Jewish Baseball News

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

Here’s what’s happening in the world of baseball today (Thursday, Mar. 29, 2012):

• INJURY: Sam Fuld told the Tampa Tribune he’s going to get a second medical opinion on his injured right wrist and may end up facing surgery and/or rehab. The Tampa Bay Rays outfielder injured his wrist last September in Baltimore.
• TRIUMPHANT: Scott Feldman pitched masterfully in the Texas Rangers’ 12-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday (3/26/2012). The 6-foot-7-inch right-hander scattered three hits and no walks over 6 innings while striking out nine. Teammate Ian Kinsler contributed a HR.
• FAMILY EMERGENCY: Minnesota Twins right-hander Jason Marquis left Spring Training more than a week ago to care for his 7-year-old daughter, who was seriously injured when she fell off a bicycle.
• REASSIGNED: The Philadelphia Phillies optioned reliever Michael Schwimer to the franchise’s AAA team last week. After making his MLB debut last season, the 26-year-old hurler spent most of Spring Training 2012 with the Phillies, where he recorded a 3.86 ERA and one save in four-and-two-thirds innings.
• CONTRACT TALKS: Ian Kinsler is in talks with the Texas Rangers about extending his contract. His current contract ends after this season, although the team has a $10-million option for 2013.
• CONFIDENT: After hitting .311 and placing 3rd in balloting for A.L. Rookie of the Year in 2010, the 2011 season was a “humbling” one for Danny Valencia. But the Minnesota Twins 3B says he’s regained some confidence and is trying to have fun again on the field.

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By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

Given that he’s the reigning National League MVP, you might think Ryan Braun would be tearing up Spring Training pitching.

And you would be wrong.

Opening Day is little more than a week away, but 2012 already has already delivered a few surprises, as well as some more predictable performances.

The Surprising

• John Grabow has yet to give up an earned run. After a second mediocre season in Wrigley Field made him a target of fan frustration, the nine-year veteran seemed on the verge of Washed Up, and the best he could get for 2012 was a minor-league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But now, Grabow has a fighting chance at filling the final spot in the Dodgers’ regular-season bullpen. In six appearances this Spring, the 33-year-old has given up no runs, one walk, and only four hits across six innings, while striking out 7.
• In Arizona, veteran reliever Craig Breslow has been outperformed by a low-level minor leaguer. With a lifetime ERA of 3.06, the odds are good that Breslow will find his form during the regular season, but so far this Spring he’s been ineffective, running up a 7.11 ERA in five appearances. The real shocker has been teammate Brett Lorin, a 6’7″ starter who has yet to play even Double-A ball yet. In 7 relief appearances this Spring, the 24-year-old is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA, five strikeouts, and nary a single walk.
• Minor-leaguer Nate Freiman has 5 RBIs in just 5 at-bats. He’s yet to reach Double-A. He wasn’t on the San Diego Padres’ Spring Training roster, or among its non-roster invitees. But the 6’7″ first baseman has made the most of his limited opportunities this Spring. In 3 appearances, none of them as a starter, Freiman hit a three-run HR, an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly. Only two Jewish players — Danny Valencia (7 RBIs, 45 at-bats), and Ike Davis (6 RBIs, 35 at-bats) have driven in more runs.
• Ryan Braun is hitting just .095. Narrowly escaping a 50-game suspension under MLB’s drug policy probably hasn’t helped Braun’s psyche any. But who would expect the N.L.’s 2011 MVP to have just 2 hits in 21 at-bats so far this Spring? To be fair, the Milwaukee Brewers’ 28-year-old left fielder has drawn 6 walks, giving him a respectable if modest .321 on-base percentage. Still…
• The “other” Ryan is hitting .455. Boston Red Sox C Ryan Lavarnway, who made his Major League debut last August, has always swung a good bat. But his performance this Spring will make the Red Sox think twice about sending him down to AAA next week.

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The Predictable

• Ian Kinsler is off to a fast start, hitting .368 with 3 HRs and 5 RBIs.
• Sam Fuld is hitting .217, identical to his average across seven MLB Spring Trainings. Notwithstanding his remarkable start last April, Super Sam hits only slight better during the regular season, with a career average of .244.
• Jason Marquis is struggling with his control. In 4 Spring stars, the newly-arrived Minnesota Twin is 1-1 with an 8.53 ERA, and he’s walked nearly twice as many batters (9) as he’s struck out (5).

Hitters

Pitchers

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By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

Spring Training 2012 is in its second week, and a number of Jewish players are in the mix.

Fifteen Jews — including 6 pitchers and 9 position players — were invited to participate in Major League Baseball’s annual rite this year. They include all 13 who played MLB ball in 2011, plus former major league OF Ryan Kalish (Boston Red Sox) and current minor league P Brett Lorin (Arizona Diamondbacks). Fourteen of the 15 are on their teams’ 40-man roster. P John Grabow, who recently signed a minor-league contract with the Los Angeles dodgers, is the lone non-roster invitee.

The Boston Red Sox have the highest Jewish population of any team at Spring Training, with three players, followed by the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers, each with two.

Through games played March 10, Jewish batters were hitting a combined .253, with 2 HRs and 10 RBIs in 75 at-bats (see table below). New York Mets 1B Ike Davis led the group with a .400 average and .500 on-base percentage. Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia showed some power with a HR, two doubles, and a .357 average. National League MVP Ryan Braun was off to a slow start, with four strikeouts and just one hit in his first 8 at-bats, a home run.

Boston’s Kalish, who had off-season surgery on his neck and left shoulder, isn’t expected to play until June.

Jewish pitchers were playing admirably well. Five of the six hadn’t yielded a single run through March 10. Texas Rangers starter Scott Feldman, for example, gave up just two hits and a walk over five total innings while striking out three. Jason Marquis, a newly-minted Minnesota Twin, was the sole disappointment. He blew his first start by giving up 4 earned runs and 3 walks to the Red Sox before being removed in the 2nd inning. His second start, against the St. Louis Cardinals, was modestly better: Marquis gave up 1 earned run on 3 hits and 2 walks over 3 innings.

Following are player stats through games played March 10:

To track the performance of Jewish players during Spring Training, check the Jewish Box Score on our home page every day.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Jason Marquis signed a one-year, $3-million deal with the Minnesota Twins last week. The Twins will be his 7th team over a 12-year major-league career but first in the American League.

A left-hander with a career 4.55 ERA and 104-98 record, Marquis split last season between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 33-year-old went a combined 8-6 with a 4.43 ERA but spent the end of the season on the disabled list after a line drive broke his right fibula.

Twins general manager Terry Ryan called Marquis a “ground-ball machine” and predicted that Target Field breadth would serve him well.

Marquis is expected to pitch fifth in the Twins’ starting rotation. The team finished 2011 in last place in the A.L. Central division.

In May 2011, Marquis became the fifth Jewish pitcher in MLB history to win 100 games and the first to do so since Steve Stone in 1980. He ranks 5th in career wins among Jewish pitchers and needs only 2 more to tie the late Dave Roberts for 4th place.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — A comebacker off the bat of New York Mets CF Angel Pagan on Sunday (8/14/2011) may have ended the regular season of Arizona Diamondbacks P Jason Marquis, by fracturing his right fibula.

Marquis, recently acquired by the N.L. West-leading Diamondbacks from the Washington Nationals, continued pitching after the 3rd-inning incident but left during the 4th inning after feeling the bone pop (see video). Arizona went on to win the game 5-3.

Marquis said he hopes to be back in time for post-season play. The fracture is his second major injury in two years. He missed a chunk of the 2010 season after having surgery on bone chips in his elbow.

The 32-year-old was 0-1 in Arizona after going 8-5 for the Nationals.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Newly-acquired P Jason Marquis will make his Arizona Diamondbacks debut today at 3:45pm EST, just days after the Washington Nationals traded the veteran right-hander for a minor-league prospect.

The first-place D’backs hope Marquis, 32, can strengthen their pitching rotation as the N.L. West pennant race tightens. The Manhasset, N.Y., native is 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA this season but has lost 3 of his last four decisions. The last-place Nats obtained single-A switch-hitter Zachary Walters in exchange. The trade also saved the Nats $2.3-million, the estimated remaining amount of Marquis’ 2011 salary.

“It’s an exciting time to know a team has enough confidence in you to be a part of a postseason run,” Marquis told the Washington Post.

Marquis will have a chance to earn that confidence in today’s game against the San Francisco Giants, who are tied with the D’backs for first place.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your MLB highlights for games played on Saturday (7/3/2011), plus an update on each player mentioned:

• Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia had the go-ahead hit in a come-from-behind, 9-7 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, going 2/4 with a double and two RBIs. The Brewers had led the Twins by as much as 5 runs early in the game. But when Valencia hit a bases-loaded single in the 7th inning and Twins LF Mark Kotsay misplayed the ball (see video), Valencia landed on third base and all three runners scored, putting the Twins ahead 9-7. Coincidentally, Kotsay was filling in for Brewers LF Ryan Braun, who was out with a strained left calf. Player update: Valencia, who finished 3rd in the 2010 A.L. Rookie of the Year contest while batting .311, has struggled both at the plate (he is hitting .225) and in the field (3 more errors so far) in his sophomore season. Through 293 at-bats, the 26-year-old Miami native has matched many of the offensive stats he had in 299 at-bats last year, including runs, triples, HRs, RBIs, and walks. But he has hit 37 percent fewer singles (down from 67 to 42), and 22 percent fewer doubles (down from 18 to 14).
• Valencia wasn’t the only Jewish ballplayer to put his team ahead Saturday. Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis made the Houston Astros regret their decision to intentionally walk Boston 1B Adrian Gonzalez in the top of the 9th inning when he drew a bases-loaded walk (see video), leading the Sox to a 2-1 win. For the day, Youk went 1/4 with a single and scored a run on an errant throw, possibly reinjuring his sore right ankle (see video). Player update: Youkilis, coming off a year in which he missed one-third of all games with injuries, is hitting just .271, his lowest average since his rookie year in 2004 (.260), and is hitting into too many double plays. But there are many positive notes. Because he is drawing walks at a personal-record pace, his on-base percentage (.392, 7th in A.L.) is on par with his career average. Youk’s 57 RBIs are 6th in the A.L. And his after hitting just .218 in April, he hit .293 in May and .289 in June. One lingering concern is the gap between his batting average this season at Fenway Park (.370) and everywhere else (.185).
• Batting leadoff, Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler had a stellar day on offense, notching 2 singles, a walk, and 2 stolen bases, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a 6-4 loss to the Florida Marlins. Kinsler also made this acrobatic catch and tag to nix Marlins RF Mike Stanton’s steal attempt. Player update: After an injury-plagued 2010 season in which he played only 103 games, Kinsler has recovered some of the HR power (12 HRs in 303 at-bats) and base-stealing skill (18 SBs, 8th-best in the A.L.) he displayed in his breakout 2009 season, when he became the second Jewish player in history to record at least 30 HRs and 30 SBs in a single season. He hit 2 HRs on 6/29/2011 — the eighth 2-HR game of his career but the first since 8/27/2009 — and has 4 in his past 10 games. And although he is hitting a career-low .241 (vs. a career average of .276), he is striking out less than ever and is poised to crush his personal walks record. As a result, Kinsler’s on-base percentage this season (.359) is on par with his career average (.356).
• In his worst start of the season, Washington Nationals P Jason Marquis gave up 6 earned runs and 8 hits over just 1-and-a-third innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates cruised to a 10-2 victory. The loss dropped his record to 7-3 and plumped his ERA to 4.11. Player update: Despite Saturday’s game, Marquis is enjoying his best season since 2004, when he went 15-7 with the St. Cardinals, and a remarkable turnaround from his injury-plagued 2010 season, when he went 2-9 with a 6.60 ERA before succumbing to elbow surgery. The 32-year-old Manhasset, N.Y., native is walking fewer batters than ever before; striking out twice as many batters as he walks, which is well above his career average; and has given up a career-low 7 HRs so far. But it’s somewhat concerning that opposing batters are hitting a robust .294 against him.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Major League Baseball handed out suspensions for a series-long skirmish between the Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks that peaked on Sunday (6/5/2011).

Among those named: Nationals P Jason Marquis, who was ordered to sit out 5 games, or roughly one start in a 5-pitcher cycle.

Marquis was 5-and-a-third innings into a 1-0 shutout Sunday when he hit Diamondbacks RF Justin Upton in the back with a pitch (see video). In any other game, no eyebrow would have risen. But Marquis’ errant toss marked the 4th time Upton had been hit in the series, and it came shortly after Nationals RF Jayson Werth was hit for the 3rd time in the series, inspiring home-plate umpire Rob Drake to warn both benches.

Marquis (6-2, 3.84 ERA) plans to appeal, telling the Washington Post he hasn’t once thrown at a batter in his MLB career:

I’ve been in this game for 12 seasons. Never been ejected, never been fined, never been suspended. I don’t understand why I would start now. I’ve been in games where there have been (players) getting hit back and forth. It’s a 1-0 game. We’re trying to put something together here. The game is 1-0. You don’t want it to get away from you just because you’re trying to show your manhood. I’m out there trying to win as many games as possible.

Washington won Sunday’s game 9-4 with an 11th-inning grand slam.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Jason Marquis became the 5th Jewish pitcher to win 100 games on Tuesday (5/10/2011), leading the Washington Nationals to a 7-6 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Marquis, who spent the first 4 years of his MLB career with Atlanta, held the Braves to one run through the first 7 innings. He left after giving up a single and double with one out in the 8th.

Tuesday’s win put the 32-year-old Manhasset, N.Y., native in good company: Marquis ranks 5th in career wins among Jewish pitchers and needs only 8 more to move into 3rd place. He is the first Jew to reach 100 wins since Steve Stone did so 31 years ago.

The Jewish pitchers with the most wins are:

Marquis has bounced back nicely from 2010, when he went 2-9 with a 6.60 ERA and spent nearly 4 months on the disabled list after having elbow surgery.

So far this season he is 4-1 with a 3.66 ERA on a Nationals team that is 17-18. He ranks 6th among N.L. pitchers in fewest walks per 9 innings (1.60) and 9th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.714/tie). On April 29, Marquis pitched a complete-game shutout against two-time Cy Young Award winner Tin Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants.

Thanks to Jewish Baseball News reader Jack W. for the tip on Marquis’ milestone.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Washington Nationals P Jason Marquis continued his remarkable turnaround Friday (4/29/2011) with a complete-game shutout against the San Francisco Giants.

It was a win to savor:

• Marquis, 32, gave up no walks and just 5 hits while striking out 7 batters.
• The 3-0 victory came against two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.
• It was Marquis’ first shutout since June 30, 2009, and only the 4th of his 12-year MLB career.

For the season, Marquis is 3-0 with a 2.62 ERA — tops among Nationals starters — and 24 strikeouts. The right-hander has walked just 5 batters in 34-and-1/3 innings, good enough to rank Marquis 3rd in the American League in walks-per-9-innings (1.3) and 4th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.8).

It’s hard to believe this is the same pitcher who went 2-9 last year with a 6.60 ERA, 31 strikeouts, and 24 walks. Marquis spent nearly 4 months on the disabled list in 2010 after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. But the injury didn’t stop Nationals fans from complaining that the team had wasted money when it signed him to a two-year, $15-million deal after the 2009 season.

If anything, Marquis appears to have come back even stronger from the surgery. The Manhasset, N.Y., native’s career ERA is 4.52, and his career low (3.48) came with the Atlanta Braves, in 2001.

Marquis told MLB.com he wasn’t focused on Lincecum during Friday’s game:

I never worry about the opposing pitcher other than when I step in the box. It doesn’t matter if it’s Cy Young or the fifth starter on any team; you still have to make pitches to keep your team in the game. I have to be on top of my game and not worry about what anybody else is doing.

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Click here to cast your votes

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Voting began yesterday (4/26/2011) for the 2011 All-Star Game, and all 6 Jewish position players were on the ballot.

The six include:

• Tampa Bay Rays OF Sam Fuld
• Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun
• New York Mets 1B Ike Davis
• Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia
• Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis
• Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler

Fans can vote online by going here, and up to 25 times .

All-Star pitchers are selected by team managers, so the fate of Jewish throwers like Oakland A’s reliever Craig Breslow, Washington Nationals starter Jason Marquis and Chicago Cubs reliever John Grabow remains to be seen.

The biggest surprise on the list is the selection of Sam Fuld, who began the season a virtual unknown but has grown famous for his aggressive baserunning, daring catches and surprisingly productive hitting. MLB.com’s article on the All-Star ballot even mentions him:

Could the amazing first-month story of Rays outfielder Sam Fuld carry momentum through the voting?

As they say in Chicago, vote early and often.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The 2011 MLB season opened Thursday (3/31/2011), and Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun started things off on the right foot.

Braun, 27, went 2/3 with a long blast over the center-field fence, two walks, and 3 runs scored in a 7-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. In 2010, Braun went 2/4 on Opening Day, with a double, sacrifice fly, and two RBIs.

Braun is one of 9 Jewish players to make this year’s Opening Day rosters. They are:

• 3B Danny Valencia (Minnesota Twins)
• 2B Ian Kinsler (Texas Rangers)
• 1B Ike Davis (New York Mets)
• 3B Kevin Youkilis (Boston Red Sox)
• CF Sam Fuld (Tampa Bay Rays)
• P Jason Marquis (Washington Nationals)
• P John Grabow (Chicago Cubs)
• P Craig Breslow (Oakland A’s)
• LF Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers)

Several players who were on major-league teams in 2010 didn’t make an Opening Day roster this year. The Boston Red Sox sent LF Ryan Kalish to the team’s AAA affiliate, the Los Angeles Dodgers cut RF Gabe Kapler, and Texas Rangers P Scott Feldman is on the disabled list.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — At least 19 Jews got playing time during Spring Training 2011, including five pitchers and 14 position players.

Here are our awards honoring the best, worst, and most surprising performances:

Best All-Around Offense: Ian Kinsler. The Texas Rangers 2B didn’t look like the same player who sat out nearly 100 games last season with injuries. Kinsler, 28, led all Jewish batters with 7 doubles, 5 HRs, 13 RBIs (tied), and a .389 on-base percentage. Although Jewish batters as a group struck out way more than they walked (94 vs. 41), Kinsler was one of just two players who didn’t, matching his 5 Ks with 5 BBs.

Best All-Around Offense (runner-up): Ryan Braun. The Milwaukee Brewers LF batted only 40 times, but that didn’t stop him from hitting 4 HRs, driving in 11 runs, and leading all Jews with 15 runs scored, a .325 batting average, .700 slugging percentage, and 1.072 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage).

Best All-Around Offense (honorable mention): Ike Davis. The New York Mets 1B pretty much matched the productivity of his 2010 rookie season, hitting .273 with 3 HRs, 13 RBIs (tied/1st), and a .344 on-base percentage.

Breakout offense: Sam Fuld. At 29, you can’t quite call the Tampa Bay Rays CF an up-and-comer. But Fuld made the most of what turned out to be his best chance in years to make an opening-day roster, hitting .277 with 1 HR, 5 extra-base hits, 8 RBIs, and 4 stolen bases. And he got his wish: a seat on the Rays’ bench.

Most disappointing offense: Kevin Youkilis. Whatever you chalk it up to — bad thumb, the distraction of switching from 1B to 3B, etc. — the Boston Red Sox stalwart, normally an on-base machine, struggled at the plate this Spring. Youk hit  just .175 with no HRs, 4 RBIs, a Jew-high 15 strikeouts, and just 4 walks. Teammate Ryan Kalish was a close second in this category, hitting .235 with 0 HRs and one lonely RBI.

Weirdest stats: Ben Guez. The Detroit Tigers CF has yet to play a regular-season MLB game and saw only limited playing time in Spring Training, getting 12 plate appearances and 7 at-bats. But oh, what Guez did with them. The 24-year-old singled twice, doubled once, and walked five times, good enough for a .429 batting average and .667 on-base percentage.

Nicest surprise: John Grabow. After a dismal 2010 in which he went 1-3 with a 7.36 ERA and “held” opposing batters to a .321 average, the Chicago Cubs reliever must have grown tired of being Public Enemy #1 in the Windy City. How else can you explain Grabow’s 2.57 ERA in Spring Training? A close second to Grabow in this awards category is Washington Nationals starter Jason Marquis, who went 2-9 with a 6.60 ERA in an injury-plagued 2010 season but finished Spring Training with a 1-1 record and a 4.02 ERA.

Worst surprise: Craig Breslow. Arguably the only Jewish MLB pitcher who didn’t embarrass himself last year, the Oakland A’s reliever went 4-4 in 2010 with a 3.01 ERA, holding opposing batters to a meek .194 batting average. But Breslow had an awful spring, with an 11.25 ERA and an opposing-hitters batting average of, believe it or not, .500. The saving grace? We’re only talking about 5 appearances and 4 innings pitched, not a lot to go on. Still, the Freaky Friday switcheroo Breslow and Grabow did this Spring has got us mighty confused.

Here are the final 2011 Spring Training stats for position players:

And the final 2011 stats for pitchers:

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Daily Highlights for Monday (3/14/2011):

Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler continued his sizzling spring, smacking a single and a double in a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 34 at-bats, the sixth-year pro is batting .382 with a league-leading 5 HRs and a team-high 9 RBIs and .912 slugging percentage. His on-base percentage is .475.

Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia hit his first HR of the spring in a 9-0 drubbing of the Florida Marlins (see video). In 26 at-bats, the second-year player is batting .346 with 4 doubles, 5 RBIs, and a .414 on-base percentage.

Washington Nationals P Jason Marquis, just off a miserable season in which he had surgery on his elbow, had yet another strong spring start, giving up just 3 hits and one earned run over five innings in a 4-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. In 12 innings, Marquis has a 0.75 ERA with 8 strikeouts and has held opposing teams to a .158 batting average. He has given up just 6 hits and 3 walks.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –Here are your highlights for Wednesday, March 9:

For the second day in a row, Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Lavarnway helped earn his team to victory.

Pinch-hitting for DH David Ortiz, Lavarnway led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a rally-starting single that culminated in a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Who followed Lavarnway with another single? Why, RF Ryan Kalish.

So far this Spring Training, Lavarnway is 3/7 (.429) with a double, HR, and 3 RBIs.

Over in Washington, D.C., Nationals pitcher Jason Marquis continued his encouraging recovery from a dismal 2010 season, earning the win in an 8-4 triumph over the Florida Marlins. In his two starts this Spring Training, Marquis has held opposing batters scoreless all 7 innings, giving up just 3 hits and one walk while striking out 4.

Tampa Bay Rays prospect Sam Fuld went 0/2 in a 4-3 exhibition win over the Netherlands, but he did have the privilege of taking batting-practice swings against Justine Siegal. A seasoned ballplayer, coach and Jew, Siegal made headlines this Spring Training by becoming the first woman to pitch batting practice to a Major-League team.

Eagle-eyed Jewish Baseball News readers may have noticed that today’s Jewish Box Score contained a name we haven’t seen in a while: 2B David Newhan.

Newhan was raised Jewish but adopted Messianic Judaism — a movement that combines Jewish ritual with evangelical Christian ideology — after his inaugural MLB season (1999). He last played Major-League ball with the Houston Astros in 2008 and minor-league ball with the Philadelphia Phillies’ “AAA” team in 2009.

Newhan recently hooked-up with the the San Diego Padres, and on Wednesday he made his first Spring Training appearance since 2009, going 1/2 with a single.

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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.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Tuesday (9/28/2010):

• SP Jason Marquis of the Washington Nationals pitched well in his final start of the 2010 season, tossing 6 innings of one-run ball in a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Manhasset, N.Y., native scattered 7 hits and one walk while striking out 7 (see highlight video). After a horrendous start this year followed by several months on the disabled list, Marquis is 2-9 with a 6.60 ERA, but his ERA over the past 10 games is a more svelte 4.29. According to a broadcaster during yesterday’s game:

“(Nationals’ manager) Jim Riggleman says he doesn’t take any thing for granted for 2011, but he will be very surprised if Jason is not a major force on this pitching staff.”

• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets doubled to start a 9th-inning rally and scored the tying run in a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Davis is 2nd among N.L. rookies in doubles (33), walks (67) and runs scored (72); 3rd in RBIs (69); and 4th in HRs (18/tie). He also has the dubious honor of being 1st in strikeouts (134). So far in September, Davis has raised his batting average from .246 to .268.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Wednesday (9/22/2010):

• In his first game since a disastrous appearance on Yom Kippur, SP Jason Marquis of the Washington Nationals gave up 2 earned runs on 7 hits in a 4-3 loss to the Houston Astros. He held Houston to one run over six innings but was pulled after giving up a leadoff double in the 7th, which later turned into a run. Marquis, who spent several months on the disabled list after getting elbow surgery, is 2-9 with a 7.18 ERA.
• Rookie 1B Ike Davis of the New York Mets singled twice and scored once in a 7-5 loss to the Florida Marlins. Here is an interview with him about his first season in the Majors, plus an article on how he memorizes his at-bats against individual pitchers.
• LF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers hit his career-high 42nd double and reached base four times in a 13-1 laugher over the Cincinnati Reds. The 2007 N.L. Rookie of the Year was pulled in the 5th inning after being hit on the left elbow with a pitch. Braun’s 42 doubles rank 3rd in the N.L.

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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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