By Scott Barancik, Editor Joc Pederson hit a solo home run last night to help the Los Angeles Dodgers earn a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the 2017 World Series and force a decisive seventh game. His post-homer celebration was jubilant: The homer, his third of the Series, set a…
By Scott Barancik, editor With Team Israel’s surprising run at the World Baseball Championship behind us, Jewish Baseball News turns to that beloved annual rite: Spring Training. A total of 19 Jewish players were invited to MLB Spring Training camps this year, either as part of their teams’ active roster, 40-man roster, or non-roster invitee…
By Scott Barancik, editor The roster of players set to represent Israel in the World Baseball Classic in South Korea this March is taking shape. Team Israel general manager Peter Kurz, whose squad of former Major League and current minor-league athletes guided Israel to a qualifying-round win in September, said Tuesday that 15 ballplayers had already committed to…
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 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 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 Here are your minor-league updates from the week of July 25-31, 2016. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week LF Zach Borenstein (Diamondbacks/AAA) hit .600 last week with a home run, triple, 3 doubles, 4 RBIS, and a walk. This is his second straight Player of the Week award. In his first full…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here are your minor-league updates from the week of July 18-24, 2016, a period shortened by All-Star games. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week LF Zach Borenstein (Diamondbacks/AAA) hit .353 last week with a home run, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, and a stolen base. Debuts P Marc Huberman (Cubs/rookie), an 18th-round pick…
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 Scott Barancik, Editor Here are your minor-league updates from the week of July 4-10, 2016. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week LF Mike Meyers (Red Sox/High-A) had another strong week, hitting .409 with a HR, double, 3 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, and his sixth triple of the season. He ranks second on the Salem…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here are your minor-league updates from the week of June 27-July 3, 2016. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week What an incredible week for SS Alex Bregman (Astros). Last year’s #2 overall draft pick homered and went 2-for-3 in the Texas League (AA) All-Star game. He was named to the U.S. roster for…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here are your minor-league updates from the week of June 20-26, 2016. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week P Corey Baker (Cardinals/AAA) earned a shutout win in his first-ever Triple-A game, scattering four singles and a walk over 6.2 innings while striking out 6. Baker had two 1-2-3 innings and threw 62 of…
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 Here they are, your minor-league updates from the week of June 6-12, 2016. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week SS Alex Bregman (Astros/AA) hit .400, drove in 7 runs, and hit a walk-off HR last week. The second-year prospect ranks among Texas League leaders with a .314 average (2nd), 13 HRs (2nd/tied),…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league updates from the week of May 23-29, 2016. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week P Jared Lakind (Pirates/AA) had a busy week, delivering four scoreless relief appearances to stretch his streak to 10. The 24-year-old gave up one hit and three walks while striking out five over a combined…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league updates from the week of May 16-22, 2016. Jewish Baseball News Player of the Week SS Alex Bregman (Astros/AA) hit .367 with 3 HRs, 2 doubles, 10 RBIs, and 4 walks. The second-year pro is ranked first in the Texas League in on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.658)…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league updates from the week of May 9-15, 2016. Highlights Astros #1 prospect Alex Bregman (AA) hit .286 with 2 HRs, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, and 3 walks in the week ended May 15. He also made his first professional start at third base, a show of versatility that could…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league updates from the week of May 2-8, 2016. Highlights After getting only one hit in his first 22 at-bats, former major leaguer Ike Davis (AAA/Rangers) went 3-for-5 with two doubles and five RBIs on May 2. Davis has reached base in his last six games and had…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here they are, your minor-league highlights from the week of April 25-May 1, 2016. Drossner is near perfect Brewers Single-A prospect Jake Drossner, a 2015 draftee, was nearly perfect April 28, yielding one hit and no walks over 5 innings of relief while striking out six. It was his first relief appearance of…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Here are minor-league highlights from the week of April 11-17. Bregman’s power trip It was a jaw-dropping week for No. 1 Astros prospect Alex Bregman. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft tore up Double-A pitching with a total of 5 HRs — more than he hit in all of 2015 — and 12 RBIs…
