By Scott Barancik, Editor
In 1871, Lip Pike was considered a slugger. An outfielder with the Troy Haymakers, the 5’8″ rookie led the National Association that season with four home runs, which also happened to be the first four round-trippers ever hit by a Jewish baseball player.
Flash forward 145 years to Sept. 10, 2016 — also known as last Saturday — when another red-hot Jewish rookie came to the plate. Host Houston and the Cubs were tied 0-0 in the bottom of the third when the Astros’ Alex Bregman took a 92mph two-seam fastball from Chicago’s John Lackey and parked it in the right-center seats. Houston never squandered the lead, finishing with a 2-1 win.
Bregman’s 384-foot shot wasn’t just a clutch hit for a playoff-hungry club in front of a hometown crowd. It was the 3,000th Jewish homer in Major League history.
The numbers continue to swell.
In fact, Jewish players are on pace to set a single-season record in 2016. Through games played September 14, they hit a combined 106 home runs, just seven short of the 113 hit in 2012. Three players — Ryan Braun (27), Ian Kinsler (26), and Joc Pederson (22) — have more than 20 apiece, while Danny Valencia is within striking distance at 16.
Jewish HRs, by year
| Year | HRs |
|---|---|
| 2016* | 106 |
| 2015 | 81 |
| 2014 | 56 |
| 2013 | 47 |
| 2012 | 113 |
| 2011 | 94 |
| 2010 | 78 |
| 2009 | 101 |
| 2008 | 100 |
| 2007 | 84 |
| 2006 | 55 |
| 2005 | 41 |
| 2004 | 63 |
| 2003 | 40 |
| 2002 | 66 |
| 2001 | 73 |
| 2000 | 60 |
| 1999 | 102 |
| 1998 | 50 |
| 1997 | 45 |
| 1996 | 26 |
| 1995 | 21 |
| 1994 | 10 |
| 1993 | 6 |
| 1992 | 8 |
| 1991 | 0 |
| 1990 | 0 |
| 1989 | 0 |
| 1988 | 0 |
| 1987 | 0 |
| 1986 | 0 |
| 1985 | 0 |
| 1984 | 1 |
| 1983 | 3 |
| 1982 | 6 |
| 1981 | 3 |
| 1980 | 19 |
| 1979 | 23 |
| 1978 | 18 |
| 1977 | 9 |
| 1976 | 0 |
| 1975 | 9 |
| 1974 | 21 |
| 1973 | 34 |
| 1972 | 54 |
| 1971 | 36 |
| 1970 | 40 |
| 1969 | 50 |
| 1968 | 31 |
| 1967 | 13 |
| 1966 | 22 |
| 1965 | 2 |
| 1964 | 0 |
| 1963 | 4 |
| 1962 | 6 |
| 1961 | 7 |
| 1960 | 9 |
| 1959 | 3 |
| 1958 | 4 |
| 1957 | 1 |
| 1956 | 16 |
| 1955 | 35 |
| 1954 | 56 |
| 1953 | 77 |
| 1952 | 62 |
| 1951 | 69 |
| 1950 | 65 |
| 1949 | 26 |
| 1948 | 30 |
| 1947 | 39 |
| 1946 | 54 |
| 1945 | 37 |
| 1944 | 13 |
| 1943 | 9 |
| 1942 | 4 |
| 1941 | 11 |
| 1940 | 54 |
| 1939 | 57 |
| 1938 | 81 |
| 1937 | 64 |
| 1936 | 3 |
| 1935 | 41 |
| 1934 | 27 |
| 1933 | 18 |
| 1932 | 9 |
| 1931 | 8 |
| 1930 | 4 |
| 1929 | 5 |
| 1928 | 9 |
| 1927 | 0 |
| 1926 | 5 |
| 1925 | 2 |
| 1924 | 4 |
| 1923 | 5 |
| 1922 | 7 |
| 1921 | 3 |
| 1920 | 0 |
| 1919 | 0 |
| 1918 | 0 |
| 1917 | 0 |
| 1916 | 0 |
| 1915 | 7 |
| 1914 | 5 |
| 1913 | 1 |
| 1912 | 6 |
| 1911 | 0 |
| 1910 | 0 |
| 1909 | 0 |
| 1908 | 0 |
| 1907 | 0 |
| 1906 | 0 |
| 1905 | 0 |
| 1904 | 0 |
| 1903 | 0 |
| 1902 | 0 |
| 1901 | 0 |
| 1900 | 0 |
| 1899 | 0 |
| 1898 | 0 |
| 1897 | 0 |
| 1896 | 0 |
| 1895 | 0 |
| 1894 | 0 |
| 1893 | 0 |
| 1892 | 0 |
| 1891 | 0 |
| 1890 | 0 |
| 1889 | 0 |
| 1888 | 0 |
| 1887 | 0 |
| 1886 | 0 |
| 1885 | 0 |
| 1884 | 0 |
| 1883 | 0 |
| 1882 | 0 |
| 1881 | 0 |
| 1880 | 0 |
| 1879 | 0 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1877 | 4 |
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1875 | 0 |
| 1874 | 1 |
| 1873 | 4 |
| 1872 | 7 |
| 1871 | 4 |
| TOTAL* | 3004 |
Source: JewishBaseballNews.com
The 3,004 home runs hit through 9/14/2016 were slugged by these Major League players. The tally excludes home runs hit by David Newhan after 1999, when he began identifying as a Messianic Jew. It also excludes home runs hit by Jim Gaudet, who converted to Judaism after his playing career ended.
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