By Scott Barancik, Editor
Here are your MLB highlights for the week of October 7-13, 2019, the second week of the playoffs:
Mazel tov
- Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Andy Yerzy, a 21-year-old first baseman and a native of Canada, is on the roster of the Canadian national team, which is pursuing a berth in the 2020 Olympics.
- Danny Valencia, who helped propel Team Israel to a spot in the 2020 Olympics, discussed the team — and his Jewish upbringing — in this article. ““I loved it,” he said of Team Israel. “It was a great group of guys, and I am grateful for the experience.”
- Sam Fuld, a former Major Leaguer who serves as player information coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies, is one of a number of rumored candidates to replace Clint Hurdle as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- Orioles prospect Dean Kremer and Mariners prospect Sam Delaplane both pitched in the Arizona Fall League’s Fall Stars Game on October 12. Kremer yielded one hit in a scoreless inning, while Delaplane struck out the only batter he faced. For the season, Kremer is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA, 12 strikeouts in 10 innings, and 0.70 walks/hits per inning, while Delaplane is 0-1 with 2 saves, a 1.13 ERA, 15 strikeouts in 8 innings, and 0.75 walks/hits per inning.
Other news
- The Phillies fired manager Gabe Kapler after his second season with the club. Under his leadership, Philadelphia went 80-82 in 2018 and 81-81 in 2019.
- Our condolences to the family of Bob Tufts, a Princeton alum, Yeshiva University professor and former Major League pitcher who lost a lengthy battle with cancer earlier this month. Ken Davidoff published a heartfelt article about Tufts in the New York Post.
Stats to share
- According to Baseball Savant, the catcher with the fastest food speed in the American League in 2019 was Houston Astros rookie Garrett Stubbs.
At the plate
- 3B Alex Bregman (Astros), the only Jewish player remaining in the 2019 playoffs, hit .250 (4-for-16) with a double, 2 RBIs, and a .400 on-base percentage over 5 playoff games. He also made a spectacular leaping catch. Houston and the Yankees are tied 1-1 in the A.L. Championship Series.
- LF Joc Pederson (Dodgers) hit .250 (2-for-8) over 2 playoff games, including a double that initially looked like a home run. Los Angeles was ousted by the Nationals in the N.L. Division Series.
On the mound
- Max Fried (Braves), who was relegated to the bullpen for the playoffs, gave up 4 earned runs over 1.2 innings of relief on October 9. Atlanta was knocked out by the Cardinals in the N.L. Division Series.
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