[Editor’s note: Havana Curveball is not yet available for individual purchase or rental. To screen the film at a school, library, synagogue, or local theater, contact Leah Lamb at leah@patchworksfilms.net.] By Stuart M. Katz, correspondent Havana Curveball, a new documentary by filmmakers Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider, tells the tale of a bar mitzvah boy’s innocent and initially…
By Scott Barancik, editor Nu, so what’s going on in the Minors? Cody Decker — the San Diego Padres’ all-time minor-league HR leader and a participant in this month’s Triple-A Home Run Derby — has hit three HRs since the All-Star break, including Thursday’s solo shot (7/23/2015). The El Paso Chihuahuhas star has 18 HRs, and he’s hitting them…
By Scott Barancik, editor Richard Bleier pitched 7 shutout innings Wednesday for the Harrisburg Senators (AA), giving up just four hits and not a single walk in a 13-0 win. So what else is new? In 103 Double-A innings this year, the 28-year-old Washington Nationals prospect has walked only nine batters, or 2.2% of those…
By Scott Barancik, editor Well, that didn’t take long. Washington Nationals prospect Rhett Wiseman, a 3rd-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt who made his pro debut July 10, has been named the New York-Penn League’s Player of the Week for the week of July 13-19. A centerfielder for the Auburn Doubledays (A-short season), he hit…
By Scott Barancik, editor Detroit’s Ian Kinsler hit 2 home runs Sunday, and he made sure the second one counted. Seattle was leading the Tigers 4-3 when Kinsler came up with a man on and two outs in the bottom of the 8th inning. Down 1-and-2 in the count to reliever Mark Lowe, who entered the…
By Scott Barancik, editor Matt Holliday’s misfortune has proved opportune for two Jewish ballplayers. Thanks to the Cardinals outfielder’s injury — sorry, Matt — Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson will replace him in the National League’s starting lineup at Tuesday’s All-Star Game (7/14/2015), and Brewers veteran Ryan Braun will replace Holliday as a reserve on the roster. It’s…
By Scott Barancik, editor Lots of news to report in the minors today. Cody Decker (Padres, AAA) Cody Decker, the San Diego Padres’ all-time minor-league HR leader, has been chosen to participate in this year’s Triple-A Home Run Derby, along with five other All-Star sluggers. The 28-year-old infielder has 15 HRs this season and leads…
By Scott Barancik, editor The sports world is taking note of Kevin Pillar, the Blue Jays CF who has impressed not only with his glove (he is considered a strong Gold Glove candidate) but his bat. Sports-radio god Jim Rome interviewed Pillar earlier this week about his record setting 54-game hitting streak in college, being selected…
By Scott Barancik, editor Dodgers CF Joc Pederson has been named to the National League All-Star team as a reserve. He is one of just two rookies picked for the Tuesday, July 14 game, the other being Cubs 3B Kris Bryant. He is the first Dodgers rookie to be named to the team since P…
By Nate Fish, special to Jewish Baseball News Are you a baseball player? Do you want to come to Israel? The Israel Association of Baseball (IAB), in partnership with Masa Israel and Destination Israel, has created a program for baseball players with high school, college, or professional experience to travel to Israel to play and coach….
By Scott Barancik, editor Of course we wanted Steven Matz to be Jewish. The New York Mets rookie practically threw himself onto our collective doorstep last week with an improbable MLB debut, not only striking out six batters in a 7-2 win but going 3-for-3 with 4 RBIs. He was from New York. His middle…
The latest news as of July 2, 2015: MLB With voting for the 2015 All-Star game set to end tonight, it’s looking like Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson just might end up in the N.L.’s starting lineup. Though he was 6th among N.L. outfielders in the most recently-announced tally, three of the five players ahead of him are…
What’s going on in baseball as of June 30, 2015? MLB No, Mets rookie Steven Matz is not Jewish, sorry to say *** Speaking of Steven Matz, the young starter had 4 RBIs in his MLB debut Sunday, but he’s got a long way to go before matching MLB active career leader Jason Marquis, who…
By Scott Barancik, editor Danny Valencia has seen limited playing time this season, starting just 22 of Toronto’s 75 games through Friday (6/27/2015), and only now reaching 100 at-bats. But research by Jewish Baseball News suggests Toronto manager John Gibbons couldn’t ask for much more from a utility/platoon player. To try to capture the universe…
What’s going on in baseball? Your 6/27/2015 report: MLB Toronto’s Danny Valencia smashed a pinch-hit home run Friday on the first pitch he faced from Rangers first baseman Adam Rosales as the Blue Jays trounced 12-2. Valencia is hitting .357 in June, with 3 HR and 11 RBI. By and large, though, he’s been far more effective…
By Scott Barancik, editor Cody Decker is known for producing funny videos. But according to our research, he deserves at least as much praise for his production at the plate. Through games played Thursday (6/25/2015), the 28-year-old San Diego Padres prospect had 14 HRs and 49 RBIs in just 183 at-bats this season. That sounded pretty…
Here’s what’s new in baseball as of 6/23/2015: MLB L.A.’s Joc Pederson hit his 19th home run Monday. Less than halfway into the season, he has surpassed his full-year HR projections *** Miami family and friends came to St. Petersburg to see Toronto’s Danny Valencia play the Rays on Monday, and he rose to the occasion, driving…
Here’s what’s going on in the world of baseball as of 6/21/2015. MLB So far today (Sunday), Toronto’s Kevin Pillar has hit his 6th home run, stroked an RBI single, and walked in 3 plate appearances *** L.A.’s Joc Pederson crushed his 18th home run Saturday after a 6-game drought and walked twice *** Boston’s Craig Breslow…
Here’s what’s going on in the world of baseball as of 6/20/2015. MLB Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun launched a 2-run HR and stole his 7th base in a 9-5 win Friday over the Rockies. His 14 HRs are tied for 7th in the N.L. *** Toronto’s Kevin Pillar went 2-for-4 with a double in Friday’s 5-4 win over…
Here’s what’s going on in the world of baseball as of 6/18/2015. MLB Historic: Blue Jays teammates Kevin Pillar and Danny Valencia each homered Wednesday in an 8-0 drubbing of the Mets on Wednesday. Pillar went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs and a deep solo shot, while Valencia went 1-for-3 with a walk and a 3-run dinger *** Oakland’s Sam Fuld…
