JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Philadelphia Phillies prospect Josh Zeid has received a MiLBY award for Best Reliever at the Class A level.

Zeid, 23, was the top vote-getter among six nominees, receiving 39 percent of all votes cast. The award is issued by Minor League Baseball.

A 10th-round pick in the 2009 draft, the 6’5″ native of New Haven, Conn., spent 2010 with the “A” Lakewood BlueClaws, working both as a reliever and a starter. He finished the season 8-4 with 8 saves, a 2.93 ERA, 111 strikeouts — one per inning — and only 27 walks.

Zeid also helped the BlueClaws capture the South Atlantic League title. In the final game of the championship series, he pitched 4 perfect innings and struck out 5 consecutive batters.

Zeid is spending the off-season playing for the Mesa Solar Sox of the prestigious Arizona Fall League, and blogging about it for MLB.com.

Earlier this week, he made a little bit of history. In an Oct. 20 game against the Scottsdale Scorpions, Zeid faced No. 1 draft pick Bryce Harper in what would be the 18-year-old phenom’s first official professional at-bat. Zeid got the Washington Nationals prospect to pop out to the shortstop.

Congratulations, Josh!

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