Jewish Baseball News

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Jewish duo Ian Kinsler and Scott Feldman helped lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-3, extra-inning win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the A.L. Championship Series.

Texas was down 2-0 in the 6th inning when second baseman Kinsler hit an RBI double to cut the deficit in half. Moments later, the two-time All-Star stole 3rd and then scored on an Elvis Andrus single.

Feldman, a 6-foot-6″ right-hander sporting a positively rabbinic red beard, pitched one inning of no-hit relief in the 10th to earn the win. Though Feldman did make one mistake, hitting Tigers CF Austin Jackson with a 94 mph sinker, Kinsler erased the baserunner moments later when he tagged Jackson out on an attempted steal.

After spending the first half of 2011 on the disabled list while recovering from knee surgery, Feldman has had a remarkable postseason (see ESPN.com article). In three bullpen appearances spanning a total of 8-and-a-third innings, the 28-year-old has held opposing batters to a .111 batting average, struck out 9, and has yet to give up a walk or a run. His appearance in Game 2 of the A.L.C.S. marked the first time since 1999 that an MLB reliever pitched more than 4 innings of scoreless ball in a post-season game.

Kinsler is hitting .258 in the playoffs with 1 HR, 3 doubles (2nd highest among Rangers players), 6 RBIs (2nd), 2 stolen bases (1st/tie), and a .378 on-base percentage (2nd)

Texas’ victory left it one win away from a second straight World Series berth. Game 5 takes place today (Thursday) at 4:00pm ET on Fox.

# # #
Planning to buy something on Amazon.com? Use our Amazon link (below) and Jewish Baseball News will get a small commission. It costs you nothing!

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia finished 3rd in voting for the A.L. Rookie of the Year award, the Baseball Writers’ Association of American reported today (11/15/2010).

Valencia, who led all A.L. rookies with a .311 batting average after being called-up from AAA in early June, received one 2nd-place vote and nine 3rd-place votes to finish a distant 3rd behind Texas Rangers RP Neftali Perez and Detroit Tigers LF Austin Jackson. (See vote totals below.)

It was the strongest Rookie of the Year finish by a Jewish player since Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun won the N.L. award in 2007.

Valencia, 26, finished the 2010 season with 7 HRs, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 2 stolen bases, and 40 RBIs in 299 at-bats. As Jewish Baseball News reader Jack W points out, Valencia hit .394 with runners in scoring position, 2nd best in the A.L. among those with at least 50 plate appearances in that situation. In early September, Jewish Baseball News called him a top-5 contender for the Rookie award.

For information on the 2010 N.L. Rookie of the Year award, visit Jewish Baseball News here.

###