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…
xxxx By Scott Barancik, Editor Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler crushed his 200th career home run today in a 5-1 win over the Rays. The two-run shot, his second in two days, came off P Danny Farquhar in the 9th inning and struck the catwalk high above Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field. Kinsler is the fifth Jewish player to reach the…
By Scott Barancik, Editor Don’t let the first name fool you. Reliever Ryan Sherriff (St. Louis Cardinals/AAA) is the latest player to join the growing roster of Jewish pro baseball players. The 26-year-old southpaw is enjoying a tremendous season with the Memphis Redbirds. Sherriff is 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA — third-best among Pacific Coast League players with at least 30 innings…
By Ethel Hilsenroth, contributing writer Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, winner of the 2011 N.L. Most Valuable Player award, is having another MVP-type season, excelling with both bat and glove. Could he win the award again? Statistics-wise, he’s in the mix. What makes this season very different from 2011, of course, is what happened in 2013. That’s the year Braun finally admitted,…
By Scott Barancik, editor Here’s what’s happening in Major League Baseball. Ryan Braun hit his 250th career home run Wednesday. Among Jewish players, only legends Hank Greenberg (331) and Shawn Green (328) have hit more. The homer, Braun’s 20th of the season, came against the Cubs’ Jason Hammel, the same pitcher who gave up Braun’s 249th…
By Scott Barancik, editor Ryan Braun is one shot away from becoming the third Jewish player to amass 250 career HRs, joining legends Hank Greenberg (331) and Shawn Green (328). Eighteen other active Major Leaguers already have 250-plus HRs. But when Braun joins their elite club, he will stand out in two ways. Rk Player HR Age…
By Scott Barancik, editor Matt Holliday’s misfortune has proved opportune for two Jewish ballplayers. Thanks to the Cardinals outfielder’s injury — sorry, Matt — Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson will replace him in the National League’s starting lineup at Tuesday’s All-Star Game (7/14/2015), and Brewers veteran Ryan Braun will replace Holliday as a reserve on the roster. It’s…
By Scott Barancik, editor Now here’s something you don’t see very often: two Jewish players, both centerfielders, smacking 2 HRs apiece on the same day. Dodgers phenom Joc Pederson and Toronto’s Kevin Pillar accomplished the rare feat Tuesday night. Pederson hit the more prodigious bombs, launching a 477-foot monster in Game 1 of a doubleheader against…
By Zev Ben Avigdor, correspondent One reason we love baseball is because baseball players have great stories. Often those tales make us fans of particular players, regardless of their statistical accomplishments or which uniforms they wear. Here is one of them, a story of setbacks and adversity, of failure and loss of confidence, and ultimately of…
By Scott Barancik, Editor From 1976 until MLB officials told him “You’re out!” in 2001, Al Clark was one of baseball’s most respected umpires, and among very few who were Jewish. In a new memoir written with Dan Schlossberg, the 66-year-old Clark recalls the highlights and lowlights of his life in and out of baseball,…
By Scott Barancik, editor In an impressive display of strength and agility that spoiled the Phillies’ home opener Tuesday night, Ryan Braun blasted three HRs, collected seven RBIs, and made a diving catch to snuff out a rally and lead the Brewers to a 10-4 win. The second three-dinger performance of Braun‘s career — he hit a trio against the Padres on…
By Scott Barancik, editor As baseball fans celebrate Opening Day, Jewish Baseball News is taking a look back at the 21 Jews who participated in MLB Spring Training this year. Fifteen position players and six pitchers saw playing time, some as full-fledged team members, others as non-roster invitees, and several via short-term stints. Their stats are shown…
By Scott Barancik, editor Hollywood couldn’t have scripted Ryan Braun‘s return from disgrace any better. In his first at-bat since completing a 65-game suspension, the presumably drug-free Milwaukee Brewer smashed an 0-1 pitch off Oakland A’s pitcher Tommy Milone over the left-field wall (see video). “It’s still the first day of spring training,” Braun told USA Today. “Better to…
By Scott Barancik, editor Spring Training has only just begun, but there’s plenty going on in the baseball world. Tyler Kolodny didn’t give up on sports when the Baltimore Orioles released him after six seasons in the minors. He just picked a new one. Although the 6-foot-5-inch, 245-pound Kolodny had never played football at any level, he arranged…
By Scott Barancik, editor For some Jewish baseball fans, Yom Kippur isn’t just the holiest day on the calendar. It’s also a litmus test of a ballplayer’s commitment to Judaism. That’s not so true here at Jewish Baseball News, a secular website that holds no grudge against a ballplayer for choosing to swing a bat during the…
By Scott Barancik, editor Ryan Braun, the Jewish slugger who won the National League MVP award in 2011 and vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs thereafter, has been suspended for the rest of 2013 for violating baseball’s drug policy (see MLB.com article). “As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect,” Braun said in a statement….
