MLB

By Scott Barancik, editor Eli Morgan, a rookie pitcher with the Cleveland Indians, is the latest Major Leaguer to be identified as Jewish. A 25-year-old California native, Morgan was plucked out of Gonzaga University in the 8th round of the 2017 draft. The 5’10” righty made quick work of Cleveland’s farm system and proceeded to…

Here are your playoff stats for October 12-17, a 6-day period that included the A.L. and N.L. Division Series and the beginning of the leagues’ respective Championship Series:   Stats to Share Through October 17, Jewish players had 2 of the 4 longest HRs in the 2021 playoffs. OF Joc Pederson (Braves) led the pack…

Here are your playoff stats for the six days from October 12-17, a period that includes both the A.L. and N.L. Division Series and the beginning of the leagues’ Champion Series. OF Joc Pederson (Braves) Pederson hit only .182 (2-for-11), but his clutch HR in Game 2 of the NLCS against Los Angeles tied the…

Mazel tov Max Fried was named N.L. Pitcher of the Month for September/October, the first Brave to win the monthly honor since 2013 (see

Stats to share Max Fried (Braves) has been a different pitcher since the All-Star break. His 1.78 ERA since July 13 is tied for #2 in the Majors and a vast improvement from his 4.71 ERA before the break. Other examples of his pre-break to post-break improvement include opponent batting average (.270 to .193), on-base…

Mazel tov Every year, current and former Major Leaguers issue a Heart & Hustle award to one player on each team. The winning player “demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.” It should come as no surprise that Kevin Pillar, in his first…

Mazel tov OF Ryan Braun, who last played in 2020 and spent his entire career in Milwaukee, eliminated all doubt his future on September 14 when he announced his retirement from baseball. “While it’s impossible to summarize my emotions, what I feel most is one, simple thing – gratitude,” he wrote on Twitter. Braun was…

Mazel tov C Ryan Lavarnway (Indians), who represented Team Israel in the 2021 Olympics, hit .375 with 2 doubles in 2 starts last week after being called-up from the minors. Lavarnway’s only other stint with Cleveland this season was a four-game stretch in June. After a less-than-perfect MLB debut on August 29, P Scott Effross…

Mazel tov P Scott Effross (Cubs) became the first Jewish player this season to make his Major League debut. After a 6-year sojourn in Chicago’s farm system, the 27-year-old reliever was called up on August 28 and made his first appearance the following day. It probably wasn’t the most satisfying experience; Effross hit a batter,…

Mazel tov Max Fried (Braves) pitched a gem on August 20, a 9-inning, complete-game shutout over the Orioles. Thanks to two double plays, Fried faced only 29 batters, two over the minimum. A leaping catch by teammate Joc Pederson also helped. The Forward published an article titled “100 years of baseball on radio, a century…

Mazel tov Kevin Pillar (Mets) is known for his outfield prowess, but on August 15 he took the mound for the first time in his MLB career, coming on with 2 outs and the bases loaded in the 9th inning of a game against the Dodgers. Pillar went to a full count on batter Chris…

Mazel tov August 4 was a great day for Jewish pinch-hitters. Rowdy Tellez (Brewers) hit a 3-run home run in the 7th inning of an afternoon game to erase a 2-1 deficit and seal a 4-2 win over the Pirates. Later that night, Joc Pederson hit a 2-run double to pad Atlanta’s lead in a…

Mazel tov Team Israel’s dream of an Olympic baseball medal ended August 3 with a 7-6 loss to the Dominican Republic. Israel finished the miscue-laden tourney with a 1-4 record, including a 12-5 win over Mexico and a pair of one-run losses. But reaching the Olympics was an accomplishment that cannot be diminished. “I don’t…

Mazel tov July 24 was a great day for newly-acquired players and their teams. Joc Pederson, who joined the Braves earlier this month, went 4-for-6 with a home run and 4 RBIs in a win over the Phillies. And Rowdy Tellez, who was acquired by the Brewers earlier this month, went 3-for-4 with 2 HRs…

Mazel tov Atlanta’s 9-0 win over the Rays on July 17 arguably was a historic day for Jewish ballplayers. Braves starter Max Fried was the game’s star (see below). In addition to tossing a shutout, Fried was 3-for-3 at the plate. Among his batting feats that day was a 2-run double in the 4th inning…

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of July 5-11, 2021: Mazel tov Three Jewish players — including two making their debuts with a new team — faced off in a July 7 matchup between the Mets and the Brewers. There were several interactions. A first-inning single by 1B Rowdy Tellez (Brewers) against starter…

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of June 28-July 4, 2021: Mazel tov P Max Fried (Braves) is best known for his work on the mound, having finished 5th in voting for the 2020 Cy Young Award (National League). But Fried also is hitting .300 this season, and he showed his prowess at…

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of June 21-27, 2021: Mazel tov The Dodgers surprised Champ Pederson, older brother of LF Joc Pederson, with a World Series ring. Israel, one of six baseball teams competing in the 2021 Summer Olympics, will begin by facing South Korea on June 29. Stats to share P…

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of June 14-20, 2021: Mazel tov C Ryan Lavarnway (Indians) was called-up from the minors on June 17. That same night, the veteran — playing for the first time as an Indian — singled in his first at-bat and went 2-for-4. OF Kevin Pillar (Mets) gave one…

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of June 7-13, 2021: Stats to share Richard Bleier’s walkless streak ended on June 8 when the second batter he faced drew a base on balls. Until that time, the Marlins reliever had faced 83 batters over 22 innings this season, struck out 20 of them, and…