By Scott Barancik, Editor
Nearly 148 seasons after Lip Pike hit the first Jewish home run, a new milestone was set last night.
Ryan Braun’s 428-foot, 1st-inning bomb tied the record established in 2016, when six Jewish players combined for a total of 115 home runs.
Later Friday evening, rookie Rowdy Tellez’s 396-foot moonshot set a new benchmark with #116.
Braun wasn’t done, however. His 8th-inning jack proved to be the game-winner for the playoff-bound Milwaukee Brewers and brought the Jewish total to 117, with 1-2 games left in the regular season.
It’s been a team effort. Eight Jewish players have homered in 2018, with five reaching double-digits and a sixth, Danny Valencia, stroking nine before being released by Baltimore in mid-August.
Until recently, Alex Bregman — who leads all Jewish players with 31 HRs — seemed the player most likely to hit the record-breaker. But when his bat went cold several weeks ago, veteran Braun took over, hitting five longballs in his last four games.
Mazel tov, gentlemen.
Jewish HRs by season
(* Through games played 9/28/2018)| Year | AB | HR |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899 | 4 | 0 |
| 1887 | 4 | 0 |
| 1902 | 9 | 0 |
| 1881 | 18 | 0 |
| 1985 | 22 | 0 |
| 1901 | 26 | 0 |
| 1903 | 27 | 0 |
| 1920 | 31 | 0 |
| 1882 | 41 | 0 |
| 1919 | 47 | 0 |
| 1991 | 51 | 0 |
| 1910 | 56 | 0 |
| 1908 | 58 | 0 |
| 1927 | 74 | 0 |
| 1895 | 74 | 0 |
| 1916 | 76 | 0 |
| 1918 | 81 | 0 |
| 1909 | 91 | 0 |
| 1911 | 92 | 0 |
| 1907 | 95 | 0 |
| 1906 | 99 | 0 |
| 1905 | 111 | 0 |
| 1904 | 118 | 0 |
| 1964 | 164 | 0 |
| 1976 | 238 | 0 |
| 1875 | 312 | 0 |
| 1917 | 433 | 0 |
| 1900 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898 | 0 | 0 |
| 1897 | 0 | 0 |
| 1896 | 0 | 0 |
| 1894 | 0 | 0 |
| 1893 | 0 | 0 |
| 1892 | 0 | 0 |
| 1891 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | 0 | 0 |
| 1889 | 0 | 0 |
| 1888 | 0 | 0 |
| 1886 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | 0 | 0 |
| 1883 | 0 | 0 |
| 1880 | 0 | 0 |
| 1879 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | 63 | 1 |
| 1957 | 204 | 1 |
| 1874 | 234 | 1 |
| 1913 | 249 | 1 |
| 1876 | 282 | 1 |
| 1878 | 419 | 1 |
| 1965 | 237 | 2 |
| 1925 | 286 | 2 |
| 1983 | 132 | 3 |
| 1981 | 223 | 3 |
| 1959 | 302 | 3 |
| 1936 | 490 | 3 |
| 1921 | 637 | 3 |
| 1871 | 134 | 4 |
| 1958 | 225 | 4 |
| 1877 | 266 | 4 |
| 1873 | 285 | 4 |
| 1963 | 315 | 4 |
| 1924 | 355 | 4 |
| 1930 | 598 | 4 |
| 1942 | 680 | 4 |
| 1914 | 422 | 5 |
| 1926 | 614 | 5 |
| 1929 | 701 | 5 |
| 1923 | 949 | 5 |
| 1962 | 257 | 6 |
| 1982 | 263 | 6 |
| 1993 | 311 | 6 |
| 1912 | 524 | 6 |
| 1872 | 285 | 7 |
| 1915 | 436 | 7 |
| 1961 | 481 | 7 |
| 1922 | 576 | 7 |
| 1992 | 424 | 8 |
| 1931 | 898 | 8 |
| 1960 | 378 | 9 |
| 1977 | 395 | 9 |
| 1943 | 535 | 9 |
| 1975 | 714 | 9 |
| 1928 | 757 | 9 |
| 1932 | 1,160 | 9 |
| 1994 | 471 | 10 |
| 1941 | 809 | 11 |
| 1944 | 699 | 13 |
| 1967 | 752 | 13 |
| 1956 | 695 | 16 |
| 1978 | 875 | 18 |
| 1933 | 1,261 | 18 |
| 1980 | 851 | 19 |
| 1995 | 965 | 21 |
| 1974 | 1,221 | 21 |
| 1966 | 506 | 22 |
| 1979 | 793 | 23 |
| 1949 | 557 | 26 |
| 1996 | 1,322 | 26 |
| 1934 | 1,189 | 27 |
| 1948 | 579 | 30 |
| 1968 | 1,122 | 31 |
| 1973 | 1,705 | 34 |
| 1955 | 1,060 | 35 |
| 1971 | 1,335 | 36 |
| 1945 | 1,348 | 37 |
| 1947 | 897 | 39 |
| 1970 | 1,485 | 40 |
| 2003 | 1,805 | 40 |
| 1935 | 1,287 | 41 |
| 2005 | 1,641 | 41 |
| 1997 | 1,718 | 45 |
| 2013 | 2,006 | 47 |
| 1969 | 1,437 | 50 |
| 1998 | 1,527 | 50 |
| 1946 | 1,304 | 54 |
| 1940 | 1,471 | 54 |
| 1972 | 1,907 | 54 |
| 2006 | 2,414 | 55 |
| 1954 | 1,614 | 56 |
| 2014 | 2,295 | 56 |
| 1939 | 1,874 | 57 |
| 2000 | 1,991 | 60 |
| 1952 | 1,879 | 62 |
| 2004 | 2,045 | 63 |
| 1937 | 1,957 | 64 |
| 1950 | 1,194 | 65 |
| 2002 | 1,868 | 66 |
| 1951 | 1,902 | 69 |
| 2001 | 1,709 | 73 |
| 1953 | 1,710 | 77 |
| 2010 | 2,309 | 78 |
| 1938 | 2,456 | 81 |
| 2015 | 2,827 | 81 |
| 2007 | 2,444 | 84 |
| 2011 | 2,162 | 94 |
| 2008 | 2,223 | 100 |
| 2009 | 2,277 | 101 |
| 1999 | 2,089 | 102 |
| 2012 | 2,598 | 113 |
| 2016 | 2,783 | 115 |
| 2017 | 2,938 | 102 |
| 2018* | 2,704 | 117 |
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