By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News My 8-year-old says Mondays are among her favorite days of the week because she has ‘running club’ after school. For the rest of humanity, Mondays can be hellish. May these tidbits make your day a little easier: Washington Nationals prospect Danny Rosenbaum recently was named the Eastern League’s player of the week, and…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News In 2010, the year Jewish Baseball News debuted, MLB’s Opening Day rosters included 10 Jewish players. In 2011 there were nine. This season? Only seven. It’s enough to make an M.O.T. cry in his $9 ballpark beer. Thanks to injuries (Sam Fuld, Ryan Kalish), flips of a coin (Ryan Lavarnway, Michael…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Spring Training 2012 is in its second week, and a number of Jewish players are in the mix. Fifteen Jews — including 6 pitchers and 9 position players — were invited to participate in Major League Baseball’s annual rite this year. They include all 13 who played MLB ball in…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Lower back strain. Hip bursitis. A hernia that will require off-season surgery. Much like last year, injuries have kept slugger Kevin Youkilis out of the Boston Red Sox lineup for a good chunk of 2011. Through Wednesday, the 32-year-old infielder had sat out 36 games and was on pace to have…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Boston Red Sox called-up catcher Ryan Lavarnway today (8/18/2011) from the minors, where he has pounded a total of 30 HRs for the franchise’s AA and AAA squads. The 24-year-old backstop is the second Jewish player to be promoted this week. Philadelphia Phillies reliever Michael Schwimer was promoted Tuesday (8/16/2011)….
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — So much to tell, so little time to tell it. Here are a few items worth noting: The 2011 AAA All-Star Game, which pits the International League against the Pacific Coast League, will be broadcast tonight at 9:00pm EST on ESPN. Cleveland Indians prospect Jason Kipnis will start at 2B for…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your MLB highlights for games played on Saturday (7/3/2011), plus an update on each player mentioned: Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia had the go-ahead hit in a come-from-behind, 9-7 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, going 2/4 with a double and two RBIs. The Brewers had led the Twins by…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Kevin Youkilis didn’t just practice fielding bunts during Spring Training. The Boston Red Sox 3B also designed his own MLB t-shirt. And wouldn’t you know, he included a nod to his Jewish faith on the very front of the tee. No, not “Dirt Dog.” It’s “L’Chaim,” which we’ve circled in the…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –Israel and its fledgling baseball culture have never been invited to compete in the World Baseball Classic. But Team Israel will get a chance to earn its way there next year. WBC officials announced Wednesday (6/1/2011) that a newly-instituted qualifying round scheduled for late 2012 will give Israel and 11 other countries…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The good news is that all six Jewish non-pitchers in the MLB this season are on the 2011 All-Star ballot. The bad news? Two of the 6 are competing for a single slot. Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox and Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins are among 14 men…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Voting began yesterday (4/26/2011) for the 2011 All-Star Game, and all 6 Jewish position players were on the ballot. The six include: Tampa Bay Rays OF Sam Fuld Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun New York Mets 1B Ike Davis Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis Texas…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — There was another display of Maccabee Power in Major League Baseball yesterday (4/23/2011). Four Jewish ballplayers — Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun, New York Mets 1B Ike Davis, Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia, and Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis — hit HRs, along with a combined 8 RBIs. It’s no…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — On the first night of Passover (4/18/2011), five Jewish batters split the defense like the Red Sea, batting a collective .650. Every player had at least 2 hits, and each one saw his team win. Tampa Bay Rays OF Sam Fuld vaulted to first place in batting average among American Leaguers….
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The 2011 MLB season opened Thursday (3/31/2011), and Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun started things off on the right foot. Braun, 27, went 2/3 with a long blast over the center-field fence, two walks, and 3 runs scored in a 7-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. In 2010, Braun went 2/4…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — At least 19 Jews got playing time during Spring Training 2011, including five pitchers and 14 position players. Here are our awards honoring the best, worst, and most surprising performances: Best All-Around Offense: Ian Kinsler. The Texas Rangers 2B didn’t look like the same player who sat out nearly 100 games…
Scott Barancik, Editor The Boston Red Sox were already one of baseball’s more Jewish franchises when the team signed P Matt Kramer to a minor-league contract last month. But Kramer’s arrival in Bean Town was far less likely than it was for landsmen like 3B Kevin Youkilis, CF Ryan Kalish, and minor-league standout Ryan…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –Here are your highlights for Tues., March 8: Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Lavarnway didn’t start Tuesday’s split-squad game against the St. Louis Cardinals, but he sure helped finish it. Lavarnway, a catcher who led all Red Sox farmhands with 102 RBIs in 2010, entered the game as a pinch-hitter for DH…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Spring Training 2011 is just two weeks old. Many players are still shedding their off-season rust. But a couple Jewish players are already tearing the stitching off the ball. Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler, who was hobbled by injuries last season, leads all MLB players with 4 HRs, is tied for…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here’s the latest news on several MLB players: Youkilis may switch back to 3B in 2011 Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis, whose season-ending thumb injury helped scuttle the team’s playoff hopes year, says he’s ready to switch back to 3B if needed in 2011. It’s a possibility because Red Sox…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Texas Rangers defeated the New York Yankees 10-3 on Tuesday (10/19/2010), giving the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series and leaving the team just one win away from its first World Series berth. Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler chipped in, hitting an RBI single with two…
