By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News It’s been a tough week for Jewish baseball fans. Two struggling players have been sent down to the minors, and a third may be on his way. On Wednesday (5/9/2012), the Philadelphia Phillies optioned reliever Michael Schwimer back to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA). Schwimer had struggled since being called up…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News A different kind of Jewish baseball documentary is in the works, and its producers need our help to complete post-production work. Got Balz? is the brainchild of San Francisco filmmakers Ken Schneider and Marcia Jarmel, whose son Mica is the focus of the film. Struck by the poverty of children…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Mondays bite. So feed yourself something pleasing: Add this name to our ever-growing list of players: Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson. Drafted out of high school in 2010, the 20-year-old outfielder wowed the rookie Pioneer League last year by batting .353 with 11 HRs, 64 RBIs, 24 stolen bases,…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News The Boston Red Sox placed 3B Kevn Youkilis on the 15-day disabled list yesterday (5/2/2012) due to a lower-back strain. “The good thing is they know what’s going on and it’s nothing like a surgery or a major injury,” he told the Boston Globe. Youkilis, who hadn’t played since April…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News When Ryan Braun smashed three HRs against the San Diego Padres on Monday night (see video), Jewish baseball fans everywhere celebrated. Here are a few more reasons to be proud: The Milwaukee Brewers right fielder is just the fifth Jewish player since 1918 to homer 3 or more times in a 9-inning…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News My 8-year-old says Mondays are among her favorite days of the week because she has ‘running club’ after school. For the rest of humanity, Mondays can be hellish. May these tidbits make your day a little easier: Washington Nationals prospect Danny Rosenbaum recently was named the Eastern League’s player of the week, and…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News The Philadelphia Phillies recalled prospect Michael Schwimer from the minors today (4/25/2012) and wasted no time putting him to work. The 26-year-old pitcher came on in relief of starter Cole Hamels, who carried the Phils to a 7-2 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks through eight innings. Schwimer pitched a perfect ninth,…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Mondays can be tough on the soul. So have some smiles on us: Washington Nationals prospect Danny Rosenbaum is off to another good start this season. A starting pitcher with the Harrisburg Senators (AA), the 24-year-old lefty is 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA. Not bad, even for a player whose…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Jason Marquis, left off the Minnesota Twins’ opening-day roster so he could take care of his injured daughter in New York, is set to make his MLB season debut Wednesday (4/18/2012) against the New York Yankees. Wednesday’s start also will mark his first start as a Twin. Minnesota acquired the…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News In 2010, the year Jewish Baseball News debuted, MLB’s Opening Day rosters included 10 Jewish players. In 2011 there were nine. This season? Only seven. It’s enough to make an M.O.T. cry in his $9 ballpark beer. Thanks to injuries (Sam Fuld, Ryan Kalish), flips of a coin (Ryan Lavarnway, Michael…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Two Jewish boxers appeared on the same card last week (3/31/2012) at the Paramount Theater in Huntington, N.Y., and both won their bouts. Two days later (4/2/2012), another Jewish fighter reigned in Woodland Hills, Calif. Cletus Seldin, a 25-year-old welterweight fighting at 143 pounds, raised his record to 7-0 with…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Sam Fuld will miss most if not all of the 2012 season due to an injured right wrist. According to MLB.com, the Tampa Bay Rays OF is schedule to undergo surgery this morning in Cleveland. Fuld, 30, first injured the wrist in September against the Baltimore Orioles. He reinjured it March…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Here’s what’s happening in the world of baseball today (Thursday, Mar. 29, 2012): INJURY: Sam Fuld told the Tampa Tribune he’s going to get a second medical opinion on his injured right wrist and may end up facing surgery and/or rehab. The Tampa Bay Rays outfielder injured his wrist last September…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News John Grabow couldn’t have done much more to win a spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen. In six appearances this Spring, the 33-year-old hurler gave up no runs, one walk, and only four hits across six innings while striking out seven. But yesterday the Men in Blue chose to keep fellow…
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…
