By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights for the week of April 8-14, 2019:

Hitter of the Week: Rhett Wiseman (Nationals)

RF Rhett Wiseman (Nationals/AA/Harrisburg Senators) hit .476 (10-for-21) last week with 4 HRs, 2 doubles, 8 RBIs, a stolen base, a hit-by-pitch, and a .577 on-base percentage. For his efforts, Wiseman was named Eastern League Player of the Week. Wiseman leads the league in home runs (6), extra-base hits (9), total bases (35), slugging percentage (1.061), and OPS (1.561). He ranks second in batting average (.424), hits (14/tied), RBIs (13), and OBP (.500/tied)

Pitcher of the Week: Jake Fishman (Blue Jays)

Jake Fishman (Blue Jays/AA/New Hampshire Fisher Cats) pitched 4.1 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding just one hit and no walks while striking out 4 and earning his first win of the season.

Mazel tov

• A warm welcome to RF Mike Spooner (Reds/A/Dayton Dragons), the newest ballplayer to be listed on Jewish Baseball News. A Stetson University alum, Spooner was an undrafted free agent when Cincinnati signed him to a minor-league contract in 2018.

Other highlights

• 1B Cody Decker (Diamondbacks/AAA/Reno Aces) had quite a week. In addition to batting .308 (4-for-13) with a .438 OBP, Decker hit his 198th career minor-league home run, played in his 1,000th minor-league game, and tossed an inning of scoreless relief.
• C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AAA/Round Rock Express) hit .385 (5-for-13) with an RBI, a stolen base, and a .500 OBP.
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA/Akron RubberDucks) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding a hit and a walk while striking out 3.
• P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/AA/Portland Sea Dogs) pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief on April 12, striking out one and walking zero.
• P Kenny Rosenberg (Rays/AA/Montgomery Biscuits) pitched 5 innings of one-run ball on April 13, yielding 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.
• P Kenny Koplove (Rockies/A-short-season/Boise Hawks) made the most of his one-game promotion to Triple-A on April 9, yielding 2 hits and an earned run over 3 innings of relief while striking out 5.
• P Max Lazar (Brewers/A/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) pitched 4 innings on April 13, yielding one earned run on 4 hits and a walk while striking out 4.

Transactions

• P Robert Stock (Padres) was reassigned down to Triple-A (El Paso Chihuahuas).
• P Kenny Koplove (Rockies) was briefly assigned to Triple-A (Albuquerque Isotopes) before being reassigned to A-short season (Boise Hawks).
• Jake Miednik (Indians) was assigned to Single-A (Lake County Captains).

Free agents

• Major- and minor-leaguers believed to be seeking employment include Danny Valencia, Jeremy Bleich and Gabe Cramer.

Disabled list

• P Zack Weiss (Twins/AAA/Rochester Red Wings), since April 1.
• OF Blake Gailen (Dodgers/AAA/Oklahoma City Dodgers), since April 3.
• P Mitchell Osnowitz (Cardinals/High-A/Palm Beach Cardinals), since April 4.

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

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your MLB highlights for week of April 8-14, 2019:

At the plate

• LF Joc Pederson (Dodgers) hit a cool .400 (8-for-20) with 3 HRs, 2 triples, 2 hit-by-pitches, and a .478 on-base percentage. Pederson struck out just 3 times, a low number for a player who has struck out at a 29% rate over his career. His 6 HRs this season are tied for #2 in the National League.
• CF Kevin Pillar hit .231 (6-for-26) but made every hit count, stroking 4 HRs and a double, driving in 12 runs, getting hit by a pitch, and stealing a base.
• 3B Alex Bregman (Astros) hit .231 (3-for-13) with a double, a stolen base, and a .412 OBP.
• 1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays) hit .200 (2-for-10) with a home run and 2 RBIs while striking out 7 times. His home run on April 11 traveled 505 feet, the longest HR in Fenway Park history.
• 2B Ian Kinsler (Padres) hit .133 (2-for-15) with a double and a .278 on-base percentage.
• RF Ryan Braun (Brewers) hit .095 (2-for-22) with a .136 OBP.

On the mound

• Max Fried (Braves) pitched 6 shutout innings of nearly perfect ball in an April 9 start to earn his second win, yielding five hits and one walk while striking out 4. So far this season, he has a 0.00 ERA, has given up just 0.66 walks/hits per inning, and has held opponents to a .133 batting average.
• Richard Bleier (Orioles) struggled in his only appearance, a 1.1-inning stint on April 9 in which he yielded 4 hits and 4 earned runs while striking out 2. Bleier subsequently was placed on the disabled list with left shoulder tendenitis.
• Robert Stock (Padres) continued to falter, leading to a demotion to Triple-A on April 14. Stock gave up a hit a walk, and an earned run in a one-inning appearance on April 11, and walked the only two batters he faced on April 13.

Random good news

• The Jewish Box Score shown on our Home Page now provides in-game updates.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your MLB highlights for week of April 1-7, 2019:

At the plate

• 3B Alex Bregman (Astros) hit a blistering .550 (11-for-20) last week, with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, one stolen base and a .615 on-base percentage. His .343 batting average ranks #10 in the American League.
• RF Ryan Braun (Brewers) hit .263 (5-for-19) with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, and 8 RBIs. His 12 RBIs rank #4 in the National League.
• 2B Ian Kinsler (Padres) hit .158 (3-for-19) with a stolen base and a .273 on-base percentage.
• 1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays) hit .190 (4-for-21) with a home run, an RBI, and a .320 OBP.
• CF Kevin Pillar, who was traded early in the week to the San Francisco Giants, hit .125 (2-for-16) with an RBI and a stolen base.
• After hitting .467 with 3 HRs during Opening Week of the 2019 season, LF Joc Pederson (Dodgers) cooled down to nearly absolute zero, going hitless in 13 at-bats, walking once, and driving in one run on a sacrifice fly.

On the mound

• Max Fried (Braves) pitched 6 innings of nearly perfect ball in an April 4 start, yielding just one hit and no walks while striking out 5 to earn a win.
• Richard Bleier (Orioles) — the only MLB pitcher to record sub-2.00 ERAs in each of the past 3 seasons — calmed down a bit after a rough start on March 30. On April 1, he earned a save despite giving up 2 hits and an earned run over one inning of play. He was perfect on April 3, yielding no walks or pitches over 1.2 innings while striking out one. For the week, he was 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA and a save.
• It was a mixed bag for Robert Stock (Padres). After striking out the side in his lone inning of relief on April 1, the right-hander blew a save opportunity on April 5 and yielded 2 runs over 1.1 innings on April 6. For the week, he was 1-0 with an 8.10 ERA, one blown save, 6 strikeouts and 2 walks.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your minor-league highlights for the week of April 1-7, 2019:

Hitter of the Week: Scott Manea (Astros)

Manea

In his High-A debut, C Scott Manea (Astros/High-A) hit .444 (4-for-9) with 2 HRs, 3 RBIs and just one strikeout.

Pitcher of the Week: Max Lazar (Brewers)

Lazar

Max Lazar (Brewers/A) earned a shutout win on April 6, yielding 2 hits and a walk over 6 innings while striking out 8.

Other highlights

• 2B Ty Kelly (Angels/AAA) hit 1.000 (3-for-3) with an RBI and a walk.
• After striking out a total of 6 times in his first two games of the season, OF Zach Borenstein (Cubs/AAA) went 3-for-5 with one RBI on April 7.
• C Ryan Lavarnway (Yankees/AAA) hit a solo home run on April 7.
• In his Double-A debut, OF Rhett Wiseman (Nationals/AA) hit .333 (4-for-12) with 2 HRs, a double and 5 RBIs.
• SS Zack Kone (Pirates/A), a 2018 draftee, hit .500 (2-for-4) with a walk.
• P RC Orlan (Indians/AAA) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings across 2 games, yielding a walk and a hit while striking out 4.
• In his Double-A debut, P Brandon Gold (Colorado/AA) pitched 5 scoreless innings on April 6, yielding 5 hits and a walk while striking out 5.
• P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA) pitched 2 scoreless innings on April 6, yielding 2 walks and no hits while striking out one.
• In his High-A debut, P Sam Delaplane (Mariners/High-A) pitched 4.0 innings across 2 games to earn both a win and a save. He yielded one earned run on 2 hits and a walk while striking out 9.
• In his High-A debut, P Keith Weisenberg (Braves/High-A) pitched a perfect inning on April 4, yielding no hits or walks while striking out 2.

Free agents

• Major- and minor-leaguers believed to be seeking employment include Danny Valencia, Jeremy Bleich and Gabe Cramer.

Disabled list

• P Zack Weiss (Twins/AAA), since April 1.
• OF Blake Gailen (Dodgers/AAA), since April 3.
• P Mitchell Osnowitz (Cardinals/High-A), since April 4.

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

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Here are your MLB highlights for the opening week of the 2019 season, March 25-31:

Batting stats

• After batting just .180 in Spring Training, Los Angeles Dodgers LF Joc Pederson hit .467 (7-for-15) last week with 3 HRs, a double, 5 RBIs and a .619 on-base percentage. His batting average ranks 6th in the National League.
• Milwaukee Brewers RF Ryan Braun hit .308 (4-for-13) with a home run and 4 RBIs.
• San Diego Padres 2B Ian Kinsler hit .273 (3-for-11) with a home run, a double, an RBI and a .333 on-base percentage.
• Toronto Blue Jays 1B Rowdy Tellez hit .250 (1-for-4) with a home run and 3 RBIs. His home run was a pinch-hit, game-tying, three-run blast on March 31.
• Houston Astros 3B Alex Bregman hit .067 (1-for-15) with no walks. His only hit was a solo home run.
• Toronto Blue Jays CF Kevin Pillar hit .062 (1-for-16) with no walks.

Pitching stats

• Atlanta Braves reliever Max Fried pitched 1.2 innings across 2 games, going 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He yielded no hits but two walks.
• San Diego Padres reliever Robert Stock pitched 1.2 innings across 2 games, going 0-0 with a 10.80 ERA. He gave up 2 earned runs on 2 hits and a walk while striking out 2.
• Baltimore Orioles reliever Richard Bleier pitched 0.1 innings in one appearance, going 0-0 with a 54.00 ERA. He yielded 2 earned runs on 3 hits and zero walks.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

It’s Opening Day of the 2019 Major League Baseball season, and Jewish Baseball News wants to welcome you to what we hope will be another great year for Members of the Tribe.

One key change you’ll notice at JBN this season is the frequency of posts. In past years, Ron Kaplan of Kaplan’s Korner has blessed us with Daily Pitch, a daily summary of MLB highlights. Unfortunately, a new job has made it impossible for Ron to continue with these posts, as he explains here. So for the foreseeable future, JBN will be posting weekly MLB summaries, much like we do with our popular Minor League Monday series.

On the bright side, we’ll continue to post frequent video highlights and other updates on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, so be sure to follow those. And you’ll still be able to track daily Major League stats via the Jewish Box Score shown on our home page.

And now, a few additional notes:

• It appears nine Jewish players will be on Opening Day rosters — including Rowdy Tellez, a last-minute addition by the Blue Jays. They include:
  • Richard Bleier (P), Baltimore Orioles – DL
  • Ryan Braun (RF/LF), Milwaukee Brewers
  • Alex Bregman (3B), Houston Astros
  • Max Fried (P), Atlanta Braves
  • Ian Kinsler (2B), San Diego Padres
  • Joc Pederson (CF), Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Kevin Pillar (CF), Toronto Blue Jays
  • Robert Stock (P), San Diego Padres
  • Rowdy Tellez (1B), Toronto Blue Jays
• P Dean Kremer, a joint Israeli-American citizen ranked No. 9 on MLB.com’s list of top Orioles prospects, is the subject of this recent article by MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo. The article includes several short videos of Kremer discussing his pitching mechanics.
• P Zack Weiss, a Twins prospect who recently obtained Israeli citizenship, was recently interviewed by Rabbi Jeremy Fine of The Great Rabbino website. Among other topics, Weiss discusses his vexing 2018 MLB debut and how he’s tried to learn from it.
• The San Diego Union-Tribune has a fun read about new Padres second baseman Ian Kinsler, who brings both a veteran’s wisdom and a boyish enthusiasm to the field.
• Former Major Leaguer and Team Israel star Josh Zeid retired from pro baseball in 2018, but Bo Wulf of The Athletic has written a terrific retrospective on Zeid’s baseball “odyssey” (subscription required). Zeid currently is working as a pitching analyst for the Cubs.
• And in case you are interested in college ball, Arizona State’s Hunter Bishop recently was named Pac-12 Player of the Week and is the national college home-run leader. It was his second Player of the Week honor this month.

Thanks for following us. And play ball!

# # #

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By Scott Barancik, editor

With MLB Spring Training winding down, we thought we’d update you on how Jewish players are doing so far.

We’ll start with roster players and non-roster invitees. Stats are for games played through March 19, 2019:

P Jeremy Bleich (Phillies): A southpaw who made an inauspicious MLB debut in 2018, Bleich is 0-0 this Spring with one hold and a 3.00 ERA across 9 innings. He has struck out 11, walked 7, held opposing batters to a .194 average, and given up 1.44 walks/hits per inning.

P Richard Bleier (Orioles): The only Major Leaguer with a sub-2.00 ERA in each of the past three seasons, Bleier is 0-0 with one hold and a 2.45 ERA across 3.2 innings. He has struck out 3, walked none, and yielded a .333 average and 1.36 walks/hits per inning.

LF Ryan Braun (Brewers): The 2011 National League MVP is hitting .294 (5-for-17) with a HR, 2 RBIs, no walks and three strikeouts.

3B Alex Bregman (Astros): After finishing 5th in voting for the 2018 American League MVP award, Bregman is hitting a blistering .438 (7-for-16) with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 RBIs, 6 walks, 3 strikeouts and a .609 on-base percentage. A recent article speculated that he “may soon become the face of the Houston Astros.”

P Max Fried (Braves): The 6’4″ southpaw looks likely to make Atlanta’s starting rotation this season. Fried is 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA across 15.1 innings. He has struck out 16, walked 5, and held opposing teams to a .246 average and 1.24 walks/hits per inning.

P Rob Kaminsky (Indians): A newbie making his MLB Spring Training debut, Kaminsky struggled in 3 appearances before being sent down to the minors, going 0-0 with a 13.50 ERA across 2.2 innings, striking out 5 while walking one, and yielding a .500 average and 3.38 walks/hits per inning.

2B Ian Kinsler (Padres): Kinsler’s first Spring in San Diego has been a good one. He’s hitting .385 (10-for-26) with 2 doubles, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, a stolen base, and a .429 on-base percentage.

P Dean Kremer (Orioles): Poised to make his MLB Spring debut, Kremer suffered an oblique strain and didn’t appear in a game before being sent down.

C Ryan Lavarnway (Yankees): A former Red Sox now with rival New York, Lavarnway is hitting .333 (6-for-18) with 2 doubles, 6 RBIs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts and a .400 on-base percentage.

P R.C. Orlan (Indians): An MLB Spring Training rookie, Orland was hit hard in 3 games before being sent down, going 0-1 with a 15.43 ERA across 2.1 innings, yielding 3 walks and no strikeouts, and giving up 2.57 walks/hits per inning.

LF Joc Pederson (Dodgers): After a bad start, the power-hitting Pederson is hitting .175 (7-for-40) with 7 RBIs and a .261 on-base percentage. All 7 of his hits have been either doubles (4) or home runs (3). Pederson has a hit in 5 of his last 7 games, but he’s struck out 15 times against 5 walks.

CF Kevin Pillar (Blue Jays): The human highlight reel is hitting .225 (9-for-40) with a double, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts and a .279 on-base percentage.

P Robert Stock (Padres): After a strong 2018 debut, Stock is 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA across 6 innings this Spring, plus 2 holds and one blown save. Along the way he’s struck out 5, walked 8, and held opponents to a .217 average and 2.17 walks/hits per inning. MLB.com’s Matt Kelly recently called Stock one of “5 late-blooming pitchers primed for a breakout 2019.”

C Garrett Stubbs (Astros): Before the Astros sent him down to minor-league camp, Stubbs impressed, hitting .300 (6-for-20) with a double, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs and a .333 on-base percentage.

1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays): A late-season darling in 2018, Tellez is hitting .283 (13-for-46) with a double, 4 HRs, 9 RBIs, 12 strikeouts and a .313 on-base percentage.

At least 8 other prospects who were not formally invited to MLB Spring Training have gotten a brief chance to play there this year:

OF Zach Borenstein (Cubs): .125 avg (1-for-8), 1 RBI

SS Scotty Burcham (Rockies): 1.000 avg (1-for-1), 1 RBI, 1 BB

P Scott Effross (Cubs): 0-1, 0.00 ERA, 0/1 saves, 0.2 IP, .600 avg, 4.50 WHIP

P Brad Goldberg (Diamondbacks): 0-0, 54.00 ERA, 0/1 saves, 0.1 IP, .500 avg, 12.00 WHIP

P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.2 IP, 2 BB, 1 K, .154 avg. 1.09 WHIP

2B Ty Kelly (Angels): .500 avg (1-for-2)

C Mitchell Kranson (Twins): .000 avg (0-for-2)

P Zack Weiss (Twins): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0/1 saves, 1 IP, .333 avg, 2.00 WHIP

# # #

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Every year I tell myself I’m really going to study up on my baseball. I get all the magazines, more out of habit than anything else since the information is somewhat repetitive between them and often outdated by the time the season starts. One year, when I was on jury duty, I memorized the projected starting lineups for all the teams. That lasted about a month. When I was a kid, there were ten teams and you really could memorize everyone on the 25-man roster. There wasn’t the huge turnover we have nowadays. (Tell us more, grandpa.)

Anyway…

Most of the JMLers are back this year. A couple have changed teams, a few will no doubt start 2019 in the minors. So here’s what we have so far.

Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman, Houston Astros, has been the busiest of all the MOTs, between his Youtube channel, dropping in at weddings, and recovering from elbow surgery. Here are a few stories featuring the Astros infielder:

• Alex Bregman says ‘no other city he’d like to beat more’ than Boston, likely has entire world’s support (MLB.com)
• Alex Bregman anticipates more World Series titles: ‘The Astros are going to be a dynasty’ (CBS Sports)
• Altuve, Bregman, and Correa Are Already on a Hall of Fame Trajectory (Crawfishboxes.com)
• Astros star Alex Bregman and others raise $500000 to fight childhood cancer (KTRK-TV)
• Q&A WITH AN ASTRO: Alex Bregman answers fans’ questions on Twitter (KTRK-TV)
• Astros’ Alex Bregman ‘bored’ with slow process recovering from surgery (Houston Chronicle)
• Houston Astros: Alex Bregman on the road to becoming the face of MLB (House of Houston)
• Rosenthal: Forget his social media persona. Alex Bregman ‘eats, sleeps and breathes’ baseball … (The Athletic)

Joc Pederson, LA Dodgers, homered in their spring training opener. Nice. But will he be a Dodger for much longer?

Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers, is a “senior statesman” at the age of 35. What kind of season will he have as he gets set to perhaps wrest the crown from Hank Greenberg as the all-time Jewish home run king? When you get to be that age (I’ve got socks older than Braun), you have to make adjustments.

Ian Kinsler

Ian Kinsler, who will be 37 on June 22 (sharing a birthday with the NBA’s Omri Casspi), begins 2019 with a new team in a new league, having signed as a free agent by the San Diego Padres. How will that work out? Maybe the addition of mega-FA Manny Machado will propel the previously poor Pods towards pennant possibilities.

Kevin Pillar, Toronto Blue Jays, might also be on a new team by the time spring training ends. Of course, they’ve been saying that for a couple of years now. He is the longest-tenured of all the current Jays.

Will first baseman Rowdy Tellez, Pillar’s teammate who burst on the scene last year in a big way, start the season with the big club?

Rowdy Tellez

Will this be the year Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried sticks? What about Ryan Sherriff, who appeared in five games for the St. Louis Cardinals before going down with an injury? Sherriff was released and has since signed with the Tampa Bay Rays. Or Zach Weiss, who managed just one appearance for the Cincinnati Reds, giving up two walks and two home runs without retiring a batter? Weiss signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins in the off-season. Or Richard Bleier, one of the few bright spots among Baltimore Orioles pitchers before suffering a season-ending injury? So far, he seems to be off to a good start as he gears up towards opening day. Robert Stock of the Padres also made a good first impression in his debut last season.

Not on anyone’s roster so far? Danny Valencia, the power-hitting utilityman who last played with the Orioles. He’s just four homers shy of the century mark. Hope he gets them someplace, but he has a reputation as a problem child in the clubhouse and has played for seven teams over his nine major league seasons. (Then again, as of this posting Bryce Harper hasn’t been signed either.)

And last but not least, our two MOT managers, Gabe Kapler of the Philadelphia Phillies and Brad Ausmus for thee LA Angels.

The Chicago Cubs have hired two former JML pitchers — Craig Breslow and Josh Zeid — to work in their front office. Breslow, dubbed “the smartest man in baseball” during his 12-year career, will have the title “director of strategic initiatives for baseball operations,” while Zeid, who appeared in 12 games for the Astros in 2013-14, will be a pitching analyst in the player development department.

According to JewishBaseballNews, there are a few more MOTs in spring training, including non-roster invitees such as Jeremy Bleich (Phillies), Rob Kaminsky (Cleveland Indians), Dean Kremer (Orioles), Ryan Lavarnway (NY Yankees), and RC Orlan (Indians). Garrett Stubbs, who is listed on the Astros’ 40-man roster, is also in ST.  Bleich made his ML debut with the Oakland A’s last year, appearing in two games.

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

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By Scott Barancik, editor

When Major League teams begin playing Spring Training games tomorrow (2/21/2019), at least 15 Jewish players will be among them.

Some are familiar names, including 3B Alex Bregman (Astros), CF Kevin Pillar (Blue Jays) and 2B Ian Kinsler (Padres), who signed a two-year deal with San Diego during the offseason.

Three pitchers — RC Orlan and Rob Kaminsky of the Indians, and Dean Kremer of the Orioles — are newbies who will arrive as non-roster invitees. They will be joined by fellow non-roster invitees Ryan Lavarnway, who signed a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Jeremy Bleich.

C Garrett Stubbs will join the Houston Astros as a member of its 40-man roster.

Notably missing from the mix will be veteran infielder Danny Valencia, who remains an unsigned free agent. Other players with Major League experience who didn’t get an invite include IF/OF Ty Kelly (Angels), P Ryan Sherriff (Rays), P Jon Moscot (Reds) and P Zack Weiss (Twins), although both Sherriff and Moscot are recovering from injuries.

Here is the full list:

• Jeremy Bleich (Phillies)*
• Richard Bleier (Orioles)
• Ryan Braun (Brewers)
• Alex Bregman (Astros)
• Max Fried (Braves)
• Rob Kaminsky (Indians)*
• Ian Kinsler (Padres)
• Dean Kremer (Orioles)*
• Ryan Lavarnway (Yankees)*
• RC Orlan (Indians)*
• Joc Pederson (Dodgers)
• Kevin Pillar (Blue Jays)
• Robert Stock (Padres)
• Garrett Stubbs (Astros)**
• Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays)

* Non-roster invitee

** 40-man roster

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By Scott Barancik, editor

What’s new in the world of Jewish baseball? Here are some items recently posted to our Facebook and Twitter pages.

• Houston Astros 3B Alex Bregman underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to remove loose bodies. The 2018 All-Star Game MVP expects to be ready by the start of the regular season.
• After a long MLB career, Craig Breslow has hung up his mitt and joined the Chicago Cubs as director of strategic initiatives in its baseball operations department. In a statement, the Cubs said Breslow will “help to evaluate and implement data-based processes throughout all facets of Baseball Operations” and “support the organization’s pitching infrastructure in Player Development and the major leagues.”
• With two months left until Opening Day, veterans Danny Valencia and Ty Kelly remain free agents.
• Mike Meyers has joined the Arizona Diamondbacks as a scout. A former Boston Red Sox prospect, Meyers played centerfield for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifiers.
• Free agent Zach Borenstein has signed a minor-league deal with the Chicago Cubs. A member of Team Israel’s 2017 World Baseball Classic squad, Borenstein has played minor-league ball for the Angels, Diamondbacks and Mets.
• Zack Weiss has signed a minor-league contract with the Minnesota Twins. He made his Major League debut in 2018 with the Cincinnati Reds.
• Former L.A. Dodgers prospect Tyger Pederson has joined the St. Louis Cardinals’ High-A club as hitting coach. He is the brother of Dodgers star Joc Pederson.
• Alon Leichman has joined the Seattle Mariners’ Class A club as pitching coach. The Israeli native played college ball and was a coach with Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
• Steven Pollakov has joined the Houston Astros as an assistant hitting coach. A catcher, Pollakov played minor-league ball for the Chicago White Sox.
• In case you missed it, Jewish Baseball News has created a 6-minute highlight video of the 2018 MLB season.

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(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Ian Kinsler’s two-out RBI single in the second inning put the Boston Red Sox on the board first en route to a 4-2 win over the visiting LA Dodgers on Wednesday night, giving them a 2-0 lead in the Fall Classic.

Things didn’t go quite as well when Kinsler then tried to go from first to third on a single. A miraculous throw by left fielder Chris Taylor passed through Kinsler’s motoring legs and landed on the fly in third baseman Manny Machado’s glove for the out.

Joc Pederson flied out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth. He remained in the game as the left-fielder and did not have another turn at bat.

The teams take a break before resuming action tonight (Friday) in Los Angeles.

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

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All teams available — $99 each for JBN readers

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Unless you’re a Red Sox fan, this one was pretty ho-hum. Boston beat the visiting LA Dodgers, 8-4. Neither of our boys were involved in the highlights.

Ian Kinsler started for the home team and went 0-for-4. Click here for an interview he did about Boston’s drive to the World Series.

Joc Pederson entered the game for the Dodgers as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, leading off that inning by grounding out sharply to second, although not to 2B Kinsler, since the Sox were in a shift. Pederson remained in the game and again grounded out to second to lead off the ninth, this time to his co-religionist.

In an ESPN ranking of both teams by Sam Miller, Pederson was listed at #28:

We really can’t stress enough how incredible the Dodgers’ platoon system is this year — with two guys at almost every position who would start on the vast majority of teams — but here it is again: Pederson is a pretty good defensive center fielder who slots in between Giancarlo Stanton and Joey Votto on the 2018 OPS+ leaderboard, and he is going to end up starting fewer than half the Dodgers’ postseason games. Fun fact: When I was drawing up the list of 50 players in this World Series, he was the last name I recalled, after Dylan Floro and Blake Swihart, because you actually can forget that Joc Pederson, near star, is even on this team.

Kinsler was ranked #33:

This might be overly optimistic, considering the man just had easily his worst offensive season and some extremely humbling at-bats against Gerrit Cole in the American League Championship Series. But Kinsler’s defense is still fantastic, he still usually puts the ball in play, he’s got great awareness and I’ve just got a weird hunch he’s worth watching in this series.

Game Two starts tonight at 8:09pm ET.

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

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Order your handmade baseball menorah in time for Chanukah!

All teams available — $99 each for JBN readers

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Congrats to Joc Pederson and the LA Dodgers. By beating the host Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1, on Saturday, they return to the Fall Classic, where they will take on Ian Kinsler and the Boston Red Sox beginning Tuesday night at famed Fenway Park.

Pederson started in left field but came out for a pinch hitter in the third inning after grounding out in his only at-bat leading off the game. Overall, he had three singles in 13 official plate appearances during the N.L. Championship Series.

Ryan Braun was 0-for-4 in the deciding game. He had seven hits, including two doubles, in 29 at-bats and drove in four runs during the NLCS. The New York Times ran a nice feature on him on Saturday.

By the way, in case no one else mentions it among the hundreds of pre-World Series background stories and fillers, Fenway (opened 1912) and Dodger Stadium (opened 1962) are two of the oldest ballparks in the Majors.

Another “fun fact”: the last time these two teams faced off in the World Series was back in 1916, when the Dodgers were known as the Brooklyn Robins (named after their beloved manager Wilbert Robinson). The Sox took the championship that fall, four games to one.

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

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Congrats to the Boston Reds Sox. Their 4-1 win over the host Houston Astros on Saturday put them back into the World Series. Ian Kinsler was 2-for-4 as the starting second baseman, including a double and a run scored. Alex Bregman, once again at the top of the Astros’ lineup, was once again hitless, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Between the two MOTs, Bregman giveth…

And Bregman taketh away…

Now Boston has to await the winner of the N.L. Championship Series, with the Milwaukee Brewers (Ryan Braun) trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers (Joc Pederson) three games to two. That could be over tonight.

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

Get your Jewish Baseball News updates via e-mail

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

It took a circus catch by Andrew Benintendi on Wednesday to prevent Alex Bregman — who has “buckets of natural talent” — from being a hero once again for the Houston Astros.

The home team had the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth and were trailing the visiting Boston Red Sox, 8-6. If the ball drops, two runs would have scored, and if it gets by Benintendi, the game would be over. As it was, the Sox took a three-games-to-one advantage with the victory.

Perhaps it’s because he’s been so selective at the plate (11 walks in the post-season), but the Astros moved Bergman into the lead-off spot, where he went 0-for-5.

Ian Kinsler appeared as a defensive replacement for the Sox in the ninth.

Game 5 in the Astros-Red Sox series takes place tonight.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers took a 3-2 lead over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers with a 5-2 win. Joc Pederson came on as a defensive replacement in the fourth inning and was 1-for-2 over the rest of the game.

Ryan Braun — who, at 34, remains a key presence in the Milwaukee clubhouse — was 0-for-3 with a walk for the Brewers.

Game Six will have to wait for the teams to return to Miller Park on Friday.

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

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2018 games

• 2018 MLB highlight video
• World Series game played October 24, 2018
• World Series game played October 23, 2018
• Playoff games played October 20, 2018
• Playoff games played October 18, 2018
• Playoff games played October 17, 2018
• Playoff games played October 15, 2018
• Playoff games played October 12-14, 2018
• Playoff games played October 9, 2018
• Playoff games played October 4-8, 2018
• Games played September 25, 2018
• Games played September 24, 2018
• Games played September 21-23, 2018
• Games played September 20, 2018
• Games played September 18-19, 2018
• Games played September 17, 2018 (no report published)
• Games played September 14-16, 2018
• Games played September 13, 2018 (no report published)
• Games played September 12, 2018
• Games played September 11, 2018
• Games played September 7-10, 2018
• Games played September 6, 2018
• Games played September 5, 2018
• Games played September 4, 2018
• Games played September 3, 2018
• Games played August 31-September 2, 2018 (no report published)
• Games played August 30, 2018
• Games played August 29, 2018
• Games played August 28, 2018
• Games played August 27, 2018
• Games played August 24-26, 2018
• Games played August 23, 2018 (no Jewish stats)
• Games played August 22, 2018 (no report published)
• Games played August 21, 2018
• Games played August 20, 2018
• Games played August 17-19, 2018
• Games played August 16, 2018
• Games played August 15, 2018
• Games played August 14, 2018
• Games played August 13, 2018
• Games played August 10-12, 2018
• Games played August 9, 2018
• Games played August 8, 2018
• Games played August 7, 2018
• Games played August 6, 2018 (no report published)
• Games played August 3-5, 2018
• Games played August 2, 2018
• Games played August 1, 2018
• Games played July 31, 2018
• Games played July 30, 2018
• Games played July 27-29, 2018
• Games played July 26, 2018
• Games played July 25, 2018
• Games played July 24, 2018
• Games played July 23, 2018
• Games played July 21-22, 2018 (no report published)
• All-Star Break
• Games played July 13-15, 2018 (no report published)
• Games played July 12, 2018
• Games played July 11, 2018
• Games played July 10, 2018
• Games played July 9, 2018
• Games played July 6-8, 2018
• Games played July 5, 2018
• Games played July 4, 2018
• Games played July 3, 2018
• Games played July 2, 2018
• Games played June 29-July 1, 2018
• Games played June 28, 2018
• Games played June 27, 2018
• Games played June 26, 2018
• Games played June 25, 2018
• Games played June 22-24, 2018
• Games played June 21, 2018
• Games played June 20, 2018
• Games played June 19, 2018
• Games played June 18, 2018
• Games played June 15-17, 2018
• Games played June 14, 2018
• Games played June 13, 2018
• Games played June 12, 2018
• Games played June 11, 2018
• Games played June 8-10, 2018
• Games played June 7, 2018
• Games played June 6, 2018
• Games played June 5, 2018
• Games played June 4, 2018
• Games played June 1-3, 2018
• Games played May 31, 2018
• Games played May 30, 2018
• Games played May 29, 2018
• Games played May 28, 2018
• Games played May 25-27, 2018
• Games played May 24, 2018
• Games played May 23, 2018
• Games played May 22, 2018
• Games played May 21, 2018
• Games played May 18-20, 2018
• Games played May 17, 2018
• Games played May 16, 2018
• Games played May 15, 2018
• Games played May 14, 2018 (no report published)
• Games played May 11-13, 2018
• Games played May 10, 2018
• Games played May 9, 2018
• Games played May 8, 2018
• Games played May 7, 2018
• Games played May 4-6, 2018
• Games played May 3, 2018
• Games played May 2, 2018
• Games played May 1, 2018
• Games played April 30, 2018
• Games played April 27-29, 2018
• Games played April 26, 2018
• Games played April 25, 2018
• Games played April 24, 2018
• Games played April 23, 2018
• Games played April 20-22, 2018
• Games played April 19, 2018
• Games played April 18, 2018
• Games played April 17, 2018
• Games played April 16, 2018
• Games played April 13-15, 2018
• Games played April 12, 2018
• Games played April 11, 2018
• Games played April 10, 2018
• Games played April 9, 2018
• Games played April 6-8, 2018
• Games played April 5, 2018
• Games played April 4, 2018
• Games played April 3, 2018
• Games played April 2, 2018
• Games played March 30-April 1, 2018
• Games played March 29, 2018

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

As the saying goes, Ryan Braun drove in the only run the Milwaukee Brewers would need in their 4-0 win over Joc Pederson and the host LA Dodgers last night.

Braun hammered a one-out RBI double down the left field line in the opening frame.

He could have had an eighth-inning single following Christian Yelich’s bunt hit, but Yasiel Puig deked the base runner into thinking he would catch the ball on a fly and threw to second for the force out.

Pederson got the starting assignment in left, going 0-for-3. Mazel tov to him and his wife, Kelsey, on the birth of their daughter, Poppy Jett, on Sunday.

Poppy Pederson

The Brewers lead the series 2-1. Game Four is tonight.

The ALCS returns tonight as well as Ian Kinsler and the Boston Red Sox visit Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros. That series is tied at a game apiece. Bregman’s star is evident in Texas, but the postseason — both this year and last — is getting him wider recognition.

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

Get your Jewish Baseball News updates via e-mail

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Can it be more even? The American League and National League championship series both are tied at a game apiece as of this writing.

Houston Astros vs. Boston Red Sox

Game 1, Astros 7, @ Red Sox 2:

• Alex Bregman was 0-for-1 but reached base four times: three walks and an HBP. He scored twice and was caught stealing. He also made an “unofficial error.” More on Bregman here, here, and here.

• Ian Kinsler did not appear for the Sox. At all.

Game 2: Astros 2, @Red Sox 7

• Bregman walked three more times and was 0-for-2. So while his batting average is .000, his on-base percentage is .700.
• Kinsler was the starting second baseman and was 0-for-4.

Game 3 takes place Tuesday, October 16 in Houston.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Game 1, Dodgers 5, @ Brewers 6

• Ryan Braun was 1-for-4 with an RBI. More on Braun here, here, and here.
• Joc Pederson entered the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the seventh. He grounded into a force play and scored in the eighth, and he walked and scored again in the ninth.

Game 2, Dodgers 4, @ Dodgers, 3

• Braun was o-for-4 and drove in a run.
• Pederson singled as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. He remained in the game and singled again in the ninth.

Game 3 takes place tonight in Los Angeles.

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

Get your Jewish Baseball News updates via e-mail

By Ron Kaplan, contributor

I’m guessing this is a first: each of the four teams going into the League Championship Series have an MOT on the roster.

On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox held off the host NY Yankees, 4-3, to move on to the ALCS. Ian Kinsler started at second base and gave the team a 2-0 lead with an RBI double in four at-bats, his second two-bagger of the series. He also scored a run.

The Red Sox will host Alex Bregman and the defending World Series champion Houston Astros beginning Saturday night.

Meanwhile, over in the National League, Joc Pederson and the LA Dodgers visit Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers beginning Friday.

Of course, this scenario guarantees that once again there will be opposing JMLs in the fall classic, much like Pederson vs. Bregman in the 2017 World Series.

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

Get your Jewish Baseball News updates via e-mail