Jewish Baseball News

By Scott Barancik, Editor

A total of 146 seasons have passed since Lip Pike became the first Jewish player to homer. Now, we have a new milestone to celebrate.

Joc Pederson‘s game-tying, 2-run blast last night was the 113th Jewish home run of the season, tying the mark set in 2012. Pederson’s home run, his 25th of the year, left his bat at a blistering 110.6 mph, tops in the MLB for the night.

Less than half an hour later, Ian Kinsler crushed a 2-run, go-ahead shot for the record-breaking 114th round-tripper of the year. Kinsler’s 27th home run traveled 410 feet to left-center and left him one behind Lou Whitaker (28) on Detroit’s all-time list of most HRs in a season by a second baseman. The 3rd-inning blast almost didn’t count: despite heavy rain, umpires allowed the Tigers and Cleveland to complete the 5th inning before calling a delay and, eventually, the game.

Both players likely were unaware they were making history. Earlier this month, Alex Bregman smashed the 3,000th Jewish home run in Major League history.

Although rookie Lip Pike led the National Association with four home runs in 1871, his rookie season with the Troy Haymakers, Jewish players and home runs have not always been so prolific.

In 49 of the past 146 season, Jewish players did not hit a single dinger. During the five seasons from 1986 to 1990, in fact, there was not a single Jewish at-bat.

Aside from Pike, the concept of a Jewish power hitter is, historically speaking, a relatively new one. No Jewish player had hit even 10 HRs in a season until a Detroit Tigers rookie named Hank Greenberg stroked 12 in 1933. This helps explain why Jewish fans went so crazy over Greenberg, who went on to hit a then-N.L. record 58 home runs in 1938, two short of Babe Ruth’s then-Major League record of 60.

By comparison, today is a golden age for Jewish baseball fans. Three players have 25 or more home runs — Ryan Braun (30), Ian Kinsler (27), and Joc Pederson (25) — an accomplishment matched only once before, in 2010.

Jewish HRs by season

Year	AB	HR
1990	0	0
1989	0	0
1988	0	0
1987	0	0
1986	0	0
1899	4	0
1887	4	0
1902	9	0
1881	18	0
1985	22	0
1901	26	0
1903	27	0
1920	31	0
1882	41	0
1919	47	0
1991	51	0
1910	56	0
1908	58	0
1927	74	0
1895	74	0
1916	76	0
1918	81	0
1909	91	0
1911	92	0
1907	95	0
1906	99	0
1905	111	0
1904	118	0
1964	164	0
1976	238	0
1875	312	0
1917	433	0
1900	0	0
1898	0	0
1897	0	0
1896	0	0
1894	0	0
1893	0	0
1892	0	0
1891	0	0
1890	0	0
1889	0	0
1888	0	0
1886	0	0
1885	0	0
1884	0	0
1883	0	0
1880	0	0
1879	0	0
1984	63	1
1957	204	1
1874	234	1
1913	249	1
1876	282	1
1878	419	1
1965	237	2
1925	286	2
1983	132	3
1981	223	3
1959	302	3
1936	490	3
1921	637	3
1871	134	4
1958	225	4
1877	266	4
1873	285	4
1963	315	4
1924	355	4
1930	598	4
1942	680	4
1914	422	5
1926	614	5
1929	701	5
1923	949	5
1962	257	6
1982	263	6
1993	311	6
1912	524	6
1872	285	7
1915	436	7
1961	481	7
1922	576	7
1992	424	8
1931	898	8
1960	378	9
1977	395	9
1943	535	9
1975	714	9
1928	757	9
1932	1,160	9
1994	471	10
1941	809	11
1944	699	13
1967	752	13
1956	695	16
1978	875	18
1933	1,261	18
1980	851	19
1995	965	21
1974	1,221	21
1966	506	22
1979	793	23
1949	557	26
1996	1,322	26
1934	1,189	27
1948	579	30
1968	1,122	31
1973	1,705	34
1955	1,060	35
1971	1,335	36
1945	1,348	37
1947	897	39
1970	1,485	40
2003	1,805	40
1935	1,287	41
2005	1,641	41
1997	1,718	45
2013	2,006	47
1969	1,437	50
1998	1,527	50
1946	1,304	54
1940	1,471	54
1972	1,907	54
2006	2,414	55
1954	1,614	56
2014	2,295	56
1939	1,874	57
2000	1,991	60
1952	1,879	62
2004	2,045	63
1937	1,957	64
1950	1,194	65
2002	1,868	66
1951	1,902	69
2001	1,709	73
1953	1,710	77
2010	2,309	78
1938	2,456	81
2015	2,827	81
2007	2,444	84
2011	2,162	94
2008	2,223	100
2009	2,277	101
1999	2,089	102
2012	2,598	113
2016*	2,730	114
Total*	107,315	3,012

* Through games played 9/28/2016
Note: The 3,012 Jewish home runs hit through 9/28/2016 were slugged by these Major League players. The tally includes home runs hit by David Newhan before 2000, when he began identifying as a Messianic Jew. It excludes home runs hit by Jim Gaudet, who converted to Judaism after his playing career ended.
Source: JewishBaseballNews.com


As great a season as Jewish players are having collectively, 2016 isn’t close to the most prodigious in terms of home-run frequency.

Through games played 9/28/2016, Jewish players are homering once every 23.95 at-bats, or 13th-best on the home-run frequency chart. The best year came way back in 1950, when Jewish players such as Al Rosen (37 HRs) and Sid Gordon (27 HRs) homered a total of once every 18.37 at-bats.

Jewish home-run frequency, by season

Year	AB/HR
1950	18.37
1948	19.30
1999	20.48
1949	21.42
1953	22.21
2008	22.23
2009	22.54
2012	22.99
1966	23.00
1947	23.00
2011	23.00
2001	23.41
2016*	23.95
1946	24.15
1940	27.24
1951	27.57
2002	28.30
1969	28.74
1954	28.82
2007	29.10
2010	29.60
1955	30.29
1952	30.31
1938	30.32
1998	30.54
1937	30.58
1935	31.39
2004	32.46
1939	32.88
2000	33.18
1871	33.50
1979	34.48
2015	34.90
1972	35.31
1968	36.19
1945	36.43
1971	37.08
1970	37.13
1997	38.18
2005	40.02
1872	40.71
2014	40.98
1960	42.00
2013	42.68
1962	42.83
1956	43.44
1982	43.83
1977	43.89
2006	43.89
1983	44.00
1934	44.04
1980	44.79
2003	45.13
1995	45.95
1994	47.10
1978	48.61
1973	50.15
1996	50.85
1993	51.83
1992	53.00
1944	53.77
1958	56.25
1967	57.85
1974	58.14
1943	59.44
1915	62.29
1984	63.00
1877	66.50
1961	68.71
1933	70.06
1873	71.25
1941	73.55
1981	74.33
1963	78.75
1975	79.33
1922	82.29
1928	84.11
1914	84.40
1912	87.33
1924	88.75
1959	100.67
1931	112.25
1965	118.50
1926	122.80
1932	128.89
1929	140.20
1925	143.00
1930	149.50
1936	163.33
1942	170.00
1923	189.80
1957	204.00
1921	212.33
1874	234.00
1913	249.00
1876	282.00
1878	419.00
1990	na
1989	na
1988	na
1987	na
1986	na
1899	na
1887	na
1902	na
1881	na
1985	na
1901	na
1903	na
1920	na
1882	na
1919	na
1991	na
1910	na
1908	na
1927	na
1895	na
1916	na
1918	na
1909	na
1911	na
1907	na
1906	na
1905	na
1904	na
1964	na
1976	na
1875	na
1917	na
1900	na
1898	na
1897	na
1896	na
1894	na
1893	na
1892	na
1891	na
1890	na
1889	na
1888	na
1886	na
1885	na
1884	na
1883	na
1880	na
1879	na
Total*	35.63

* Through games played 9/28/2016
Source: JewishBaseballNews.com

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler crushed his 200th career home run today in a 5-1 win over the Rays.

The two-run shot, his second in two days, came off P Danny Farquhar in the 9th inning and struck the catwalk high above Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field.

Kinsler is the fifth Jewish player to reach the 200-homer threshold. He joins Hank Greenberg (331 HRs), Shawn Green (328), Ryan Braun (268), and Sid Gordon (202). Kinsler passed Al Rosen (192) earlier this season.

Kinsler’s 200th came in his 1,460th MLB game. By comparison, Greenberg reached 200 HRs in his 860th game, Braun in his 867th, Green in his 1,084th, and Gordon in his 1,458th. All four other players hit multiple homers on the day they reached 200: Green hit a record-tying four round-trippers (May 23, 2002), Greenberg hit two (September 7, 1939), Braun hit two (September 16, 2012) and Gordon hit two (August 14, 1955) — one each in both games of a double-header.

It’s not the only milestone Kinsler reached today. According to MLB.com, he now is one of only three active players — and 40 total in MLB history — with 200 home runs, 1,000 runs scored, 1,600 hits and 200 stolen bases. The other active players are Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran.

Kinsler is enjoying an unexpected power surge this season. Since peaking at 32 home runs in 2011, the 34-year-old Arizona native has yet to hit 20 again. With 16 so far in 2016, however, he already has exceeded his season totals from 2013 (13 HRs) and 2015 (11) and is on pace to breach 30.

Kinsler’s home run was just one of his contribution’s to today’s win over the Rays. With Detroit down 1-0 in the top of the 8th inning, the Arizona State alum doubled and later daringly scored from second base on an attempted double-play. “That got us going, really,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus told MLB.com. “It was great heads-up baserunning, aggressive baserunning.”

The 11th-year player also shone in the field, making a slick backhanded stop and toss to retire Curt Casali in the 3rd inning.

Ausmus summed up Kinsler’s attitude thusly. “He definitely plays with an edge, in a good way. He wants to beat the other team. It’s almost as if he’s a little bit mad at the other team.”

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By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

If it seemed like Jewish ballplayers were smacking a lot of home runs this season, it wasn’t your imagination. Several records were broken or matched in 2012.

Jewish major leaguers (excluding pitchers) hit a combined 116 HRs, topping the prior record of 109 in 2011. Home-run hitting is a growing trend among Jewish players, with seven of the 10 biggest one-year totals coming since 2000 (see table).

Most Jewish HRs, by year*

Year	Total HRs	Biggest contributor
2012	116	Ryan Braun (41)
2011	109	Ryan Braun (33)
1999	102	Shawn green (42)
2009	101	Ryan Braun (32)
2008	98	Ryan Braun (37)
1938	87	Hank Greenberg (40)
2010	85	Ryan Braun (25)
2007	83	Ryan Braun (34)
1953	77	Al Rosen (43)
2001	73	Shawn Green (49)
* Excluding Jewish pitchers
Source: JewishBaseballNews.com

Two key figures behind this year’s home-run barrage were Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun, who smashed a career-high 41 HRs, and New York Mets 1B Ike Davis, who hit a career-high 32. Kevin Youkilis, who split the season between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox, hit 19, and Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler followed with 18.

Braun’s 41 dingers made him the No. 1 home-run hitter among National League players in 2012. The last time a Jewish ballplayer led a league in HRs was 1953, when Cleveland Indians 3B Al Rosen hit 43 to lead the A.L.

Davis hit 19 HRs as a rookie in 2010 and spent much of the 2011 season on the disabled list. By the 2012 All-Star break he had 12 HRs, then pounded 20 more during the rest of the season to rank No. 5 among N.L. hitters (tie).

Braun and Davis made quite a pair. The only other time two Jewish players have hit at least 40 and 30 HRs, respectively, in a single MLB season was 2002, when Los Angeles Dodgers RF Shawn Green crushed 42, and Philadelphia Phillies C Mike Lieberthal hit 31. Braun (37) and Youkilis (29) came close in 2009, as did Al Rosen (37) and Boston Braves LF Sid Gordon (27) in 1950.

Braun’s 41 HRs launched him into a tie with Sid Gordon for No. 3 on the all-time Jewish HR leaders list, with 202. Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg leads the list with 331, followed closely by Shawn Green with 328.

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