Jewish Baseball News

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Spring Training 2011 is just two weeks old. Many players are still shedding their off-season rust. But a couple Jewish players are already tearing the stitching off the ball.

Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler, who was hobbled by injuries last season, leads all MLB players with 4 HRs, is tied for second with 7 RBIs, and is batting .444 (8/18). Figure in walks, and he has a nifty on-base percentage of .545.

Also hitting well is Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia. After finishing 3rd in voting for the A.L. Rookie of the Year award last year, Valencia is batting .500 (6/12) with 3 RBIs and is tied for the A.L. lead in doubles, with four.

Here is how all Jewish position players were doing through Mon., March 7:

Among pitchers, Washington Nationals starter Jason Marquis followed up a difficult 2010 with a strong spring-training outing, giving up just 1 hit over 3 innings in his only game played so far. Here’s how all Jewish pitchers were doing through March 7:

To track Jewish players in Spring Training, visit Jewish Baseball News for our daily box score.

###

Order our bumper sticker for just $2.50 — shipping included! Click on your preferred color below:

Black & White	Color
$2.50	$2.50

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.

###

Mr. Kalish

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Several months ago, Jewish Baseball News readers began asking about CF Ryan Kalish of the Boston Red Sox. Could the splashy rookie be a Member of the Tribe?

We decided to look into it. After pleasant but inconclusive chats with Kalish’s parents, including his Jewish father, we tried to contact the player directly. Kalish didn’t respond to our inquiries, however. Taking that as a ‘No’, we reluctantly labeled him “Not a Jew.”

But all that changed this week when we received a phone call from our friends at Jewish Sports Review. The news? Ryan Kalish, through a Red Sox spokesman, had consented to be listed in future editions of JSR’s bi-monthly publication. In other words, the 22-year-old was ready to openly declare his Jewishness.

As a result, Jewish Baseball News will now track Kalish much as we do other MLB Jews. Our only regret is that we didn’t get it right the first time, and crossed signals with JSR.

In our conversations this summer, Kalish’s parents were generous about discussing what is, after all, a very private matter. Steven Kalish is Jewish, had his Bar Mitzvah as a youth. But Eileen Kalish is Catholic, and the couple raised Ryan in her tradition. He was baptized, confirmed, and educated at a Catholic high school. “I fulfilled my guilt,” Eileen joked.

Sending Ryan to Catholic school didn’t exactly have the intended effect, however. “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 added. Today, the family attends neither church nor synagogue. At most, they light the Chanukah candles and decorate the Christmas tree.

While some critics may question Kalish’s Jewishness, Jewish Baseball News defines “Jewish” broadly. If a player has a Jewish parent (or has converted to Judaism); does not practice another faith; and does not object to being identified as a Jew, we include him.

Kalish’s presence raises to 15 the number of Jews who played MLB ball in 2010. The only other rookie on the list, 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins, was identified as Jewish in July.

We welcome Ryan Kalish to the Jewish baseball family. Please feel free to send him your own greetings in the Comments section below.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — We’ve been out to lunch for a few days. Here’s what’s happened in the MLB playoffs.

Valencia, Twins are out:

• On Saturday (10/9/2010), the New York Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins 6-1 to win the playoff series 3-0. Danny Valencia, the Twins’ rookie 3B, singled, walked and scored the team’s lone run. For the series, he went 2/9 (.222) with a double and 2 RBIs, walking once and striking out 3 times.

Kinsler, the only Jew still left in the playoffs, continues to play well:

• On Saturday (10/9/2010), 2B Ian Kinsler drew a walk and stroked his second HR of the playoffs in a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. His 7th-inning HR had put the Rangers ahead 2-1. “I was hoping to be the difference,” Kinsler told MLB.com. “I wanted to be the difference. We needed six more outs.”
• On Sunday (10/10/2010), Kinsler singled, walked, and scored a run in a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He also dropped a pop-up, allowing the Rays to score the first run of the game. It was his second error of the series.
• The fifth and final game of the Rangers/Rays series, which is tied 4-4, takes place Tuesday night (10/12/2010) in St. Petersburg. Through four games, Kinsler is batting a sizzling .357 (5/14) with 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here is your MLB playoff update for Thursday (Oct. 7, 2010):

• In just the second playoff game of his career, 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers hit a solo HR and an RBI single in a 6-0 win over the (beloved) Tampa Bay Rays. Rays OF Gabe Kapler remains on the disabled list and thus is not part of the team’s playoff roster. Texas leads the 5-game series 2-0 (sob); Game 3 takes place Saturday in Texas.
• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 0/2 with one RBI in a 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees. The 25-year-old’s sacrifice fly put the Twins ahead 1-0 in the 2nd inning, but the lead didn’t hold up. The Yanks lead the 5-game series 2-0; Game 3 takes place Saturday in New York.

With the Philadelphia Phillies attempting to reach their 3rd straight World Series, the Jewish Exponent recently published an interesting article on the team’s general manager, former OF Ruben Amaro Jr. Though Jews are not uncommon in the front offices of Major League baseball, Amaro — whose Mexican-born father also played in the pros — is not widely known as Jewish. But his mother, Judy Herman, was a Jew, and although Amaro was baptized, “We did Passover, Yom Kippur, Chanukah,” he told the Exponent. “We were exposed to both faiths pretty equally.” Amaro and his Catholic wife are raising their children Catholic.

Thanks to Jewish Baseball News reader Jack W. for the tip on the Exponent article.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here is your MLB playoffs update for Wednesday (Oct. 6, 2010):

• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins hit a single and a game-tying walk in a 6-4 loss to the New York Yankees. Yankees’ SP C.C. Sabathia walked the 25-year-old on 4 pitches with the bases loaded to tie the game 4-4. Valencia’s chances of being named A.L. Rookie of the Year dimmed significantly in September, a month when rookie RP Neftali Feliz of the Texas Rangers gave up zero runs in 11 appearances to finish the season 4-3 with 40 saves and a 2.73 ERA.
• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers singled and scored a run in a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. It was his first playoff appearance in a five-year career.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Thursday (10/1/2010).

• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers hit an RBI single, drew a walk, and scored his 100th run of the season in a 9-2 win over the New York Mets. Braun is batting .306 and leads all MLB Jews with 25 HRs and 103 RBIs. According to MLB.com, he is one of only 2 players in Brewers history to reach 100 RBIs and 100 runs in two consecutive seasons. Mets 1B Ike Davis entered the game as a pinch-hitter and went 0/2.
• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins doubled, walked, and scored a run in a 13-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Valencia, a Rookie of the Year hopeful who recently began hitting for power, leads all MLB rookies with a .323 batting average.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Wednesday (9/29/2010).

It was Jew vs. Jew in a double-header between the Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Mets. Here’s how the match-up went:

• LF Ryan Braun carried the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-1 win in Game 2 with a two-run double, his career-high 44th two-bagger. Braun is batting .306 this season and leads MLB Jews with 25 HRs and 102 RBIs. He went 1/5 in Game 1, which the Brewers won 8-7.
• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets went 0/4 in the double-header but drew 4 walks and hit a sacrifice fly. The 23-year-old has shown improving judgment at the plate in recent months; so far in September he has raised his batting average from .248 to .266, and his on-base percentage from .331 to .354.

In other games:

• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins singled 3 times in a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals. It was his 10th game with 3 or more hits since being called up from the minors in June but his first since Sept. 2. Valencia, who recently has been hitting more for power than average, leads all MLB rookies with a .323 batting average.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins seems to have taken a detour.

Over the past 10 games, a period that saw his batting average drop from .338 to .318, the 25-year-old Florida native hit just .225 and had as many strikeouts as he did hits.

But this wasn’t your typical “slump”: five of Valencia’s nine hits were HRs, a noteworthy stat given that he hit just 2 HRs in his prior 237 at-bats. He also had 11 RBIs during the 10-game set.

This sudden power-burst raises some interesting questions for Valencia fans. Is this a fluke, or the way of the future? Would the Twins be better off with the “old” Valencia, or the “new” one? Does the change help his chances of being named A.L. Rookie of the Year, or hurt?

And perhaps most interesting of all: is the change happening naturally, or is Valencia willing himself to hit for power?

We don’t have a ton of data to go on. After all, this is Valencia’s first and only MLB season. We do know that while playing in the minors from 2007-09, he hit 14 to 17 HRs per year. So the 25-year-old has some power in his past.

As for the future? Only Valencia knows for sure.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Saturday (9/25/2010):

• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers reached base 3 times and stole his 14th base of the season in a 4-3, playoff-clinching win over the Oakland A’s. The 28-year-old singled, doubled and walked.
• 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins hit a grand-slam HR and a solo HR in an 11-10, 13-inning loss to the Detroit Tigers. It was the second grand-slam of his remarkable rookie season. But Valencia had a tough 13th inning. Normally very reliable in the field, he made a critical error and then struck out with the bases loaded to end the game. The 25-year-old remains a top contender for Rookie of the Year. He leads all A.L. rookies in batting average (.327) and slugging percentage (.476) and ranks 3rd in RBIs (40).
• CF Sam Fuld of the Chicago Cubs went 2/4 with 2 RBIs in a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. When the Cards intentionally walked Alfonso Soriano to get to Fuld, the 29-year-old fielding specialist made them pay, smacking a two-run single. As Jewish Baseball News reader Jessica R. points out, Fuld has been eyewitness to — and the awkward beneficiary of — several player injuries recently. A week ago, he moved up a notch in the depth chart temporarily when Cubs RF Tyler Colvin suffered a bizarre, broken-bat injury. Fuld started yesterday’s game because Marlon Byrd had been hit in the eye with a foul tip. And in the 5th inning, Fuld hit a line drive into the face of Cardinals P Blake Hawksworth. “You could tell Fuld felt awful,” Jessica says.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Tuesday (9/21/2010):

• 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 2/4 with an RBI single in a 6-4 win over the Cleveland Indians, guaranteeing the Twins their 6th A.L. Central title in the past 9 years. Though he wasn’t called up from the minors until June and didn’t become a regular starter until July, the 25-year-old is making a serious bid for Rookie of the Year. Valencia leads A.L. rookies in batting average (.337) and slugging percentage (.471), ranks 2nd in on-base percentage (.379), and is 4th in doubles (17).
• If you tuned into the Versus Network at 8:05pm ET last night (9/21/2010), you witnessed another virtuoso playoff performance by 2B Jason Kipnis of the “AAA” Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Indians). The 23-year-old, who was called up from “AA” for the post-season, got on base 4 times and fell a single short of hitting his second straight cycle in a 12-6, national-championship win over the “AAA” Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners). Kipnis’ performance wasn’t enough to win game MVP — that honor went to teammate Jerad Head — but his 10/22 run during the “AAA” playoffs won’t hit his chances of starting the 2011 season in Columbus.

Jewish baseball fans take note: last night’s “AAA” championship marked the final minor-league game of the 2010 season. We at Jewish Baseball News will do our best to keep you apprised of player developments during the off-season.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Monday (9/20/2010):

• 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins continued his recent power display, going 1/4 with a solo HR in a 9-3 win over the Cleveland Indians. The 25-year-old rookie has just 5 HRs this season but has hit 3 in his last 4 games. He leads all MLB rookies with a .335 batting average and  MLB.com, he is hitting .431 with runners in scoring position. Valencia showed good power as a minor-leaguer, hitting 14 to 17 HRs per year from 2007 through 2009.
• RP Craig Breslow of the Oakland A’s pitched a scoreless 9th inning to preserve a 3-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox and earn his 3rd save of the season. The 30-year-old middle reliever has a 3.15 ERA, tops among MLB Jews, and is having one of his best months of the season. His September ERA is 1.74 so far, second only to his May ERA of 0.71.
• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers went 1/4 with a two-run double in a 5-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The RBIs lifted his season total to 93, one behind team leader Casey McGehee. As Jewish Baseball News reader JackW notes, Braun’s 41 doubles are a career high; he hit 39 both in 2008 and 2009.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — A number of Jewish ballplayers went to work on Saturday (9/18/2010), Yom Kippur. Two of them made the best of a difficult situation:

• 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins continued his phenomenal rookie season, going 2/4 with a three-run HR in a 4-2 win over the Oakland A’s. Valencia, who leads all MLB rookies with a .340 batting average, also homered in Friday’s game. According to MLB.com, he is hitting .431 with runners in scoring position.

“He’s made a difference in a lot of games, and single-handedly won a handful,” (Twins starting pitcher Kevin) Slowey said of Valencia. “It’s been great for us. He was a guy that everybody knew he had the talent and it would just be a matter of time of getting up here and getting some repetitions.”

• For the second straight day, RP Josh Zeid of the “A” Lakewood BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies) turned in a remarkable performance, pitching 4 perfect innings and striking out 5 consecutive batters in a 4-2 win over the Greenville Drive. The win earned Lakewood the South Atlantic League championship, and Zeid’s teammates mobbed him after the final out. A day earlier, Zeid pitched 3 perfect innings in the BlueClaws’ 6-1 win, striking out four.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — A number of Jews played baseball on Friday (9/17/2010), the eve of Yom Kippur. And while some played as if they were being punished, others performed quite well:

• SP Jason Marquis of the Washington Nationals may wish he hadn’t agreed to pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies. He failed to complete the first inning, giving up 6 earned runs on 6 hits and a walk while retiring just one batter in a 9-1 defeat. It didn’t help that a likely double-play ball struck the second-base umpire, allowing a run to score and keeping Philadelphia’s at-bat alive.
• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers went 3/5 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored in a 3-0 win over the San Francisco Giants.
• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins had the opposite experience, going 2/3 with his 3rd major-league HR in a 3-1 loss to the Oakland A’s. Oakland RP Craig Breslow pitched 1-and-1/3 scoreless innings to earn his 16th hold of the season.
• Two Jewish major-leaguers — 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers and rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets — both went 0/3. Davis had gotten press coverage a day earlier by saying that he was leaving the decision about playing on Yom Kippur to his mother, who lost family in the Holocaust.

In minor-league championship games:

• CF James Rapoport of the “AAA” Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals) hit 3 singles and stole 2 bases but couldn’t prevent a 10-6, extra-inning loss to the Tacoma Rainiers. Tacoma swept the Pacific League championship series, 3-0.
• RP Josh Zeid of the “A” Lakewood BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies) did not play in Friday’s 2-1 win over the Greenville Drive. But on Thursday (9/16/2010), he pitched 3 perfect innings in the BlueClaws’ 6-1 win, striking out four. Lakewood leads the South Atlantic League championship series 2-1.
• The “Rookie-league” Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) didn’t play Friday because they lost the Pioneer League championship series the day before. RP Andrew Pevsner provided one of Ogden’s few bright spots in Thursday’s 14-3 loss to the Helena Brewers, pitching 3-and-1/3 perfect innings and striking out 4. Teammate Jake Lemmerman went 1/5 and scored a run.

And now, your Jewish Baseball News Star of the Day:

• 2B Jason Kipnis of the “AAA” Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Indians) hit for the cycle — single, double, triple and HR — en route to a 13-2 win over the Durham Bulls and Columbus’ first International League championship in 14 years. The 23-year-old was called-up to Columbus for the post-season after spending the regular season on Cleveland’s “AA” and “A-advanced” clubs. He batted .389 during the 4-game championship series while playing in the DH role.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Wednesday (9/15/2010):

It was a productive day for the four MLB’ers who took the field yesterday. The group went a combined 7/14 with 2 HRs, 8 RBIs and 4 runs scored, and all four players’ teams won:

• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers went 2/5 with his 22nd HR and a game-tying, 9th-inning double in an 8-6 victory over the Houston Astros. It was the 4th straight two-hit game for Braun, who raised his average to .306 for the first time since June 29.
• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers went 2/3 with a 2-run HR in an 11-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers. A year after joining baseball’s elite “30/30” club — he had 31 HRs and 31 stolen bases in 2009 — Kinsler has just 9 HRs and 13 stolen bases. But two lengthy stints on the disabled list in 2010 have shortened the 28-year-old’s season. Meanwhile, he has boosted his batting average from .253 in 2009 to .299 this season.
• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 2/4 with a double and a sacrifice fly in a 9-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. The 25-year-old also saved a run by forcing out a runner at home plate. Valencia leads all A.L. rookies with a .333 batting average and is a top contender for Rookie of the Year.
• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets went 1/3 with an RBI double in an 8-7, come-from-behind win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. A 1st-round pick (18th overall) in the 2008 amateur draft, Davis is batting .261 with 31 doubles, 2nd-most among N.L. rookies.

In minor-league championship games:

• Playing in the DH role, 2B Jason Kipnis of the “AAA” Columbus Clippers went 1/4 with a double in a 4-0 triumph over the Durham Bulls. Columbus leads the five-game International League championship series 2-0.
• CF James Rapoport of the “AAA” Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals) went 1/4 with a sacrifice fly in an 11-7 loss to the Tacoma Rainiers. Tacoma leads the five-game Pacific Coast League championship series 2-0.
• SP Jason Knapp of the “A” Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians) struck out 6 batters over 3 and 1/3 innings and gave up 2 earned runs in a 9-6 win over the Clinton LumberKings. Lake County leads the five-game Midwest League championship series 1-0.

###

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Tuesday (9/14/2010):

• In his fourth game back since injuring a hamstring, rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins hit a game-tying single, drew a walk, and scored 2 runs in a 9-3 defeat of the Chicago White Sox. Valencia leads all A.L. rookies with a .329 batting average and is a top contender for Rookie of the Year, despite having only 231 at-bats.
• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers hit a single and a solo HR in a 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros. It was the third straight two-hit game for Braun, who is batting .390 over the past 10 games. For the season, the 26-year-old is hitting .305 with 21 HRs, 37 doubles, 86 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. He is one of five Brewers with more than 20 HRs.

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers reached base four times in an 11-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers, hitting an RBI single and walking three times. Separately on Tuesday, the MLB issued Kinsler a one-game suspension for participating in an on-field celebration of Saturday’s 7-6 win over the New York Yankees after being ejected earlier in the game. Kinsler is appealing the suspension (see interview).

###

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.

###

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.

###

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.

###

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.

###