By Stuart M. Katz, correspondent When centerfielder Sam Fuld and nine other Jewish athletes head to Israel on January 3 for what might be dubbed a ‘Baseball Birthright’ trip, they won’t be alone. Wives, parents, sons, and a fiancée will be traveling with this minyan of Major League players and prospects, all of whom plan to represent…
By Sam Brief, Correspondent In September’s qualifying round for the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC), Colorado Rockies prospect Scotty Burcham tallied a .455 batting average, the best on Team Israel and among the top 15 for all teams. If not for Facebook, Burcham might never have swung a bat in Brooklyn. Since anyone who is Jewish or has…
By Scott Barancik, Editor On September 5, 1927, Lefty Weinert tossed a 6-1, complete-game win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field, yielding 5 hits and no earned runs. It wasn’t just the 25-year-old southpaw’s Chicago Cubs premiere. It also marked the very first Jewish appearance in this storied franchise’s history….
By Rob Isbitts, correspondent Blake Gailen’s go-ahead home run this September helped propel Team Israel into the World Baseball Classic’s main tournament. It also introduced Jewish fans to a 31-year-old journeyman many didn’t know. Gailen is hardly unknown in the baseball world. Like the Johnny Cash song goes, he’s been everywhere, man. Excluding his recent stint with…
By Scott Barancik, Editor A total of 146 seasons have passed since Lip Pike became the first Jewish player to homer. Now, we have a new milestone to celebrate. Joc Pederson‘s game-tying, 2-run blast last night was the 113th Jewish home run of the season, tying the mark set in 2012. Pederson’s home run, his 25th of the year,…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Israel’s first two wins in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers were fairly close affairs, but the team crushed Great Britain 9-1 in the finals Sunday night to sweep the tournament and earn its first-ever trip to the main WBC event, which will take place in March 2017. Israel dominated equally from the mound…
By Scott Barancik, Editor It took Israel’s bats a while to come alive Thursday at Brooklyn’s MCU Park, but a four-run rally in the 7th inning drove the team to a come-from-behind, 5-2 win over Great Britain. C Ryan Lavarnway led the way with three hits and a walk, and five Team Israel players shared RBI duties, including…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Israel’s entry in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers has 15 pitchers on its roster. And for tonight’s opener against Great Britain, manager Jerry Weinstein will hand the ball to the very oldest: 38-year-old Jason Marquis. No doubt, the Staten Island native has the experience edge. A first-round pick in the 1996…
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…
By Scott Barancik, Editor When Team Israel steps onto the field September 22 for the World Baseball Classic qualifying round in Brooklyn, the roster will feature well-known names and a few surprises. Because the qualifying round takes place during the Major League season, current MLB players like Toronto’s Kevin Pillar, Houston’s Alex Bregman, and Detroit’s Ian…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Breaking an 0-for-18 spell that dated back to his MLB debut on July 25, Astros 3B Alex Bregman singled to center field in the 3rd inning of today’s game against Detroit. The 22-year-old’s first Major League hit came off a 93.6 mph sinker from Tigers starter Mike Pelfrey and advanced a runner to third base, earning…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Scarcely a year after being drafted by the Houston Astros, red-hot prospect Alex Bregman is being called-up to the Majors. He is expected to make his MLB debut tonight against the Yankees in New York. A 22-year-old shortstop from Albuquerque, NM, Bregman has made quick work of the minors. After hitting a combined .294 last…
By Sam Brief, Correspondent Josh Satin forcefully flipped his blue New York Mets helmet to the ground, extended both of his arms outward, and jumped onto an ecstatic Scott Hairston. The rest was lost in a sea of blue-and-white pinstriped uniforms—jubilant Mets teammates mobbing Satin, who just seconds before hit a pinch-hit, walk-off single against closer…
xxxx By Scott Barancik, Editor Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler crushed his 200th career home run today in a 5-1 win over the Rays. The two-run shot, his second in two days, came off P Danny Farquhar in the 9th inning and struck the catwalk high above Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field. Kinsler is the fifth Jewish player to reach the…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Don’t let the first name fool you. Reliever Ryan Sherriff (St. Louis Cardinals/AAA) is the latest player to join the growing roster of Jewish pro baseball players. The 26-year-old southpaw is enjoying a tremendous season with the Memphis Redbirds. Sherriff is 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA — third-best among Pacific Coast League players with at least 30 innings…
By Scott Barancik, Editor At least 16 Jewish players were picked in the annual MLB draft that took place earlier this month. We’re going to tell you a little bit about each one. First, the list: Andy Yerzy (C), D’backs (2nd round, #52 overall) Kenny Rosenberg (P), Rays (8th, #240) Jason Goldstein (C), Mariners (9th, #267) Mitchell…
By Scott Barancik, Editor For the second times in 18 days, the New York Yankees have added a Jewish player to their roster. Ike Davis, a first baseman who began his Major League career with the crosstown New York Mets in 2010 and also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland A’s, signed with the…
By Ethel Hilsenroth, contributing writer Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, winner of the 2011 N.L. Most Valuable Player award, is having another MVP-type season, excelling with both bat and glove. Could he win the award again? Statistics-wise, he’s in the mix. What makes this season very different from 2011, of course, is what happened in 2013. That’s the year Braun finally admitted,…
By Scott Barancik, Editor He tossed only three pitches off the mound at Toronto’s Rogers Centre today, but for Yankees rookie Richard Bleier, it probably felt like 300. The 29-year-old southpaw entered the game with one out in the bottom of the 8th inning and quickly put the Blue Jays to bed, forcing Michael Sanders to ground…
By Scott Barancik, Editor After toiling nine years in the minor leagues, Richard Bleier finally got The Call today. A 29-year-old southpaw and Team Israel alum, Bleier was promoted by the New York Yankees. He is a starter by trade but most likely will debut in the bullpen. The Texas Rangers selected Bleier in the sixth round of the 2008 draft….
