Jewish Baseball News

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.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Every year around this time, Jewish sports fans take out their yardsticks and measure the Jewishness of their favorite players with one simple question: Are you going to play ball on Yom Kippur?

This year is no different. The newswires were abuzz this weekend with a report that Washington Nationals SP Jason Marquis had decided to pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night (9/17/2010), a time when observant Jews will be reciting Kol Nidre at synagogue. “Your team expects you to do your job and not let your teammates down, and that’s the approach I take,” Marquis said.

Earlier today (9/16/2010), ESPN.com reported that New York Mets rookie 1B Ike Davis still hadn’t decided whether to play on Yom Kippur.

Holy as Yom Kippur is, it strikes me as a little unfair to judge a player’s commitment to Judaism and the Jewish community by his willingness to sit out a game or two once a year.

Nobody talks about it, but thanks to baseball’s packed schedule, Jewish ballplayers already have to miss countless Shabbat dinners with their families during a season. Can you imagine a Jewish pro asking his manager for permission to skip all Friday night and Saturday afternoon games?

The fact is, team sports and religious observance are mostly incompatible. If you want to be a great baseball player — or simply avoid getting kicked off the high-school team — you’ll probably have to skip religious school in favor of batting practice. Anyone who has reached the pros must have made peace with that trade-off long ago. It’s why you see very few observant Jewish athletes.

I do love it when a Jewish athlete honors his tradition, whether by proudly declaring his religion, or skipping a game on Rosh Hoshana. When Koufax and Greenberg sat out, they honored us all. It takes guts.

But whether to play on Yom Kippur is no easy decision.

Imagine you are Jason Marquis. Your tradition, your conscience, your mother, perhaps — all of these may tell you to skip the game. There are other considerations, though, other constituencies.

You agreed to a two-year, $15-million contract with the Nationals in late 2009. Instead of contributing to the team’s ‘win’ column in 2010, you began the season abysmally before being diagnosed with bone chips in an elbow and spending months on the disabled list. Now, back just one month, you have a chance to pay back the fans and teammates, and to resurrect your career. Is that a prudent time to ask your employers for a day off?

The decision is Jason Marquis’. Let’s leave the judging to the umpires.

— Scott Barancik, Editor

(Note to readers: Your comments are welcome below.)

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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.

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

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

Injury update:

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

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

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

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

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

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

In other MLB news:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — 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 Thursday (9/2/2010):

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

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Wednesday (8/25/2010):

In the Majors:

• SP Jason Marquis of the Washington Nationals had the best outing of his injury-plagued season, pitching 7 ^2/3 innings of one-run ball in a 4-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The 32-year-old veteran gave up just 4 hits and 2 walks and received a modest ovation as he left the game. Marquis is 0-7 this season with an 8.79 ERA.
• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 3/4 with an RBI groundout in a 4-3 loss to the Texas Rangers. A mid-season call-up from “AAA” ball, Valencia is batting .330, tops among AL rookies.
• 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets hit an RBI triple — his first three-bagger in the majors — in a 5-4 loss to the Florida Marlins. Davis is 2^nd among N.L. rookies in RBIs (57) and 3^rd in HRs (15) and runs scored (54).
• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers hit an RBI double and threw Manny Ramirez out at home plate in a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2007 NL Rookie of the Year, Braun has hit .410 in his last 10 games and is batting .296 for the season.

In the minors, Jewish pitchers were unbeatable:

• SP Eric Berger of the “AA” Akron Aeros (Cleveland Indians) gave up just one hit and 2 walks over 6 innings in an 8-1 win over the Bowie Baysox. Since being demoted from “AAA” ball earlier this season, the 24-year-old has a 5-5 record with a 5.68 ERA, 60 strikeouts and 43 walks.
• SP Dylan Axelrod of the “A+” Winston-Salem Dash (Chicago White Sox) pitched 7 shutout innings in a 5-0 triumph over the Lynchburg Hillcats, striking out 8 batters and walking only one. Since being promoted to the Dash, Axelrod is 7-2 with a 2.03 ERA, 76 strikeouts and just 11 walks.
• In his second game since being promoted to the “A” Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians), SP Jason Knapp gave up one hit over 5 innings in a 3-1 victory over the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The 19-year-old phenom struck out 6 batters and walked none. He pitched 4 no-hit innings in his 8/20/2010 Captains debut.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The New York Mets will host their annual Jewish Heritage Day at Citi Field on Sunday, Aug. 29, and they’re offering discounts to those in the know.

The Heritage Day festivities begin at 1:10 pm with a pre-game program of Jewish entertainment, a rendition of “God Bless America” by Jewish a capella singers Six13, and a regularly scheduled game against the Houston Astros. The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York is cosponsoring the event.

At least four ballplayers in the Mets’ franchise are Jewish. In addition to rookie 1B Ike Davis, who made his major-league debut on April 19, they include standout 2B Josh Satin of the “AA” Binghamton Mets and pitchers Jeremy Gould and Jeffrey Kaplan of the rookie-league GCL Mets.

To order tickets, go to mets.com/jcrc and click on the green button  that says “Click here to purchase tickets.” When you reach the Group Ticket Window, log in using the Jewish Heritage Day discount code for the sign-in I.D. (JCRC) and password (METS), all in CAPs.

Let’s support the Mets for supporting us.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — I’ve been reading up on SP Jason Knapp of the “A” Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians), and it’s hard not to be impressed.

Although just 19 years old — he turns 20 later this month — the right-hander is a veteran of the ups and downs that come with being a professional athlete.

He was just 17 when the Philadelphia Phillies chose him in the second round (71^st pick overall) of the 2008 amateur draft, a 6’5″ flamethrower out of Annandale’s North Hunterdon High School who turned down a scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina to go pro and was rewarded with a $590,000 signing bonus.

Knapp wasted little time impressing. In six starts and 31 innings pitched for the Phil’s rookie-league team, he went 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA, struck out 38 and gave up just one HR.

His 2009 season was a mixed bag. Although Knapp went 2-7 with a 4.01 ERA, he struck out 111 batters in 85 ^1/3 innings. The Cleveland Indians were sufficiently intrigued that they made him the lynchpin of a 6-player trade that sent Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee to the World Series-bound Phillies.

But Knapp, who already had spent time on the disabled list for bicep tendinitis, soon succumbed to shoulder fatigue and ended up undergoing surgery. Although Baseball America didn’t lose faith — it ranked him #64 on its 2010 list of the top 100 minor-league prospects, two spots behind Ike Davis — the injuries were worrisome.

Since returning to baseball this month with the Indians’ rookie-league team, Knapp has erased a lot of those concerns.

In 5 starts, he went 0-2 with a 1.46 ERA, giving up just 2 earned runs over 12 ^1/3 innings and striking out 18, or roughly half the batters he faced.

That earned him a promotion to the “A” Lake County Captains, where his Aug. 20 debut was nothing short of spectacular. Knapp pitched 4 no-hit innings and struck out 7 before the Captains decided to give his shoulder a rest.

Whether Knapp becomes the next Great Jewish Pitcher remains to be seen. The big leagues aren’t like high school, where he could toss fastballs nearly 90% of the time and get by. He continues to develop other pitches and has impressed the Indians’ management with his maturity and dedication.

According to an 8/20/2010 article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Knapp “is expected to make four to six starts for Lake county and then go to the Arizona Instructional League.” Depending how that goes, next season should see him in a “AA” Akron Aeros uniform, alongside 2B (and fellow Jew) Jason Kipnis.

Not bad for 19.

— Scott Barancik

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Friday (8/20/2010):

Four MLB players had two hits apiece…

• C Brad Ausmus of the Los Angeles Dodgers had his best day at the plate since returning from the disabled list, going 2/3 with two singles in a 3-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. A 41-year-old enjoying his 18^th MLB season, Ausmus is batting .209 in 43 at-bats.
• 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets went 2/4 with two singles and an RBI in a 7-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Davis, a rookie, is batting .243 and ranks 2^nd on the Mets in home runs (15), RBIs (56) and strikeouts (106), and 4^th in runs scored (51). He has struggled of late, batting just .143 over his past 10 games.
• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers went 2/4 with two walks and two RBIs in a 10-6 victory over the San Diego Padres. A 26-year-old in his fourth major-league season, Braun has hit .353 in his last 10 games and .292 for the season.
• Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins continues to impress, going 2/4 in a 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. A mid-season call-up from “AAA” ball, Valencia is batting .335, tops among AL rookies.

One MLB pitcher shined…

• RP Craig Breslow of the Oakland A’s pitched a scoreless 9^th inning to preserve a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, striking out 2 of the three batters he faced. It was just the third career save for Breslow, who typically is used in a middle-relief role. The 30-year-old Yale Alum is 4-3 with a 3.13 ERA. He has 55 strikeouts in 54 ^2/3 innings and has held opposing hitters to a .201 batting average.

And in the minors…

• CF James Rapoport of the “AAA” Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals) went 2/5 with 2 walks and 2 RBIs in a 6-3 win over the Salt Lake Bees. Rapoport, 25, is batting .264 with 2 HRs and 29 RBIs since being promoted to “AAA” earlier this season. He has 4 triples and 8 stolen bases for the Redbirds.
• SP Jason Knapp of the “A” Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians) pitched 4 innings of no-hit ball, struck out 7 batters and walked two in a 5-3 win over the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –The best performances of Thurs., July 29, 2010:

• New York Mets 1B Ike Davis smashed a three-run home run in a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals (see video). Davis, a rookie, is tied for the team lead in home runs (15) and ranked second in RBIs (52).
  
• “AAA” Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees SP Jason Hirsh pitched six scoreless innings in a 7-1 victory over the Norfolk Tides. The 28-year-old right-hander gave up just two hits and three walks while striking out six, improving his record to 6-7 with a 4.22 ERA.

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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 — Here are the latest developments among Jewish professional baseball players:

MLB

• Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis is having a remarkable season. After 68 games, the “Greek god of walks” is hitting home runs and RBIs at the same pace he did last year, walking more, and striking out less. Far less. Consider this: in 136 games last season, Youk struck out 62 percent more often than he walked (125 strikeouts vs. 77 walks). In 2010, he has walked more times (47) than he has struck out (41). “It’s freakish,” Red Sox first-base coach Ron Johnson told the Providence Journal. “It’s really fun to watch. Where he’s come from and where he is now, to lower his strikeout totals and still have the power and drive in the runs and hit over .300, he’s up there with those superstar guys.” Alas, Youkilis probably won’t appear in next month’s All-Star Game. In fan voting through today, he is ranked a distant 4th among American League shortstops.
• Since inserting rookie 1B Ike Davis into the cleanup spot on May 19, the New York Mets have gone 20-9 after a 19-21 start.
• After serving as the ace of the Texas Rangers’ pitching squad in 2009, SP Scott Feldman got off to a disappointing start this season. But he’s begun to right himself lately. In his past four starts, Feldman has won three games, amassed a 3.70 ERA, struck out 19 in 26.67 innings and walked just nine. Feldman pitches tonight (6/21/2010) against the Houston Astros.
• Los Angeles Dodgers C Brad Ausmus, 41, had only four at-bats this season before suffering a back injury that required surgery. But Ausmus — who had never before been on the disabled list — has begun taking batting practice with his teammates and recently caught his first bullpen session.
• Tampa Bay Rays RF Gabe Kapler went on the disabled list June 12 after straining his right hip flexor.
• For the third time this season, the Milwaukee Brewers called OF Adam Stern up from the AAA Nashville Sounds and then sent him back down. The 30-year-old’s initial call-up was a major accomplishment, given that he hadn’t had a major-league at-bat in four years. But Stern went hitless in eight at-bats during his stints with the Brewers this season.

Minors

• The San Diego Padres promoted SP Aaron Poreda to the Portland Beavers, the franchise’s AAA squad. Since arriving, Poreda has pitched 7.33 scoreless innings in four appearances and struck out seven batters. The 23-year-old spent part of last season in the majors, pitching for both the Chicago White Sox and the Padres.
  
• Springfield Cardinals SP David Kopp (AA/St. Louis Cardinals) has been named a Texas League All-Star. Kopp, 24, leads the league with an 8-1 record and has an 3.08 ERA. According to the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader:

For Kopp, the selection culminates a terrific first half in which he has re-claimed his prospect tag. Kopp underwent a pair of shoulder surgeries in 2008 and 2009, and reached Double-A late last season with little hype. He walked 11 and struck out six in five starts. This year, his line features 45 strikeouts in 69 innings as the right-hander has gone on the attack with a low-90s fastball. The pitch shields his sharp, tight slider from over-use, and managers and scouts are beginning to think of Kopp not in terms of a Double-A pitcher but one with the stuff to reach the majors.

• Reading Phillies RP Michael Schwimer (AA/Philadelphia Phillies) is 5-3 this season and has struck out an impressive 47 batters in 34.67 innings, more than triple the number of batters he has walked (14). “He has good stuff, but he has been a little inconsistent,” Philadelphia Phillies assistant general manager Chuck Lamar told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He may get a shot by the end of the year to move up to triple-A.”
• The New York Mets recently promoted 2B Joshua Satin to the AA Binghamton Mets. Since arriving, the 25-year-old has hit .320 in six games.
  
• Likewise, the Cleveland Indians moved 2B Jason Kipnis up to its AA squad, the Akron Aeros. Kipnis wasted no time making his mark. After eight games with the Aeros, he is batting .355 with two home runs, three doubles, and an OPS of 1.090.
• Corpus Christi Hooks C Jonathan Fixler (AA/Houston Astros) didn’t take it easy on Frisco RoughRiders SP (and fellow Jew) Richard Bleier this weekend. Fixler, 24, went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs during a 7-1 thrashing of the RoughRiders on Sunday (6/20/2010). Bleier gave up 7 runs and 13 hits in seven innings, and his record fell to 3-6.
  
• The St. Louis Cardinals demoted C Charlie Cutler to its A-advanced farm team, the Palm Beach Cardinals. Cutler had batted just .205 with six RBIs for the AA Springfield Cardinals. But he’s batting .350 after six games with Palm Beach.
• OF Ben Guez took an even bigger fall recently. The Detroit Tigers franchise sent him down from AAA Toledo, where he hit .273 with five RBIs in 66 at-bats, to the Lakeland Flying Tigers (A-advanced).

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — New York Mets rookie Ike Davis hit a game-winning home run against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday (6/8/2010), an 11th-inning, upper-deck blast that gave the Mets their ninth straight home victory. The home run was Davis’ 7th of the season.

See a video of the blast here.

And a video of his post-game pie in the face.

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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 — 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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