MLB

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…

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of May 31-June 6, 2021: Mazel Tov In a characteristic show of grit and determination, CF Kevin Pillar (Mets) returned to action just 14 days after being hit in the face by a 95mph fastball on May 17, an at-bat that broke bones and required corrective surgery….

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of May 24-30, 2021: Mazel Tov C Garrett Stubbs (Astros) was called up from Triple-A on May 28 after Houston C Jason Castro was placed on the injured list. Since a brief call-up earlier this season — he saw action only once, as a pinch runner —…

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of May 17-23, 2021: Mazel Tov Two players with Major League experience signed minor-league contracts with the Seattle Mariners last week: Team Israel’s Ty Kelly, a retired infielder seeking to brush-up his skills in preparation for the 2021 Olympics, and pitcher Zack Weiss. Both men made their…

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of May 10-16, 2021: Rest in peace Richie Scheinblum passed away at age 78 on May 10. A right fielder, he spent 8 years in the Major Leagues with six different franchises. Richie earned a spot on All-Star team in 1972, a year he hit .300 with…

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of May 3-9, 2021: Stats to share Last week was by far the strongest of the season for Jewish players: Jewish hitters stroked a combined .346 (28-for-81) with 3 HRs, 5 doubles, 12 RBIs, and a .379 on-base percentage. The performance brought their collective season batting average…