Jewish Baseball News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –Here are your highlights for Tues., March 8:

Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Lavarnway didn’t start Tuesday’s split-squad game against the St. Louis Cardinals, but he sure helped finish it.

Lavarnway, a catcher who led all Red Sox farmhands with 102 RBIs in 2010, entered the game as a pinch-hitter for DH David Ortiz in the 6th inning and promptly hit a run-scoring double, trimming the Cards’ lead to 7-4.

When he came to bat again in the 8th inning and the Cards winning 7-6, Lavarnway smacked a two-run HR to put Boston ahead for good.

Until Tuesday’s 2-for-3, 3-RBI performance, Lavarnway was 0-3 in 2011 Spring Training. The hits were his first ever in a Boston uniform.

Lavarnway wasn’t the only Boston Jew to contribute Tuesday. 3B Kevin Youkilis went 1/3 against the Cards, and CF Ryan Kalish hit two singles and a double in Boston’s 3-2 win over the Houston Astros.

Elsewhere, light-hitting OF Sam Fuld singled for the second consecutive game as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 victory. Fuld, who was profiled in Wednesday’s St. Petersburg Times, is seeking to start the season on a major-league roster for the first time in his career.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — 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.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Arizona Fall League’s 30-game regular season came to an end Thursday (11/17/2008). So how did its six Jewish players do?

Hitters

• 2B Josh Satin, Mesa Solar Sox (New York Mets). In 41 at-bats, Satin hit a blistering .390 with 2 doubles, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, a .479 on-base percentage (OBP), and .512 slugging percentage (SLP). He saw limited play because the Mets, feeling he already had played a lot in 2010, put him on the AFL’s “taxi squad,” which restricted him to 2 games per week.
• 2B Jason Kipnis, Peoria Javelinas (Cleveland Indians). In 78 at-bats, Kipnis hit .295 with 3 HRs, 11 doubles (tied for 1st in the league), 3 triples (3rd/tie), 3 HRs, 19 RBIs (4th/tie), .337 OBP, .628 SLG (5th), and 2 stolen bases. Great figures no doubt, but the real story is about mental toughness. Kipnis began the season uncharacteristically struggling at the plate, his batting average just .159 through October. But in November, he rebounded by batting .471 with 8 doubles and 9 RBIs. And he did it while enduring day-to-day uncertainty about where he would play: 2B, 3B, or DH.
• C Ryan Lavarnway, Peoria Javelinas (Boston Red Sox). In 82 at-bats, Lavarnway hit .268 with 3 doubles, 3 HRs, 12 RBIs, .380 OBP and .415 SLG. His 16 walks tied for 3rd in the league.
• OF Ben Guez, Surprise Rafters (Detroit Tigers). In 57 at-bats, Guez hit .228 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs, .302 OBP, and 4 stolen bases. Six of his 13 hits were for extra bases, leading to a healthy .456 SLG. But Guez’s power stroke came at the cost of a low batting average…and 21 strikeouts.

Pitchers

• SP Josh Zeid, Mesa Solar Sox (Philadelphia Phillies). Zeid went 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA. In 14 innings, he struck out 12 and walked just one batter. He held opposing teams to a .204 batting average.
• RP Eric Berger, Peoria Javelinas (Cleveland Indians). Playing in a middle-relief role, Berger went 0-0 with an .082 ERA. In 11 innings, Berger struck out 12, walked 8, and held opposing teams to a .171 batting average.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here is your Arizona Fall League update for Wednesday, Nov. 10:

• 2B Jason Kipnis, a Cleveland Indians prospect, hit a double and a 2-run single in the Peoria Javelinas’ 8-5 win over the Surprise Rafters. Kipnis is batting .217 with 3 HRs, 10 extra-base hits, and 14 RBIs in 60 at-bats.
• C Ryan Lavarnway, a Boston Red Sox prospect and Kipnis’ teammate on the Javelinas, singled and hit a solo HR. He’s batting .302 with 3 HRs, 9 RBIs and a .423 on-base percentage. His 14 walks are tied for 2nd-best in the AFL.
• Rafters OF Ben Guez, a Detroit Tigers prospect, went 0/4 in a losing effort. He’s batting .279 with 3 HRs, 6 RBIs, 4 stolen bases, and an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .949, 12th-best in the AFL.
• 2B Josh Satin, a New York Mets prospect who has seen limited action in the AFL but recently had a 5-RBI game, singled once and walked twice in a 9-6 loss to the Phoenix Desert Dogs. In 28 at-bats, Satin has 1 HR, 6 RBIs, a .429 batting average and .529 on-base percentage. Why is he getting so little playing time? Satin recently answered that question in a note to Jewish Baseball News:

I’m on the taxi squad which means you can only play twice a week. I played so many games this season that the Mets thought only playing a few a week would be a good idea.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Peoria Javelinas crushed the Phoenix Desert Dogs 16-8 on Monday (11/8/2010). The win upped Peoria’s record to 14-7, tops in the prestigious Arizona Fall League.

• Javelinas 2B Jason Kipnis, a Cleveland Indians prospect, tripled twice, walked, and scored two runs while playing DH. For the season, Kipnis is hitting just .196 in 56 at-bats. But the 23-year-old Arizona State recruit has 12 RBIs, and nine of his 11 hits have been for extra bases (3 doubles, triples and HRs apiece).

• Javelinas C Ryan Lavarnway, a Boston Red Sox prospect, went 3/6 with a solo HR. The 23-year-old Yale recruit was less effective in the field, yielding 2 passed balls and allowing one stolen base. For the season he’s batting .288 with 2 HRs, 8 RBIs and a .419 on-base percentage. His 14 walks are tied for 2nd-best in the AFL.

The AFL has posed special challenges for Kipnis and Lavarnway.

Though the Indians only recently converted Kipnis from outfielder to second baseman, he had the misfortune of being teamed on the Javelinas with highly-touted 2B Dustin Ackley, the #2 overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft. With Ackley on board, Kipnis has played in just 14 of the Javelinas’ 21 games and has split his time between second base, third base and DH. Such changes appear to have hurt his confidence at the plate (for insight, see his blog). During the 2010 regular season, he hit over .300.

But Kipnis’ problem will melt away when the AFL season ends later this month and Dustin Ackley returns to the Seattle Mariners’ farm system. Not so for teammate Lavarnway.

The main thing standing between Lavarnway — a power-hitter with an excellent eye — and the Majors is his defensive play. The Red Sox sent Lavarnway to Peoria primarily to work on his catching skills, but he has continued to struggle with passed balls there.

The Javelinas have 8 games left to play this season. The AFL championship will take place on Saturday, Nov. 20.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The West beat the East 3-2 in the Arizona Fall League’s “Rising Stars” game Saturday night (11/6/2010), and the 3 Jews selected to play in the nationally-broadcast showcase performed well.

Playing for the victorious West:

• C Ryan Lavarnway, a Boston Red Sox prospect, went 1/2. He led off a third-inning rally with a single but later was tossed out at home plate.
• 2B Jason Kipnis, the Cleveland Indians’ minor-league player of the year in 2010, doubled in his only at-bat. In a recent trend, he played 3B rather than 2B.

Playing for the East:

• SP Josh Zeid, a Philadelphia Phillies prospect who was voted Best Class-A Reliever this year, pitched a perfect 4th inning.

Fifty of the prestigious Arizona Fall League’s 180 players were chosen to play in the Rising Stars game. Although most play at the Class AA or AAA minor-league level, Zeid — a 6’5″ righty from New Haven, Conn. — played for the “A” Lakewood BlueClaws in 2010.

More than half of those who played in last year’s Rising Stars game were called-up to the Majors at some point in 2010.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Baseball’s annual “Rising Stars” game will be broadcast on Saturday night (11/6/2010), and this year there’s even more reason than usual to watch.

The 50 minor-leaguers chosen to play in the showcase game include 19 former 1st-round draft picks, and as a group they are considered among the most likely to play MLB ball in 2011. More than half of the contestants in 2009’s Rising Stars game ended up in the Majors in 2010.

What’s more, this year’s squad includes 3 Jewish players:

• SP Josh Zeid. The Philadelphia Phillies prospect recently was named Best Reliever in Class A ball. Currently playing for the Mesa Solar Sox of the prestigious Arizona Fall League, the 6’5″ righty is 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA, 12 strikeouts and just one walk. See his blog here.
• C Ryan Lavarnway. The Boston Red Sox prospect led all Red Sox minor-leaguers with 102 RBIs in 2010. Currently playing for the AFL’s Peoria Javelinas, he is batting .264 with a .412 on-base percentage.
• 2B Jason Kipnis. The Cleveland Indians named him the franchise’s top minor-league player in 2010. Currently playing alongside Ryan Lavarnway on the Javelinas, he is batting .173 but has 3 HRs and 12 RBIs in just 52 at-bats. See his blog here.

OF Ben Guez was not selected to play. The Detroit Tigers prospect is currently batting .308 for the AFL’s Surprise Rafters and is ranked 7th among all AFL players in OPS (1.041), a statistic that combines a player’s on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

The Rising Stars game will be broadcast nationally at 9:00pm ET Saturday night on the MLB Network. It also will be shown online at MLB.com.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Peoria Javelinas beat the Peoria Saguaros 7-2 on Saturday (10/23/2010), and 2 of its 3 Jewish players were instrumental.

2B Jason Kipnis, a Cleveland Indians prospect, hit a two-run HR,, walked, and stole a base. Kipnis has been in a minor slump since driving in five runs on Oct. 15. Although he is tied for 3rd in the prestigious Arizona Fall League with 9 RBIs, the 2009 draft pick (2nd round, 63rd overall) is batting just .161 over 8 games (5/35).

C Ryan Lavarnway, who led all Boston Red Sox minor-leaguers with 102 RBIs in 2010, went 1/2, walked twice and scored a run while serving as DH. After 7 AFL games, the 2008 draft pick (6th round, 202nd overall) is batting .273 with 1 HR, 5 RBIs and a .452 on-base percentage.

RP Eric Berger, also an Indians prospect, did not play Saturday.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Texas Rangers defeated the New York Yankees 10-3 on Tuesday (10/19/2010), giving the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series and leaving the team just one win away from its first World Series berth.

Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler chipped in, hitting an RBI single with two outs in the 7th inning and stealing second base moments later.

The last Jew to play in the World Series was Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis, in 2007. Youk went 2/9 with 2 doubles, 3 walks, 1 RBI and 3 runs scored as the Sox trounced the Colorado Rockies 4 games to zero.

In Arizona Fall League play yesterday:

• OF Ben Guez of the Surprise Rafters hit an RBI triple and drew a walk in a 5-4 loss to the Scottsdale Scorpions. Guez is a Detroit Tigers prospect.
• 2B Jason Kipnis, a Cleveland Indians prospect, hit an RBI double and reached base on an error in the Peoria Javelinas’ 6-5 loss to the Mesa Solar Sox. Though batting just .167 in 6 games, Kipnis is 2nd among AFL players with 7 RBIs.
• C Ryan Lavarnway, Kipnis’ teammate on the Javelinas, walked twice and tossed out 1 of 2 Solar Sox players who tried to steal second base. Lavarnway is a Boston Red Sox prospect.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Peoria Javelinas of the prestigious Arizona Fall League have 3 Jews on their roster, and all 3 shared the field Monday (10/18/2010) in a 4-2, 10-inning victory over the Mesa Solar Sox.

C Ryan Lavarnway, a Boston Red Sox prospect, singled, hit a sacrifice fly, threw out 1 of 2 runners who tried to steal 2nd base on him, and scored the winning run in the 10th inning. 2B Jason Kipnis, a Cleveland Indians prospect, walked and scored in the 10th, as well. And RP Eric Berger pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Solar Sox P Josh Zeid didn’t play; he is scheduled to pitch Wednesday night (10/20/2010) against the Scottsdale Scorpions. (See Zeid’s interesting blog here.)

In other baseball news, 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers went 0/4 in game 3 of the American League Championship Series, but his team didn’t suffer for it. The Rangers beat the New York Yankees 8-0 to take a 2-1 series lead.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Saturday (10/16/2010):

• In game 2 of the American League Championship Series, 2B Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers went 1/3 with an RBI triple and a sacrifice as the Rangers defeated the New York Yankess 7-2; the series is tied 1-1. Kinsler’s first trip to the MLB playoffs is going exceptionally well. Over 7 games, he is batting .391 (5th among all players) with 3 HRs (2nd/tie), 7 RBIs (1st), 4 walks (2nd/tie), a .481 on-base percentage (2nd), and a .870 slugging percentage (3rd).
• 2B Jason Kipnis went of the Peoria Javelinas went 1/2 with an RBI double in a 6-4 loss to the Scottsdale Scorpions. Though he is batting just .188 after 4 games, the Cleveland Indians prospect has 6 RBIs, tying him for 3rd most among all Arizona Fall League players.
• C Ryan Lavarnway, also with the Javelinas, went 0/2 but walked twice in the 6-4 loss and gave up one stolen base. The Boston Red Sox prospect is batting .333 with 1 HR, 4 RBIs, and a .538 on-base percentage.

No Jewish baseball players were active on Sunday (10/17/2010).

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — A little bit of history was made Thursday (10/15/2010) when Peoria Javelinas C Ryan Lavarnway squatted opposite RP Eric Berger, a fellow Jew, during the 4th inning of a game against the Peoria Saguaros.

Both players made the best of their opportunities. Lavarnway, a Boston Red Sox prospect, hit a two-out, three-run HR that put the Javelinas ahead 4-1, smacked a double, and drew a walk. The Saguaros caught up, however, and the game ended in an 11-inning, 4-4 tie.

Berger, who plays in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ farm system, pitched a scoreless (if not effortless) inning for the Javelinas, scattering 2 hits and a walk while striking out 2.

In another Arizona Fall League game, SP Josh Zeid, a Philadelphia Phillies prospect, earned the win for the Mesa Solar Sox in an 11-6 victory over the Surprise Rafters. Zeid gave up one run on 2 hits over 3 innings, striking out 3. Among his strikeout victims was Detroit Tigers prospect and Surprise OF Ben Guez, another of the 5 Jews playing in Jewish player.

Lavarnway, who hit 22 HRs with 102 RBIs in the minors this year, is playing in the AFL primarily to improve his catching skills (see article). Thursday’s game was mostly a good one on that front. Lavarnway threw-out 2 of 4 baserunners trying to steal but also had his first error of the season.

In an e-mail this morning, Martin Abramowitz — the brains behind the Jewish Major Leaguers baseball-card series — cited several examples of Jewish batterymates in Major League Baseball history:

• Harry Danning and Harry Feldman for the New York Giants in the 40’s.
• Sandy Koufax and Norm Sherry.
• Sol Rogovin and Joe Ginsberg for the Tigers in the early 50’s.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — We recently reported that four Jews would be playing in the prestigious Arizona Fall League, three of them on the Peoria Javelinas.

Um, we missed one.

OF Ben Guez, a Detroit Tigers prospect, was selected to play for the aptly-named Surprise Rafters. The 23-year-old Houston native hit a combined .249 during the regular season in “A” and “AAA” ball, with 10 HRs, 43 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and a .341 on-base percentage.

In the Rafters’ season-opener Tuesday (10/12/2010), Guez went 2/4 with a solo HR in an 8-6 victory over the Javelinas.

In the same game, Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Lavarnway, who is trying to improve his catching skills, went 1/3 with a walk, an RBI, a run scored and a passed ball. The 23-year-old Yale University recruit hit a combined .288 and 22 HRS this year with two minor-league teams, and he led all Red Sox farm hands with 102 RBIs. Baseball America recently listed him among the top 20 prospects from the Carolina League.

On Wednesday (10/13/2010), 2B Jason Kipnis of the Javelinas went 0/4 and struck out twice in a 7-4 win over the Surprise Rafters. Like Lavarnway, Kipnis has been named a top 20 prospect from the Carolina League. A member of the Cleveland Indians franchise, the 23-year-old Arizona State alum split the 2010 season between “A-advanced” and “AA” teams and had a combined batting average of .307 along with 8 triples, 16 HRs, 74 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .878. When the “AAA” Columbus Clippers called him up for the playoffs , Kipnis went 10/22, hitting for the cycle in one game and falling a single short of a cycle in the next.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — When the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League open their 2010 season Oct. 12, the team’s roster will feature 3 Jewish minor leaguers:

• C Ryan Lavarnway. The 23-year-old Yale University recruit hit a combined .288 and 22 HRS this year with two minor-league teams, and he led all Boston Red Sox farm hands with 102 RBIs. Baseball America recently placed Lavarnway on its list of Top 20 prospects from the Carolina League.
• 2B Jason Kipnis. Like Lavarnway, Kipnis has been named a Top 20 prospect from the Carolina League. A member of the Cleveland Indians franchise, the 23-year-old Arizona State alum split the 2010 season between “A-advanced” and “AA” teams and had a combined batting average of .307, along with 8 triples, 16 HRs, 74 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .878. When the “AAA” Columbus Clippers called him up for the playoffs , Kipnis went 10/22, including hitting for the cycle in one game and falling a single short of a cycle in the next.
• SP Eric Berger. The 24-year-old Cleveland Indians prospect played briefly in “AAA” ball this year before joining Kipnis on the “AA” Akron Aeros. Berger went a combined 5-6 with a 4.90 ERA.

At least one other Jew is playing in the AFL this season. P Josh Zeid, who went 8-4 with 8 saves and a 2.93 ERA this year for the “A” Lakewood BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies), will play for the Mesa Solar Sox. The 23-year-old Tulane University recruit struck out 111 batters in 107-and-1/3 innings while walking just 27.

Getting picked to play in the Arizona Fall League is no small honor.

According to MLB.com, Major League Baseball created the AFL so it could keep a closer eye on its “best” ballplayers, who might otherwise leave the country to play winter ball. All games are played in Spring Training stadiums, and each MLB team gets to send six top prospects to play, mostly from “AA” or “AAA”. The 2006 All-Star Game featured 25 AFL alums, says MLB.com.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Last week, Baseball America named SS Jake Lemmerman one of the Top 20 prospects from the Rookie Pioneer League.

Earlier today (10/4/2010), the venerable publication named 2 more Jews to one of its annual ‘top 20’ lists. Both 2B Jason Kipnis and C Ryan Lavarnway were listed as top prospects from the “A-advanced” Carolina League.

Kipnis, part of the Cleveland Indians’ franchise, began the 2010 season with the “A-advanced” Kinston Indians and later was promoted to the “AA” Akron Aeros, finishing the year with a combined batting average of .307, 8 triples, 16 HRs, 74 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .878. When the “AAA” Columbus Clippers called him up for the post-season, he went 10/22, hitting for the cycle in one game and falling a single short of a cycle in the next.

Says Baseball America:

Kipnis has a balanced approach and drives the ball to all fields. He’s aggressive at the plate but not overly so, and he should hit at least .280 in the majors with average power, if not more.

Lavarnway, part of the Boston Red Sox’ farm system, split the 2010 season between the “A-Advanced” Salem Red Sox and the “AA” Portland Sea Dogs. He hit a combined .288 with 22 HRs, 102 RBIs, .393 on-base percentage, and .489 slugging percentage. His 102 RBIs were tops among Red Sox farm hands, and he led all Jewish minor-leaguers in HRs, RBIs and walks (70).

Here is an excerpt from Baseball America’s commentary:

If he puts everything together, he could be a big league regular, but it may be more realistic to project him as an offensive-minded backup who also could fill in at first base and DH.

As of today, Baseball America has published ‘Top 20’ lists for nine of the 16 minor leagues associated with Major League Baseball. The remaining 7 will be released from Oct. 5 through Oct. 13.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — For the Spring/Summer minor leagues, the 2010 season is over. So how did Jewish batters do?

According to Jewish Baseball News calculations, the 28 Jews who swung a bat in the minors this season — including several major-leaguers doing rehab stints — had a combined batting average of .280, along with 127 HRs and 834 RBIs.

A list of category leaders and laggards is shown below. But first, a couple clarifications:

• Players marked with an asterisk played at two or more levels in 2010. Statistics shown for them are cumulative; the team shown is the one a player ended the season with.
• To qualify for this list, a player must have had at least 300 plate appearances. (A total of 13 met the standard.)

Now, your category leaders.

HIGHEST BATTING AVERAGE

• SS Jake Lemmerman, “rookie-league” Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) — .363
• OF Adam Stern, “AAA” Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers) — .326
• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — .311

LOWEST BATTING AVERAGE

• OF Ben Guez, “AAA” Toledo Mud Hens* (Detroit Tigers) — .249
• C Charlie Cutler, “AA” Springfield Cardinals* (St. Louis Cardinals) — .260

MOST HOME RUNS

• C Ryan Lavarnway, “AA” Portland Sea Dogs* (Boston Red Sox) — 22
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — 16
• 1B Nate Freiman, “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) — 14

MOST TRIPLES

• OF Sam Fuld, “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) — 9
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — 8
• CF James Rapoport, “AAA” Memphis Redbirds* (St. Louis Cardinals) — 4
  

MOST DOUBLES

• 1B Nate Freiman, “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) — 43
• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — 39
• RF David Rubinstein, “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates) — 37

MOST RBIs

• C Ryan Lavarnway, “AA” Portland Sea Dogs* (Boston Red Sox) — 102
• 1B Nate Freiman, “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) — 84
• 1B Casey Haerther, “A” Cedar Rapids Kernels (Los Angeles Angels) — 74
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — 74
• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — 74

MOST WALKS

• C Ryan Lavarnway, “AA” Portland Sea Dogs* (Boston Red Sox) — 70
• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — 66
• OF Sam Fuld, “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) — 66

MOST STRIKEOUTS

• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — 121
• 1B Nate Freiman, “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) — 117
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — 107

FEWEST STRIKEOUTS

• C Charlie Cutler, “AA” Springfield Cardinals* (St. Louis Cardinals) — 33
• OF Sam Fuld, “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) — 37
• OF Adam Stern, “AAA” Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers) — 47

BEST WALK/STRIKEOUT RATIO

• OF Sam Fuld, “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) — 1.78 (66/37)
• C Charlie Cutler, “AA” Springfield Cardinals* (St. Louis Cardinals) — .97 (32/33)
• 1B James Rapoport, “AAA” Memphis Redbirds* (St. Louis Cardinals) — .78 (54/69)

WORST WALK/STRIKEOUT RATIO

• RF David Rubinstein, “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates) — .33 (31/95)
• 1B Robbie Widlansky, “AA” Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles) — .37 (18/49)
• OF Ben Guez, “AAA” Toledo Mud Hens* (Detroit Tigers) — .41 (37/91)

HIGHEST ON-BASE PERCENTAGE

• SS Jake Lemmerman, “rookie-league” Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) — .432
• 2B Josh Satin, “AA” Binghamton Mets* (New York Mets) — .399
• OF Adam Stern, “AAA” Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers) — .399

HIGHEST SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

• SS Jake Lemmerman, “rookie-league” Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) — .610
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — .492
• C Ryan Lavarnway, “AA” Portland Sea Dogs* (Boston Red Sox) — .489

HIGHEST OPS (OBP+SLUGGING)

• SS Jake Lemmerman, “rookie-league” Ogden Raptors (Los Angeles Dodgers) — 1.042
• C Ryan Lavarnway, “AA” Portland Sea Dogs* (Boston Red Sox) — .882
• 2B Jason Kipnis, “AA” Akron Aeros* (Cleveland Indians) — .878

MOST STOLEN BASES

• RF David Rubinstein, “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates) — 23
• OF Sam Fuld, “AAA” Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs) — 21
• OF Ben Guez, “AAA” Toledo Mud Hens* (Detroit Tigers) — 14

Up next: the best minor-league pitchers of 2010.

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JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Monday (9/6/2010):

In season-ending minor league games yesterday:

• RP Aaron Poreda of the “AAA” Portland Beavers (San Diego Padres) pitched 2 scoreless innings and gave up one walk in a 6-5 win over the Las Vegas 51s. The 6’6″ lefty, who was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in a 14-game stint with the Padres last year, struggled after being promoted from “AA” ball earlier this season. Poreda was 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA for the Beavers and gave up 38 walks in 29 innings.
• C Ryan Lavarnway of the “AA” Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) hit an RBI single in a 7-4 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. In a season split between Portland and the “A-Advanced” Salem Red Sox, Lavarnway hit a combined .288 with 22 HRs, 102 RBIs, a .393 on-base percentage, and .489 slugging percentage. His 102 RBIs were tops among Red Sox farm hands.
• 1B Casey Haerther of the “A” Cedar Rapids Kernels (Los Angeles Angels) went 2/4 with an RBI single, a double, and a walk in a 6-5 win over the Beloit Snappers. A 5^th-round pick in the 2009 amateur draft (171^st overall), Haerther ranked 2nd on the Kernels in doubles (26) and RBIs (74/tie) and finished 3rd in batting average (.307) and HRs (8/tie). He also had 10 stolen bases.
• RF David Rubinstein of the “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates) went 2/5 with a double and an RBI single in a 7-4 win over the Hagerstown Suns. An 11th-round pick in the 2008 amateur draft, Rubinstein led the Power in doubles (36/tie), ranked 2nd  in batting average (.288) and stolen bases (22), and placed 4th in on-base percentage (.348) and slugging percentage (.410).
• SP Brett Lorin, David Rubinstein’s teammate on the “A” West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates), pitched 4 scoreless innings and struck out two against the Suns. A 6’7″ righty who was promoted to “A” ball midseason, Lorin finished the year with a combined 2-3 record, 4.62 ERA, 42 strikeouts, and 12 walks in 48 2/3 innings.

From the category of “guys we wish were Jewish”:

• Rookie LF Ryan Kalish of the Boston Red Sox went 2/3 with a grand-slam HR an a walk in a 12-5 drubbing of the (beloved) Tampa Bay Rays. It was the 22-year-old’s 3rd HR and second grand-slam since his MLB debut on July 31. As Jewish Baseball News recently reported, Kalish has a Jewish father but was raised Catholic.

And now, your Jewish Star of the Day:

• 2B Jason Kipnis of the “AA” Akron Aeros (Cleveland Indians) hit a solo HR and a 2-run single in a 9-2 victory over the Erie SeaWolves. In a season split between the Aeros and the “A+” Kinston Indians, the 23-year-old Arizona State recruit finished the season with a combined batting average of .307, 16 HRs, 74 RBIs, a .386 on-base percentage, and .492 slugging percentage.

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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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