Jewish Baseball News

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 — 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 — 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 — Here are your Players of the Day for Sunday (8/29/2010):

• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers went 4/4 with a two-run HR, a walk and 3 runs scored in an 8-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, raising his season batting average to .300 for the first time since June 28. The 2007 NL Rookie of the Year is hitting .422 in August, with a 5-hit game, a 4-hit game, three 3-hit performances, and six 2-hit games. Adding in 13 walks, his August on-base percentage is a sweet .495.
• RP Craig Breslow of the Oakland A’s pitched 2 hitless innings in an 8-2 win over the Texas Rangers. The 30-year-old middle reliever is 4-4 with a 3.39 and 2 saves. He has 60 strikeouts in 58 ^1/3 innings and has held opposing hitters to a .202 batting average.
• In a rehab assignment with the “AA” Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers), 2B Ian Kinsler hit an RBI single and scored a run as the RoughRiders beat the Midland RockHounds 6-4. In five games with Frisco, Kinsler is 4/15 (.267) with 4 RBIs and 2 walks. He has been on the disabled list since July 28.
• SP David Kopp of the “AA” Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals) pitched 6 scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory over the Arkansas Travelers. A 24-year-old Clemson recruit, Kopp allowed 7 hits and no walks while striking out four. He got out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the 5th inning by getting one batter to pop out and two to fan. Kopp was 0-5 during a stretch in “AAA” this season but is 12-3 with Springfield.
• SS Jake Lemmerman of the rookie-league Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) went 2/5 with a double and a home run in a 9-5 loss to the Great Falls Voyagers. The top Jewish pick in the 2010 draft (5^th round, 172^nd overall), Lemmerman leads the league in doubles (23) and runs scored (62), ranks 2nd in OPS (.991), and has the third-highest batting average (.355).

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Tampa Bay Rays RF Gabe Kapler was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday (8/16/2010), his second such visit this season.

There is some speculation that Kapler was ‘listed’ not so much because of a twisted ankle but to make room on the roster for 1B Carlos Pena, who was returning from the DL and might provide the Rays with some much-needed power during the pennant race.

Either way, 2010 is turning out to be one of the most injury-prone seasons in recent memory for Jewish ballplayers.

Two players — Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis and Chicago Cubs RP John Grabow — are out with season-ending injuries. Los Angeles Dodgers C Brad Ausmus only recently returned after spending much of the season on the DL, his first such stop in an 18-year MLB career. Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler is on the DL for the second time this season, and Washington Nationals SP Jason Marquis is back now after a lengthy stint away.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here is your player of the day for Monday, August 2, 2010:

• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers went 5-for-7 (all singles) with 2 RBIs in an 18-1 massacre of the Chicago Cubs, lifting his season batting average seven points to .281. Braun’s only other five-hit game came on 4/21/2009, when he went 5-for-5 with 2 HRs and 4 RBIs in an 11-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Braun started the 2010 season on fire but has cooled off considerably since then, batting .355 in April, .286 in May, .264 in June, and .200 in July. He hit .320 in 2009. According to Martin Abramowitz of Jewish Major Leaguers, the record for hits in a single 9-inning game by a Jewish batter is six, shared by Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler and Shawn Green. Kinsler went 6-for-6 and hit for the cycle last year against the Baltimore Orioles (4/15/2009), driving in 4 runs and crossing the plate 5 times. Green, then in right field for the Los Angeles Dodgers, went 6-for-6 with four home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers on 5/23/02, with 7 RBIs and 6 runs scored.
  

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — So who are the 2010 Jewish category leaders in the MLB as of today (July 12)?

Among the eight position players:

• Highest batting average: Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler (.310)
• Most home runs: Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis (18)
• Most triples: Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis (5)
• Most doubles: Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun (24)
• Most RBIs: Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis (57)
• Most walks: Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis (51)
• Most strikeouts: New York Mets 1B Ike Davis (71)
• Best walk/strikeout ratio: Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis (.93)
• Worst walk/strikeout ratio: New York Mets 1B Ike Davis (.45)
• Highest on-base percentage: Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler (.408)
• Highest slugging percentage: Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis (.575)
• Highest OPS (OBP+slugging): Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis (.983)
• Most stolen bases: Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun (12)

Among the five pitchers:

• Most victories: Texas Rangers SP Scott Feldman (5)
• Most losses: Texas Rangers SP Scott Feldman (8)
• Best win-loss record: Oakland Athletics RP Craig Breslow (3-2)
• Best ERA: Oakland Athletics RP Craig Breslow (3.32)
• Most strikeouts: Texas Rangers SP Scott Feldman (63)
• Most walks: Texas Rangers SP Scott Feldman (33)
• Best strikeout/walk ratio: Oakland Athletics RP Craig Breslow (2.56)
• Worst strikeout/walk ratio (25+ innings): Chicago Cubs RP John Grabow (1.54)

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Sunday was a good day for Jewish bats.

All five position players who played yesterday (7/11/2010) had at least one hit, and three powered home runs: Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun hit his 13th (video), New York Mets 1B Ike Davis smacked his 11th (video), and Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler knocked out his fourth (video).

Ike Davis’ dinger was the most impressive, a 430-foot shot to center field.

Better yet, four of the five teams — Milwaukee, New York, Minnesota (Danny Valencia) and Boston (Kevin Youkilis) — won their Sunday games.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — An update from the world of Jewish baseball players:

• Los Angeles Dodgers C Brad Ausmus is doing well in his rehab stint with the Inland Empire 66ers, a Class A-advanced team. The 41-year-old has six hits in 12 at-bats with two walks and two RBIs. Ausmus had just four at-bats with the Dodgers this season before injuring his back. It was his first and only time on the disabled list in a lengthy career. In Ausmus’ absence, Dodger catchers Russell Martin (.247 average, .351 on-base percentage, .337 slugging percentage) and A.J. Ellis (.214 average, .306 OBP, .238 SLG) have performed adequately, if not exceptionally.
• As a group, MLB’s Jewish pitchers have had a dismal season. Boston Red Sox RP Scott Schoeneweis was released back in May, and their collective ERA only recently dipped below 6.00. Oakland A’s RP Craig Breslow remains an exception, with a 3-2 record, 3.15 ERA, strikeout/walk ratio of 40/16, and opponent batting average of just .175. A’s manager Bob Geren has been lobbying to get Breslow into the 2010 All-Star Game. In his most recent start, Scott Feldman (5-8, 5.32 ERA, 63/33) delivered a seven-inning, 2 ER performance against the Baltimore Orioles. (7/9/2010), Texas Rangers SP
• Since returning from the disabled list, Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler hasn’t displayed the power (31 HRs) and speed (31 stolen bases) that he did in 2009, but he is hitting for average (.311) and is on pace for a career-high on-base percentage of .411.
• New York Mets 1B Ike Davis hit his 10th home run of the season on July 4, making him just the third rookie in Met history to hit 10 HRs before the All-Star break. Rumor has it that the Seattle Mariners wouldn’t consider trading star pitcher Cliff Lee to the Mets unless Davis was part of the deal. Davis’ habit of landing in the dugout after catching a pop foul has been immortalized in a video game.
• Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis narrowly lost another chance to join the 2010 All-Star Game. Youkilis was one of five AL players chosen to participate in a “Final Vote” for the last spot on the AL roster, but Youkilis finished second to New York Yankees RF Nick Swisher in the closest contest in the nine-year history of the Final Vote. According to MLB.com, Swisher used his Twitter account — baseball’s biggest at more than 1.2-million followers — to obtain endorsements from Jessica Alba, Ivanka Trump and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
• Philadelphia Phillies prospect Michael Schwimer, a 6’8″ pitcher whom Jewish Baseball News dubbed a “monster of the mound,” was promoted to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA). The 24-year-old reliever had compiled a 5-3 record with the Reading Phillies (AA), including 58 strikeouts in just 40 innings. If you’re interested in what Schwimer has to say about things, you can catch his blog here.
• Also moving up in the world is St. Louis Cardinals prospect David Kopp. The transition to AAA ball hasn’t been easy for the 24-year-old starting pitcher. Kopp dominated the AA Texas League while with the Springfield Cardinals this season, going 8-1 with a 3.08 ERA. By contrast, he has lost all four of his starts as a Memphis Redbird.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers will celebrate Jewish Community Day on July 25 by giving away Dodgers yarmulkes. Their opponent? Ike Davis and the New York Mets.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun and Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler will participate in the 2010 All-Star Game, Major League Baseball announced this weekend.

Braun,who led all AL outfielders with 2.97-million votes, will be the lone Jewish player in either league’s starting lineup. Kinsler, who finished third among AL second basemen with 1.66-million votes, gained a spot when Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia, the #2 vote-getter, suffered an injury.

Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis, who is enjoying yet another MVP-type season, missed two All-Star cuts: the fan vote (he finished with 1.32-million, putting him in fourth place at his position), and the manager vote (New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who is managing the AL squad, chose two of his own players to round out his seven picks).

But Youkilis still has a chance to make the squad. As part of its absurdly convoluted procedure for selecting All-Stars, the MLB has named Youkilis and four other players — White Sox 1B Paul Konerko, New York Yankees RF Nick Swisher, Minnesota Twins LF Delmon Young, and Texas Rangers 3B Michael Young –as participants in a so-called Final Vote (not to be confused with the Final Solution). Whichever player gets the most fan votes between today (7/4/2010) and Thursday, July 8 at 4:00pm ET will receive a final spot on the AL squad.

Here is how the five candidates compare in key statistical categories, through today’s games:

PLAYER/HR/RBI/AVG/OBP/SLG

Kevin Youkilis/17/54/.299/.416/.584

Paul Konerko/20/57/.297/.386/.564

Nick Swisher/13/47/.293/.373/505

Delmon Young/9/55/.298/.332/.488

Michael Young/11/51/.310/.356/.493

(Note: Category leaders shown in red.)

Fans may cast an unlimited number of votes. In other words, it’s a perfect opportunity for Kevin Youkilis devotees who happen to be software programmers to set up repetitive-voting scripts.

For an online ballot, click here.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — If the 2010 MLB All-Star Game were held today, Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun would once again appear in the National League’s starting lineup.

Braun, a 26-year-old in his fourth MLB season, had the third-highest vote tally among all NL players in 2009 and the most among NL outfielders, more than 4.1-million. He went 0-for-2 in a 4-3 loss to the American League.

As of Wednesday (6/2/2010), Braun again was the leading NL outfielder with 604,675 votes. The 2010 MLB game will be held on Sun., July 13 in Anaheim, Calif.

Unlike last year, however, when three Jews were named All-Stars — Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis and SP Jason Marquis, then with the Colorado Rockies, were the other two — Braun may end up being the lone Hebe on the field. That’s because as of Wednesday, Youkilis was ranked fourth among AL first basemen and Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler was ranked 3rd at his position.

No doubt, many rankings will be shuffled in the final weeks of voting. Last year, for example, Kinsler led all AL second baseman in fan votes until the final week, when Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia overtook him. Pedroia’s last-minute surge thwarted those who had hoped 2009’s All-Star Game would become the first ever to feature four Jews.

The biggest strike this year against Kinsler — besides missing the first 22 games of the season with an ankle injury and posting mediocre numbers since returning — is that he’s not a New York Yankee. As of Wednesday, Yankee players were ranked first at three positions (1B, 2B, SS) and second at two (3B, C). Moreover, Yankee manager Joe Girardi will have some say in who plays because he will be managing the AL squad.

Want to get out the vote for your favorite Jewish position players? MLB allows each fan to submit as many as 25 times, so click here t0 cast your ballots.

Pitchers are not selected by fans. The Jews you can vote for are:

American League

• 1B Kevin Youkilis
• 2B Ian Kinsler
• OF Gabe Kapler, Tampa Bay Rays (write-in only)

National League

• OF Ryan Braun
• 1B Ike Davis, New York Mets (write-in only)
• C Brad Ausmus, Los Angeles dodgers (write-in only)

Voting 25 times doesn’t take that long. MLB retains your personal info and votes from the previous ballot, so you can do all 25 in about 10 minutes. Fan voting ends on just before midnight on July 1.

— Scott Barancik

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –Sunday was not a day for bragging.

Six Jewish position players collectively went 1-for-17 yesterday (May 30), including four strikeouts. Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler managed the day’s only hit (a 1st-inning single) and only walk in a 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

The day’s sole Jewish pitcher, Chicago Cubs RP John Grabow, fared no better. In a two-inning stint, Grabow gave up two home runs, three earned runs and four hits total. It’s the sort of performance that recently cost Grabow, 31, his role as manager Lou Piniella’s top left-handed setup man.

The Jewish Batting Average has slumped in recent days. It closed yesterday at .287, or 26 points above the MLB average of .261.

On the bright side, the blimp-like Jewish ERA has moderated a bit, thanks in part to clutch relief work by Oakland A’s RP Craig Breslow. The Jewish ERA closed yesterday at 7.09, still nearly three runs per game above the MLB ERA of 4.13.

Before you get depressed and go nuts on frozen blintzes, remember: it’s a long season. Why, less than two weeks ago, Jewish batters smacked four home runs in a single day.

— Scott Barancik

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The latest info on Jews with bats:

• New York Mets 1B Ike Davis, brought up from AAA two weeks after the 2010 season began, is now batting cleanup. The move to 4th in the batting order paid off for the Mets on Thursday (5/20/2010) as Davis went 3-for-5 with 2 doubles and three runs scored.
• Davis was one of four Jewish players with multi-hit games Thursday (5/20/2010). Joining him were Tampa Bay Rays RF Gabe Kapler (2-for-2), Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler (2-for-5), and Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis (2-for4 with 1 HR and 4 RBIs).
• According to this article, Youkilis is on pace to have his best month ever at the plate. So far this May, he leads the majors in batting average (.411), on-base percentage (.585), slugging percentage (.786), and OPS (1.371).
• The Boston Red Sox dropped RP Scott Schoeneweis from the team’s roster Wednesday (5/19/2010). Schoeneweis, a last-minute addition to the Opening Day squad, had an unimpressive 7.90 ERA this season, allowing 19 hits in 13 innings. The Red Sox have not said yet whether they will trade Schoeneweis, release him, or place him on waivers.
• Florida International University sophomore Garrett Wittels continued his record-setting streak Thursday by getting a hit in his 46th straight game, part of FIU’s 12-4 victory against Florida Atlantic University. Wittels needs one more game to tie Phil Stephenson for second on the all-time list at 47 games.
• AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees SP Jason Hirsh had his four-game winning streak broken Tuesday (5/18/2010) in a 3-0 loss to the Indianapolis Indians. On the bright side, Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader columnist Dave Konopki praised Hirsh this week, saying “it would be great to see him wearing pinstripes while standing on the mound at Yankee Stadium.”
• AAA Memphis Redbirds CF James Rapoport is on a tear since being called up from AA. After 11 games with the Redbirds — a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate — the 24-year-old is batting .378 with a .440 on-base percentage. Yesterday (5/20/2010) he went 4-for-6 in a 13-3 victory over the Sacramento River Cats.
• Milwaukee Brewers LF Adam Stern hasn’t made the most of his brief return to the bigs. In four games since being called up from AAA, the 30-year-old Canadian is 0-for-6 with two strikeouts.
• Texas Rangers SP Scott Feldman earned his first victory since April 11 with a 13-7 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. It wasn’t his finest hour: Feldman gave up a career-high 12 hits in six innings.
• In other struggling-Jewish-pitcher news, Chicago Cubs RP John Grabow continued his shaky 2010 in a 5-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Grabow gave up 1 hit, two walks and the winning run in 2/3 inning. Grabow’s 8.44 ERA is second-worst in the National League, and he’s reportedly “testing the patience of manager Lou Piniella, who continues to give him the ball in crucial late-inning situations.”

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Tuesday (5/18/2010) saw a show of strength by Jewish major leaguers.

Four men– Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun, New York Mets 1B Ike Davis, Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis, and Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler — hit home runs. The Day of Power boosted the Jewish home run total for 2010 from 16 dingers to 20.

Muscle-bound Tampa Bay Rays RF Gabe Kapler didn’t hit a home run but got on base three times (single, walk, hit by pitch), scored a run and had a couple nice plays in the field.

The show of power is no fluke. So far this season, Jewish position players have a combined slugging average of .502, compared with .411 for all MLB position players.

— Scott Barancik

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — After missing the first 22 games of the season with a sprained right ankle, Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler returned to the lineup Friday (4/30/10) and made a key contribution in the Rangers’ 2-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning when pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney grounded into a SS-2B-1B double play to end the threat. The Rangers went on to win in 12 innings.

Kinsler singled in his second at-bat and went 1-for-5. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he predicted he’ll resume stealing bases — he stole 31 in 2009, to go alone with 31 home runs — but hasn’t fully recovered from his injury:

The pain that Ian Kinsler continues to feel in his right ankle isn’t a constant companion, but it’s not going away for good anytime soon. The pain, though, is no longer an inhibiting factor, and hasn’t been for about a week. The ankle passed every test Kinsler gave it while rehabbing in Arizona and Frisco, and it was put to a big-league test Friday night.

Kinsler prepped for his return with a three-game stint for the AA Frisco RoughRiders, where he went 3-for-9 with 3 RBIs.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Jason Marquis, whose debut with the Washington Nationals this season has marked a low point in his 11-year pitching career, has been placed on the disabled list due to bone chips in his right elbow.

Marquis, a right-handed starter, was put on the team’s 15-day disabled list but may be out as long as six weeks. He is 0-and-3 this season with a bloated 20.52 ERA.

No word on whether the bone chips might have affected his pitching.

Marquis is Jew No. 3 on the disabled list this season. He joins Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Brad Ausmus, who earlier this month went on the list for the first time in his 18-year career, and Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler, who has been on the disabled list since Opening Day.

Kinsler’s recovery took a step forward Monday (Apr. 26) when he played his first game for the AA Frisco RoughRiders, going 0-for-3 with a walk. He’s expected to rejoin the Rangers’ active roster on Friday.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — A summary of the latest scuttlebutt on Jewish baseball players.

• LF Sam Fuld, who plays for the Iowa Cubs (AAA), is the best defensive outfielder in the Chicago Cubs’ organization, according to Baseball America. (Bleacherreport.com)
• 1B Kevin Youkilis, who hit two doubles and a triple in the Boston Red Sox’ 9-7 win over the New York Yankees last night, is the first Red Sox player to hit three extra-base hits in a season opener since Carlton Fisk did it in 1976. (Boston.com)
• Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler is starting the season in an unfortunate way: on the 15-day disabled list. Kinsler sprained his right ankle on March 12. (USAToday.com)
• Kinsler, by the way, is the Rangers’ “most productive” hitter, averaging 2.05 hits, walks and/or RBIs per game in a simulation. (Accuscore.com)
• RHP Scott Feldman will be the Texas Rangers’ starting pitcher in today’s Opening Day game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Feldman recently signed a two-year, $13.3-million contract extension that will keep him with the Rangers through at least 2012. (Reuters.com)

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