By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Given that he’s the reigning National League MVP, you might think Ryan Braun would be tearing up Spring Training pitching. And you would be wrong. Opening Day is little more than a week away, but 2012 already has already delivered a few surprises, as well as some more predictable performances. The…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Israel’s qualifying round for the 2013 World Baseball Classic will take place on friendly turf this November: Florida. The Association of Israel Baseball announced today that teams from Israel, South Africa, France, and Spain will compete at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, the spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St….
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Spring Training 2012 is in its second week, and a number of Jewish players are in the mix. Fifteen Jews — including 6 pitchers and 9 position players — were invited to participate in Major League Baseball’s annual rite this year. They include all 13 who played MLB ball in…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — An Orthodox high school’s dream of competing for a state basketball title seemed over when the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools refused to reschedule a semi-final game that was slated to occur during the Jewish Sabbath. But thanks to a threatened lawsuit from several players and parents at Houston’s Robert M….
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — When word leaked out in December that 2011 N.L. MVP Ryan Braun had failed a drug test, some wrote him off as just another cheater. Not so fast. Major League Baseball announced today that the positive drug-test ruling, and 50-game suspension, had been overruled by a 3-man arbitration panel. It reportedly was the first successful…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Sandy Koufax was among the most masterful pitchers in baseball history, and statistics proving it are plentiful. In 1965 the “Left Arm of God” struck out 382 batters and walked just 71, second only to Nolan Ryan’s 383/162 in 1973. The Brooklyn native’s career shutouts-to-innings ratio is the 6th highest on…
Buying something on Amazon.com? Please use our link JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Jason Marquis signed a one-year, $3-million deal with the Minnesota Twins last week. The Twins will be his 7th team over a 12-year major-league career but first in the American League. A left-hander with a career 4.55 ERA and 104-98 record, Marquis split last…
Buying something on Amazon.com? Please use our link JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Sam Fuld, the Tampa Bay Rays outfielder who was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes at age 10, is the lead attraction at a two-day diabetes sports camp to be held in Tampa, Fla., in February 2012. Kids ages 8 to 18 can choose to…
Buying something on Amazon.com? Please use our link JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — True to their name, the Pittsburgh Pirates plundered two Jewish minor-leaguers on the cheap in the recent Rule 5 draft. One target was St. Louis Cardinals prospect Charlie Cutler. In 2011, the 25-year-old catcher hit a team-high .333 with the Springfield Cardinals (AA)…
Jewish Baseball News gets better when you use our Amazon.com link JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — ESPN reported today that 2011 N.L. MVP Ryan Braun tested positive for excessive testosterone in October and may face a 50-game suspension. If ESPN’s unnamed sources are correct, it won’t matter whether the Milwaukee Brewers star knowingly violated baseball’s ban…
Help Jewish Baseball News grow. Use our Amazon link for your holiday shopping. JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Is minor-league pitcher Brett Lorin a hidden gem? The Arizona Diamondbacks seem to think so. As part of Major League Baseball’s “Rule 5” draft today, the D’Backs plucked the 24-year-old hurler out of relative obscurity from the Pittsburgh…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Milwaukee Brewers RF Ryan Braun was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player today, earning 20 of 32 first-place votes from the country’s top baseball writers. The prestigious award comes just 4 years after the southern California native was named N.L. Rookie of the Year, and 6 years after the Brewers…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler finished 11th in voting for the 2011 American League MVP, Major League Baseball said Monday. The two-time All-Star came in just behind Tampa Bay Rays 3B Evan Longoria and received one 4th-place vote, according to MLB.com. Detroit Tigers P Justin Verlander won the award with 13…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Ex-major leaguers Shawn Green, Brad Ausmus, and Gabe Kapler are joining the effort to make Team Israel a contender at the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Peter Kurz, secretary general of the Israel Association of Baseball, told the Associated Press that one of the three Jewish players is likely to become the…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –Now that the 2011 season is officially over, let’s review how Jewish players did during the playoffs: Ian Kinsler (2B), Texas Rangers. Playing in the postseason for the 2nd time in his 6-year career, Kinsler performed his leadoff-man magic, finishing 1st among A.L. players in walks (14), 3rd in hits (20/tie), and…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Jewish duo Ian Kinsler and Scott Feldman helped lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-3, extra-inning win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the A.L. Championship Series. Texas was down 2-0 in the 6th inning when second baseman Kinsler hit an RBI double to cut the…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS —Ryan Braun continued his miraculous post-season play Sunday, smashing a 463-foot HR and hitting a two-run double to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 9-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of the N.L. Championship Series. The Brewers were down 1-0 in the first inning when Braun hit…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Last year, Jewish Baseball News published an op-ed by editor Scott Barancik about playing baseball on the High Holidays. Because the topic remains controversial, we are reprinting his piece below in its entirety, along with a 2011 addendum. Please feel free to share your comments. – – – – – –…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Some pro ballplayers shine during the regular season but wilt under the pressure of playoff games. So far, Milwaukee Brewers RF Ryan Braun isn’t one of them. Two games into the 2011 playoffs, the MVP candidate is 6-for-8 with two doubles, a HR (see it here), and 3 RBIs. His .750…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Late season call-up Ryan Lavarnway won the hearts of Boston Red Sox fans Tuesday night with a two-HR performance that secured an 8-7 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Lavarnway, a catcher recently named 2011 Minor-League MVP by Jewish Baseball News, drove in half of the Red Sox’s runs in the crucial…
