/19/2014) ***
• It was Jew vs. Jew yesterday when Texas reliever Aaron Poreda struck out Toronto pinch-hitter Kevin Pillar on three pitches and went on to earn his 2nd win (5/19/2014) ***
• At one K per 12.7 at-bats, Ian Kinsler is the A.L.’s third-toughest strikeout (5/19/2014) ***
• Detroit’s Ian Kinsler went 4/5 Sunday, raising his average to an A.L. fifth-best .315. It was his 11th career game with 4+ hits, and first since 8/27/2013 (5/19/2014) ***
• AA prospect Eric Berger, who’d never played for an N.L. franchise before Atlanta signed him late last month, singled Saturday in his second career at-bat (5/18/2014) ***
• There’s “no timetable” for the return of Minnesota’s Sam Fuld, who’s recovering from the effects of a head-banging catch (5/18/2014) ***
• In an inspiring blog post, Ryan Kalish writes about his fateful diving catch, four surgeries, and cherishing every day in a Cubs uniform (5/18/2014) ***
• Talk about balanced! Reds Double-A prospect Jon Moscot, a 6’4″ starter, has a 2.00 ERA vs. lefties and 2.17 ERA vs. righties (5/18/2014) ***
• Charlie Cutler‘s OPS this season: .665 with bases empty, 1.139 with runners in scoring position (5/18/2014) ***
• Cubs AA prospect Charlie Cutler hit his first HR of the season Saturday, a two-run shot. His OPS in May so far? 1.056 (5/18/2014) ***
• Padres AA prospect Jake Lemmerman, who impressed during a brief stint in AAA, went 2-for-4 Saturday with an RBI and two stolen bases (5/18/2014) ***
• Angels AA prospect Zach Borenstein drove in three runs for the second straight game Saturday, giving him 23 for the season (5/18/2014) ***
• In six appearances since Atlanta signed him to a minor-league free agent deal April 30, AA prospect Eric Berger is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA, 10 K’s, and just one BB over 9 innings (5/18/2014) ***
• Under rookie manager Brad Ausmus, Detroit is an MLB-best 26-12, has won 5 in a row, and leads its division by 6.5 games (5/18/2014) ***
• Toronto LF Kevin Pillar went 2-for-4 Saturday, hitting a clutch double in the 8th inning and scoring the go-ahead run in his fifth game since being called up (5/18/2014) ***
• Congratulations to St. Louis prospect Corey Baker on his promotion to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals! (5/17/2014) ***
• Big day at the plate Friday for Mets prospect Josh Satin, who went 4-for-5 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s (5/17/2014) ***
• A two-run single Friday by Red Sox Single-A prospect Zach Kapstein brought his two-game RBI total to five. He’s hitting .304 (5/17/2014) ***
• A bases-loaded triple by Angels AA prospect Zach Borenstein led the Arkansas Travelers to an 11-9 win Friday. He’s hitting .252, but .318 with men in scoring position (5/17/2014) ***
• The 5th annual ‘Jewish World Series‘ — a 3-day tourney with teams from 9 Jewish high schools across CA, GA, IL, OH, NJ, NY and PA — begins Sunday in Columbus, OH. Top seed? The Rae Kushner Yeshiva Cobras of Livingston, NJ (5/17/2014) ***
• Ryan Braun is one of just 7 players in MLB history to hit 15+ HRs in his first 50 games. White Sox rookie Jose Abreu is likely to be the 8th (5/16/2014) ***
• Al Clark says “Nobody grows up wanting to be an umpire.” So how did the Jewish kid from Trenton become one? Check out our interview with him (5/16/2014) ***
• Dodgers No. 2 prospect Joc Pederson had another two-HR game Thursday — including this massive shot — his third of the season. His 13 HRs are 2nd in the Triple-A PCL (5/16/2014) ***
• Great news! Oakland prospect Jeff Urlaub has been promoted to Triple-A. The 5th-year reliever was dominating Double-A, going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA, 19 Ks and 6 BBs (5/15/2014) ***
• Per JewishSportsReview.com: former MLB’er Josh Whitesell, who spent 2010-13 in Japan, is killing it in the Triple-A Mexican League, where he’s hitting .336 with 9 HRs (tied/7th) and 33 RBIs (tied/5th)…(5/15/2014) ***
• Padres Double-A prospect Jake Lemmerman homered for the second game in a row Wednesday. Unlike his prior 2 HRs this year, it was not a grand slam (5/15/2014) ***
• Scott Feldman was poised to lose after yielding 4 runs in 5 innings to the Rangers yesterday, but a poor relief outing by Aaron Poreda enabled the Astros to come back and win (5/15/2014) ***
• A 2-run home run Tuesday by Detroit Single-A prospect Tim Remes was his second dinger of the season. He added a sacrifice fly (5/14/2014) ***
• Jake Lemmerman‘s grand slam Tuesday came on the 14th pitch of the at-bat and followed 8 straight foul balls (5/14/2014) ***
• A’s Triple-A prospect Nate Freiman hit his fifth HR this month Tuesday and drove in four runs (5/14/2014) ***
• Padres Double-A prospect Jake Lemmerman hit his second HR of the season Tuesday. Interesting fact? Both were grand slams (5/14/2014) ***
• Red Sox Single-A prospect Zach Kapstein went 2/3 on Tuesday with a HR, single, walk and three RBIs, raising his average to .308 and his OBP to .410 (5/14/2014) ***
• Detroit Triple-A prospect Ben Guez homered, doubled and singled Tuesday. He’s 9-for-17 over the past 5 games, with 3 doubles, 2 HRs and 5 RBIs (5/14/2014) ***
• The Brewers today activated Ryan Braun off the 15-day disabled list. Milwaukee is 16-6 this season when he plays, and 8-8 when he doesn’t (5/13/2014) ***
• The Blue Jays today recalled hot-hitting prospect Kevin Pillar, who’s reached base the past 26 games in Triple-A. He went 0/3 tonight vs. Cleveland (5/13/2014) ***
• Cardinals prospect Corey Baker is yielding just 0.87 walks and hits per inning (WHIP), 2nd-lowest in the A-advanced Florida State League (5/13/2014) ***
• This team photo of the Rakuten Golden Eagles is priceless. Can you find Youk? (5/13/2014) ***
• Kevin Youkilis hasn’t played in Japan since a 4/26 heel injury and recently sought treatment in the States. In 21 games, he has a .215 batting average with one home run and 11 RBIs (5/13/2014) ***
• Reds Double-A prospect Jon Moscot pitched 7 shutout innings Monday in a 7-0 win. He’s 3-2 with a 1.97 ERA and a slim 1.03 WHIP (5/13/2014) ***
• Great night for Ian Kinsler, who went 2-for-3, homered for the 2nd game in a row, walked, and stole a base in the Tiger’s 4-1 win over the O’s (5/12/2014) ***
• Israel’s senior national team is $16,211 short of what it needs to attend the European Championships in Slovenia. To make a tax-deductible donation, please click here (5/12/2014) ***
• Since his call-up from Triple A, the Rangers’ Aaron Poreda has made 9 relief appearances and faced 30 batters, but he’s yet to give up a run or even an inherited one (5/12/2014) ***
• Keith Weisenberg, a Stanford commit who plays on the 18U National Team, is one of 26 high-school pitchers in this draft class whose fastball has touched 95 mph (5/12/2014) ***
• Toronto prospect Scott Silverstein, a second-year pro who stands 6’6″, is 3-1 with a 3.50 ERA and 3 saves after a scoreless 3-inning stint Saturday (5/11/2014) ***
• MLB.com reporter Corey Brock tweeted that Padres No. 2 prospect Max Fried, out with a sore forearm, tossed batting practice yesterday and is “likely to pitch for an affiliate in 10 days” (5/11/2014) ***
• Blue Jays Triple-A prospect Kevin Pillar extended his hot streak Saturday with a HR and two doubles. In his last 10 games he’s hit .429 with 7 XBHs and 8 RBIs (5/11/2014) ***
• Dodgers No. 2 prospect Joc Pederson had 2 more HRs and 4 RBIs yesterday. For the season he’s hitting .373 with 11 HRs, 22 RBIs and 10 SBs (5/11/2014) ***
• On a tear: A’s prospect Nate Freiman has 17 RBIs in his last 10 games. His 32 RBIs are tied for third in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League (5/11/2014) ***
• In his three bases-loaded at-bats this season, Ike Davis has hit two grand slams and a two-run double (5/10/2014) ***
• A’s prospect Nate Freiman went 2/3 with a walk Friday and had 3 RBIs for the 2nd game in a row. His 30 RBIs are tied for 4th in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League (5/10/2014) ***
• The Mets have demoted Josh Satin to Triple-A to make room for IF Eric Campbell. Satin was hitting .107 in 28 at-bats (5/10/2014) ***
• Nats prospect Tweeted this yesterday about his Tommy John surgery: “Surgery went great! I want to thank everyone for all of their great love and support through this process!” (5/9/2014) ***
• Joc Pederson‘s most astounding stat Thursday? Scoring 5 runs. In the MLB, at least, no one’s done that this season (5/9/2014) ***
• Dodgers AAA prospect Joc Pederson homered, singled, and walked thrice Thursday, but this catch (VIDEO) got all the attention (5/9/2014) ***
• A’s prospect Nate Freiman hit a pair of HRs Thursday. In his last 10 games, he’s hit .324 with 4 HRs, 7 XBHs, 12 RBIs, a .409 OBP, and a 1.166 OPS for the AAA Sacramento River Cats (5/9/2014) ***
• Sam Fuld‘s heroic catch Friday (VIDEO) apparently had a cost. He’s been put on the 7-day DL with concussion symptoms (5/8/2014) ***
• Dodgers No. 2 prospect Joc Pederson hit his 8th HR Wednesday (VIDEO), tied for sixth highest the AAA Pacific Coast League (5/8/2014) ***
• Houston didn’t wait long to deploy Josh Zeid, who faced just one batter Wednesday and struck him out on four pitches (5/8/2014) ***
• For the second day in a row, a one-inning relief stint earned Boston’s Craig Breslow the win, this time in a 4-3 victory over the Reds (5/8/2014) ***
• In his new memoir Called Out But Safe, Al Clark says blowing the shofar on the High Holidays helped prepare him for the pressures of being an MLB umpire. Read an excerpt here (5/8/2014) ***
• Out with a rib strain, Ryan Braun took batting practice today and says he may be back in the lineup by Tuesday (5/7/2014) ***
• The Astros have called up reliever Josh Zeid from AAA. The 26-year-old made two MLB appearances earlier this year and and was 2-1 with 5 saves and a 2.19 ERA in the minors (5/7/2014) ***
• Astros AAA prospect Josh Zeid earned his 5th save of the season Tuesday. The closer is 2-1 with a 2.19 ERA (5/7/2014) ***
• Angels AA prospect Zach Borenstein went 2-for-4 Tuesday with a HR, single, walk and 5th stolen base for the Arkansas Travelers (5/7/2014) ***
• Although it doesn’t appear on today’s Jewish Box Score, Boston’s Craig Breslow struck out 2 and pitched a scoreless 12th inning Tuesday to earn the win in the Sox’s 4-3 victory over the Reds (5/7/2014) ***
• Out since April 17 with biceps trouble, Houston’s Scott Feldman may return to the mound as early as Friday vs. the O’s (5/6/2014) ***
• Rob Kaminsky, a 1st-round pick of the Cardinals last year and the franchise’s #4 prospect, made his first start of the year Sunday after being called by Single-A Peoria. He gave up 1 run over 4 innings in a 2-0 loss (5/6/2014) ***
• Cubs Double-A prospect Charlie Cutler went 4/4 with an RBI on Monday. In 37 at-bats, he’s hitting .296 with 4 doubles, 8 RBIs, and a .426 OBP (5/6/2014) ***
• El Paso Times: “Jake Lemmerman has found a new home…And El Paso fell in love with Jake Lemmerman.” (5/6/2014) ***
• In a game that featured three Team Israel alums, Padres prospect Jake Lemmerman hit a two-out, two-strike grand slam in the 9th (VIDEO) to give the AAA El Paso Chihuhuas a 13-10, walk-off win over the Sacramento River Cats (5/6/2014) ***
• Kevin Pillar reached base all 5 times tonight, going 3/3 with a triple, 2 walks and an RBI while lifting his average to .295 (5/5/2014) ***
• Gabe Kapler‘s fine article about visiting former No. 1 draft pick Matt Bush in prison proves Kap has arrived not only as a broadcaster but as a journalist (5/5/2014) ***
• Blue Jays prospect Kevin Pillar is 2-for-2 so far tonight, extending his league-leading hitting streak to 17 games. Check out this video of his walk-off triple Saturday (5/5/2014) ***
• Congrats to Kevin Pillar, MiLB.com’s Int’l League offensive player of the week ending May 4. The Toronto prospect hit .444 with 9 RBIs, 2 BBs and 2 SBs (5/5/2014) ***
• Red Sox Single-A prospect Zach Kapstein went 3/5 with an RBI on Sunday to boost his average to .324 (5/5/2014) ***
• Nate Freiman‘s HR yesterday gave him 24 RBIs, 5th-highest in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League (5/5/2014) ***
• Padres AAA prospect/comedian Cody Decker is taking over El Paso. Yesterday (VIDEO) he anchored sports and weather news on the local NBC affiliate (5/5/2014) ***
• It was a nice moment Sunday in El Paso when Cody Decker singled, Chihuahuas (and Team Israel) teammate Jake Lemmerman loaded the bases with a bunt, and both scored on hits (5/5/2014) ***
• Twins fans got a taste of Sam Fuld‘s outrageous glove Friday when he robbed the O’s Manny Machado of an extra-bases hit. Take two aspirin and watch the video (5/5/2014) ***
• Tigers manager Brad Ausmus says he supports Ian Kinsler‘s plan to run the basepaths more aggressively, even after Kinsler — who lost weight for the cause — was picked-off at first base and tossed out trying to stretch a double into a triple Saturday (5/5/2014) ***
• A’s prospect Jeff Urlaub continues to dominate Double-A hitters. Entering Saturday’s game in the 9th, he struck out all three batters swinging and lowered his ERA to 0.59 (5/4/2014) ***
• Blue Jays Triple-A prospect Kevin Pillar leads the Buffalo Bisons in doubles (9), triples (2), and runs (13/tie), and his 15 RBIs rank second (5/4/2014) ***
• Padres Triple-A prospect Cody Decker went 2/4 with a two-run HR in El Paso’s 8-4 win over the Sacramento on Saturday (5/4/2014) ***
• After four two-hit games in a row, Rays prospect Maxx Tissenbaum is hitting .333, seventh-highest among Florida State League hitters with 60 or more at-bats (5/4/2014) ***
• A’s prospect Nate Freiman recorded an unassisted double play Saturday off a liner hit by Padres prospect — and fellow Team Israel alum — Cody Decker (5/4/2014) ***
• At 6’8″, A’s prospect Nate Freiman doesn’t triple often. Friday’s three-bagger (VIDEO) was his fifth in 1,980 minor-league at-bats (5/4/2014) ***
• Cubs Double-A prospect Charlie Cutler, batting cleanup, went 3/5 with a double and 4 RBIs in an 8-4 win Saturday (5/4/2014) ***
• Was Detroit wise to trade Prince Fielder ($24m salary) for Ian Kinsler ($16m)? Kinsler is hitting .299 with 2 HRs, 15 RBIs, and a .757 OPS. Fielder is hitting .209 with 2 HRs, 9 RBIs and a .613 OPS (5/4/2014) ***
• Mazel tov to former MLB’er Michael Schwimer, who tweeted that he and his wife are expecting a baby in September (5/3/2014) ***
• LSU sophomore Alex Bregman is a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, given to the nation’s best college shortstop. He won the award in 2013 (5/3/2014) ***
• MLB.com has named Joc Pederson its Pipeline Hitting Prospect of the Month (ARTICLE), awarded to the minors’ best-performing batter (5/3/2014) ***
• The Brewers have put Ryan Braun on the 15-day disabled retroactive to 4/27, the day he strained a right rib muscle (5/3/2014) ***
• Sorry to report that A’s prospect Nick Rickles is out for the year with a torn labrum. “Got a long recovery ahead but I will work my ass off,” he tells us. Come back soon, Nick (5/3/2014)
• Rays prospect Maxx Tissenbaum is hitting .313, second highest on the A+ Charlotte Stone Crabs (5/3/2014) ***
• Blue Jays prospect Kevin Pillar went 2/4 with a double and 3 RBIs on Thursday. The Buffalo Bisons (AAA) LF is hitting .381 over the past 10 games with 5 doubles, 8 RBIs and 4 stolen bases (5/3/2014) ***
• Credit the Reds for believing in Jon Moscot and even promoting him to AA despite a 4-15 record last year. He’s 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 6 starts (5/3/2014) ***
• Awesome 2-game tally for A’s prospect Nate Freiman, who went 5-for-9 on Thursday/Friday with 1 HR, 2 doubles and 6 RBIs. His 21 RBIs are tied for 7th in the PCL (5/3/2014) ***
• Congratulations and thanks to our 1,000th Twitter follower, thesportspost.com co-founder Evan Kendall (@Evan_TSP). He wins a JBN ball cap! (5/3/2014) ***
• Padres prospect Cody Decker went 3/5 Friday with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs. He’s had multiple hits in 3 of his last 5 games (5/3/2014) ***
• Texas reliever Aaron Poreda, who hadn’t played in the Majors since 2009, has an 0.00 ERA thru 6 games, including 4 in the past week (5/3/2014) ***
• Ike Davis broke out of an 0-for-21 streak with a double and an RBI single in the Pirates’ 6-5, extra-inning loss to the O’s yesterday (5/2/2014) ***
• Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson went 3/4 yesterday with a HR, walk and stolen base. He’s hitting .398 (2nd in the Triple-A Pacific League) with 6 HRs (6th/tie), 9 stolen bases (2nd/tie), and a .504 OBP (2nd)…(5/1/2014) ***
• Toronto prospect Scott Silverstein pitched two no-hit innings and struck out three Wednesday for his 3rd save. He’s 2-1 with a 5.91 ERA for theSingle-A Lansing Lugnuts (5/1/2014) ***
• Toughest pitcher to get on base against in the Midwest League (Single-A)? Reds prospect Zack Weiss, whose 0.46 WHIP leads all pitchers with >10 innings pitched. He also has a 0.00 ERA (4/30/2014) ***
• Toughest batter to strike out in the Florida State League (A-advanced)? Rays prospect Maxx Tissenbaum, who’s whiffed just once every 16.25 at-bats (4/30/2014) ***
• Getting sent down to the minors stinks. But in an interview with MLB.com, Toronto prospect Kevin Pillar says he’s learning to thrive again in Triple-A (4/29/2014) ***
• Joc Pederson, the Dodgers’s #2 prospect, went 3/4 last night with 2 walks (one intentional), 2 RBIs and a stolen base. He’s hitting .389 with 5 HRs, 8 doubles, 13 RBIs, 7 stolen bases, and a .495 OBP (4/29/2014) ***
• Toronto prospect Kevin Pillar extended his hitting streak to 11 games Monday, going 4/4 with 2 walks, 4 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. His average over the streak is .405 (4/28/2014) ***
• Here’s a funny, poignant post by Israel Association of Baseball executive director Nate Fish about Passover, Yom HaShoah, and baseball in Israel (4/28/2014) ***
  
• Israel’s under-16 team finished 2nd at a PONY tournament in Prague for the 2nd straight year. It beat Russia, Belarus, Lithuania and London before losing to Czech Academy in the finals (4/28/2014) ***
• Ryan Kalish batted leadoff Sunday for the first time as a Cub, going 2/4 with a stolen base. Manager Rick Renteria called him “a guy who can work the count” (4/28/2014) ***
• Ryan Braun strained his rib cage saturday and is expected to be out at least several days. No telling whether he’ll end up on the disabled list (4/28/2014) ***
• Tampa Bay prospect Maxx Tissenbaum is learning how to play catcher this season. In a recent interview, he did a great job explaining why the position is so taxing (4/28/2014) ***
• JBN reader Jack W. says Sam Fuld had more doubles last week (four), his first as a Twin, than he did in all of 2012 and 2013 combined (three)…(4/28/2014) ***
• Detroit Tigers prospect Ben Guez was an 8th-inning defensive replacement Friday for the Toledo Mud Hens (AAA). He did his job. Check out this video (4/28/2014) ***
• The Orioles have promoted 2012 draftee Sam Kimmel (C) to the franchise’s A-Advanced team, the Frederick Keys (4/25/2014) ***
• Team Israel teammates Cody Decker and Jake Lemmerman are back together, this time with the San Diego Padres’ Triple-A squad, the El Paso Chihuahuas. You might say they’re…goo.gl/lsCPvm (4/25/2014) ***
• Boston’s Craig Breslow had one of the worst outings of his 9-year MLB career Thursday, giving up 5 hits, 4 ERs, and 3 walks in 1 inning vs. the Yankees (4/25/2014) ***
• Sam Fuld is one of only three Major Leaguers this season with 6 or more extra-base hits in 40 or fewer at-bats. He has 1 HR, 2 triples and 3 doubles (4/25/2014) ***
• Who’s sorry now? In his 2nd game as a Twin, Sam Fuld went 3/5 with 2 doubles (VIDEO) and 2 RBIs vs former team Tampa Bay on Thursday (4/25/2014) ***
• Toronto AAA prospect Kevin Pillar is heating up after a slow start. He’s had hits in his last 7 games — including 3 yesterday — and is hitting .306 over his past 10 (4/24/2014) ***
• Ryan Braun went 2/3 with an RBI double (VIDEO) in Milwaukee’s 5-2 win over San Diego, vaulting him into a tie for third in the N.L. RBI race with 17 (4/24/2014) ***
• In his first game as a Twin, Sam Fuld doubled and hit an RBI single (VIDEO) to help spark a 6-4, extra-inning win over his former Rays teammates (4/24/2014) ***
• Former Cleveland Indians prospect Alex Kaminsky has been traded to the Washington Wild Things of the independent Frontier League. Kaminsky went 7-5 with a 3.28 ERA for the Lake Erie Crushers in 2013 (4/23/2014) ***
• Mariners AA prospect David Colvin earned his second save of the year Tuesday and lowered his ERA to 1.26 after scattering a hit and a walk over 3.1 innings (4/23/2014) ***
• Second-year Cardinals prospect Mason Katz has 14 RBIs in just 58 at-bats, tied for fourth-highest total in the single-A Midwest League (4/23/2014) ***
• Ian Kinsler doubled twice (VIDEO), walked, and drove in 2 runs in the Tigers’ 8-6 win over the White Sox (4/23/2014) ***
• Dodgers A-Advanced prospect Jeremy Rathjen hit a grand-slam on Monday, his 3rd HR of the season. The 6’5″ OF is better known for his speed, having stolen 33 bases last season (4/22/2014) ***
• The Astros have placed Scott Feldman on the 15-day DL with bicep tendinitis. Feldman is a leader among N.L. pitchers this season in Wins Above Replacement (3rd), Range Factor (2nd), ERA (7th), and Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched (9th)… (4/22/2014) ***
• Ike Davis‘ grand-slam HR (VIDEO) led Pittsburgh to a 6-5 win over the Reds. It was his 2nd this season and the 3rd of his career (4/22/2014) ***
• Feh on PEDs. Ryan Braun ranks 1st in the N.L. in HRs (6), runs scored (16), power-speed number (3.0), and win probability added (1.4)…(4/21/2014) ***
• Zach Borenstein hit for the cycle Sunday (ARTICLE). The Angels’ #11 prospect and 2013 California League MVP went 4/5 with 4 RBIs and a walk (4/21/2014) ***
• Ryan Braun‘s game-tying, 9th-inning dinger vs. Pittsburgh on Sunday (VIDEO) came a day after he lifted Milwaukee with a game-winning HR in the 9th. Braun leads the N.L. with six round-trippers (4/21/2014) ***
• Great news! The Minnesota Twins have picked up Sam Fuld, whom the A’s designated for assignment on April 12. He’ll join the team Tuesday vs. former employer Tampa Bay (4/20/2014) ***
• Richard Justice of MLB.com thinks Pittsburgh will be good for Ike Davis, and vice-versa. See his article and a video interview with Davis here (4/20/2014) ***
• Seattle’s AA prospect David Colvin killed yesterday, giving up just 1 hit over 2.2 innings while striking out 5 and lowering his ERA to 1.64 (4/20/2014) ***
• MEA CULPA: Ike Davis is the 12th Jewish player in Pirates history, not the 11th. The rest: Ed Mensor (1912-14), Jake Pitler (1917-18), Erskine Mayer (1918-19), Dick Conger (1941-42), Harry Shuman (1942-43), Hank Greenberg (1947), Cal Abrams (1953-54), Sid Gordon (1954-55), Dave Roberts (1979-80), Ross Baumgarten (1982), and John Grabow (2003-09)… (4/20/2014) ***
• Joc Pederson, the Dodgers’ consensus #2 prospect, doubled twice Saturday to raise his average to a stout .441 (4/20/2014) ***
• Padres prospect Cody Decker smashed a 3-run HR Saturday. In 471 Triple-A at-bats over three seasons, Decker has 24 HRs, 84 RBIs, 6 triples, 31 doubles, a .253 average, and a .352 OBP (4/20/2014) ***
• Angels LF prospect Zach Borenstein, the 2013 California League MVP, homered and tossed out a runner at third Saturday (4/20/2014) ***
• Making his first MLB appearance since 2009, Texas’ Aaron Poreda killed a 6th-inning rally to earn a hold. Coming in with one out and two men on, he retired dangerous Adam Dunn, issued a walk, and induced a force-out (4/20/2014) ***
• All five of Ryan Braun‘s HRs this season have come in multi-homer games. So far he’s the only player with a three-HR game (4/20/2014) ***
• Ike Davis shined in his first start as a Pirate, going 2/3 with a double (VIDEO), a walk and 2 runs scored against Ryan Braun‘s Brewers (4/20/2014) ***
• Ryan Braun‘s 2nd homer of the night (VIDEO), a two-run shot in the 9th inning, earned Milwaukee a 9-8 win over the Pirates yesterday. He went 3/5 with 3 RBIs (4/20/2014) ***
• In his first 14 games as a member of the Rakuten Golden Eagles — former team of Yankees hurler Masahiro Tanaka — Kevin Youkilis is hitting .224 with 1 HR, 4 doubles, 8 RBIs, and a .367 OBP (4/19/2014) ***
• Two of the 11 Jews who played for the Pirates before Ike Davis are alive: Ross Baumgarten, 58, and John Grabow, 35 (4/19/2014) ***
• The 12 Jewish Pittsburgh Pirates? Ed Mensor (1912-14), Jake Pitler (1917-18), Erskine Mayer (1918-19), Dick Conger (1941-42), Harry Shuman (1942-43), Hank Greenberg (1947), Cal Abrams (1953-54), Sid Gordon (1954-55), Dave Roberts (1979-80), Ross Baumgarten (1982), John Grabow (2003-09), and Ike Davis (2014-)… (4/19/2014) ***
• Mazel tov to Aaron Poreda, who was called up Friday by Texas. The 6’6″ reliever hasn’t played in the Majors since 2009 and sat out all ’13 after undergoing Tommy John surgery (4/19/2014) ***
• Ike Davis is a Met no more. Faced with a surfeit of first basemen — including Jewish teammate Josh Satin — New York traded the 5th-year player to Pittsburgh. Davis is the first Jewish Pirate since John Grabow from 2003-09 (4/18/2014) ***
• After giving up just one run over his first 3 starts, Scott Feldman had a tough outing against the Yankees yesterday. But his ERA remains a trim 1.69, and he ranks 3rd among all A.L. players in Wins Above Replacement (4/18/2014) ***
• Teams likely to show interest in Sam Fuld include the Twins and Angels, the S.F. Chronicle’s Susan Slusser says (4/17/2014) ***
• The A’s have until April 21 to choose a fate for Sam Fuld. Options are to trade him, release him, send him to the minors, or place him on waivers (4/17/2014) ***
• Ian Kinsler‘s three-run HR (video) and RBI single powered the Tigers to a 7-5 win over the Indians today and raised his average to .327 (4/17/2014) ***
• Want to visit Israel and compete against the world’s 26th-ranked national baseball team? Check out details on the first-ever Israel Summer Baseball Classic (4/17/2014) ***
• Danny Valencia, who’s had just 11 at-bats this season, hit his first home run as a Royal in yesterday’s 6-4 win over Houston (4/17/2014) ***
• Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson went 4-for-4 Tuesday with 2 HRs, a double, single, walk and 5 RBIs, raising his average to .442 with L.A.’s Triple-A team (4/16/2014) ***
• Cody Decker‘s latest video — about a weeks-long prank on veteran teammate Jeff Francoeur — has been viewed more than 735,000 times since its April 12 debut and has cracked up folks at the New York Daily News, CBS News, Deadspin, and elsewhere (4/14/2014) ***
• Danny Rosenbaum‘s second start of the season was a doozy. The Nats’ Triple-A prospect pitched 6 shutout innings, giving up just 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out five (4/13/2014) * * *
• In his first Triple-A stint, Dodger’s prospect Joc Pederson is hitting .419 with 3 HRs, 3 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, and a .550 OBP (4/13/2014) ***
• A’s infielder Eric Sogard sent a sweet tweet to the departing Sam Fuld: “Going to miss you #SuperSam. Best of luck to a great teammate and even better person” (4/13/2014) **
• Ian Kinsler‘s two doubles — including this RBI shot — helped Detroit to a 6-2 win over the Padres yesterday. The Central Division-leading Tigers are 6-3 under rookie manager Brad Ausmus (4/13/2014) ***
• It’s confirmed: the A’s have designated Sam Fuld for assignment in order to make room for Craig Gentry. The S.F. Chronicle says the move did not surprise Fuld and there’s a “good chance” someone will claim him on waivers (4/12/2014) ***
• Is Oakland through with Sam Fuld, who made the team’s Opening Day roster after signing a Minor League contract with the franchise in the off-season? Fox Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal tweets that the A’s designated Fuld for assignment (4/12/2014) ***
• Our condolences to Houston’s Scott Feldman, whose father — a former college baseball player, U.S. Army 1st lieutenant, cop, FBI agent, and NFL security rep — died of brain cancer Wednesday. Here’s the obit (4/12/2014) ***
• In just his second start at first base this season, the Mets’ Josh Satin hit a two-run double  (VIDEO) to deep left field Friday off Angels starter Tyler Skaggs (4/12/2014) ***
• After blanking Texas on 2 hits over 7 innings Friday (VIDEO), Houston’s Scott Feldman lowered his ERA to 0.44 over 20.2 innings, 3rd best in the A.L. Unfortunately, his opponent was Yu Darvish, who has a 0.00 ERA and beat the Astros 1-0 (4/12/2014) ***
• Boston’s Craig Breslow pitched a perfect 7th inning Thursday in his first outing of the season, retiring three Yankees on just 12 pitches (4/11/2014) ***
• Eric Berger, a Team Israel alum who has pitched for three franchises over a 7-year Minor League career, was released yesterday by Oakland. “Pretty decent year last season,” he Tweeted today. “Never thought I would be out of a job 1.1 innings into 2014 season!” (4/10/2014) ***
• Sam Fuld crushed a two-run HR this afternoon. The shot was his first as an Athletic, the 7th of his MLB career (all to RF), and broke a 62-game dry spell dating back to 6/24/2013. It came on an 89-mph sinker, the count 3-1 with one out (4/10/2014) ***
• Despite an impressive 2013 in which he went 5-2 with a 2.96 ERA in AA and AAA, Brett Lorin was released by the Diamondbacks early last month. He tells JBN he has signed with the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks and hopes to return to an MLB franchise soon (4/10/2014) ***
• Check out this mammoth Joc Pederson HR to center Tuesday (VIDEO), the L.A.D. prospect’s third of the season (4/10/2014) ***
• Ryan Braun‘s 2-run triple (VIDEO) paced the Brewers to an 8-4 win over the Phillies (4/10/2014) ***
• For more details on Ryan Braun‘s awe-inspiring night at the plate, see our article (4/8/2014) ***
• Josh Zeid‘s first MLB game of 2014 was an interesting one. Entering tonight’s game with two on and one out, the Astro picked off a runner at 2nd, gave up a run-scoring double, and ended the inning with a strikeout (4/8/2014) ***
• Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun blasted three HRs, drove in 7 runs, and made a diving catch tonight to key a 10-4 win over the host Phillies (4/8/2014) ***
• Craig Breslow is expected to rejoin the Red Sox roster as early as tomorrow after completing a rehab stint in Pawtucket, ESPN.com says (4/8/2014) ***
• Former Nats prospect Cameron Selik is rehabbing from shoulder surgery and says he’s anxious to get back on the mound. Injuries have bedeviled the 26-year-old since his stellar 2012 season (4/8/2014) ***
• Sam Fuld hasn’t lost a step since leaving Tampa Bay for Oakland. Check out this diving grab he made Sunday, sent to us by fan @eli859 (4/8/2014) ***
• Maxx Tissenbaum spent the offseason learning how to play catcher. In his first Minor League game behind the plate Sunday, the Rays prospect threw out an impressive two of five baserunners who tested his arm (4/8/2014) ***
• Zach Borenstein, a high-ranked Angels prospect best known for his bat, dropped jaws yesterday by stealing four bases, including home. Click here for our article (4/8/2014) ***
• Craig Breslow, on the disabled list since Opening Day with a strained left shoulder, is rehabbing with Boston’s Triple-A club. In 2.2 innings across three games, he’s held opponents scoreless while giving up 2 walks and one hit (4/8/2014) ***
• Just four games into his first Triple-A stint, Dodgers’ prospect Joc Pederson is hitting .429 with 2 HRs. Check out this recent article on him (4/8/2014) ***
• The Astros will add Josh Zeid to their bullpen while reliever Matt Albers goes on paternity leave (4/7/2014) * * *
• Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, whose right thumb is numb due to nerve damage, singled twice and stole a base Sunday after going 1-for-16 to start the season (4/7/2014) * * *
• Ryan Kalish‘s double and triple Sunday were his first MLB hits since 9/26/2012, when the Chicago Cubs newcomer was with Boston (4/7/2014) * * *
• Second-year Cardinals’ prospect Mason Katz hit two HRs today, one in each game of a doubleheader — and as many as he hit all last season (4/6/2014)
• Houston’s Scott Feldman, who blanked the Yankees in his first start of the season, today limited the Angels to 3 hits, 2 walks and 1 earned run over seven innings today (4/6/2014)
• What a day for the Cubs’ Ryan Kalish. The utility outfielder hit a two-run triple, an RBI double, and drew two walks in an 8-3 win over the Phillies (4/6/2014)
• Ian Kadish, a pitching prospect recently released by the Blue Jays, tweeted today that he has signed a contract with the Lincoln Saltdogs. “The first step back…Very grateful for the opportunity!”, he wrote (4/6/2014)
• Ike Davis‘s pinch-hit, walk-off, grand-slam HR yesterday came a day after he lost the Mets’ First Base job to Lucas Duda (4/6/2014) * * *
• Detroit’s Brad Ausmus is the first MLB manager to begin his career 4-0 since Clint Hurdle of Colorado and Jerry Royster of Milwaukee did it in 2002 (4/6/2014) * * *
• Amazing Ike! Ike Davis smashed a pinch-hit, grand-slam home run in the bottom of the 9th today to give the Mets a 6-3, walk-off win over the Reds (4/5/2014) * * *
• Ryan Braun crushed during Spring Training but is 1-for-16 since Opening Day. A recurrence of the nerve problem in his thumb may be partly to blame (4/5/2014) * * *
• The Tigers are 3-0 under rookie manager Brad Ausmus. His second baseman, Ian Kinsler, is hitting .357 with 1 HR and 3 RBIs (4/5/2014) * * *
• Sam Fuld, who hit a triple in his A’s debut Wednesday, came thisclose to hitting an inside-the-park HR on Thursday. After a lengthy challenge and review, umpires decided the Mariners’ catcher properly tagged him out without blocking the baseline. Skip to 2:15 of this video to see the hit (4/4/2014) * * *
• Good news, bad news: the Lansing Lugnuts, Toronto’s Single-A club, welcomed second-year pitcher Scott Silverstein onto its roster but released fellow hurler Ian Kadish, a 2011 draftee who went 5-4 with a 3.36 ERA and 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio for the team last year (4/3/2014) * * *
• Ian Kinsler homered in the 4th and hit a walk-off single in the 10th to give Detroit a 2-1 win over K.C.  (4/3/2014) * * *
• In his first regular season game with Oakland, CF Sam Fuld went 2/4 with a triple, RBI single, walk and stolen base (4/3/2014)
• April Fool’s? Nope, it’s true: Houston’s Scott Feldman blanked the Yanks for 6 and 2/3 innings in the teams’ season opener Tuesday. “Scotty Feldman, I can’t say enough how big of a performance like that is in his first start as an Astro,” manager Bo Porter said. “To give us that kind of performance is tremendous.” See video here (4/2/2014)
• Detroit beat Kansas City 4-3 in walk-off style on Opening Day to give Brad Ausmus (see photo) a thrilling win in his first game as Tigers manager (4/1/2014)
• The number of Jews on Opening Day rosters has shrunk to eight, now that the Red Sox have placed reliever Craig Breslow on the 15-day disabled list with a mild left shoulder strain (3/31/2014) * * *
• The Royals’ Danny Valencia and the Mets’ Ike Davis and Josh Satin each has made his team’s Opening Day roster, bringing the total number of Jews on MLB Opening Day rosters this season to nine (3/30/2014) * * *
• Sam Fuld makes Oakland A’s Opening Day roster! However, SF Chronicle says he may be squeezed out next week to make room for Craig Grentry (3/29/2014)  * * *
• Reason #374 you should follow Cody Decker‘s Twitter feed: folk wisdom. “People take athletes too seriously….. I hit a ball with a piece of wood for a living….. How is that role model material?….” (3/29/2014) * * *
• In his first MLB appearance this Spring, Rays’ prospect Maxx Tissenbaum hit a pinch-hit single against the franchise’s Double-A team (3/29/2014) * * *
• Houston Astros prospect Eric Berger has been traded to the Oakland A’s. In Triple-A play last season, the 27-year-old went 6-and-3 with one save and a 3.06 ERA (3/29/2014) * * *
• Ryan Kalish has made the Cubs’ Opening Day roster, but the news is not so good for Toronto’s Kevin Pillar and Boston’s Ryan Lavarnway. See our article (3/29/2014) * * *
• Dodgers’ prospect Joc Pederson hit his third HR of the Spring on Friday (see video), an 8th-inning solo shot that tied the game en route to a 5-4 win (3/29/2014) * * *
• Sam Fuld‘s two-out, bases-loaded triple Friday was his fourth three-bagger this Spring, second-most in the A.L. (3/29/2014) * * *
• Ryan Braun homered, doubled and drove in 3 runs Friday. With one game left this Spring, the Brewer is hitting .412 with 3 HRs, 5 doubles, 9 RBIs, a .500 on-base percentage, and a 1.324 OPS (3/29/2014) * * *
• Robbie Widlansky, a 29-year-old who hit .283 over a 7-year minor league career before being released by the L.A. Angels, has signed with the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League (3/26/2014)
• Chicago Cubs hopeful Ryan Kalish hit an RBI single, walked, and stole a base Tuesday. His six stolen bases are tied for third-highest in the N.L. (3/26/2014)
• Great relief outing for Oakland A’s prospect Jeff Urlaub versus Texas today. In the 8th inning, Urlaub struck out the first batter he faced, gave up an infield hit, picked off the baserunner at first, and got the third out on an infield grounder (3/24/2014)
• Top prospect Joc Pederson made it to the final round of roster cuts before the Dodgers sent him to the minors Saturday. He’ll likely make his MLB debut sometime this season (3/24/2014)
• In his 2014 MLB Spring Training debut Saturday, Padres’ prospect Jake Lemmerman drew a walk and popped out after replacing 2B Jedd Gyorko in the 7th inning (3/23/2014)
• Ike Davis celebrated his 27th birthday Saturday by stroking his second HR of the Spring as the Mets beat the Marlins 10-2 (3/23/2014)
• Rare event: Scott Feldman and Josh Zeid both pitched for Houston yesterday (box score). Feldman lost; Zeid pitched the 6th and 7th innings, and struck out the side swinging in the latter (3/22/2014)
• Ike Davis‘ fight for the Mets’ first base job is heating up. Davis went 3/3 Friday with 2 RBIs vs Minnesota, while rival Lucas Duda homered (3/22/2014)
• Ike Davis, back in the Mets’ lineup after a nearly 3-week injury hiatus and fighting for the team’s First Base job, hit a 2-run double in the 1st inning of today’s game against the Twins, now in the 3rd inning (3/21/2014)
• Blue Jays prospect Richard Bleier earned a “hold” Thursday in his first MLB Spring Training appearance since 2010. Entering the game with one on and two outs in the 5th, Bleier yielded a single to Philadelphia’s Tony Gwynn but fanned Chase Utley on three swings to end the threat (3/21/2014)
• Dynamic duo, Part 2: A day after Ian Kinsler and Ben Guez starred for the Tigers, teammates Nate Freiman and Sam Fuld put on a show for A’s fans. Freiman went 2-for-3 with an RBI single and a three-run HR against Cleveland on Wednesday, while Fuld went 2-for-3 and drew a walk (3/20/2014)
• Oakland’s Sam Fuld hit his third triple of the Spring yesterday, tying him with one other player for the A.L. lead. He’s hitting .279 with 1 HR, 4 RBs, and a .852 OPS (3/19/2014)
• The Astros have named Scott Feldman their Opening Day starter (3/18/2014)
• Injuries to Ike Davis and Lucas Duda could make Josh Satin the Mets’ Opening Day first baseman, Newsday says. Davis hasn’t played since March 2 (3/18/2014)
• Citing an anonymous source, a blogger says the Red Sox are shopping C Ryan Lavarnway to other teams. Both Boston and its Triple-A team are deep at catcher, and Lavarnway’s bat has disappointed (3/18/2014)
• The Cubs’ Ryan Kalish has 5 stolen bases this Spring, sixth best in the Majors (tie). He’s the only player with 5 or more walks who’s struck out just once (3/18/2014)
• Want to have Adam Greenberg join you for lunch, give you batting tips, or send someone a personalized birthday video? See pricing here (3/17/2014)
• Top prospect Joc Pederson is one of 30 Dodgers headed to Australia to face local all-stars and Arizona in the season opener (3/17/2014)
• If you haven’t read Tampa Bay Rays prospect Maxx Tissenbaum‘s blog lately, check out today’s post on his improved bat speed and brushes with MLB stars (3/17/2014)
• Ryan Lavarnway continued his torrid Spring today with a HR in his lone at-bat. The Red Sox catcher is hitting .346 with 2 HRs, 5 RBIs and a 1.029 OPS (3/17/2014)
• Chicago Cubs hopeful (and former Red Sox outfielder) Ryan Kalish singled, walked twice, scored 2 runs, and stole 2 bases Sunday vs. the Mets (3/17/2014)
• The L.A. Dodgers have signed free agent and former Major League pitcher Ryan Sadowski to a minor-league contract. After debuting with the S.F. Giants in 2009, Sadowski played three seasons in Korea and returned to the Giants’ franchise in late 2012 with a minor-league contract. He tweets in English and Korean (3/17/2014)
• Batting 8th in the order yesterday, Ian Kinsler went 3-for-3 with 2 HRs, 4 RBIs and a walk as Detroit beat Houston 14-3. Kinsler is hitting .323 this Spring (3/16/2014)
• Kevin Pillar saw just one pitch Friday. His pinch-hit double drove in Toronto’s lone run in a 3-1 loss to the Red Sox (3/15/2014)
• Oakland’s Sam Fuld is batting .273 this Spring with a .515 slugging percentage, thanks to hitting a HR, two triples, and a double (3/15/2014)
• Josh Satin went 2/2 today with a HR and a walk in the Mets’ 9-8 win over the Cardinals (3/11/2014)
• Ryan Lavarnway‘s 8th-inning HR provided the winning margin in Boston’s 6-5 victory over the Orioles today (3/11/2014)
• Padres prospect Cody Decker hit a pinch-hit double over the head of centerfielder Elian Herrera yesterday to drive in two runs (3/8/2014)
• Tough outing for Nationals prospect Danny Rosenbaum yesterday against the D’backs. Brought in to pitch the bottom of the 9th inning with the score tied 2-2, he gave up the winning run on a walk, throwing error by the second baseman, wild pitch and single (3/7/2014)
• If only Oakland’s Sam Fuld could hit ’em in the regular season like he does in Spring Training. His HR today versus Arizona was his sixth in 203 Spring Training at-bats, the same number of dingers he’s hit in 713 regular season at-bats (3/6/2014)
• In the Padres’ 8-0 win over the White Sox on Wednesday, prospect Cody Decker hit a 3-1 pitch for a two-run HR in his only at-bat (3/6/2014)
• Keep an eye on 15-year-old Joe Fitzhugh of Las Vegas. The 5-foot-10-inch catcher is on the roster of Team USA’s 14-and-under national development team (3/4/2014)
• Not a bad Spring so far for Ryan Braun. After a 65-game suspension, the Brewers RF is 4-for-5 with a HR, double, two walks and two RBIs (3/4/2014)
• Houston reliever Josh Zeid pitched a scoreless 8th inning Monday in his 2014 debut as the Astros beat Miami 4-0 (3/4/2014)
• Sam Fuld, who’s battling for a roster spot with the A’s, is hitting .364 after five Spring Training games (3/4/2014)
• The Nats brought in Danny Rosenbaum to face Derek Jeter with one out and two on base Monday. The result? An inning-ending double play (3/4/2014)
• Oakland prospect Jeff Urlaub tossed the first — and, so far, only — Spring Training pitch of his career on Sunday. It was all the 26-year-old needed to get the final out of the 7th inning, stranding two Angels on base (3/3/2014)
• Danny Valencia homered in his Kansas City Royals debut Thursday (3/2/2014)
• Dodgers top prospect Joc Pederson is 2-for-8 this Spring with a HR and three RBIs (3/2/2014)
• Scott Feldman pitched 2 scoreless innings Saturday in his first start with the Houston Astros (3/2/2014)
• After an off-season filled with trade rumors, Ike Davis remains a New York Met. On Friday, he hit a 2-run HR in his Spring Training debut (3/2/2014)
• Sam Fuld‘s debut with the Oakland A’s was a success. Batting leadoff in the team’s Spring Training opener, Fuld, who’s hoping for a roster spot, went 2-for-3 and scored 2 runs in a 10-5 win over the crosstown Giants (2/27/2014) * * *
• Check out MLB.com’s profile of St. Louis Cardinals “phenom” Rob Kaminsky, recently named a Top 100 prospect by ESPN Insider  (1/31/2014) * * *
• No news yet on the fate of free agents Sam Fuld or Jason Marquis. Where will they land? (1/23/2014) * * *
• Sam Fuld reportedly is weighing minor-league offers from five teams, each of which includes a Spring Training invite (12/28/2013) * * *
• Brad Ausmus hasn’t managed a game yet for the Detroit Tigers, but he’s already made a mark. HardballTalk recently rated him the most handsome of today’s MLB managers and “probably” the best-looking one in baseball history (12/22/2013) * * *
• Is it conceivable that the Mets would trade 1B Ike Davis to their crosstown rivals, the Yankees? An MLB.com reporter speculates (12/20/2013) * * *
• Mets’ trade bait Ike Davis and Yankees’ free agent Kevin Youkilis remain in place after MLB’s Winter Meeting, but one of the first basemen may yet end up a Tampa Bay Ray (12/12/2013) * * *
• Baseball writer Ken Rosenthal tweets that a Japanese team is interested in free agent Sam Fuld. Replied a follower: “He’d be above average height for the first time in his career” (12/9/2013) * * *
• Wow…Four of 14 Jews who played in the MLB last season now are free agents. Joining them is former Boston Red Sox outfielder Ryan Kalish, who is optimistic about his return from surgery (12/4/2013) * * *
• Former Arizona Diamondbacks 1B Josh Whitesell has been released by the Chiba Lotte Marines. In four seasons in Japan, the 31-year-old hit .277 with 40 HRs and 143 RBIs (11/25/2013) * * *
• Mazel tov to New York Mets infielder Josh Satin on his Nov. 9 marriage to Allyson Murrow (11/13/2013) * * *
• Former Cardinals prospect Kevin Moscatel spent the past season playing in Japan, but this Fall the 22-year-old catcher is playing in his native Venezuela for the Caribes de Anzoategui (11/6/2013) * * *
• Angels prospect Robbie Widlansky, Giants prospect Ryan Sadowski, and Tigers prospect David Kopp have been declared free agents, says Baseball America (11/5/2013) * * *
• Unconfirmed news reports say the Detroit Tigers have hired former MLB catcher and Team Israel manager Brad Ausmus as manager. More later! (11/3/2013) * * *
• After 7 scoreless appearances in this year’s playoffs, Boston’s Craig Breslow has struggled in the World Series, retiring only 1 of the 7 batters he’s faced, and that was on a sacrifice fly (10/28/2013) * * *
• Jeff Urlaub is pitching like a champ in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. In 6 relief appearances, the Oakland A’s prospect is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, a hold, 8 strikeouts and just one walk. His division-leading team, the Mesa Solar Sox, are 10-4. Here’s hoping he starts the 2014 season in Triple-A (10/26/2013) * * *
• The Tampa Bay Rays have traded prospect Sean Bierman to the Chicago White Sox as part of a deal to acquire reliever Jesse Crain, according to the Tampa Bay Times. A second-year player, Bierman went a combined 6-5 with a 2.55 ERA this season for the Rays’ Class A and Class A-advanced teams (10/16/2013) * * *
• In his Arizona Fall League debut, Angels prospect Zach Borenstein went 1-for-3, walked twice, and scored 2 runs for victorious Mesa (10/10/2013)
• Boston reliever Craig Breslow was dominant in last night’s 3-1 ALDS win over the Rays, striking out the first 4 batters he faced (10/9/2013) * * *
• Today saw the 2013 debut of the Arizona Fall League, a six-team league featuring top MLB prospects. Oakland A’s prospect Jeff Urlaub pitched a scoreless inning and picked-off a baserunner for the Mesa Solar Sox, but teammate (and Angels prospect) Zach Borenstein did not play (10/8/2013) * * *
• Nate Freiman‘s abdominal injury and Detroit’s right-handed starting rotation will keep him off the A’s ALDS roster, but he will come along for the ride. “He is part of this,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said (10/2/2013) * * *
• Ian Kinsler‘s season came to an end yesterday with a 5-2 loss to the Rays, but not for lack of trying. He had a double and an RBI single for Texas (10/1/2013) * * *
• Boston’s Craig Breslow has quietly put together a career season. The 8th-year reliever is 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA (9/30/2013) * * *
• Ian Kinsler delivered an RBI single in the Rangers’ 6-2 win over the Angels, which kept Texas’ playoff hopes alive  (9/30/2013) * * *
• Turnaround! In August, Houston rookie Josh Zeid had a 7.30 ERA. Through 9/28, his September ERA was 0.64 (9/29/2013) * * *
• Speaking of Nate Freiman, on Saturday the 6’8″ rookie made his first appearance since being sidelined by an abdominal strain nearly two weeks ago (9/29/2013) * * *
• The New York Times reports that Nate Freiman‘s wife, Amanda Blumenherst, is leaving the pro golf tour to spend more time with him (9/29/2013) * * *
• Kevin Pillar went 2/4 with a two-run HR on Saturday to help put away the Rays 7-2 (9/29/2013) * * *
• Houston rookie Josh Zeid smoked the Mets on Friday, retiring all 5 batters he faced, 3 of them by strikeout (9/28/2013) * * *
• You won’t believe this risky diving catch by Toronto rookie Kevin Pillar on Friday (9/28/2013) * * *
• A matter of time: Kevin Pillar went 2-for-4 Thursday to lift his average to .200. The Blue Jays rookie, whose lifetime minor-league average is .321, has hit .280 over his past 10 games  (9/27/2013) * * *
• Josh Satin‘s 3rd home run of the season was a doozy, a pinch-hit shot in the 9th inning (9/27/2019) * * *
• Nate Freiman may not make Oakland’s playoff roster, due to an abdominal strain. The rookie first baseman hasn’t played in more than a week (9/25/2013) * * *
• Ian Kinsler contributed a single and an RBI double off the centerfield wall in the Rangers’ 12-0 win over the hapless Astros (9/24/2013) * * *
• Baltimore’s Danny Valencia singled, walked, and scored a run Sunday, but he and teammate Scott Feldman couldn’t get beyond Sam Fuld and the Rays (9/23/2013) * * *
• Kevin Pillar provided both Blue Jay runs Sunday with a solo HR and RBI single, but an RBI single by Ryan Lavarnway helped Boston prevail 5-2 (9/22/2013) * * *
• Less than a week after he hit the first pitch of a game for a HR, Ian Kinsler opened Saturday’s game against the Royals with a triple (9/22/2013) * * *
• Double trouble: Josh Satin‘s double Thursday was his 15th in 179 at-bats. No other MLB player with under 200 ABs has that many two-baggers right now
• Heads-up play: Ian Kinsler scored from 2nd on a single Thursday…an INFIELD single (9/20/2013) * * *
• With a head-first slide into home plate, pinch-runner Sam Fuld scored the winning run on Desmond Jennings’ walk-off single (9/19/2013) * * *
• Josh Satin hit a two-run, walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th to give the Mets a 5-4 win over the Giants. It was his first MLB walk-off, and he has the shaving cream to prove it (9/19/2019) * * *
• Nice article today on MLB.com about Danny Valencia‘s turnaround. It’s a shame he lacks enough at-bats to win the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award (9/19/2013) * * *
• Scott Feldman yielded a career-high six walks Tuesday but just one earned run over 5 innings. The O’s starter has a 1.77 ERA over his last 7 starts (9/18/2013) * * *
• Ian Kinsler homered on the first pitch of the game and drove in 3 runs overall as Texas beat Tampa Bay 7-1. It was the 29th leadoff HR of his career (9/18/2013) * * *
• Danny Valencia‘s leadoff triple in the ninth set up the winning run in the O’s 3-2 triumph over the Red Sox. The smash also ended reliever Koji Uehara’s streak of consecutive retired batters at 37 (9/18/2013) * * *
• Ian Kinsler and Craig Breslow were nominated by their teams for MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award. Click here and here for their take on tikkun olam (9/17/2013) * * *
• Danny Valencia‘s 2-run double lifted the wild-card-chasing O’s to a 3-1 win over Toronto (9/16/2013) * * *
• Sandy Koufax famously sat out the 1st game of the ’65 World Series for Yom Kippur. Did he go to Temple? At a Minnesota shul, the debate rages on (9/13/2013) * * *
• In today’s Huffington Post, Occidental College professor Peter Dreier explores the age-old clash between baseball and Yom Kippur and speculates on which players may honor the holiday this year (9/13/2013) * * *
• Orioles DH Danny Valencia hit a game-tying 3-run HR in the 8th inning on Thursday against the Yankees (9/13/2013) * * *
• It was the Danny Valencia and Scott Feldman show again last night in Baltimore. Valencia went 4/4 to raise his average to .330 while Feldman held the Yankees to 3 runs on 3 hits over 7 2/3 innings, albeit in a 5-4 loss (9/12/2013) * * *
• Danny Valencia went 3/4 Saturday with 2 doubles. It was his eighth multi-hit performance in the past 9 games, during which he’s hit .563 with 3 HRs, 6 doubles, and 7 RBIs (9/8/2013) * * *
• Ryan Lavarnway had 2 RBIs in Boston’s 9-8 win over the Yankees, but the back-up catcher gave up five stolen bases, including slow-footed Lyle Overbay’s first of the season and Alex Rodriguez’s fourth (9/6/2013) * * *
• Boston tied a team record with 8 HRs Thursday. Ryan Lavarnway joined the party with his first Fenway dinger. Said Will Middlebrooks: “A line drive off the top off the top of the Monster? He crushed that ball” (9/5/2013) * * *
• Houston’s Josh Zeid not only had his best MLB outing yet — scattering 2 hits and 3 strikesouts across 3 scoreless innings — he made an outstanding fielding play on a bunt, doing both a glove-flip and a front roll (9/4/2013) * * *
• Tampa Bay was getting crushed by the Angels last night when manager Joe Maddon boosted morale by bringing in his secret weapon: Sam Fuld. The 31-year-old outfielder hadn’t pitched since high school, but with two outs and men on 2nd and 3rd, Fuld retired J.B. Shuck with an 86-mph fastball (9/3/2013) * * *
• Angels prospect Zach Borenstein homered in his final game of the season Monday to take over the California League HR lead at 28. Scott Schebler, with 27, has one game left (9/3/2013) * * *
• Josh Satin is a doubles machine. So far this season, he’s the only major-leaguer to hit at least 14 doubles in fewer than 200 plate appearances (9/3/2013) * * *
• Kevin Pillar had an RBI single and scored a run as the Blue Jays beat the D’backs 4-1 (9/3/2013) * * *
• Now THAT’s some designated hitting. Baltimore’s Danny Valencia has two or more hits in each of his last six games, including the five games since his last call-up (9/2/2013) * * *
• Ryan Kinsella has lit up the Rookie Pioneer League since being demoted by the D’backs, going 10-for-25 with 2 triples, two doubles, and 6 RBIs (8/31/2013) * * *
• Danny Valencia jacked  two-run HR in the Orioles’ 3-2 win over the Yanks on Friday (8/31/2013) * * *
• Check out Ike Davis‘ two-run, opposite-field home run against the Nationals (8/31/2013) * * *
• Rays prospect Lenny Linsky is on a hot streak. In his past 10 appearances — 8 in relief, and 2 as a starter — he’s 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA (8/29/2013) * * *
• Dodgers prospect Jeremy Rathjen has 33 stolen bases this season, 8th best in the Class-A Midwest League (8/29/2013) * * *
• Tyger Pederson, selected by the Dodgers in the 33rd round of this year’s amateur draft, is off to a good start. In 60 at-bats with the club’s rookie-league team, the second baseman is hitting .317 with 7 RBIs and a robust .438 on-base percentage (8/28/2013) * * *
• Ian Kinsler had the tenth 4-hit game of his career Tuesday and his first in over a year, but it was his steal of third base in the 10th inning that set up the game-winning run. See post-game interview here (8/28/2013) * * *
• Normally a reliever, Astros prospect Eric Berger got his third start of the season Monday, giving up a run on two hits over five innings for his Triple-A team (8/27/2013) * * *
• Padres prospect Maxx Tissenbaum went 3-for-3 with a season-high 4 RBIs Monday as the Fort Wayne TinCaps beat the Bowling Green Hot Rods 7-4 (8/27/2013) * * *
• Making progress: Blue Jays rookie Kevin Pillar went 0-for-17 in his first five MLB games. Since then he’s gone 5-for-17  with 3 walks (8/26/2013) * * *
• The White Sox have promoted 2013 draftee Brad Goldberg to their A-advanced team. In his first game there, he pitched 3 scoreless innings and earned a save (8/26/2013)
• AP: Teaching Israeli kids about baseball isn’t easy, especially when your chief proponent doesn’t speak Hebrew (8/26/2013)
• Groundbreaking game today for Kevin Pillar. The Blue Jays’ rookie went 2-for-4 with his first MLB home run and three RBIs (8/24/2013) * * *
• A White Sox left fielder’s misfortune Friday earned Ian Kinsler his first inside-the-park home run…and Chicago manager Robin Ventura an ejection (8/24/2013) * * *
• In his first game after being reassigned to the D’backs’ rookie-league team, 1B Ryan Kinsella went 3-for-5 with two triples (8/23/2013) * * *
• Is White Sox prospect Brad Goldberg for real? The only 2013 draftee playing in Class A, he’s 3-0 with 2 saves, a 1.42 ERA, 44 K’s, and just 7 walks in 29.1 innings. Opposing batters are hitting .122 off him (8/22/2013) * * *
• Blue Jays rookie Kevin Pillar singled, walked, and scored a run today, the third straight game in which he’s reached base twice (8/22/2013) * * *
• With the High Holidays nearing, Ryan Braun today issued more details — and apologies — about his use of performance-enhancing drugs, and his bid to cover it all up (8/22/2013) * * *
• Mets rookie Josh Satin homered, singled, and walked today, raising his season average to .303 and his on-base percentage to .422 (8/21/2013) * * *
• Gabe Kapler‘s bodybuilder physique drew accusations of steroid use during his playing days. In an excellent article pointed out to us by Jewish Sports Collectibles, Kap argues that physical appearance is a poor predictor of illegal drug use (8/21/2013) * * *
• It’s a hit! In Game 2 of tonight’s double-header against the Yankees, Blue Jays rookie Kevin Pillar got his first MLB hit and walk (8/21/2013) * * *
• A career .321 hitter in the minors, Kevin Pillar is 0-for-17 in the MLB. But the new Blue Jay did get his first RBI today (8/21/2013) * * *
• Robbie Widlansky hit .367 during his 3-week stint in Triple-A, but the Angels sent him down today anyway. What gives? (8/21/2013) * * *
• Red Sox option catcher Ryan Lavarnway back to Triple-A (8/21/2013) * * *
• L.A. Times columnist says Ryan Braun railed against steroids while in high school (8/20/2013) * * *
• Called-up by the O’s yesterday to face David Price, Danny Valencia continued his mastery of the Tampa Bay ace, going 3-for-4 with an RBI double and a walk. Overall, he’s 9-for-12 against Price, with 3 RBIs and 3 walks (8/20/2013) * * *
• ESPN says Ryan Braun told top players in 2012 that his urine sample’s courier was anti-Semitic (8/19/2013) * * *
• Yasher koach to Joc Pederson, who was named the Southern League (AA) Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. The Dodgers’ top prospect hit .435 (10-for-23) with 3 HRs, 8 RBIs, 5 doubles, 5 walks, and a .536 on-base percentage (8/19/2013) * * *
• David Price‘s all-time greatest nemesis is Danny Valencia, who is 7-for-10 with 2 walks against the reigning Cy Young winner. Called-up today to face the Rays’ ace, Valencia just hit an RBI double in his first at-bat (8/19/2013) * * *
• Our minor-league pitchers were lights-out Friday. Over a combined 8.2 innings, five hurlers held opponents scoreless on 4 hits while striking out 14 and walking NONE (8/17/2013) * * *
• Tigers prospect Tim Remes hit 2 HRs on Wednesday. In his last 10 games, the 22-year-old catcher is hitting a blistering .424 with 5 HRs, 13 RBIs, 2 doubles, and a .548 on-base percentage (8/16/2013) * * *
• At 28, Robbie Widlansky‘s recent promotion to Triple-A was overdue, but he’s already making a case for the Majors. The Angels’ prospect hit 2 HRs yesterday, and in 41 at-bats he’s hitting .415 with 9 RBIs and a .510 on-base percentage (8/16/2013) * * *
• Another game, another highlight-reel fielding play by rookie Kevin Pillar. This time, the newest Blue Jay tosses out Dustin Pedroia at the plate (8/16/2013) * * *
• A’s rookie Nate Freiman had his best game yet, going 4-for-4 with a HR, double, and four RBIs in a 5-0 win over the Astros. See highlight video (8/16/2013) * * *
• Ian Kinsler hit a two-run, go-ahead single in the 7th inning Wednesday to key the Rangers’ 5-4 win over the Brewers (8/15/2013) * * *
• Big news: Kevin Pillar made his MLB debut Wednesday with the Blue Jays. Though held hitless by the Red Sox, the 24-year-old left fielder turned the first line drive he faced into a highlight-reel catch (8/15/2013) * * *
• In 27 games since returning from the minors, the Mets’ Ike Davis is hitting .284 with 1 HR, 8 doubles, 9 RBIs, and an impressive .448 on-base percentage (8/8/2013) * * *
• Sam Fuld hit a pinch-hit, 2-run double yesterday to put the Rays ahead of the D’backs 8-7. The D’backs stormed back to win 9-8 (8/8/2013) * * *
• Michael Schwimer is a man without a team. The Toronto Blue Jays have released the 6-foot-8-inch reliever, who debuted with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012 and made six shutout appearances for the Jays’ Triple-A squad this season before going out with a back injury (8/8/2013) * * *
• Way to go, Josh Zeid. The Astros’ rookie reliever made his 4th MLB appearance yesterday and has yet to yield a run (8/7/2013) * * *
• Baltimore optioned Danny Valencia back to the Norfolk Tides yesterday…and on Monday, Toronto designed reliever Michael Schwimer, who was on the 60-day D.L., for assignment (8/7/2013) * * *
• In just 320 at-bats, Angels prospect Zach Borenstein ranks among Calif. League leaders with 22 HRs (2nd/tie), 80 RBIs (3rd/tie), a .394 OBP (8th/tie), and a 1.038 OPS (1st)… (8/7/2013) * * *
• Ike Davis went 2-for-2 with two walks in the Mets’ 3-2 win over Colorado and ended the game with a diving grab. He’s reached based in 12 of his last 14 plate appearances (8/7/2013) * * *
• Boston knuckleballer Steven Wright‘s debut start last night was hell on Ryan Lavarnway, whose 4 passed balls in the 1st inning tied an MLB record. But the catcher later earned cheers with a 2-run, go-ahead double (8/7/2013) * * *
• St. Louis prospect Jeremy Schaffer must like his home runs in bunches, because on Monday the Peoria Chiefs’ first baseman hit a pair for the third time this season (8/6/2013) * * *
• A breakout game today for rookie catcher Tim Remes. The Tigers prospect went 3-for-4 with 2 HRs, a double, a walk, and 2 RBIs against the GCL Pirates (8/5/2013) * * *
• How good has Sean Bierman been since the Rays promoted him to the Charlotte Stone Crabs? In 5 games — including tonight’s, his first start — he’s 1-1 with a 2.11 ERA, 16 strikeouts, and zero walks (8/5/2013) * * *
• Jews at the corners! The Mets’ starting lineup Monday featured Ike Davis at first base and Josh Satin at third base. When was the last time that happened? (8/5/2013) * * *
• The O’s hit the ‘Up’ button on Danny Valencia‘s AAA-to-MLB elevator Sunday. He responded by doubling, homering, and driving in both of the O’s runs in a 3-2 loss to Seattle (8/5/2013) * * *
• Sam Fuld doesn’t get many starts these days, so he made the most of a rare opportunity yesterday, scoring one run after walking and stealing second, and driving in the go-ahead run with a two-out single as the Rays beat the Giants 4-3 (8/5/2013) * * *
• Congrats to Angels prospect Robbie Widlansky on being promoted to Triple-A. In 5 games there, he’s hitting .400 with 3 RBIs and a .500 on-base percentage (8/2/2013) * * *
• Congrats to Josh Zeid, who made his Major League debut tonight. Zeid entered the game with one out in the 8th and his Astros down 4-3 to the O’s. He got cleanup hitter Adam Jones to pop out on the first pitch, walked MLB home-run leader Chris Davis, and retired Matt Wieters on one pitch to end the inning (7/30/2013) * * *
• Wonder why the Rays use Sam Fuld as a defensive replacement in late innings? Check out this toss, which preserved a 2-1 win over the Red Sox on Monday. The ump later admitted blowing the call (7/30/2013) * * *
• A total of 7 Jewish minor-leaguers pitched Monday, and none yielded a run. Their combined stats: 0 ERs, 5 hits, 10 strikeouts, and 4 walks over 10.2 innings (7/30/2013) * * *
• Two Jews were minor-league Players of the Week today. Zach Borenstein earned California League honors for hitting .434 with 4 HRs and 14 RBIs. Nick Rickles topped the Midwest League by hitting .500 with 2 HRs and 9 RBIs (7/28/2013) * * *
• It’s showtime for the Pederson family. MLB.com says Joc is the Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect. And on Friday, the team signed brother Tyger, a 33rd-round draft pick (7/28/2013) * * *
• Our apologies to him for not mentioning it sooner, but Cody Decker hit his 100th minor-league HR on July 12. An outfielder with the Padres’ Triple-A team, he smashed a 2-run shot off the first pitch he saw in the 4th inning (7/28/2013) * * *
• Nick Rickles is on fire. On Saturday, the A’s prospect went 5/5 for the first time in his 3-year pro career. He’s hitting .405 in July, with 3 HRs and 17 RBIs (7/28/2013) * * *
• Happy 22nd birthday to Padres prospect Maxx Tissenbaum, who celebrated today by hitting an RBI double in his first at-bat (7/25/2013) * * *
• Happy 49th birthday to the original Jose Bautista, who pitched for 5 teams during his nine-year MLB career. He was raised Jewish in the Dominican Republican and later married a Jewish woman (7/25/2013) * * *
• Happy birthday to the late Larry Sherry, who passed away in 2006. The MVP of the 1959 World Series, Sherry went 2-0 with 2 saves and a 0.71 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who beat the Chicago White Sox in 6 games. He also went 2-for-4 at the plate (7/25/2013) * * *
• The Orioles designated DH Danny Valencia for assignment yesterday. He was 0-for-9 since being called up from Triple-A on July 19 (7/25/2013) * * *
• Gabe Kapler may be out of baseball, but baseball isn’t out of him. Check out his column on why players need to evaluate themselves using sabermetrics (7/23/2013) * * *
• After a tough May and June in which he hit under .200, things are clicking for Nick Rickles. The A’s prospect is 13-for-33 (.394) in his last 8 games with 2 HRs and 13 RBIs, including a game-winning grand slam last night (7/23/2013) * * *
• Zach Borenstein continues to amaze. In the 10 games since his month-long D.L. stint ended, the Angels prospect has gone 18-for-35 (.400) with 2 HRs, 13 RBIs, 2 doubles, and 5 walks (7/23/2013) * * *
• It took only a couple hours after Ryan Braun‘s suspension was announced yesterday for Twitter to fill up with anti-Semitic rubbish. Huffington Post assembled the 10 worst tweets (7/23/2013) * * *
• Ex-Chicago White Sox pitcher Marv Rotblatt has died at age 85. Read the N.Y. Times obit here (7/23/2013) * * *
• Major League Baseball announced today that it had suspended Ryan Braun for the remainder of the 2013 season for violating its drug-prevention program. Check back here later for details (7/22/2013) * * *
• Kinsler watch: Ian Kinsler went 2/4 with a double and one RBI in the Rangers’ 4-2 loss to Baltimore yesterday but did not steal a record-setting 163rd base (7/22/2013) * * *
• Three minor-leaguers homered yesterday: Seattle’s Jack Marder, St. Louis’ Richard Stock, and the Angels’ Robbie Widlansky (7/21/2013) * * *
• Phenomenal day yesterday for minor-league pitchers. The 4 hurlers who played — Tampa Bays’ Sean Bierman and Lenny Linsky, Seattle’s David Colvin, and Arizona’s Brett Lorin — tossed a total of 10 scoreless innings, striking out 9 batters while walking one (7/21/2013) * * *
• Kinsler watch: Ian Kinsler doubled twice in the Rangers’ 3-1 loss to Baltimore but did not steal a record-setting 163rd base (7/20/2013) * * *
• Baltimore recalled DH Danny Valencia from Triple-A in time for Friday night’s game against the Rangers (7/20/2013) * * *
• Quick study: Pirates draftee Henry Hirsch has been promoted to the club’s Class A/short season team. In his debut Monday with the Jamestown Jammers, he pitched a perfect 7th inning, striking out two (7/15/2013) * * *
• Get this: Baseball America’s midseason ranking of the Top 50 Prospects includes two Jews: #35 Joc Pederson, and #40 Max Fried (7/15/2013) * * *
• Nats prospect Danny Rosenbaum had one of his best starts of the season yesterday. In a 6-inning stint for the Syracuse Chiefs (AAA), he struck out 8 and gave up one earned run on 5 hits and 2 walks (7/15/2013) * * *
• LSU star (and recent St. Louis Cardinals draftee) Mason Katz went 2-for-4 today with a single and his first professional home run (7/15/2013) * * *
• Indians prospect Richard Stock went 4-for-5 Saturday, his 6th straight game with 2 or more hits. The record among active MLB players is 9 games, held by Kevin Youkilis and one other (7/14/2013) * * *
• Oakland A’s prospect Nick Rickles went 3/4 with a HR and 4 RBIs in the Beloit Snappers’ 7-6 win Friday. The 23-year-old catcher has hit .371 over the last 10 games (7/13/2013) * * *
• Tampa Bay bumped farmhand Sean Bierman up to the Charlotte Stone Crabs (A+) after the southpaw went 5-4 with a 2.69 ERA for the club’s Class A team. Bierman pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief in his Stone Crabs debut (7/13/2013) * * *
• Congrats to 6th-round draft pick Zack Weiss, who inked a last-minute deal this week with the Cincinnati Reds. The 21-year-old UCLA pitcher made his minor-league debut Thursday with the AZL Reds (7/13/2013) * * *
• Here’s video of Ian Kinsler‘s HR last night, his 9th. You’ve gotta be powerful to homer off a pitch that high (7/12/2013) * * *
• Zach is back! After nearly a month on the disabled list, power-hitting Angels prospect Zach Borenstein returned to the lineup of the Inland Empire 66ers yesterday and went 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs (7/11/2013) * * *
• Kevin Pillar continues to assault Triple-A pitching. Since being called up 19 games ago, the Blue Jays prospect is hitting .373 with 4 HRs, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 14 RBIs, and a .420 on-base percentage in just 75 at-bats (7/10/2013) * * *
• Satin worship: Josh Satin is an on-base machine. The Mets’ rookie drew 3 more walks last night, giving him 14 in 72 plate appearances and a .486 on-base percentage (7/10/2013) * * *
• Ian Kinsler‘s bases-clearing double provided the winning margin in Texas’s 8-5 victory over the O’s yesterday (7/9/2013) * * *
• Former S.F. Giants prospect Ari Ronick, a 6-foot-4-inch southpaw, has joined Adam Klein on the roster of the Gary SouthShore RailCats, an independent-league team (7/9/2013) * * *
• He’s back! Ryan Braun is set to return to the Brewers’ lineup today after spending nearly a month on the disabled list with an inflamed nerve in his right hand (7/9/2013) * * *
• Jacob Booden killed in his first appearance with the State College Spikes. The 6’7″ Cardinals prospect pitched 2 scoreless innings and K’d 5. Teammate Mason Katz went 2/4 with an RBI (7/8/2013)
• St. Louis Cardinals prospect Jeremy Schaffer had his second two-homer game of the year for the Peoria Chiefs (A) on Sunday. The 23-year-old first baseman added a double, walk, and 4 RBIs (7/8/2013)
• Former Milwaukee Brewers prospect Steve Moss continues to play great ball. After hitting .314 in an independent league earlier this year, the 29-year-old joined Diablos Rojos del Mexico last week. So far he’s 7-for-15 with 3 HRs, 7 RBIs, 5 walks, and 2 stolen bases (7/7/2013) * * *
• Satin Worshippers, rejoice: Josh Satin extended his hitting streak to 11 games and accounted for both Mets’ runs in today’s 2-1 win over the Brewers. Playing first base, the rookie went 3/4 with two doubles, an RBI, one run, and a stolen base (7/7/2013) * * *
• The Orioles sent Danny Valencia to Triple-A in order to open up a roster spot for…Scott Feldman (7/4/2013) * * *
• Scott Feldman struck out 6 and walked none in his O’s debut, a 4-2 win over the White Sox (see video). It was only the 2nd time in 14 games that the O’s had given up 2 runs or less (7/4/2013) * * *
• Ian Kinsler‘s home run tonight was his first since hitting his 150th on May 8 (7/3/2013) * * *
• This morning, Josh Satin was profiled by the NY Times. This evening, the Mets’ rookie hit his first MLB home run. Best day ever, Josh? (7/3/2013) * * *
• Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson — who ranks among the Southern League’s (AA) top 4 in average, OBP, slugging, HRs, runs, and stolen bases — will play in its July 17 All-Star game (7/3/2013) * * *
• Josh Satin hit this tie-breaking double Tuesday in the Mets’ 9-1 win. He’s hitting .390, with 7 doubles in 41 at-bats and a .510 OBP (7/3/2013) * * *
• Josh Satin starred in the Mets’ extra-inning win Monday, going 3-for-6 with a walk. He hit a game-tying single in the 9th inning and began the winning rally in the 13th with a double (7/2/2013) * * *
• Sam Fuld singled 3 times a drove in 2 runs Monday in Tampa Bay’s 12-0 win over the Astros (7/2/2013) * * *
• Padres prospect Cody Decker went 3-for-5 yesterday with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs. He’s hitting .304 in AAA with a team-high 10 HRs and .964 OPS (7/1/2013) * * *
• Blue Jays prospect Kevin Pillar continued his assault on Triple-A pitching, going 4-for-6 yesterday with a double, 2 singles, his second HR in 2 days, 3 RBIs, and a stolen base (7/1/2013) * * *
• Speed and power: Dodgers top prospect Joc Pederson ranks 2nd in the Southern League (AA) with 25 stolen bases and 13 HRs (6/30/2013) * * *
• St. Louis Cardinals draftee Mason Katz, who starred for LSU in the College World Series, has begun his minor-league career with the State College Spikes (6/30/2013) * * *
• Scott Silverstein, a 6-foot-5-inch, 250-pound southpaw drafted by the Blue Jays in the 25th round, did so well in his rookie-league debut last week — scattering 4 hits and 1 run over 6 innings while striking out 4 and walking none — that he’s been bumped-up to the club’s A-short-season team.  (6/30/2013) * * *
• Three minor-leaguers recorded saves yesterday: Josh Zeid (Astros/AAA), Robert Stock (Cards/A), and Eric Jaffe (White Sox/Rookie) * * *
• One of Josh Satin‘s Twitter followers recommended this name for his yet-to-be-formed fan club: Satin Worshippers (6/29/2013) * * *
• Kudos to N.Y. Mets rookie Josh Satin, who recorded his first 3-hit game yesterday. Satin went 3-for-3 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, and a walk (6/29/2013) * * *
• Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson, one of 25 players chosen to play for Team USA in the 7/16 All-Star Futures Game, hit 2 HRs yesterday. See MLB.com’s great article on him (6/28/2013) * * *
• Nate Freiman hasn’t gotten many at-bats lately, but the A’s rookie made the most of his pinch-hit appearance Wednesday with an RBI double (6/27/2013) * * *
• Other MLB players with Jewish ancestry who don’t identify as Jewish include Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis and White Sox pitcher Dylan Axelrod (6/26/2013) * * *
• For those of you who were wondering, Diamondbacks star Paul Goldschmidt has Jewish ancestry but does not consider himself Jewish. Check out our ‘Not a Jew’ page here (6/26/2013) * * *
• Another game, another HR and double for Ike Davis. Retooling his bat down at Triple-A, the N.Y. Met is hitting .333 with 5 HRs, 5 doubles, 10 RBIs, and 13 walks in just 45 at-bats (6/25/2013) * * *
• The Tampa Bay Rays slugged 3 straight HRs in the 2nd inning of Monday’s win over the Blue Jays. So who hit HR #3? Why, Sam Fuld. Watch here (6/25/2013) * * *
• Ike Davis was just named the Pacific Coast League’s Player of the Week. Davis went a remarkable 10-for-19 with three doubles, 4 HRs, 7 RBIs, 10 runs, and 8 walks (6/24/2013) * * *
• Ian Kinsler hit what proved to be the game-winning single in the Rangers’ 2-1 win over the Cardinals on Sunday (6/24/2013) * * *
• Congrats to 2013 All-Star Zach Borenstein, named the California League’s Topps Player of the Month after hitting .356 with 7 HRs and 20 RBIs in May (6/23/2013) * * *
• How ’bout this for a debut? White Sox prospects Eric Jaffe and Brad Goldberg combined for 4 shutout innings and 8 strikeouts in their first appearance with the Great Falls Voyagers (6/23/2013) * * *
• White Sox prospect Eric Jaffe has joined rookie Brad Goldberg on the pitching staff of the Great Falls Voyagers, tossing 2 perfect innings in his debut (6/23/2013) * * *
• Jesse Weiss signs with Milwaukee, heads to the club’s Helena Brewers rookie-league team (6/22/2013) * * *
• Zack Weiss, a reliever snapped up by the Cincinnati Reds in the 6th round of this month’s amateur draft, aided UCLA’s College World Series win yesterday with a scoreless 8th inning (6/22/2013) * * *
• Ike Davis has hit four HRs in his past two games for the Las Vegas 51s (AAA). Maybe he’ll return to the Mets sooner than expected (6/22/2013) * * *
• Ex-Phillies’ prospect Andrew Aizenstadt has joined the Wichita Wingnuts of the independent American Association league. He’s pitched 2 perfect innings so far, striking out four (6/22/2013) * * *
• The Blue Jays promoted Kevin Pillar to Buffalo (AAA). He’s earned it, hitting .313 with 5 HRs, 30 RBIs, 15 SBs, and a .361 OBP in 2013. Click here to see our recent interview with him (6/22/2013) * * *
• A pinch-hit double by Josh Satin on Thursday powered the Mets to a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves (6/21/2013) * * *
• Toronto Blue Jays prospect Michael Schwimer tweeted that he’s working on a product that will “significantly decrease the chances of [pitchers] getting hit with a line drive.” Godspeed, Schwim. So what is it? (6/19/2013) * * *
• Kevin Youkilis is headed for back surgery and will be out at least 10-12 more weeks. Injuries have limited Youk to just 28 games this season, his first with the Yankees (6/18/2013) * * *
• Rob Kaminsky, a high-school pitcher selected in the 1st round (28th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals, received a $1.8-million bonus and will start the season in the rookie Gulf Coast League (6/18/2013) * * *
• Pittsburgh Pirates draftee Adam Landecker will start his rookie season with the club’s Gulf Coast League team (6/18/2013) * * *
• Brad Goldberg, a 6-foot-4-inch pitcher selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 10th round of this month’s amateur draft, will start his pro career with the Great Falls Voyagers of the rookie Pioneer League (6/18/2013) * * *
• Mason Katz singled twice, walked 3 times and drove in a run Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to help LSU stave off elimination from the College World Series (6/18/2013) * * *
• Detroit Tigers prospect Ben Guez is on fire. Over the last 6 games he’s hit .440 with 4 HRs, 2 doubles, 2 walks, and 11 RBIs for the club’s Triple-A team (6/18/2013) * * *
• Ryan Kinsella, a 21-year-old first baseman picked in the 18th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks, has been assigned to the Hillsboro Hops of the Northwest League, Class A-short season (6/15/2013) * * *
• Want to get happy? Just watch this video of A’s rookie Nate Freiman hitting a walk-off single in the 18th inning to defeat the Yankees and ace reliever Mariano Rivera (6/14/2013) * * *
• Danny Valencia homered and doubled Thursday. It was his 4th HR in 13 games as an Oriole. An incredible nine of his 12 hits have been for extra bases (6/14/2013) * * *
• Movin’ on up: the Diamondbacks just moved Brett Lorin to Triple-A, and in his first appearance Tuesday he pitched 2 perfect innings (6/12/2013) * * *
• Jeremy Schaffer‘s season didn’t begin until June 3, but the Cardinals prospect is off to a fast start, homering twice Sunday and once Tuesday (6/12/2013) * * *
• Detroit Tigers prospect Ben Guez, the 2012 MVP of his Triple-A team, went 4/4 Monday with 2 HRs (6/12/2013) * * *
• Oakland A’s rookie Nate Freiman raised his average to .284 on Tuesday with his second three-hit game (6/12/2013) * * *
• So who did the Mets pick to help replace Ike Davis at 1B? Why, Team Israel alum Josh Satin, naturally. Satin was hitting .305 with 9 HRs, 32 RBIs, and .420 on-base percentage for the club’s Triple-A team (6/11/2013) * * *
• Ike Davis has been sent down to Triple-A after hitting just .161 so far this season. Hopefully he’ll return strong like Danny Valencia did (6/10/2013) * * *
• Sam Fuld doesn’t homer often, but he hit a two-run screamer Sunday against Baltimore, his first in more than 2 years (6/9/2013) * * *
• Danny Valencia homered yesterday in the O’s 4-1 win over Houston, his third round-tripper in the past 17 at-bats. “I just think I am a lot different hitter than I was last year,” he told MLB.com (6/5/2013) * * *
• Los Angeles Times blogger Steve Dilbeck urges the Dodgers to call up Double-A phenom (and Team Israel member) Joc Pederson to fill gap in outfield (6/4/2013) * * *
• In addition to tripling, singling, and walking Sunday, Sam Fuld made an amazing back-handed catch in center field. Hope he didn’t hurt his wrist (6/3/2013) * * *
• You think a 6-foot-8-inch man like Nate Freiman can’t run? Check out the Oakland rookie’s wheels on this RBI triple, his first three-bagger as a Major Leaguer (6/3/2013) * * *
• Congrats to pitchers Jacob Booden and Corey Baker on being promoted to the Palm Beach Cardinals, St. Louis’ A-Advanced team (6/3/2013) * * *
• Kevin Youkilis — who hit an RBI single in today’s rehab game with the Trenton Thunder (AA) — will rejoin the Yankees on Friday for its series against the Red Sox, his former team (5/30/2013) * * *
• Don’t look now, but Oakland A’s 1B Nate Freiman is tied for second among A.L. rookies with 14 RBIs. And he’s done it in only 64 at-bats (5/30/2013) * * *
• Kevin Youkilis, on the disabled list since 4/28, played his first rehab game with the Trenton Thunder (AA) yesterday. Youk walked, scored a run, was robbed of a hit by the right fielder, and fouled out. See VIDEO (5/30/2013) * * *
• Kevin Youkilis will begin a rehab stint Wednesday with the Trenton Thunder and could rejoin the Yankees as early as Friday (5/28/2013) * * *
• Ryan Braun hit a bases-loaded double to bring his RBI total to 33, tied for 6th-highest in the National League (5/26/2013) * * *
• In only his fifth full game of the season, 1B Nate Freiman drove in 3 runs with a double and a towering HR as the A’s beat the Astros 6-2 (5/26/2013) * * *
• Congrats to Nats prospect Cameron Selik, who earned a save Saturday (see box score) in only his second relief appearance after spending nearly a year on the disabled list (5/26/2013) * * *
• Orioles DH Danny Valencia hit his second HR in the past two games, a two-run shot into the second deck (5/26/2013) * * *
• In his third game since being called up from Triple-A, Danny Valencia went 2-for-5 and belted a two-run HR as the Orioles beat the Blue Jays 10-6 (5/25/2013) * * *
• Scott Feldman‘s 5-game winning streak ended yesterday, but the Cubs hurler did hit a two-run HR (5/25/2013) * * *
• Oakland Athletics prospect Nick Rickles smashed two HRs, collected four RBIs, and tossed out one of two attempted base stealers Wednesday as the Beloit Snappers (Single-A) defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels 7-6 (5/23/2013) * * *
• Jason Marquis extended his win streak to five and outdueled ERA leader Shelby Miller as San Diego beat St. Louis 4-2. The only other MLB pitcher nursing a 5-game streak is Arizona’s Patrick Corbin. Here’s video of Marquis’ performance, plus Padres manager Bud Black‘s post-game assessment (5/21/2013) * * *
• Padres starter Jason Marquis improved his record to 5-2 with an 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles (5/16/2013) * * *
• Padres prospect Max Fried followed up on last week’s no-hitter with a shutout win. He pitched 6 scoreless innings, giving up 4 hits and one walk while striking out 4 (5/16/2013) * * *
• Angels prospect Zach Borenstein resumed his unprecedented power surge, hitting his 11th HR in just 125 at-bats and matching his HR total for all of 2012 (5/16/2013) * * *
• Oakland’s A-Advanced team has released pitcher Max Perlman. Anyone in the market for a 6-foot-7-inch, hard-working Harvard grad? (5/16/2013) * * *
• Danny Valencia‘s assault on Triple-A pitching continued Tuesday with 2 HRs. He’s among Int’l League leaders with .313 average, 9 HRs, 14 doubles, 31 RBIs, and a .592 slugging percentage in 147 at-bats (5/15/2013) * * *
• What sore neck? In return to lineup, Ryan Braun goes 3-for-6 with two doubles (5/15/2013) * * *
• Will Baltimore call up Danny Valencia anytime soon? He’s crushing Triple-A pitching, hitting .304 with 7 HRs, 13 doubles, and 29 RBIs in 138 ABs (5/13/2013) * * *
• Scott Feldman, who has a 3-game win streak, didn’t get the “W” in the Cubs’ 2-1 victory Sunday but gave up only 5 hits and one ER over 6 innings while striking out 6 (5/13/2013) * * *
• Did you see Sam Fuld‘s leaping catch in center field yesterday, robbing the Padres’ Will Venable of an extra-base hit? Here’s the video (5/13/2013) * * *
• Red Sox call up Ryan Lavarnway to replace injured catcher David Ross. Lavarnway, who had brief MLB stints the past 2 yrs, was hitting .313 in Triple-A with 2 HRs and 15 RBIs in 80 ABs (5/12/2013) * * *
• Cardinals prospect Corey Baker has 25 strikeouts in 19.2 innings of relief this season and only one walk (5/12/2013) * * *
• Talk about stingy: Diamondbacks prospect Brett Lorin is 4-0 and has given up just one earned run in 15 innings of relief this season, which explains his 0.60 ERA (5/12/2013) * * *
  

So who did the Mets pick to help replace Ike Davis at 1B? Why, Team Israel alum Josh Satin, naturally