JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Syracuse Chiefs 1B Josh Whitesell is leaving the team mid-season to play for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Whitesell, who batted cleanup for the Chiefs (AAA/Washington Nationals) and led the team with 34 RBIs and 29 walks, reportedly will be paid 30-million yen for the remainder of the Swallows’ season, or roughly…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Kudos to Yuri Foreman, a 29-year-old boxer and Rabbinical student who lost a title fight Sunday before 20,000 fans at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Foreman, who was born in Belarus and emigrated to Israel at age 9, lost by technical knockout in the 9th round to Miguel Cotto. With the…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The latest news on minor-league players: Trenton Thunder (AA/New York Yankees) SP Jeremy Bleich is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Bleich finished the season with a 3-2 record and 4.79 ERA, holding opposing batters to a .236 average. Springfield Cardinals (AA/St. Louis Cardinals) SP David Kopp continues to…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg, who will make his MLB debut Tuesday (6/8/2010) for the Washington Nationals, isn’t the only player leaving the AAA Syracuse Chiefs. First baseman Josh Whitesell, the team’s cleanup hitter, reportedly has signed a contract to play in Japan. It’s bad news for the Chiefs, who saw Whitesell…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — JCC Ballers 3B Will Conroy pounded two home runs Wednesday (6/2/2010) in a 29-7 loss to rival Git-R-Durty. Both teams play in Tampa Bay Club Sport’s fiercely competitive Wednesday night coed softball league in St. Petersburg, Fla. Conroy, who played football at Yale University, is a real estate attorney with Englander…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — If the 2010 MLB All-Star Game were held today, Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun would once again appear in the National League’s starting lineup. Braun, a 26-year-old in his fourth MLB season, had the third-highest vote tally among all NL players in 2009 and the most among NL outfielders, more than…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Not many rookies inspire a bobblehead doll after one month in the bigs. But New York Mets 1B Ike Davis has. Of course, this one’s a little different. It’s being issued by the Brooklyn Cyclones (A-Mets), not the Mets. And in a tribute to Davis’ first month in the MLB —…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Florida International University sophomore Garrett Wittels extended his hitting streak to 54 games Sunday (May 30) in a 14-10 victory over Troy University. The 2-for-6 performance left him just four games behind the NCAA Division I record of 58, recorded by Oklahoma State’s Robin Ventura in 1987. Wittels, 20, batted .246…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –Sunday was not a day for bragging. Six Jewish position players collectively went 1-for-17 yesterday (May 30), including four strikeouts. Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler managed the day’s only hit (a 1st-inning single) and only walk in a 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. The day’s sole Jewish pitcher, Chicago Cubs RP…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Little news snacks about Jews with bats: As predicted, RF Adam Stern‘s recent stint with the Milwaukee Brewers was brief. Stern, 30, got his first MLB at-bats in four years but went 0-for-6 before the HeBrewers optioned him back to the AAA Nashville Sounds. Stern’s demotion follows that of RP Scott…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Garrett Wittels got a hit for the 48th consecutive game Saturday (5/22/2010) as Florida International University lost a heartbreaker to rival Florida Atlantic University, 14-10. Wittels, a 20-year-old sophomore, moved into 2nd place in the NCAA Division I record books with his 48-game streak, second now only to Robin Ventura’s 58-game…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The 2010 season is barely one-quarter done, but if it ended today, Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis would be in the running for Most Valuable Player. Thanks in part to a recent tear, Youk is among the American League leaders in multiple hitting categories, including: 1st in runs (37) 1st/tie…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — A profile of Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun in Monday’s (5/24/2010) edition of USA Today details the 26-year-old’s growing baseball and entrepreneurial success. Among the article’s dominant themes is the Braun’s considerable self-confidence: “He got definite swag,” Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp, 25, says. “I love watching him play.”…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The latest info on Jews with bats: New York Mets 1B Ike Davis, brought up from AAA two weeks after the 2010 season began, is now batting cleanup. The move to 4th in the batting order paid off for the Mets on Thursday (5/20/2010) as Davis went 3-for-5 with 2 doubles…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Tuesday (5/18/2010) saw a show of strength by Jewish major leaguers. Four men– Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun, New York Mets 1B Ike Davis, Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis, and Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler — hit home runs. The Day of Power boosted the Jewish home run total for…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — And now, news that enthralls about Jews with balls: Florida International University sophomore Garrett Wittels extended his hitting streak to 45 games Sunday (5/16/2010) in a 5-0 win over the University of South Alabama. The 20-year-old infielder went 1-for-4 with a single and an RBI. At 45 games, he is tied…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Boston Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis had five walks Saturday (5/15/2010) in an 11-inning loss to the Detroit Tigers. Though the feat fell short of a major-league record, it marked a personal best for Youkilis, whose previous single-game high, four walks, came in a 19-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The latest developments among Jews with bats: Jason Hirsh, starting pitcher for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (AAA), continued his turnaround Thursday (5/13/2010) with a 7-3 victory against the Columbus Clippers. A 6’8″, 250-pound former major leaguer who began the season with three consecutive losses, Hirsh pitched six innings against Columbus, giving up…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Florida International University sophomore Garrett Wittels extended his hitting streak to 43 games Friday (5/14/2010) in a 6-5 win over the University of South Alabama. Wittels hit an RBI single in the first inning but went hitless the rest of the game. Eric Berkowitz, a senior closer and fellow Jew, pitched…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Talk about consistency. Florida International University sophomore Garrett Wittels has played in 42 games this season, and he’s had a base hit in every one. The 42-game streak is tied for 4th-highest in Division I history and has earned Wittels a bushel of media attention recently, including a Miami Herald profile…
