By Ethel Hilsenroth, contributing writer Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, winner of the 2011 N.L. Most Valuable Player award, is having another MVP-type season, excelling with both bat and glove. Could he win the award again? Statistics-wise, he’s in the mix. What makes this season very different from 2011, of course, is what happened in 2013. That’s the year Braun finally admitted,…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league updates from the week of May 30-June 5, 2016. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/High-A) maintained his hot hand, hitting .400 last week (8-for-20) with a home run, 7 RBIs, 4 walks and a stolen base. He ranks second in the California League in…
By Scott Barancik, Editor He tossed only three pitches off the mound at Toronto’s Rogers Centre today, but for Yankees rookie Richard Bleier, it probably felt like 300. The 29-year-old southpaw entered the game with one out in the bottom of the 8th inning and quickly put the Blue Jays to bed, forcing Michael Sanders to ground…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league updates from the week of May 23-29, 2016. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week P Jared Lakind (Pirates/AA) had a busy week, delivering four scoreless relief appearances to stretch his streak to 10. The 24-year-old gave up one hit and three walks while striking out five over a combined…
By Scott Barancik, Editor After toiling nine years in the minor leagues, Richard Bleier finally got The Call today. A 29-year-old southpaw and Team Israel alum, Bleier was promoted by the New York Yankees. He is a starter by trade but most likely will debut in the bullpen. The Texas Rangers selected Bleier in the sixth round of the 2008 draft….
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league updates from the week of May 16-22, 2016. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week SS Alex Bregman (Astros/AA) hit .367 with 3 HRs, 2 doubles, 10 RBIs, and 4 walks. The second-year pro is ranked first in the Texas League in on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.658)…
Your browser does not support iframes. By Scott Barancik, Editor When Oakland 3B Danny Valencia hit a career-best three home runs against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 15, it was by definition something special. After all, only 354 MLB players have hit a trifecta during the course of a 9-inning game since 1913. Heck, Hank Aaron — whose 755 career home…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league updates from the week of May 9-15, 2016. Highlights Astros #1 prospect Alex Bregman (AA) hit .286 with 2 HRs, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, and 3 walks in the week ended May 15. He also made his first professional start at third base, a show of versatility that could…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league updates from the week of May 2-8, 2016. Highlights After getting only one hit in his first 22 at-bats, former major leaguer Ike Davis (AAA/Rangers) went 3-for-5 with two doubles and five RBIs on May 2. Davis has reached base in his last six games and had…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league highlights from the week of April 25-May 1, 2016. Drossner is near perfect Brewers Single-A prospect Jake Drossner, a 2015 draftee, was nearly perfect April 28, yielding one hit and no walks over 5 innings of relief while striking out six. It was his first relief appearance of…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league highlights from the week of April 18-24. Borenstein’s streak Diamondbacks Triple-A prospect Zach Borenstein is 5-for-9 in his last four games with a double, HR, walk, and 4 RBIs. His 12 RBIs (in 51 at-bats) rank 14th in the Pacific Coast League. Goldberg’s promotion Brad Goldberg, a 6-foot-4…
By Scott Barancik, Editor As we munch matzoh on this sacred holiday of Pesach, some might wonder: Who are the most unleavened Jews in MLB history? We looked into this scholarly question and found two men, each a compact 5-foot-4-inches. Not surprisingly, both played ball in the early 1900s, when men Jewish and not alike struggled to rise….
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here are minor-league highlights from the week of April 11-17. Bregman’s power trip It was a jaw-dropping week for No. 1 Astros prospect Alex Bregman. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft tore up Double-A pitching with a total of 5 HRs — more than he hit in all of 2015 — and 12 RBIs…
2016 games Games played October 20-22, 2016 (playoffs) Games played October 19, 2016 (playoffs) Games played October 17-18, 2016 (playoffs) Games played October 16, 2016 (playoffs) Games played October 14-15, 2016 (playoffs) Games played October 13, 2016 (playoffs) Games played October 10-11, 2016 (playoffs) Games played October 9, 2016 (playoffs) Games played October 7, 2016…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Minor-league baseball is in business again, and here are some highlights from the first week. Bregman’s double-dinger heroics Alex Bregman, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft, is off to a fast start playing for the Astros’ Double-A club, the Corpus Christi Hooks. On Monday (4/11/2016), the 22-year-old…
By Scott Barancik, Editor With the first official pitch of Opening Day just hours away, we’re taking a look back at Spring Training to see which Jewish athletes played at the MLB level, and how they performed. Below is an abbreviated table showing the 13 Jews who took MLB swings this Spring. Click here for more complete…
By Scott Barancik, Editor When the Kansas City Royals invited newcomer Cody Decker to attend Spring Training, there was little doubt the 29-year-old prankster, social-media wiz, amateur film critic, and self-styled”Antihero” would make friends easily. But make the opening-day roster? Unlikely. The competition remains fierce, and the odds steep. Despite emerging from the San Diego Padres’ farm system…
By Zev Ben Avigdor, Correspondent The son of a choreographer and a crime-scene cleanup specialist, 21-year-old centerfielder Rhett Wiseman grew up in Mansfield, Mass. Drafted out of high school by the Chicago Cubs, he postponed pro ball for the chance to attend Vanderbilt University, where he helped deliver a College World Series championship. Wiseman may be best known…
[Updated 3/9/2016] By Scott Barancik, Editor At least 20 Jewish players are participating in Spring Training for a Major League team in 2016. The list includes eight active Major Leaguers and 11 minor leaguers, a majority of whom have MLB experience. One non-roster invitee, Houston Astros prospect Alex Bregman, was drafted in 2015 and is ranked…
By Zev Ben Avigdor, Correspondent January 18, 2016 Like many men playing in baseball’s independent leagues, 28-year-old Casey Logan Haerther began his professional career with a Major League franchise. Casey was drafted out of Chaminade College Preparatory School in West Hills, California, by the San Diego Padres, in the 35th round of the 2006 draft. Electing instead…
