Jewish Baseball News

Michael Schwimer

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

The Philadelphia Phillies recalled prospect Michael Schwimer from the minors today (4/25/2012) and wasted no time putting him to work.

The 26-year-old pitcher came on in relief of starter Cole Hamels, who carried the Phils to a 7-2 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks through eight innings. Schwimer pitched a perfect ninth, retiring all three batters he faced with a total of 12 fastballs, sliders, and changeups.

It was an unexpectedly early call-up for the 6’8″ Virginia native, who replaced injured RHP Michael Stutes on the roster. Although Schwimer performed adequately last September in his Major-league debut and had a 1.04 ERA through 7 games this season for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Philadelphia’s excellent pitching staff is one of baseball’s toughest to crack.

Schwimer is the ninth Jewish player to play in the Majors so far this season.

# # #

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Buying something on Amazon.com? Show us some love — use our Amazon link!

 ——————————————————————————————————————————————-

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

In 2010, the year Jewish Baseball News debuted, MLB’s Opening Day rosters included 10 Jewish players. In 2011 there were nine.

This season? Only seven. It’s enough to make an M.O.T. cry in his $9 ballpark beer.

Thanks to injuries (Sam Fuld, Ryan Kalish), flips of a coin (Ryan Lavarnway, Michael Schwimer), a veteran’s departure (John Grabow), and a freak family accident (Jason Marquis), the number of Jewish players on Opening Day rosters will be the lowest in years.

The seven are:

1. Ryan Braun (LF), Milwaukee Brewers
2. Craig Breslow (P), Arizona Diamondbacks
3. Ike Davis (1B), New York Mets
4. Scott Feldman (P), Texas Rangers
5. Ian Kinsler (2B), Texas Rangers
6. Kevin Youkilis (3B/1B), Boston Red Sox
7. Danny Valencia (3B), Minnesota Twins

# # #

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Buying something on Amazon.com? Show us some love — use our Amazon link!

 ——————————————————————————————————————————————-

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.

# # #

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Buying something on Amazon.com? Show us some love — use our Amazon link!

 ——————————————————————————————————————————————-

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.

# # #

Buying something on Amazon.com? Show us some love by clicking our Amazon link beforehand

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — More than 50 Jewish athletes played minor-league baseball in 2011, and Jewish Baseball News has identified the very best.

Here is our 2011 list of the top Jewish minor-leaguers:

 A 21-year-old in his first pro season, Linsky was 3-0 with 3 saves, a 1.23 ERA, 30 strikeouts, and just 7 walks in 29-and-1/3 innings. He held opposing batters to a .204 batting average.

Perlman’s story is among the season’s most interesting. Selected by Oakland in the 35^th round of the 2011 amateur draft, the 23-year-old played just 13 games of rookie-league ball before the franchise’s AAA squad called him up. In his first AAA start, Perlman gave up only a single and a walk in five innings. For the season he went a combined 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 13 walks, and an opposing-batter average of .187.

The 21-year-old rookie hit .310 this season with 2 HRs, 11 doubles, 2 triples, and 35 RBIs in 168 at-bats. Rickles had an on-base percentage of .370 and stole 6 bases in 7 attempts.

A first-year pro, Borenstein accomplished a lot in just 113 at-bats, hitting 2 HRs, 4 triples, 6 doubles, and driving in 21 runs. Although the 21-year-old hit a relatively modest .274, he hit .315 with runners in scoring position and had an on-base percentage of .397. Borenstein also stole an impressive 12 bases in 13 tries.

Cutler fared so poorly with the Springfield Cardinals early last season that the franchise demoted him. His bad luck continued into the 2011 season, with injuries keeping him out of action much of the first several months. But the 25-year-old returned with a vengeance, ending the year with a team-high .333 average as well as 5 HRs, 34 RBIs, and a .404 average with runners in scoring position.

Rosenbaum amassed a 9-6 record and a 2.52 ERA while striking out 135 batters and walking 52. The 23-year-old was particularly effective against lefties, whom he held scoreless across 10-and-2/3 innings.

Lorin finished the year with a 2.84 ERA, 99 strikeouts, and just 19 walks. Though thin run support left him with a middling 7-6 record, the 24-year-old went 5-2 during the season’s second half and held opposing teams to a .230 batting average.

One of three Jewish minor-leaguers to reach the Majors this year, Schwimer baffled AAA batters, going 9-1 with 10 saves and a 1.85 ERA. The 25-year-old averaged 1.25 strikeouts per inning versus just 0.32 walks.

Urlaub finished the 2011 season with a 4-3 record, 5 saves, and a 2.41 ERA. The 24-year-old held opposing teams to a .217 batting average and struck out 7 times as many batters as he walked.

One of three Jewish minor-leaguers to reach the Majors this year, Lavarnway had career highs in batting average (.290) and HRs (32) while driving in 93 runs. The 24-year-old’s combination of plate discipline and power resulted in a .376 on-base percentage and .563 slugging percentage.

One of three Jewish minor-leaguers to reach the Majors this season, Satin hit a career-high .323 with 12 HRs, 43 doubles, 2 triples, and 76 RBIs. The 26-year-old struck out 124 times but also drew 71 walks, giving him a .411 on-base percentage.

In his third year as a pro, Freiman batted .288 and led the Storm with 22 HRs and 111 RBIs. The 24-year-old’s RBI total was third-highest in the California League.

# # #
Planning to buy something on Amazon.com? Use our Amazon link (below) and Jewish Baseball News will get a small commission. It costs you nothing!

Michael Schwimer (mug)" src="http://www.jewishbaseballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/schwimer-raw-photo-with-phillies-118x150.jpg" alt="" width="118" height="150" srcset="http://www.jewishbaseballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/schwimer-raw-photo-with-phillies-118x150.jpg 118w, http://www.jewishbaseballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/schwimer-raw-photo-with-phillies-236x300.jpg 236w, http://www.jewishbaseballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/schwimer-raw-photo-with-phillies.jpg 473w" sizes="(max-width: 118px) 100vw, 118px" />

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Philadelphia Phillies P Michael Schwimer should be proud.

The 6’8″ reliever pitched admirably in his MLB debut Sunday, a three-inning stint in relief of two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay in which he retired 9 of 11 batters faced, yielding just 2 hits, walking none, and striking out 4, including fanning the side in the 7th inning.

But one of the 2 hits — coming on what was only his 2nd pitch of the day — was a solo HR by Washington Nationals 2B Danny Espinosa that tied the game at 3-3 in the 6th inning.

So despite retiring 9 of the last 10 batters he faced, Schwimer’s first MLB appearance will be recorded as a blown save. According to MLB.com, he entered the game in the 6th inning after a 1-hour-and-11-minute rain delay — the second rain delay of the game — knocked out starter Halladay.

Schwimer’s gopher ball was not the sole reason the Phillies lost 5-4 on Sunday. After the Phillies re-took the lead 4-3 in the top of the 9th inning, reliever Antonio Bastardo allowed a game-tying HR with two outs in the bottom of the inning. In the 10th, reliever Brad Lidge hit Nationals LF Jonny Gomes with a bases-loaded pitch to end the game.

# # #
Planning to make a purchase at Amazon.com? Support Jewish Baseball News by using our link, below. It costs you nothing but earns us a small commission.

Michael Schwimer (ESPN.com)

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Boston Red Sox rookie Ryan Lavarnway collected his first MLB hit in a 7-1 drubbing of the Kansas City Royals on Friday, going 1/4 in the DH slot.

The rookie catcher hit an opposite-field single off Royals P Jeff Francis in the 5th inning (see video) and drew a walk off of P Nathan Adcock in the 9th.

He wasn’t the only Jewish newbie to reach a personal milestone Friday. Philadelphia Phillies reliever Michael Schwimer has yet to make his MLB pitching debut, but that didn’t stop him from earning the #3 spot on ESPN’s Not Top 10 Plays feature. Video footage of the 6’8″, 240-pound Schwimer (see screen grab, above) showed him walking onto the field wearing a pink feather boa, pink purse, and Tweeted.

Philly fans may wish Schwimer had taken the mound Friday. The team’s 4-2 lead vanished when reliever Ryan Madson gave up 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning, including a walk-off grand slam HR by 3B Ryan Zimmerman.

(That’s three players named “Ryan” in the game, if you’re counting.)

Lavarnway’s single and walk came after frustrating earlier at-bats, including two in which he ended two-out, bases-loaded rallies.

# # #
Planning to make a purchase at Amazon.com? Support Jewish Baseball News by using our link, below. It costs you nothing but earns us a small commission.

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Boston Red Sox didn’t waste any time getting C Ryan Lavarnway into the lineup.

Playing DH, the 24-year-old Lavarnway went 0/4 in Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals, just hours after being called-up from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA).

He was nothing if not consistent, flying out 3 times to Royals CF Melky Cabrera and striking out once.

Meanwhile, recent Philadelphia Phillies call-up Michael Schwimer has yet to get into a game. The ace reliever stayed on the bullpen bench during Thursday’s 4-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, despite it being Jewish Heritage night at Philly’s Citizens Bank Park.

But according to a Philadelphia Sports Daily article helpfully provided by Jewish Baseball News reader Bill R., Schwimer had other team duties to fulfill.

He was wearing a pink Hello Kitty backpack with a matching pink boa on his back as he strolled across the field at Citizens Bank Park toward the Phillies bullpen. And Michael Schwimer was wearing it with pride.

In fact, carrying that backpack may have been the proudest moment of Schwimer’s life. It meant that he had arrived in the big leagues.

“I’m going to have to lengthen the straps on it,” the 6-foot-8 inch Schwimer joked…

…(The backpack is) used to house the sunflower seeds and other snacks that the relief pitchers munch on during every game. The lowest tenured rookie pitcher is made to endure the embarrassment of carrying the Hello Kitty backpack to and from the bullpen.

The Red Sox play the Royals again tonight at 8:10pm ET, while the Phillies take on the Washington Nationals at 7:05pm ET.

# # #
Planning to make a purchase at Amazon.com? Support Jewish Baseball News by using our link, below. It costs you nothing but earns us a small commission.

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Boston Red Sox called-up catcher Ryan Lavarnway today (8/18/2011) from the minors, where he has pounded a total of 30 HRs for the franchise’s AA and AAA squads.

The 24-year-old backstop is the second Jewish player to be promoted this week. Philadelphia Phillies reliever Michael Schwimer was promoted Tuesday (8/16/2011). Once they take the field, the pair will be the 11th and 12th Jews to play in the Majors this season.

By coincidence, Lavarnway is filling a roster spot left open by 3B (and fellow Jew) Kevin Youkilis, who went on the 15-day disabled list with a sore back.

A Yale University alum who was selected in the 6th round of the 2008 amateur draft, the 6’4″, 225-pound Lavarnway led all Red Sox prospects with 102 RBIs last year. This season he has driven in 85 runs while boosting his HR output from 22 to 30 (see stats). His combined batting average is .293 — even after a 2-for-26 slump the last 7 games — and his on-base percentage is a strong .372.

Some have questioned Lavarnway’s catching prowess, but the Burbank, Calif., native’s hard work appears to be paying off. He has made only one error this year and has erased 35 percent of all base-stealing attempts. (This article has some good quotes from Lavarnway and Red Sox scouts about his catching.)

According to the Boston Herald, Lavarnway will make his MLB debut as a designated hitter when the Red Sox face the Kansas City Royals at 8:10pm ET. He is scheduled to bat 7th in the order.

As for Schwimer, the Phillies will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight at 7:05pm ET.

# # #
Planning to make a purchase at Amazon.com? Support Jewish Baseball News by using our link, below. It costs you nothing but earns us a small commission.

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Philadelphia Phillies called-up reliever Michael Schwimer on Tuesday (8/16/2011) from the club’s AAA team, where the towering right-hander amassed a 9-1 record, 10 saves, and a 1.88 ERA.

“The first part of my life dream has come true,” he Tweeted yesterday. “I cant wait!!!!”

Many MLB teams would have called-up the 25-year-old University of Virginia alum much earlier. The Phillies, however, were in no great hurry. They boast baseball’s best record (78-42), its lowest team (3.09), and a top-shelf relief squad that includes Antonio Bastardo (5-0, 8 saves in 8 chances, 1.41 ERA), Ryan Madison (3-1, 22 saves in 23 chances, 2.16 ERA), and middle-reliever Michael Stutes (5-1, 3.27 ERA).

But the 6’8″, 240-pound Schwimer made an irrefutable case for promotion. A 14th-round pick in the 2008 amateur draft, he had struck out 86 batters in 67 innings this season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (1.3 per inning), walking just 22.

Schwimer’s promotion filled the roster spot left open when All-Star 3B Placido Polanco went on the 15-day disabled list. His first opportunity to play will come at 7:05pm EST tonight (8/17/2011) when the Phils take on the Arizona Diamond backs at home. The game is expected to be broadcast on ESPN.

Whenever Schwimer does take the mound, he will be the 11th Jew to play Major-League ball this season. More Jewish minor leaguers are likely to be called-up when MLB rosters expand from 25 players to 40 in September.

For more on Schwimer, see his Twitter feed, his blog, this funny interview about his Jewfro (he calls it a “terrible salad”), and a “Phear the Phro” t-shirt that his fan club created.

# # #
Planning to make a purchase at Amazon.com? Support Jewish Baseball News by using our link, below. It costs you nothing but earns us a small commission.

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — So much to tell, so little time to tell it. Here are a few items worth noting:

• The 2011 AAA All-Star Game, which pits the International League against the Pacific Coast League, will be broadcast tonight at 9:00pm EST on ESPN. Cleveland Indians prospect Jason Kipnis will start at 2B for the International team. Joining him from the bullpen will be Philadelphia Phillies prospect Michael Schwimer. Schwimer, a 6’8″ reliever from Fairfax, Va., is enjoying a breakout season with the “AAA” Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, where he is 5-0 with 6 saves, a 1.78 ERA, 64 strikeouts, and 17 walks over 50-and-2/3 innings.
• Speaking of Kipnis, the 24-year-old standout’s 1st-inning HR helped the USA squad defeat the World team 6-4 in Sunday’s (7/9/2011) Futures Game (see box score), which is considered a showcase for minor-league baseball’s top prospects. As recently reported, Kipnis’ promotion to the Majors is expected to come soon.
• Jews batted 1.000 in last night’s MLB All-Star Game (7/12/2011), though that figure is a bit misleading. The only MOT who played was Boston Redsox 3B Kevin Youkilis, who singled in his only plate appearance. Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun was supposed to start for the National League but sat out due to a leg injury that has kept him idle since July 2. Braun not only was the top vote-getter in the National League this year but set the all-time N.L. record with 5.9-million votes — which MLB.com points out is nearly 10 times the population of Milwaukee, Wisc.
• Garrett Wittels, a Florida International University infielder who hit in 56 straight games in 2010, was signed as a free agent earlier this month by the St. Louis Cardinals and assigned to Batavia Muckdogs, the club’s “A-short season” team. Through 5 games, Wittels is batting .118 with 1 RBI. He joins Muckdogs P Corey Baker, who was picked in the 49th round of last month’s MLB amateur draft.
• Also signed as a free agent recently was C Jacob Meskin. Since joining the “rookie-league” GCL Astros (Houston Astros), Meskin has gone 0/13 with 5 strikeouts yet somehow managed to drive in 3 runs. Thanks to Jewish Baseball News reader Bill R. for the tip on Jacob.

###
Planning to make a purchase at Amazon.com? Support Jewish Baseball News by using our link, below. It costs you nothing, and we earn a small commission.

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:

# # #

Make life easier. Get Jewish Baseball News headlines automatically.

‘Like’ us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Track us via Google Reader

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

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

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

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

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

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

###

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

Black & White	Color
$2.50	$2.50

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The number of Jewish minor-leaguers who will be attending a Major-League spring training this year has reached nine.

According to MLB.com, the invitees include:

1. Sam Fuld (Tampa Bay Rays)
2. Ben Guez (Detroit Tigers)
3. Jason Hirsh (New York Yankees)
4. Gabe Kapler (Los Angeles Dodgers)
5. Jason Kipnis (Cleveland Indians)
6. David Kopp (St. Louis Cardinals)
7. Ryan Lavarnway (Boston Red Sox)
8. Aaron Poreda (San Diego Padres)
9. Michael Schwimer (Philadelphia Phillies)

Jewish Baseball News will maintain a running list of these and other spring-training invitees through the end of March on our home page.

###

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

Black & White	Color
$2.50	$2.50