Jewish Baseball News

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 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 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 — 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 — In his first appearance since going on the disabled list 4 months ago, Washington Nationals SP Jason Marquis gave up 2 earned runs over 4 innings in an 8-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday (8/8/2010).

The first inning was a nightmare for the 31-year-old veteran. He allowed two hits, two walks, four stolen bases, and made a throwing error, leading to four Dodger runs.

But Marquis — who was 0-3 with a 20.52 ERA before he went on the disabled list with elbow problems — calmed down a bit afterward, giving up one run on three hits over the next three innings. He was replaced in the 5th inning after hitting leadoff batter Ryan Theriot with a pitch.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Los Angeles Dodgers C Brad Ausmus and Washington Nationals SP Jason Marquis have spent much of the 2010 season on the disabled list. But both made decent showings in minor-league rehab games the past week and may be nearing a return to the Show.

Ausmus, 41, went 6-for-12 in four games for the “A+” Inland Empire 66ers before moving up to the Dodgers’ “AAA” squad, the Albuquerque Isotopes. He’s batting a less impressive 1-for-8 with the Isotopes.

Marquis, a 31-year-old right hander,  pitched three innings of scoreless ball for the Nats’ rookie-league squad on Sunday, giving up just two hits while striking out four batters and walking none.

In other news:

• The Boston Red Sox promoted C Ryan Lavarnway to the franchise’s “AA” team, the Portland Sea Dogs. Through the All-Star break, Lavarnway — then with the Salem Red Sox — led all minor-league Jews with 14 home runs, 63 RBIs, 44 walks, a .487 slugging percentage, and an OPS of .879. Since arriving in Portland, Lavarnway has gone 4-for-11 with two walks and two RBIs.
• The Philadelphia Phillies promoted RP Michael Schwimer to the “AAA” Lehigh Valley IronPigs. While playing for the “AA” Reading Phillies, the 6’8″ right-hander assembled a 5-3 record with an ERA of 3.60 and an impressive 58 strikeouts in 40 innings, while walking only 14.
• SP Michael Schlact wasted no time making an impact on the “AA” Frisco RoughRiders after the Texas Rangers promoted him. On Sunday, the 6’7″ right-hander gave up just one hit and one walk in six innings of play while striking out four.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The running count of Jews chosen in this month’s MLB amateur draft has reached six.

Harrison Fanaroff, a high-school pitcher out of Potomac, Md., was selected by the Washington Nationals in the draft’s 50th and final round (1,496th overall). According to Washington Jewish Week, Fanaroff was thrilled to be picked but, as of last week, was leaning toward attending Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. According to an earlier article by the same reporter, Jeff Seidel, Fanaroff and other Jewish players accounted for more than half the baseball team at Churchill High School this year.

The Nationals, of course, are home to starting pitcher Jason Marquis, who has been on the disabled list since April 19.

On 6/10/2010, Jewish Baseball News reported the names of five other Jews selected in this year’s amateur draft. Here is an update on their status:

• Jake Lemmerman, SS (Los Angeles Dodgers: 5th round, 172th overall pick). Status: Signed.  Playing for the Ogden Raptors (Rookie Pioneer League).
• Jason Markovitz (Seattle Mariners: 13th round, 402nd overall pick): Status: Signed. Playing for the Everett AquaSox (Class A-short season).
• Mike Schwartz (Chicago White Sox: 17th round, 518th overall pick). Status: Signed. Playing for the Bristol White Sox (Rookie Applachian League).
• Jeremy Gould (New York Mets: 28th round, 842nd overall pick). Status: Signed. Team placement unknown.
• Michael Fagan (San Diego Padres: 45th round, 1354th pick). Status: Not signed. According to his school’s web site, Fagan “has decided to delay his professional (baseball) career and attend Princeton University in the fall.”

Thanks to Jewish Baseball News fan Dan Gordon for the tip on Harris Fanaroff.

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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 developments among Jews with bats:

• Jason Hirsh, starting pitcher for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (AAA), continued his  turnaround Thursday (5/13/2010) with a 7-3 victory against the Columbus Clippers. A 6’8″, 250-pound former major leaguer who began the season with three consecutive losses, Hirsh pitched six innings against Columbus, giving up three earned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four. The fourth straight win improved his 2010 record to 4-and-3.
• The St. Louis Cardinals recently promoted CF James Rapoport to their AAA squad. In six games with the Memphis Redbirds, Rapoport has had three multi-hit games and is hitting .296.
• SP Stephen Strasburg, the Washington Nationals’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, continued his remarkable first season in the minors Wednesday (5/12/2010) with a 6-inning, no-hit outing for the Syracuse Chiefs (AAA). Strasburg, who is not Jewish, may have dominated media coverage of the game, but teammate Josh Whitesell helped seal the Chief’s 4-1 victory over the Norfolk Tides with a three-run triple in the 5th inning.
• Florida International University standout Garrett Wittels reportedly is headed to Alaska this summer. According to this article, Wittels — currently enjoying a 43-game hitting streak at FIU — will play for the Peninsula Oilers of the Alaska Baseball League, a six-team summer league. Peninsula is based in Kenai, Alaska.
• Washington Nationals SP Jason Marquis had surgery on his elbow Friday (5/14/2010). Marquis, who had bone chips in the elbow, is expected to begin rehab immediately and begin making minor-league rehab appearances in four to six weeks.

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

• Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis recently was hit by a pitch for the 63rd time in his career, leading one Beantown reporter to dub him the Prince of Plunk. The bruise leaves him eight behind Red Sox career leader Mo Vaughn (71) and well behind former Houston Astro 2B Craig Biggio, who was hit 285 times during a 20-year career and is the modern-era record holder. Though we may joke about it, getting hit by a pitch is one reason Youkilis ranked 2nd in the AL last year in on-base percentage (.413). He was hit by pitches 16 times in 2009, 4th most in the AL. So far in 2010, Youkilis has been hit five times and has a .433 on-base percentage.
• If New York Mets 1B Ike Davis hadn’t chosen to pursue baseball as a career, he might have made an outstanding pole dancer. In just his first month as a major leaguer, Davis has tumbled into a dugout three times in order to catch a pop foul, all successfully. Here’s a video of his most recent catch, and another last week.
• Here’s the good news about Washington Nationals SP Jason Marquis, who’s on the disabled list with bone chips in his elbow: he pitched 3 and 2/3 innings in a rehab assignment with the Single-A Potomac Nationals last night (5/11/2010) and reportedly left the game feeling healthy. Now the not-so-good news: Marquis performed a lot like he has in the majors this year, giving up six hits and three earned runs to the Winston-Salem Dash and getting credit for the loss. THIS JUST IN: A Washington Post blogger — the same one that earlier called Marquis “healthy” — says Marquis may in fact need surgery:

…after a rehabilitation start on Tuesday, Marquis woke up with pain in his arm and said he and the Nationals were weighing whether he will be forced to undergo an operation…Asked if surgery would be necessary, Marquis said: “It’s definitely a strong possibility…”

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — What’s new in the world of Jewish baseball players:

• Scott Schoeneweis retained his tenuous hold on a roster spot last week when the Boston Red Sox chose to release fellow lefty reliever Alan Embree in order to make way for starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was returning from an injury.

• Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis was scratched from the lineup shortly before Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles due to a groin pull. The Red Sox went on to lose the game as well as the series. Manager Terry Francona said he’s hopeful that Youkilis will be on the field for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Angels.

• Among New York Mets fans, affection for rookie 1B Ike Davis continues to swell. Davis, who was called up from AAA when the cellar-dwelling Mets were 4-and-8, is given at least partial credit for inspiring the team to a 10-and-3 record since. According to a column in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

No place creates legends as easily or as effectively as New York. And Davis’ resume hasn’t hurt the hype. He’s the son of a former Yankee (reliever Ron Davis). He broke Arizona State records set by another of New York’s beloved lefthanded sluggers (Reggie Jackson). His mother, like a large chunk of the club’s fan base, is Jewish. He’s likable, accessible, and as he has displayed on several occasions, has a dramatic flair. Davis singled in his first big-league at-bat. Two nights later, he cartwheeled into the home dugout after a spectacular grab of a foul pop-up. And two nights after that, he belted his first home run, a 450-foot bomb to a previously unreached corner of vast Citi Field.

• In a Washington Post blog filed Saturday, Adam Kilgore mused on the reasons behind the Washington Nationals’ recent turnaround. Among them: that starting pitcher Jason Marquis had been placed on the disabled list. Marquis is 0-and-3 with a 20.52 ERA and twice as many walks as strikeouts.

Nationals starters began the year with a shaky start. That’s changed for a few reasons. Most basic, an apparently injured Jason Marquis is no longer inviting calamity every fifth day. Also, the staff has had more time to build a rapport with catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

• In off-the-field news, Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun has opened a restaurant in that city. A college newspaper says the eatery is only the latest in a series of business ventures by Braun.

Ryan Braun is not your average professional athlete. He doesn’t just play for the Milwaukee Brewers and call it a day. Braun has got his hands in everything from his own T-shirt line to commercials for Remington’s ShortCut clippers, Muscle Milk, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, as well as numerous endorsement deals. Last summer he received (and turned down), an invitation from ABC to appear on The Bachelor. Braun’s latest business venture, though, hits closer to home. Ryan Braun’s Waterfront Grill opened its doors a few weeks ago…

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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 — Jewish position players are batting a collective .318 this season, compared to .256 for their peers. But Jewish pitchers are struggling.

How bad are things?

• Relief pitcher John Grabow (0-2, 9.00 ERA) and the rest of the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen have been so ineffective that manager Lou Piniella decided this week to move ace starter Carlos Zambrano into a middle-relief role. Zambrano is in the middle of a 5-year, $91.5-million contract.
• Washington Nationals starter Jason Marquis (0-3, 20.52 ERA) helped kick off Jewish Community Day at Nationals Park this week by giving up seven earned runs in the first inning — and becoming the first pitcher in team history to be pulled from a game before recording a single out. Marquis, whom the Nationals picked up during the off-season and given a two-year, $15-million contract, was supposed to rescue the team’s beleaguered pitching staff. (Maybe he should start brushing up on his pinch-hitting skills.)
• Collectively, MLB’s five Jewish pitchers are 1-7 this season with a 7.98 ERA. In 2009, seven Jewish pitchers amassed a 47-34 record with a relatively svelte ERA of 4.01.

Having said all this, it’s early yet. We’re less than one-tenth of the way through the 2010 season. And there’s a chance that I’m just projecting a little bit here. Allow me to share my own recent humiliation on the diamond.

I used to be a pretty good softball player. Competent in the field, strong at the plate, aggressive baserunner. In my flaccid mind, I still am. But years of parenting, couch-surfing and not playing appear to have caught up with me.

A couple months ago I joined a local, co-ed softball league. And in a game this week, I did something you might’ve thought impossible. After lining — okay, dribbling — the ball to the pitcher, I began sprinting for first base but soon ran into an unexpected obstacle: my own bat, which I conveniently had tossed in the basepath.

From one humiliated, bruised mess to another: I’m rooting for you, pitchers.

— Scott Barancik

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — With two out, a man on second and the score tied 7-7 in the bottom of the 5th inning Wednesday, the Washington Nationals weren’t thrilled about rookie reliever Jesse English coming up to bat.

True, earlier in the game English had acquitted himself quite well at the plate with a successful sacrifice bunt. But that was English’s first and only Major League at-bat. The Nats decided to go with a better bet: Jason Marquis.

As pitchers go, Marquis isn’t bad a bad hitter. In 505 career at-bats through 2009, he’d amassed 5 home runs, 48 RBIs and a .202 batting average — along with an abysmal strikeouts-to-walks ratio of 123 to 13. Twenty-six of his at-bats came as a pinch hitter, during which he hit .231.

On Wednesday, Marquis got a chance to hike that average when the Nats called on him to pinch-hit for English. Marquis didn’t get a hit — he lined out to the shortstop to end the inning — but he did force Philadelphia Phillies reliever Nelson Figueroa to throw six pitches.

The Phillies won, by the way, 14-7. Figueroa, the Phillies’ reliever, hit a double and went 2 -for-2.

— Scott Barancik