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2011 N.L. MVP

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Milwaukee Brewers RF Ryan Braun was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player today, earning 20 of 32 first-place votes from the country’s top baseball writers.

The prestigious award comes just 4 years after the southern California native was named N.L. Rookie of the Year, and 6 years after the Brewers drafted him.

Braun’s victory over 2nd-place Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers also marks the end of a 48-year-old drought. The last Jewish player to earn the honor was Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax, who won the MVP and Cy Young awards in 1963.

By coincidence, Koufax too is a “Braun.” Born Sanford Braun, he was renamed after his stepfather, Irving Koufax.

2011 was a stellar year for Ryan Braun. The 28-year-old hit .332 with 33 HRs and 111 RBIs, leading the league both in slugging percentage and OPS (on-base-percentage plus slugging). He became the 36th player (and third Jew) of all time to record at least 30 HRs and 30 stolen bases in the same season. And although postseason play is not part of the MVP calculus, Braun ranked 3rd among N.L. players in playoff doubles (7), 5th in RBIs (10), and 4th in both average (.405) and on-base percentage (.468).

Asked why baseball writers chose him over Kemp, Braun was humble. He told MLB.com it probably was because the Brewers made it to the N.L. championships, while the Dodgers finished the regular season 11.5 games out of first place in the N.L. West division.

“That’s probably the one thing that separates us,” Braun said. “If you honestly assess our seasons individually, (Kemp’s) numbers are probably slightly better than mine. I just feel fortunate to have been on the better team.”

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –Now that the 2011 season is officially over, let’s review how Jewish players did during the playoffs:

• Ian Kinsler (2B), Texas Rangers. Playing in the postseason for the 2nd time in his 6-year career, Kinsler performed his leadoff-man magic, finishing 1st among A.L. players in walks (14), 3rd in hits (20/tie), and 6th in on-base percentage (.438). He was even hotter during the World Series, leading all hitters in average (.360) as well as on-base percentage (.500). But the power (32 HRs) and speed (30 stolen bases) Kinsler displayed in 2011 escaped him during the playoffs. Though he did finish with 11 RBIs, Kinsler hit just 1 HR during the postseason and was caught stealing in 4 of 7 attempts — as many times as he was caught the entire regular season.
• Ryan Braun (LF), Milwaukee Brewers. A candidate for the N.L. MVP award this year, Braun was nearly as impressive during the playoffs. Despite getting only 42 at-bats — the Brewers lost in the N.L. Championship Series — he ranked 3rd among N.L. players in doubles (7), 5th in RBIs (10), and 4th in both average (.405) and on-base percentage (.468). Less impressive were his stolen bases (1) and strikeouts (9).
• Scott Feldman (P), Texas Rangers. The 6-foot-6 pitcher, converted to a relief role after spending the first half of 2011 on the disabled list, was like two different men during the playoffs. Through Game 1 of the World Series he was almost untouchable, giving up no runs, no walks, and just 4 hits over 10-and-a-third innings while striking out 10.
  But Feldman was abysmal in the rest of the World Series. Over 4 games and 3-and-a-third innings he had a 13.50 ERA, giving up 4 hits, 6 walks, hitting a batter, and striking out just one.
• Sam Fuld (LF), Tampa Bay Rays. In his first-ever postseason, the second-string outfielder went 0-for-3 as a pinch-hitter.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS —Ryan Braun continued his miraculous post-season play Sunday, smashing a 463-foot HR and hitting a two-run double to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 9-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of the N.L. Championship Series.

The Brewers were down 1-0 in the first inning when Braun hit a two-run HR deep into the left-center field bleachers (see video). And they were down 5-2 in the 5th inning when the 28-year-old righty smacked a two-run, ground-rule double to the right-field corner (see video).

Braun, considered a front-runner for the N.L.’s Most Valuable Player award, is having a monster post-season. He is batting .500 (11 for 22) with 5 doubles, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs, 7 runs, and a 1.000 slugging percentage. (Figures shown in bold are  highest or tied for highest in the MLB.) During the regular season he hit a career-high .332 with 33 HRs, 111 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases.

Brewers teammate Prince Fielder also homered Sunday. According to MLB.com, Braun and Fielder have homered in the same game 37 times since 2007, more than any other MLB pair. The total includes regular-season and post-season games.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Last year, Jewish Baseball News published an op-ed by editor Scott Barancik about playing baseball on the High Holidays. Because the topic remains controversial, we are reprinting his piece below in its entirety, along with a 2011 addendum.

Please feel free to share your comments.

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Opinion: Yom Kippur, or Yom Baseball?

September 16, 2010 5 comments

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

October 7, 2011 addendum:

Why put all the High Holiday onus on Jewish players when it is Major League Baseball — an organization with strong Jewish representation, including commissioner Bud Selig and several other team owners — that sets the playing schedule?

One option would be for MLB to reduce the league’s 162-game schedule to, say, 152 games and declare 10  holidays from across the religious spectrum, such as Good Friday, Easter, Christmas, Rosh Hoshana, Yom Kippur, Eid Al-Fitr, and Laylat al-Qadr. No doubt such a change would elicit howls from many fans, including baseball purists and foes of so-called political correctness. Indeed, it’s unlikely to happen.

But if it is fair for Jewish fans to ask whether Ryan Braun will be playing tonight when the Milwaukee Brewers open their playoff series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, erev Yom Kippur, it seems just as fair to ask whether Brewers owner Selig will be on hand to watch.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Some pro ballplayers shine during the regular season but wilt under the pressure of playoff games.

So far, Milwaukee Brewers RF Ryan Braun isn’t one of them. Two games into the 2011 playoffs, the MVP candidate is 6-for-8 with two doubles, a HR (see it here), and 3 RBIs. His .750 batting average is the MLB’s highest.

Braun’s only other playoff stint came in 2008, when the Brewers battled the Philadelphia Phillies for a division championship. He hit .313 that series, 28 points higher than his .285 season average.

Texas Rangers P Scott Feldman showed similar grit in Friday night’s pitched 9-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Coming in for starter C.J. Wilson, who surrendered 6 earned runs on 8 hits (including 3 HRs) over 5 innings, Feldman shut down the Rays, giving up just 2 hits over 3 stellar innings while striking out 4.

Also participating in the 2011 playoffs is Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler, who is hitting a more modest .250 with 1 double, 1 walk, and two RBIs. Rays OF Sam Fuld flied out in his sole playoff at-bat to date, a pinch-hit opportunity.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun clubbed 2 HRs in Friday night’s 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds — and launched himself into the record books.

Braun’s HRs (see video) were his 29th and 30th of the season. Combined with his 31 stolen bases, Braun now joins one of the most exclusive groups in baseball history: the 30/30 club. He is just the 36th player in MLB history, and the second Brewer, to have at least 30 HRs and 30 stolen bases in a single season.

Remarkably, three of the 36 club members are Jewish. RF Shawn Green had 35 HRs and 35 stolen bases for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998, while Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler had 31 HRS and 31 stolen bases in 2009. Jewish fans will also appreciate that Braun is the 36th club member — 36 being double ‘chai.’

Speaking of Kinsler, the 29-year-old is threatening to become a 2-time member of the 30/30 club. With 11 games remaining in the 2011 season, he has 29 HRs and 25 stolen bases.

The 30/30 club’s 36 members have accomplished the feat a total of 55 times. The all-time leaders are father/son duo Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds, who had five 30/30 seasons apiece. The leader among active players is Chicago Cubs LF Alfonso Soriano, who has accomplished the feat four times for three different teams.

Soriano belong to an even more exclusive club. He is one of just four players in MLB history with at least 40 HRs and stolen bases in the same season, having accomplished the feat in 2006 with the Washington Nationals. The three other members Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez.

Also joining the 30/30 club this season is Los Angeles Dodgers CF Matt Kemp.

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Ian Kinsler

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler continued his recent HR tear, belting two more Wednesday in a 10-inning, 5-4 heartbreaker to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kinsler’s 2nd dinger of the night sent the game into extra innings. Wednesday’s barrage left him with 28 HRs, tied for 5th highest in the American League and the most among MLB Jews. Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun has 27.

Like grapes, Kinsler’s HRs come in bunches.

The 29-year-old has 7 round-trippers in his past 7 games, including two multi-homer games. His five multi-homer games this season are tops in the Majors; 7 other players have had four multi-homer games in 2011, including MLB home-run leader Jose Bautista.

With 18 games left on the first-place Rangers’ regular-season schedule, Kinsler is a legitimate threat to join the 30/30 club — players who have reached 30 HRs and 30 stolen bases in the same season — for the second time. In 2009, he hit a career-high 31 HRs and stole 31 bases.

Dodgers CF Matt Kemp is the only player to reach the 30/30 plateau so far this season, with 32 HRs and 37 SBs. Braun, who has 27 HRs and 31 SBs, also is on target to join the club. The only other Jewish player in the 30/30 club is Shawn Green, who became a member in 1998.

The 30/30 club is highly exclusive. Only 35 of the roughly 17,000 players in MLB history are members.

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Ryan Braun, shown on cover of Aug. 29, 2011 issue

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — It’s good to be Ryan Braun.

This week’s issue of Sports Illustrated features the 27-year-old outfielder on its cover, along with Milwaukee Brewers teammates Prince Fielder and Nyjer Morgan. The headline refers to Braun and Fielder as “two wallbanging MVP candidates.” (Braun was 3 years old the last time SI devoted a cover to the Brewers, in 1987.)

Braun’s Brewers are 78-54 and lead the N.L. Central division by 10 games over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals, the largest cushion in baseball.

What’s more, Braun is closing in on one of baseball’s most exclusive fraternities, the 30/30 club. Since 1901, only 34 MLB players have had one or more seasons in which they tallied at least 30 HRs and 30 stolen bases (see table). With 30 games remaining in the 2011, Braun has 25 HRs and 29 stolen bases.

The only Brewer so far in the 30/30 club is Tommy Harper, who joined in 1970. If successful, Braun would join two other Jewish members: Shawn Green (1998), and Ian Kinsler (2009).

Calling Braun an MVP candidate may be premature, but it’s not a huge stretch. The fifth-year player is among N.L. leaders in multiple categories, according to baseball-reference.com:

• 1st in slugging percentage (.586)
• 1st in on-base plus slugging (.985)
• 1st in runs scored (90)
• 1st in offensive win percentage (.798)
• 2nd in batting average (.328)
• 2nd in wins above replacement (6.2)
• 2nd in power/speed number (26.4)
• 3rd in doubles (31)
• 3rd in fielding percentage among left fielders (.995)
• 5th in RBIs (85)
• 5th in on-base percentage (.399)
• 7th in stolen bases (29)

Braun, the 2007 N.L. Rookie of the Year, has been here before. In 2008 he finished 3rd in the MVP vote, behind Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals and Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Middle East politics got you down? Strike out again at the company softball game?

Cheer up! Life is good for Jewish baseball fans these days. Here are 12 reasons to smile:

1. So far this season, MLB Jews are out-hitting their peers .266 to .257, and out-slugging them .460 to .400.
2. At least 59 Jews currently play major- or minor-league ball, with many more playing in independent leagues or overseas. And the list is growing.
3. The topic of Judaism probably didn’t come up last week when sports radio celeb Jim Rome interviewed former outfielder Shawn Green about his new book, The Way of Baseball: Finding Stillness at 95 mph. And while some listeners may have known Green is Jewish, few would have guessed that Rome is, too.
4. For the first time, Israel is being given a chance to compete in the World Baseball Classic. At least half a dozen current or former American pros have publicly expressed interest in playing for or coaching Team Israel in the 2012 competition, including Jewish home-run king Shawn Green, Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler, Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun (whose father was born in Israel), and St. Louis Cardinals prospect Charlie Cutler.
5. Speaking of Israel, last week the country hosted a qualifying tournament for the 2012 European Championship — and narrowly missed winning the tourney itself. Team Israel made it to the finals against Great Britain but lost the series 2 games to 1. Particularly impressive was 32-year-old Shlomo Lipetz, an Israeli native and New York resident who gave up just one earned run in 16.33 innings during the tournament while striking out 18 batters and walking three.
6. Coming off an injury-laden season in which he missed a third of his team’s games, Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis (.275/16 hr/76 rbi) is once again among A.L. leaders in multiple categories. Youk is ranked 5th in on-base percentage (.389), 7th in RBIs (76/tie), 8th in doubles (28/tie), and 10th in wins above replacement (4.1 wins/tie), a measure of a player’s total offensive and defensive contributions to his team. Youkilis has been typically fearless (or perhaps nuts) at the plate, where he ranks 2nd in times hit by pitch, with 12. And despite having to switch back from first base to third this season, he’s 2nd among A.L. third basemen in putouts (73) and 3rd in fielding percentage (.968).
7. The St. Louis Jewish Light published an article last week about 3 of the 4 Jews who play on the Springfield Cardinals, the St. Louis Cardinals’ “AA” team: C Charlie Cutler (see above), P David Kopp, and P Scott Schneider. (The fourth Jewish player for Springfield, CF James Rapoport, arrived after the article was written.) Cutler, who told the Light he’d “love to play for Israel” in the World Baseball Classic, has made the most of an injury-shortened season. In just 143 at-bats he’s hitting .364 with 4 HRs, 27 RBIs, a .423 on-base percentage, and a .503 slugging percentage.
8. Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun (.322/21 hr/73 rbi) is enjoying one of the best seasons of his 5-year career. He has yet to make an error in the field for the first-place Brewers; ranks 2nd among N.L. players in batting average (.322) and power-speed combination; 3rd in wins above replacement (5.1), slugging percentage (.585), total bases (213), and extra-base hits (50); 5th in RBIs (72); 6th in runs scored (68) and on-base percentage (.394); 7th in HRs (21); and 10th in doubles (26). Braun’s 19 stolen bases are one shy of a career best, and he’s one of few players this season with a legitimate shot at joining the “30-30” club — players with 30-plus HRs and stolen bases in a single year.
9. Most minor-leaguers see their performance dip after being promoted to a higher league, but not C Ryan Lavarnway. The Boston Red Sox prospect and Yale philosophy alum has been on fire since moving up from “AA” Portland to “AAA” Pawtucket mid-season, where he is batting .343 (versus .284 in Portland) with 13 HRs, 16 doubles, and 42 RBIs in just 169 at-bats, along with a .425 on-base percentage and .669 slugging percentage.
10. ESPN Boston recently published a terrific article on Lavarnway and fellow Red Sox prospect Matt Kramer, a former catcher and Ivy League rival (Harvard) who was released by the Atlanta Braves franchise last year and is trying to reinvent himself as a pitcher. Viewing the statistics on Kramer’s growing pains is a curious joy. In 6 games and 5 total innings with Boston’s rookie-league team, the St. Louis native has faced 28 batters without giving up a single hit. However, he has walked 11 opponents, hit 3 more, struck out none, and recorded a 5.40 ERA. Who wouldn’t want to go watch this kid pitch?
11. Just to prove you never know who’s Jewish: the most recent Jewish player to be signed by a major-league club, Tampa Bay Rays recruit Dave Laufer, attended Jesuit-founded Boston College. And he did so after graduating from Christian Brothers Academy. (Thanks to Jewish Baseball News contributor Bill Ressler for the tip on Laufer’s hiring.)
12. Can you imagine an MLB team composed entirely of Jewish players? A fiction writer named Ross Ufberg can. The Jewish Daily Forward is now publishing weekly installments of his story about the Lions of Zion, an N.L. team playing in 1933. Here are links to chapters one and two.

— Scott Barancik, Editor

Jewish Baseball News

August 3, 2011

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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.

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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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Ryan Braun

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — If Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun finishes the 2011 season the way he’s started it, he’ll be joining one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs: those with 30+ HRs and stolen bases in a single year.

Only 34 MLB players have joined the 30/30 club since 1901 (see table). Two are Jewish: Shawn Green (1998), and Ian Kinsler (2009). The only Brewer on the list is 3B Tommy Harper, who had 31 HRs and 38 SBs in 1970.

Braun, a 27-year-old now in his 5th MLB season, hasn’t come close before. Power has never been the problem; Braun has hit 30+ HRs in 3 of his 4 full seasons. What’s kept him from joining the club is stolen bases. Since his rookie year in 2007, he has averaged 16 thefts and never stolen more than 20.

Improbably, Braun’s base-stealing prowess is improving. Through 78 games this year he has stolen 17, 6th best in the A.L. and more than full-season totals in 2007, 2008, or 2010. Braun’s prior high at the 78-game point was 11 stolen bases, in 2010 (see table below). Having said that, his  base-stealing efforts typically decline in the latter half of a season.

Why Braun is stealing more bases now is up for debate. (Jewish Baseball News readers are encouraged to offer their opinions in the ‘comments’ section below, or on our Facebook page.) But it’s worth noting that he’s on pace to reach career highs in walks and on-base percentage.

The only other MLB player on pace to join the 30/30 club in 2011 is Los Angeles Dodgers CF Matt Kemp, who has 22 HRS and 21 stolen bases through 80 games.

If both Kemp and Braun join the club this season, Jews will account for three of all 36 members, a percentage far in excess of our MLB representation.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Call it the Jewish Baseball News curse.

Last month, we reported that Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun was leading the National League with 12 HRs and dared to speculate whether he might become the first Jewish home-run king since Cleveland Indians 3B Al Rosen in 1953.

Braun, 27, didn’t hit another HR in the next 16 games, a period during which he fell from 1st to 3rd behind Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce (17 HRs) and the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp (13 HRs). Jewish Baseball News hung its head.

But on Friday (6/2/2011), Braun broke out of his HR slump with a flourish, smashing a pinch-hit, 2-run shot in the 9th inning to defeat the Florida Marlins 6-5 (see video).

“Brauny came up with a big pinch-hit home run off a closer who’s having a good year,” Brewers  pitcher Randy Wolf told MLB.com. “That’s a huge win for us. We know that this Marlins team is a very talented young team that’s capable of winning games. To come back and sneak a win here was big for us.”

Braun had been on the bench nursing a sore shoulder when he was called in to pinch-hit.

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Ryan Braun leads the N.L. with 12 HRs

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — It’s been quite a while since a Jewish ballplayer won a major-league home run crown. Fifty-eight years, to be precise.

The last to do it? Cleveland Indians 3B Al Rosen, whose 43 HRs led the American League in 1953. Today, Rosen is 87 years old, which is a pretty good measure of how long a drought it’s been.

That brings us to Ryan Braun. Through his first 40 games of the 2011 season, a period that ended May 15, the Milwaukee Brewers slugger was leading the National League with 12 HRs. Could he be the one to break the spell?

Jewish Baseball News crunched the numbers. Here’s what we discovered.

Braun has always been a strong starter

As shown in the table below, Braun has always been a fast starter. In each of his five years with the Brewers, the left fielder has smacked anywhere from 7 to 12 HRs over the first 40 games.

Braun’s HR pace hasn’t fizzled out in past

Based on his first 40 games this season, Braun is projected to hit 49 HRs, assuming he plays all 162 games.

He’s done a pretty good job of keeping pace in the past. In 2008, as the table below shows, he hit 10 HRs in his first 40 games, was projected to hit 41 HRs in 162 games if he maintained the same frequency, and ended up hitting 37 in 151 games. In 2009, his 32 HRs matched the projected total, even though he didn’t play all 162 games. He fell several HRs short of his projected total in 2010.

To be fair, three years of data isn’t much to go on. (We don’t count his rookie season because he played only 113 games.) Maybe Braun will surprise us by fizzling out the rest of 2011 — or by increasing his HR pace as the season goes on.

* Braun played only 113 games in 2007, his rookie year.

Braun has some very tough competition

Braun has never hit more than 37 HRs in a season. The last time an N.L. player won the HR crown with 37 or fewer dingers was in 1992, when San Diego Padres 1B Fred McGriff hit 35.

And the players who currently trail Braun in the N.L. home-run race are no slouches, as the table below shows.

1B Prince Fielder, Braun’s teammate in Milwaukee, has 9 HRs so far this year but has hit as many as 50 in a season. Philadelphia Phillies 1B Ryan Howard, who also has 9 HRs, hit 58 in 2006 and has hit 45 or more HRs four times. Only Colorado Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki, with 11 HRs this season, has a lower career high than Braun. His best was 32 HRs, in 2009.

Conclusion: Braun has a chance to win, if slim

A lot will have to go right for Ryan Braun to win a HR crown this year. He’ll have to surpass his current record of 37 HRs. During the final 120 games of the season, he’ll have to maintain or exceed the HR pace of his first 40 games. And the powerful men who currently trail him will have to have subpar years.

So could this be the year of the Jewish home-run king? Absolutely. After all, this is only Braun’s 5th year in the Majors. We really don’t know what he’s capable of 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 — Major League Baseball has named Ryan Braun its National League Player of the Week for April 18-24, the 3rd time he has won the distinction. The award coincided with Braun’s signing of a 5-year contract extension that will pay him a total of $105-million.

But that doesn’t even begin to describe what the Milwaukee Brewers LF has accomplished so far this season.

While Tampa Bay Rays OF Sam Fuld has been drawing much of the media attention, and deservedly so, Braun has quietly been putting up some great numbers.

Through 22 games, he ranks among the N.L.’s Top Six in at least 12 categories:

• 1st: Runs (22), HRs (8), OPS (1.182), At-bats per HR (10.3)
• 2nd: RBIs (20), slugging percentage (.707), total bases (58)
• 3rd: Walks (16), Wins Above Replacement (1.4)
• 4th: On-base percentage (.475)
• 5th: Hits (31)
• 6th: Batting average (.378)

In fact, Braun has reached base in all 22 Brewers games this season. And he’s not just swinging the bat well. The 27-year-old bachelor — who last week inspired one fan to hoist a sign with her cell-phone number and a marriage proposal — has not made a single error in the outfield.

Here’s one oddity: In 99 at-bats this season, Braun has hit only one double. We’re talking about a Double Machine, the same man who hit 6 doubles during the Brewers’ first 22 games of 2010 and finished the season with 45, second highest in the N.L.

(If anyone has any thoughts on Braun’s double trouble, please share them here or on our Facebook page.)

Yesterday (4/25/2011), Braun made a down payment on a second straight Player of the Week award, going 2/5 with a home run and 3 RBIs in a 9-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — There was another display of Maccabee Power in Major League Baseball yesterday (4/23/2011).

Four Jewish ballplayers — Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun, New York Mets 1B Ike Davis, Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia, and Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis — hit HRs, along with a combined 8 RBIs.

It’s no fluke. Through Saturday (4/23/2011), baseball’s six Jewish position players had hit a total of 23 HRs in 431 at-bats, or one in every 18.7 at-bats. By contrast, according to Jewish Baseball News calculations, non-Jewish players had a combined 526 HRs in 20,230 at-bats, or one in every 38.5 at-bats.

The comparison is ever-so-slightly skewed, because the non-Jewish totals include at-bats by pitchers, who typically are not HR hitters. Even so, it’s likely that Jewish position players are out-homering their non-Jewish counterparts roughly 2-to-1.

Leading the way for the Maccabees are Braun, who is tied for the National League lead with 7 HRs, and Kinsler, who has 5.

Several Jewish players are on a hot streak. Davis has homered in each of his last 3 games, Braun in 3 of his last 4, and Youkilis in 4 of his last 8.

The player with the least round-trippers is Sam Fuld, with one. But Fuld has nothing to be ashamed of. He leads the American League in stolen bases (10), ranks 4th in batting average (.365), and is tied for 2nd in triples (2),

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –Maybe it’s the matzoh.

What is it about Jewish baseball players and Passover this season? On Monday (4/18), the night of the first seder, five Jewish batters hit a collective .650, each one knocking out anywhere from 2 to 4 hits apiece.

Last night (4/23), the Jews brought their homer sticks to the Passover plate, too. Ryan Braun, Sam Fuld, Ike Davis and Ian Kinsler batted a combined .550, hit a total of 3 long balls, and drove in 7 runs.

Elijah did not play.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — On the first night of Passover (4/18/2011), five Jewish batters split the defense like the Red Sea, batting a collective .650.

Every player had at least 2 hits, and each one saw his team win. Tampa Bay Rays OF Sam Fuld vaulted to first place in batting average among American Leaguers.

No word on how players of Egyptian descent performed.

Here is an overview of this special night for the Jews, player by player:

• Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun singled 3 times, walked once, hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 12th inning, and drove in 2 runs in a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. For the season, Braun is batting .357 (10th in the National League) with 4 HRs and 11 RBIs. He is ranked 5th in the league both in on-base percentage (.471) and OPS (1.096), which combines on-base percentage with slugging percentage.
• Tampa Bay Rays OF Sam Fuld continued his red-hot streak, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, three singles, and yet another diving catch in a 5-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. He leads the American League in batting average (.396) and has 1 HR and 5 RBIs. He ranks 1st in stolen bases (7), 5th both in on-base percentage (.431) and OPS (1.035), and 6th in slugging percentage (.604).
• Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler (2B) doubled, tripled, and walked twice in a 7-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Angels. It was the best performance in weeks for Kinsler, who began the season like gangbusters but has been slumping. For the season, he is hitting just .196 with 4 HRs and 8 RBIs. Thanks to 12 walks, he has a solid on-base percentage of .357.
• Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia singled and scored twice and drove in a run in a 5-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. For the season, Valencia is hitting .236 with 1 HR and 6 RBIs.
• Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis homered (see video), doubled, and drove in 2 runs in a 9-1 trouncing of the Toronto Blue Jays. Youkilis is batting .213 with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs. The aptly-named “Greek God of Walks” is tied for the league lead with 15 and is ranked 8th in on-base percentage (.422).

To mangle a phrase: Next year in the World Series!

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Three games into the 2011 season, Jewish players are aiming for the seats.

On Sunday alone (4/3/2011) they hit four, raising the season total to 7 in 54 at-bats, or roughly one HR every 8 at-bats.

For comparison’s sake, in 2010 players across all of major-league baseball hit 4,613 HRs in 165,354 at-bats, about one HR in every 36 at-bats.

Leading the way for the Jews of 2011 is Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler. The 5th-year player has hit a dinger in each of his team’s 3 games (including this one on Sunday), tying him with three others for the major-league lead. Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun has 2 HRs so far; Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia and New York Mets 1B Ike Davis each have one.

Nine Jewish players made it onto opening-day rosters this season, including six position players and three pitchers.

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