Jewish Baseball News

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — For the Spring/Summer minor leagues, the 2010 season is over. So how did Jewish batters do?

According to Jewish Baseball News calculations, the 28 Jews who swung a bat in the minors this season — including several major-leaguers doing rehab stints — had a combined batting average of .280, along with 127 HRs and 834 RBIs.

A list of category leaders and laggards is shown below. But first, a couple clarifications:

• Players marked with an asterisk played at two or more levels in 2010. Statistics shown for them are cumulative; the team shown is the one a player ended the season with.
• To qualify for this list, a player must have had at least 300 plate appearances. (A total of 13 met the standard.)

Now, your category leaders.

HIGHEST BATTING AVERAGE

• SS Jake Lemmerman, “rookie-league” Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) — .363
• OF Adam Stern, “AAA” Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers) — .326
• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — .311

LOWEST BATTING AVERAGE

• OF Ben Guez, “AAA” Toledo Mud Hens* (Detroit Tigers) — .249
• C Charlie Cutler, “AA” Springfield Cardinals* (St. Louis Cardinals) — .260

MOST HOME RUNS

• C Ryan Lavarnway, “AA” Portland Sea Dogs* (Boston Red Sox) — 22
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — 16
• 1B Nate Freiman, “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) — 14

MOST TRIPLES

• OF Sam Fuld, “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) — 9
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — 8
• CF James Rapoport, “AAA” Memphis Redbirds* (St. Louis Cardinals) — 4
  

MOST DOUBLES

• 1B Nate Freiman, “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) — 43
• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — 39
• RF David Rubinstein, “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates) — 37

MOST RBIs

• C Ryan Lavarnway, “AA” Portland Sea Dogs* (Boston Red Sox) — 102
• 1B Nate Freiman, “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) — 84
• 1B Casey Haerther, “A” Cedar Rapids Kernels (Los Angeles Angels) — 74
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — 74
• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — 74

MOST WALKS

• C Ryan Lavarnway, “AA” Portland Sea Dogs* (Boston Red Sox) — 70
• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — 66
• OF Sam Fuld, “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) — 66

MOST STRIKEOUTS

• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — 121
• 1B Nate Freiman, “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) — 117
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — 107

FEWEST STRIKEOUTS

• C Charlie Cutler, “AA” Springfield Cardinals* (St. Louis Cardinals) — 33
• OF Sam Fuld, “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) — 37
• OF Adam Stern, “AAA” Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers) — 47

BEST WALK/STRIKEOUT RATIO

• OF Sam Fuld, “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) — 1.78 (66/37)
• C Charlie Cutler, “AA” Springfield Cardinals* (St. Louis Cardinals) — .97 (32/33)
• 1B James Rapoport, “AAA” Memphis Redbirds* (St. Louis Cardinals) — .78 (54/69)

WORST WALK/STRIKEOUT RATIO

• RF David Rubinstein, “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates) — .33 (31/95)
• 1B Robbie Widlansky, “AA” Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles) — .37 (18/49)
• OF Ben Guez, “AAA” Toledo Mud Hens* (Detroit Tigers) — .41 (37/91)

HIGHEST ON-BASE PERCENTAGE

• SS Jake Lemmerman, “rookie-league” Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) — .432
• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — .399
• OF Adam Stern, “AAA” Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers) — .399

HIGHEST SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

• SS Jake Lemmerman, “rookie-league” Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) — .610
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — .492
• C Ryan Lavarnway, “AA” Portland Sea Dogs* (Boston Red Sox) — .489

HIGHEST OPS (OBP+SLUGGING)

• SS Jake Lemmerman, “rookie-league” Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) — 1.042
• C Ryan Lavarnway, “AA” Portland Sea Dogs* (Boston Red Sox) — .882
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — .878

MOST STOLEN BASES

• RF David Rubinstein, “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates) — 23
• OF Sam Fuld, “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) — 21
• OF Ben Guez, “AAA” Toledo Mud Hens* (Detroit Tigers) — 14

Up next: the best minor-league pitchers of 2010.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Saturday (9/11/2010):

• 2B Ian Kinsler went 2/4 and hit a game-tying double in the 9th inning en route to a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees. Despite battling injuries much of the season, Kinsler is batting .296 with 8 HRs, 41 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and a .381 on-base percentage.
• SP Jason Marquis of the Washington Nationals struck out a season-high 8 batters and walked just one in a 4-1 loss to the Florida Marlins. Marquis gave up five hits and two earned runs over six innings. The 32-year-old veteran is 2-8 but has reduced his ERA from a bloated 14.33 to 6.60 over his past five starts.

Injury update:

• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins is hitless in two games since recovering from a tight right hamstring that sidelined him for a week. Valencia was 10/16 in the 4 games prior to his injury but is 0/8 since. His batting average has fallen to a still-impressive .333.

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets went 4/4 and drove in 3 runs in a 4-3 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies, his second 4-hit game this month. A 1st-round pick (18th overall) in the 2008 amateur draft, Davis smacked his 29th double of the season — second most among NL rookies — along with two singles. The 23-year-old is having a great September, batting .471 with 3 HRs and 10 RBIs in 10 games. As MLB.com points out, the lefty is batting a surprising .314 against southpaws.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Friday (9/10/2010).

Two Jews played a role in the Texas Rangers’ extra-inning win over the New York Yankees:

• 2B Ian Kinsler went 2/4, drew a walk, and scored 3 runs as the Rangers defeated the Yanks 6-5 in 13 innings. He was ejected in the 10th inning after arguing a called third strike that replays showed was slightly inside. Despite battling injuries much of the season, Kinsler is batting .294 with 8 HRs, 40 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and a .378 on-base percentage.
• SP Scott Feldman — the 11th and final Rangers pitcher of the game, a team record — pitched a scoreless 13th inning to earn the win. It wasn’t easy: Feldman gave up two hits and a walk before getting out of a bases-loaded jam. He is 7-10 with a 5.47 ERA, 72 strikeouts and 43 walks in 135 innings.

In other MLB news:

• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets doubled, singled and scored a run in an 8-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. A 1st-round pick (18th overall) in the 2008 amateur draft, Davis is tied for 2nd among N.L. rookies in HRs (18), and he’s ranked 3^rd in RBIs (64) and runs scored (63). He is batting .258 with a .346 on-base percentage.
• RP Craig Breslow of the Oakland A’s pitched a scoreless 8th inning en route to a 5-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox. The 30-year-old middle reliever struck out two and walked one. For the season, he is 4-4 with a 3.41 ERA, 13 holds and 2 saves. He has 63 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings pitched and has held opposing hitters to a .199 batting average.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Wednesday (9/8/2010):

• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers led off the game with a solo HR and added a single in the 5th inning en route to an 8-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite two lengthy stints on the disabled list this season, Kinsler is batting .296 with 8 HRs, 40 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and a .380 on-base percentage.
• RP Craig Breslow of the Oakland A’s retired all 4 batters he faced and earned his 13th hold of the season in a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners. The 30-year-old middle reliever is 4-4 with a 3.47 ERA and 2 saves. He has 61 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings and has held opposing hitters to a .202 batting average.
• SS Jake Lemmerman of the rookie-league Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) went 2/5 with an RBI single in a 4-2 loss to the Orem Owlz. The top Jewish pick in the 2010 draft (5^th round, 172^nd overall), Lemmerman leads the league in doubles (24) and runs scored (68), ranks 2nd in batting average (.364) and on-base percentage (.437), and is third in slugging percentage (.612).

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers blasted a three-run HR and smacked an RBI single in an 8-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, both hits coming with two outs. The fourth-year player and former Rookie of the Year tore up August with a .424 batting average and is hitting .321 in September. For the season, Braun is batting .304 with 20 HRs, 35 doubles, 84 RBIs, a .361 on-base percentage and .483 slugging percentage. His 20 homers are the most among MLB Jews this year — one ahead of injured 1B Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox, and two ahead of rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS —With most minor leagues in playoff mode now, we’re afraid that JBN’s Players of the Day feature will be thinner for a while.

As it is, we’re trying not to think about the end of the MLB season. Don’t think about it, don’t think about it…

On the bright side, the winter leagues begin play in mid-October, and a handful of Jewish players are signed up and, provided the data are available, we plan to track them for you.

A quick injury update: 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins missed his 4th consecutive game Tuesday with a tight right hamstring. Manager Ron Gardenhire predicted Valencia will return to the lineup Friday (9/10/2010), though the training staff may end up recommending otherwise. Gardenhire told MLB.com the 25-year-old rookie is “dying” to play.

Meanwhile, here is your Player of the Day for Tuesday (9/7/2010):

• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets hit his third HR in 4 games, a 3-run blast in the first inning that lifted the Mets to a 4-1 victory over the Washington Nationals. The 23-year-old also singled and drew a walk. Davis is tied for 2nd among N.L. rookies in HRs (18) and ranks 3^rd in RBIs (64) and runs scored (62). He has gone 8/15 in his past 4 games, lifting his batting average to .258 for the first time since July 20.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The September/October issue of Jewish Sports Review identified three more Jews playing minor-league baseball, all of them right-handed starting pitchers:

• Alex Kaminsky, formerly of Wright State University, signed a free-agent contract with the Cleveland Indians in June. In 14 starts with the “rookie-league” Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Kaminsky went 6-5 with a 2.48 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 69 innings. During the “AA” Akron Aeros season finale Monday (9/6/2010) — his lone outing with the team — he pitched 3 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out a pair to earn the win. Fellow Jews on the Aeros include SP Eric Berger and 2B Jason Kipnis.
• Justin Schumer, who schooled at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, signed a free-agent contract with the San Francisco Giants in July. Since then he has pitched three games for the “rookie-league” AZL Giants and six for the “A-short season” Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, assembling a combined record of 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA and .196 opponent batting average.
• Mexico City native Mauricio Tabachnik, 20, is in his third season with the San Diego Padres’ franchise. In 2010, he went 3-4 with a 3.48 ERA, 42 strikeouts and 12 walks for the “A-short season” Eugene Emeralds.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Monday (9/6/2010):

In season-ending minor league games yesterday:

• RP Aaron Poreda of the “AAA” Portland Beavers (San Diego Padres) pitched 2 scoreless innings and gave up one walk in a 6-5 win over the Las Vegas 51s. The 6’6″ lefty, who was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in a 14-game stint with the Padres last year, struggled after being promoted from “AA” ball earlier this season. Poreda was 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA for the Beavers and gave up 38 walks in 29 innings.
• C Ryan Lavarnway of the “AA” Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) hit an RBI single in a 7-4 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. In a season split between Portland and the “A-Advanced” Salem Red Sox, Lavarnway hit a combined .288 with 22 HRs, 102 RBIs, a .393 on-base percentage, and .489 slugging percentage. His 102 RBIs were tops among Red Sox farm hands.
• 1B Casey Haerther of the “A” Cedar Rapids Kernels (Los Angeles Angels) went 2/4 with an RBI single, a double, and a walk in a 6-5 win over the Beloit Snappers. A 5^th-round pick in the 2009 amateur draft (171^st overall), Haerther ranked 2nd on the Kernels in doubles (26) and RBIs (74/tie) and finished 3rd in batting average (.307) and HRs (8/tie). He also had 10 stolen bases.
• RF David Rubinstein of the “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates) went 2/5 with a double and an RBI single in a 7-4 win over the Hagerstown Suns. An 11th-round pick in the 2008 amateur draft, Rubinstein led the Power in doubles (36/tie), ranked 2nd  in batting average (.288) and stolen bases (22), and placed 4th in on-base percentage (.348) and slugging percentage (.410).
• SP Brett Lorin, David Rubinstein’s teammate on the “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates), pitched 4 scoreless innings and struck out two against the Suns. A 6’7″ righty who was promoted to “A” ball midseason, Lorin finished the year with a combined 2-3 record, 4.62 ERA, 42 strikeouts, and 12 walks in 48 2/3 innings.

From the category of “guys we wish were Jewish”:

• Rookie LF Ryan Kalish of the Boston Red Sox went 2/3 with a grand-slam HR an a walk in a 12-5 drubbing of the (beloved) Tampa Bay Rays. It was the 22-year-old’s 3rd HR and second grand-slam since his MLB debut on July 31. As Jewish Baseball News recently reported, Kalish has a Jewish father but was raised Catholic.

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• 2B Jason Kipnis of the “AA” Akron Aeros (Cleveland Indians) hit a solo HR and a 2-run single in a 9-2 victory over the Erie SeaWolves. In a season split between the Aeros and the “A+” Kinston Indians, the 23-year-old Arizona State recruit finished the season with a combined batting average of .307, 16 HRs, 74 RBIs, a .386 on-base percentage, and .492 slugging percentage.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Sunday (9/5/2010):

In the majors:

• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets went 4/6 with an RBI single and a 2-run HR in an 18-5 laugher over the Chicago Cubs. The home run was Davis’ second in two days after a 6-week drought; the 4-hit game was his second this season. The 23-year-old son of former MLB reliever Ron Davis, Davis is 2nd among N.L. rookies in HRs (17), and ranked 3^rd in RBIs (61) and runs scored (61). He is batting .256 with an on-base percentage of .343.
• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers went 3/5 with a double and 2 runs scored in a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies the Cincinnati Reds. According to MLB.com, it was Braun’s 50th multi-hit game of the season, second most in the National League. The 26-year-old is hitting .301 with 19 HRs, 35 doubles (tied for 5th highest in the N.L.), 80 RBIs, a .359 on-base percentage and .479 slugging percentage.
• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers went 1/3 with a walk and 2 runs scored in a controversial 6-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins. He added a “trampoline” grab of a line-drive off the bat of J. J. Hardy. Despite two lengthy stints on the disabled list this season, Kinsler is batting .300 with 7 HRs, 39 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and a .388 on-base percentage.
• Injury note: 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins sat out his second straight game with a tight hamstring but is expected to return to the lineup shortly.

In the minors:

• C Ryan Lavarnway of the “AA” Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) went 2/5 with a 2-run single in a 9-2 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The 2 RBIs gave Lavarnway a combined 101 this season between the Sea Dogs and the “A-Advanced” Salem Red Sox. The 23-year-old Yale alum erased a teammate’s 5th-inning throwing error by picking off a baserunner at 1st.
• 1B Casey Haerther of the “A” Cedar Rapids Kernels (Los Angeles Angels) went 2/5 with a 2-run HR and a bases-loaded walk in a 13-5 win over the Beloit Snappers. A 5^th-round pick in the 2009 amateur draft (171^st overall), Haerther ranks 2nd on the Kernels in doubles (25), and 3rd in batting average (.305), HRs (8) and RBIs (73). He also has 10 stolen bases.
• 1B Nate Freiman of the “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) hit a 2-run double to give his team an early 2-0 lead, but the TinCaps eventually lost 5-4 to the West Michigan Whitecaps. A 6’7″ recruit from Duke University, Freiman is batting .295 with 14 HRs, 84 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .370 and a .458 slugging percentage. He also has 42 doubles, a franchise record.

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• SP Jason Marquis of the Washington Nationals gave up six hits and one earned run in an 8-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the second straight victory for Marquis, who recently returned to the lineup after nearly four months on the disabled list. The 32-year-old veteran walked none and struck out two. He is 2-7 with an ERA of 7.14.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Saturday (9/4/2010):

Two MLB Jews went long:

• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets went 2/4 and hit his first HR since July 29 in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Davis singled in the 9th inning but the Mets failed to rally. The 23-year-old son of former MLB reliever Ron Davis is tied for 2nd among N.L. rookies in HRs (16) and is 3^rd in RBIs (58) and runs scored (58). He is batting .251 with an on-base percentage of .339.
• In his second game back after more than a month on the disabled list, 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers went 2/4 with a solo HR in a 12-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Kinsler is batting .300 with 7 HRs, 39 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and a .387 on-base percentage.

In the minors:

• OF Ben Guez of the “AAA” Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) hit an RBI single and a sacrifice fly in a 6-4 victory over the Columbus Clippers. A 19th-round selection in the 2008 amateur draft, Guez  is batting .249 with 9 HRs and 32 RBIs since being promoted to “AAA” mid-season. He has hit just .162 in his past 10 games.
• CF James Rapoport of the “AAA” Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals) went 1/3 with a 2-run single in an 8-5 loss to the Iowa Cubs. Rapoport, 25, is batting .270 with 2 HRs and 34 RBIs since being promoted to “AAA” earlier this season. He has 4 triples and 8 stolen bases for the Redbirds.
• 1B Casey Haerther of the “A” Cedar Rapids Kernels (Los Angeles Angels) hit a double, a sacrifice fly, and the game-winning single in a 5-4 win over the Beloit Snappers. A 5^th-round pick in the 2009 amateur draft (171^st overall), Haerther is batting .304 with 7 HRs, 25 doubles, 70 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
• SP Joshua Zeid of the “A” Lakewood BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies) pitched 2 perfect innings and struck out 4 of the 6 batters he faced in a 3-0 win over the Kannapolis Intimidators. Zeid earned a save as Lakewood held the Intimidators to two hits. A 23-year-old who was selected in the 10th round of the 2009 draft, Zeid is 8-4 with a 2.93 ERA and 8 saves. He has 111 strikeouts and 27 walks.

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• SS Jake Lemmerman of the rookie-league Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) hit an RBI single and his fifth HR in the past 5 games as the Raptors trounced the Casper Ghosts, 15-4. The top Jewish pick in the 2010 draft (5^th round, 172^nd overall), Lemmerman leads the Rookie Pioneer League in doubles (24) and runs scored (68); ranks 2nd in batting average (.367), on-base percentage (.434), slugging percentage (.622) and OPS (1.058); and ranks 4th in HRs (12).

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — As Major League Baseball’s 2010 season winds down, Jewish fans everywhere are wondering: What are the chances that Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia — who was batting .343 through Sept. 3 — will be named A.L. Rookie of the Year in 2010?

To answer this question, Jewish Baseball News drilled down into historical voting patterns and present-day player statistics. Here are some of our findings.

Baseball journalists — the folks who casts the votes for Rookie of the Year — aren’t all that impressed with those who play 3B. Sixty-two American League players have been named Rookie of the Year (ROY) since 1949, the first year separate awards were issued for each league. Of those, 18 were outfielders, 13 were pitchers, 13 were shortstops, and only four played 3B. (The remaining 14 awards went to those playing 1B, 2B, C or DH.) The last A.L. third baseman to win was Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008. Minnesota Twin 3B John Castino won the award in 1979. Valencia outlook: Neutral. Depending how you look at it, third basemen like Valencia either are overdue for a ROY award or doomed to lose again.

Journalists prefer relatively high batting averages. Since 1949, the batting average of A.L. ROYs has averaged .288, well above the overall league average. In 2010, Valencia is batting .343. The next highest average among rookies? OF Austin Jackson of the Detroit Tigers, at .305. Valencia outlook: Positive.

Journalists prefer power hitters. Of the 49 non-pitchers named A.L. ROY since 1949, the average player had 17 HRs, 74 RBIs, a .288 batting average, and a .454 slugging percentage. Only six of the 49 winners had fewer than 40 RBIs. (Valencia had 26 through Sept. 3.) Power isn’t an absolute necessity; 19 winners have had fewer than 10 HRs. But it sure helps with voters. On the bright side, despite having only 2 HRs, Valencia has the 2nd highest slugging percentage among A.L. rookies (.454). And hopefully baseball writers will understand that Valencia is at something of a disadvantage when it comes to RBIs, given that he bats 7th in the Twins’ order, behind some of the league’s top base-clearers. Valencia outlook: Negative.

Journalists prefer those who play nearly a full season. With only 27 games left in the Twins’ season, Valencia has had just 216 at-bats in 63 games. (He wasn’t called up from the minors until early June and didn’t become the starting third baseman until late July.) By comparison, the average ROY winner in the A.L. had 528 at-bats in 144 games, and only three had fewer than 400 at-bats. One of those with fewer than 400, DH Bob Hamelin of the Kansas City Royals, won during the strike-shortened 1994 season, and he hit 24 HRs anyway. The previous winner most like Valencia was OF Al Bumbry of the Baltimore Orioles, who finished the 1973 season batting .337 with 7 HRs, 15 doubles, 11 triples, 34 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in 356 at-bats. But Bumbry was an exception, not the rule. Valencia outlook: Negative.

Journalists like starting pitchers with lots of victories and excellent won/loss records. Nine starting pitchers have won the A.L. ROY award since 1949, including four over the past decade. Their average won/loss record was 16-9, with an unweighted average ERA of 2.78. In 2010, the only rookie starter with more wins than losses is Wade Davis of the Tampa Bay Rays, whose 11-9 record and 4.29 ERA are well outside the historical range for ROY winners. Valencia outlook: Positive.

Journalists like relievers with lots of saves and very low ERAs. Four relief pitchers have won the A.L. ROY award since 1949, including 2009 winner Andrew Bailey of the Oakland A’s and two others over the past decade. On average, they’ve gone 5-3 with 28 saves and an unweighted ERA of 2.10. The lone reliever to meet those averages in 2010 is Neftali Feliz of the Texas Rangers, who is 3-3 with 34 saves in 37 chances, a 3.26 ERA, and roughly one strikeout per inning. Valencia outlook: Negative.

Head-to-head matchups

• Detroit Tigers OF Brennan Boesch. Boesch is as close to a power-hitter there is among A.L. rookies in 2010. He leads all A.L. rookies with 14 HRs and 62 RBIs and ranks 2nd in doubles (24). On the other hand, his .268 batting average is slightly below the historical average for ROY winners and a whopping 75 points below Valencia’s .343. Although Boesch’s run production (RBIs and runs scored) is far greater than Valencia’s, Valencia has a slightly higher slugging percentage (.454 vs. .447). As Baseball Daily Digest recently pointed out, Boesch’s numbers have petered out in the latter part of 2010. He hit .345 in May and .337 in June, then plummeted to .209 in July and .185 in August. Valencia, by comparison, hit .304 in June, .453 in July and .276 in August. Valencia outlook: Neutral.
• Detroit Tigers OF Austin Jackson. On the one hand, Jackson looks quite beatable. Though his 511 at-bats are more than twice as many as Valencia has had, he has the same HR count (2) and only four more RBIs (30 vs. 26). His .305 average, while 2nd best among A.L. rookies, is well below Valencia’s. And he strikes out a lot — 141 times so far, or 6th highest among all A.L. players. But Jackson has great speed; he is tied for 2nd among all A.L. players with 9 triples, and he leads A.L. rookies with 21 stolen bases. Baseball Daily Digest says he is as exciting and acrobatic a fielder as Valencia is steady and reliable. Valencia outlook: Negative.
• Tampa Bay Rays C John Jaso. Like Valencia, Jaso was called up mid-season from the minors and has a similar number of at-bats (271 vs. 216). While his batting average (.277) is considerably lower, Jaso has some distinct advantages. One is run production: Jaso has more RBIs (42 vs. 26) and substantially more runs (43 vs. 19). His plate discipline is excellent, too. Jaso has drawn three times as many walks as Valencia (49 vs. 15), and as a result his on-base percentage is a tad higher (.388 vs. .382). Valencia outlook: Neutral.

Conclusion: Valencia is a Top 5 contender for A.L. ROY. Based on numbers alone, Jewish Baseball News believes Danny Valencia is one of five players — along with OF Austin Jackson, OF Brennan Boesch, RP Neftali Feliz and C John Jaso — who can win the A.L. Rookie of the Year award in 2010. If he maintains his batting average for the remainder of the season, shows a little more power, and performs well in the playoffs, he has a decent shot at winning.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Friday (9/3/2010):

• 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 2/3 and hit a key single in a 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers. Shortly after hitting his second single of the night, the 25-year-old rookie left the game due to tightness in his right hamstring, but the pinch-runner who replaced him eventually scored to tie the game, 3-3. Valencia is batting a blistering .343 since being called up from the minors in June.
• C Ryan Lavarnway of the “AA” Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) hit a 2-run single, drew an intentional walk and scored the winning run in a 7-4 victory over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The Cats had good reason to walk Lavarnway: in a season split between Portland and the “A-Advanced” Salem Red Sox, he’s batting a combined .289 with 22 HRs and 98 RBIs.
• SP David Kopp of the “AA” Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals) gave up one run over 6 innings in a 4-2 loss to the Tulsa Drillers. Kopp left the game with a 2-1 lead, but the Drillers scored 3 in the 8th to win it. The 24-year-old Clemson recruit allowed 7 hits and no walks while striking out five. He was 0-5 during a stretch in “AAA” this season but is 12-4 with Springfield, where he has a trim 3.05 ERA.
• RF David Rubinstein of the “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates) went 2/4 with a single, double and run scored in a 6-5 loss to the Hagerstown Suns. An 11th-round pick in the 2008 amateur draft, Rubinstein leads the Power in doubles (36/tie), ranks 2nd  in batting average (.288) and stolen bases (22), and is 4th in on-base percentage (.348) and slugging percentage (.410).
• SP Daniel Rosenbaum of the “A+” Potomac Nationals (Washington Nationals) gave up just four hits and walked none in a 5-0 win over the Salem Red Sox. His “overpowering” performance, which included four strikeouts, moved the Nationals within one game of clinching a spot in the Carolina League playoffs. A 22nd-round pick in the 2009 amateur draft, Rosenbaum is 3-2 with a 2.09 ERA and 115 strikeouts for the Nationals. In a stint earlier this season with the “A” Hagerstown Suns, he was 2-5 with a 2.32 ERA.

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• 1B Nate Freiman of the “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) went a combined 7/7 with 3 doubles and 3 RBIs as the TinCaps split a double-header with the South Bend Silver Hawks. A 6’7″ recruit from Duke University, Freiman is batting .298 with 14 HRs, 82 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .373 and a .461 slugging percentage. According to this article, his 41 doubles this season are a franchise record.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins left the field during Friday night’s game against the Texas Rangers due to tightness in his right hamstring muscle.

According to the Associated Press:

Valencia singled with one out in the seventh. He broke for second on a foul ball off the bat of Jason Repko and came up lame. Twins trainers came out to check on him, and he left the game. The team said he was pulled for precautionary reasons and is listed as day to day.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Thursday (9/2/2010):

• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 3/5 with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly in a 10-9, extra-inning loss to the Detroit Tigers. A mid-season call-up from “AAA” ball, Valencia is batting .338, tops among AL rookies, and has three 3-hit games in his past eight . He is 2nd among AL rookies in slugging percentage (.451) and 3rd in on-base percentage (.378).
• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets hit a single and drew two walks in a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves. The 23-year-old son of former MLB reliever Ron Davis is 3^rd among N.L. rookies in RBIs (57) and runs scored (57), and 4^th in HRs (15/tie).
• LF Adam Stern of the “AAA” Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers) went 2/3 with a walk and a run scored in a 3-2 victory over the Oklahoma City RedHawks. The 30-year-old Canadian leads the Sounds in batting average (.331) and on-base percentage (.403).
• SS Jake Lemmerman of the rookie-league Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) continued his remarkable debut season, belting 2 HRs and going 3/4 overall  in a 10-4 win over the Idaho Falls Chukars. The top Jewish pick in the 2010 draft (5^th round, 172^nd overall), Lemmerman leads the Rookie Pioneer League in doubles (23), runs scored (65), and slugging percentage (.603); ranks 2nd in on-base percentage (.434) and OPS (1.037); and has the third-highest batting average (.364).

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Tuesday (8/31/2010):

• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 2/4 and hit a game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning to defeat the Chicago White Sox 2-1. (Here is video of the hit — and of Valencia being mobbed by teammates afterward.) A mid-season call-up from “AAA” ball, Valencia is batting .332, tops among AL rookies. He is 3rd among AL rookies in on-base percentage (.375) and slugging percentage (.447).
• Two days after going 5/7 against the Albuquerque Isotopes, OF Sam Fuld of the “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) got on base four times in a come-from-behind win over the Isotopes. Fuld had a single, drew three walks, drove in a run and scored 3 more in the 15-13 victory. The 28-year-old Stanford recruit did have one error, but it was his first of the season after 263 chances in the outfield. Fuld is batting .273 and is one of two Iowa starters with more walks (63) than strikeouts (36).
• C Ryan Lavarnway of the “AA” Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) went 2/4 with an RBI single and 2 walks in a 6-5 loss to the Binghamton Mets. (Binghamton 2B Josh Satin contributed a solo HR for the Mets.) In a season split between Portland and the “A-Advanced” Salem Red Sox, Lavarnway is batting a combined .291 with 22 HRs, 96 RBIs, a .397 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. His 96 RBIs are tops among Red Sox farm hands.
• RP Jason Markovitz of the “A” Clinton LumberKings (Seattle Mariners) pitched 3 scoreless innings in a 4-3 loss to the Beloit Snappers. In a season split between the LumberKings and the “A-short season” Everett AquaSox, Markovitz is 2-2 with a 3.25 ERA, 38 strikeouts and 9 walks.
• SS Jake Lemmerman of the rookie-league Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) hit a solo HR and an RBI single in a 6-2 win over the Idaho Falls Chukars. The top Jewish pick in the 2010 draft (5^th round, 172^nd overall), Lemmerman leads the league in doubles (23) and runs scored (63); ranks 2nd in slugging percentage (.576), on-base percentage (.428) and OPS (1.003); and has the third-highest batting average (.357).
• RP Andrew Pevsner, Lemmerman’s teammate on the rookie-league Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers), pitched 2 scoreless innings and earned a “hold” in the win over the Chukars. A 16^th-round pick in the 2010 amateur draft, Pevsner is 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA (3rd best on the team) and has 30 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings pitched.

EDITOR’S UPDATE (11/3/2010): Two months after this post appeared, the editors of a publication called Jewish Sports Review obtained permission from Boston Red Sox OF Ryan Kalish to include his name in future editions. Based on this development, Jewish Baseball News has decided to begin covering Kalish as well. Click here for more information.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — When a Boston Red Sox rookie named “Kalish” went 2/4 in his MLB debut on July 31 and hit a grand-slam HR two weeks later, Jewish baseball fans around the world asked: Could he be one of ours?

Jewish Baseball News looked into it. And although we were unable to reach Ryan Kalish, his parents were kind enough to take our call.

The short answer? If you thought a player named “Kalish” might be Jewish, your instincts were partly right. Ryan’s father, Steven Kalish, is Jewish. But Ryan’s mother, Eileen Kalish, is Catholic, and she raised him her tradition. Ryan was baptized, confirmed, and sent to Catholic high school. “I fulfilled my guilt,” Eileen kidded.

The Kalishes do light the Chanukah candles, she added, along with decorating the Christmas tree. But “the high holidays and everything, we don’t do that, and we don’t go to church.”

Sending Ryan to Catholic school didn’t exactly have the intended effect. “I think it made him question faith even more,” Eileen said. “He thinks there’s something up there, but he’s not sure what.”

“(Ryan) doesn’t identify strongly with any religion,” Steven Kalish said later. Steven himself was bar mitzvahed and was “really into it.” Or at least until 7th grade, when he discovered sports.

Naturally, Steven is elated at Ryan’s success. “It’s tremendous. It’s a thrill. What else can you say?” he said. “Hopefully he can help (the Red Sox) win a few games.”

We at Jewish Baseball News certainly hope so. And we thank the Kalish family for their openness, especially on such a personal topic.

Our ruling? Ryan Kalish: not a Jew.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Tuesday (8/31/2010):

• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 3/4 with two doubles and an RBI in a 4-3 triumph over the Detroit Tigers. A mid-season call-up from “AAA” ball, Valencia is batting .328, tops among AL rookies. He is 3rd among AL rookies in on-base percentage (.373) and slugging percentage (.446).
• C Ryan Lavarnway of the “AA” Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) hit a solo HR and a sacrifice fly in a 6-0 drubbing of the Binghamton Mets. The home run was his 5^th in the past 8 games. In a season split between Portland and the “A-Advanced” Salem Red Sox, Lavarnway is batting a combined .288 with 22 HRs, 95 RBIs, a .393 on-base percentage and .499 slugging percentage.
• 2B Jason Kipnis of the “AA” Akron Aeros (Cleveland Indians) hit a triple and an RBI double in a 10-4 victory over the Trenton Thunder. In a season split between the Aeros and the “A+” Kinston Indians, the 23-year-old Arizona State recruit is batting a combined .313 with 15 HRs, 71 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .394, and a .502 slugging percentage.
• 1B Nate Freiman of the “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) hit a two-run double, a single, and drew a walk in a 13-9 win over the Bowling Green Hot Rods. A 6’7″ recruit from Duke University, Freiman leads the TinCaps in doubles (38), HRs (14/tie) and RBIs (77), and has the 2nd-highest slugging percentage (.449).
• SP Andrew Berger of the “A-short season” Yakima Bears (Arizona Diamondbacks) had his best start in more than a month, pitching 5 scoreless innings in a 4-3 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils. An undrafted pitcher out of Lehigh University, Berger gave up five hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. The 22-year-old is 2-5 with a 5.60 ERA and has 49 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — C Ryan Lavarnway of the “AA” Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) was named Eastern League Player of the Week for Aug. 23-29 after going 8/19 (.421) with three doubles, 4 HRs, 7 RBIs and 7 runs scored. A 23-year-old recruit from Yale, Lavarnway “reached base at least twice in each of the 7 games he played.”

In a season split between Portland and the “A-Advanced” Salem Red Sox, Lavarnway is batting a combined .288 with 22 HRs (2nd among all Boston Red Sox minor-leaguers), 95 RBIs (1st among Boston minor-leaguers), a .393 on-base percentage and .499 slugging percentage.

The “Player of the Week” honor is Lavarnway’s second this season. He was named Carolina League Player of the Week at Salem for the week of Apr. 12-18.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Monday (8/30/2010):

• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers went 2/5 with an RBI single in a 5-4, extra-inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Braun singled in the 10th inning but couldn’t spark a rally. The 26-year-old is hitting .421 in August and .301 for the year.
• OF Sam Fuld of the “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) went 5/7 with four singles and a double in a 20-9 crushing of the Albuquerque Isotopes. Fuld scored three runs but drove in none — in part because he batted leadoff, hit singles, and was bracketed by seven Cub home runs. According to this article, Fuld’s five hits tied a team high and matched his own career high, the prior occasion coming on 8/18/2008 while he was playing for the “AA” Tennessee Smokies.
• LF Adam Stern of the “AAA” Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers) went 2/4 with a solo HR in a 3-1 loss to the Oklahoma City RedHawks. Stern’s home run came on the second pitch of the game. The 30-year-old Canadian is batting .406 in August and .326 for the season.
• In a rehab assignment with the “AA” Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers), 2B Ian Kinsler hit a 2-run triple as the RoughRiders lost to the Midland RockHounds 6-4. In six games with Frisco, Kinsler is 5/19 (.263) with 6 RBIs and 2 walks. He has been on the disabled list since July 28.
• RP Jason Markovitz of the Clinton LumberKings (Seattle Mariners) pitched 2 scoreless innings and earned a “hold” in a 7-2 victory over the Peoria Chiefs. The 22-year-old rookie gave up one hit and had one strikeout. Since being promoted from the “A-short season” Everett AquaSox, Markovitz is 0-0 with a 4.05 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 13-and-1/3 innings.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Though the phrase “teenage pitching phenom” has a cool mystique to it, the fact is that SP Jason Knapp of the “A” Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians) turns 20 today.

Happy birthday, Jason!

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