Jewish Baseball News

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Jews are having another great year at the plate.

Through this morning (5/9/2010), Major League Baseball’s six Jewish position players were batting a combined .320 versus .259 for the entire league. The Jewish slugging percentage stood at .532, versus .414 for everyone.

Let’s be clear, though. Much of the credit goes to two standout players, Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun and Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis.

Braun is among the top-ranked NL hitters in multiple categories:

• 1st in runs (30)
• 2nd (tie) in RBIs (28)
• 3rd in on-base percentage (.447)
• 4th in batting average (.364)
• 7th in OPS — on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (1.058)
• 13th in slugging percentage (.612)
• 13th (tie) in doubles (10)

Youkilis is highly-ranked in several AL categories:

• 3rd (tie) in runs (24)
• 5th in on-base percentage (.422)
• 9th in OPS (.972)
• 13th in slugging (.550)

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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 — A summary of the latest info on Jewish baseball players:

• Opening-day pitcher Scott Feldman helped guide the Texas Rangers to a 5-4 comeback win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. It wasn’t easy: Feldman gave up two early home runs, and Toronto no-hit the Rangers through 6-and-1/3 innings. But Feldman calmed down, yielding three runs, five hits and no walks over seven innings, and Rangers C Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a bases-loaded single to win the game.
• ESPN.com columnist Jim Reeves is a Scott Feldman admirer. “Feldman is the essence of what the Rangers are all about. He’s a gutty overachiever who doesn’t awe opposing teams until they realize he’s just beaten them.” (ESPN.com)
• Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in a 5-3 opening-day loss to the Colorado Rockies.
• 1B Kevin Youkilis is the Boston Red Sox’ “most productive” hitter, averaging 2.36 hits, walks and/or RBIs per game in a simulation. (Accuscore.com)

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