JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Milwaukee Brewers RF Ryan Braun was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player today, earning 20 of 32 first-place votes from the country’s top baseball writers. The prestigious award comes just 4 years after the southern California native was named N.L. Rookie of the Year, and 6 years after the Brewers…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS –Now that the 2011 season is officially over, let’s review how Jewish players did during the playoffs: Ian Kinsler (2B), Texas Rangers. Playing in the postseason for the 2nd time in his 6-year career, Kinsler performed his leadoff-man magic, finishing 1st among A.L. players in walks (14), 3rd in hits (20/tie), and…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS —Ryan Braun continued his miraculous post-season play Sunday, smashing a 463-foot HR and hitting a two-run double to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 9-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of the N.L. Championship Series. The Brewers were down 1-0 in the first inning when Braun hit…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Last year, Jewish Baseball News published an op-ed by editor Scott Barancik about playing baseball on the High Holidays. Because the topic remains controversial, we are reprinting his piece below in its entirety, along with a 2011 addendum. Please feel free to share your comments. – – – – – –…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Some pro ballplayers shine during the regular season but wilt under the pressure of playoff games. So far, Milwaukee Brewers RF Ryan Braun isn’t one of them. Two games into the 2011 playoffs, the MVP candidate is 6-for-8 with two doubles, a HR (see it here), and 3 RBIs. His .750…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun clubbed 2 HRs in Friday night’s 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds — and launched himself into the record books. Braun’s HRs (see video) were his 29th and 30th of the season. Combined with his 31 stolen bases, Braun now joins one of the most exclusive…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler continued his recent HR tear, belting two more Wednesday in a 10-inning, 5-4 heartbreaker to the Tampa Bay Rays. Kinsler’s 2nd dinger of the night sent the game into extra innings. Wednesday’s barrage left him with 28 HRs, tied for 5th highest in the American League…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — It’s good to be Ryan Braun. This week’s issue of Sports Illustrated features the 27-year-old outfielder on its cover, along with Milwaukee Brewers teammates Prince Fielder and Nyjer Morgan. The headline refers to Braun and Fielder as “two wallbanging MVP candidates.” (Braun was 3 years old the last time SI devoted…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Middle East politics got you down? Strike out again at the company softball game? Cheer up! Life is good for Jewish baseball fans these days. Here are 12 reasons to smile: So far this season, MLB Jews are out-hitting their peers .266 to .257, and out-slugging them .460 to .400. At…
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 — If Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun finishes the 2011 season the way he’s started it, he’ll be joining one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs: those with 30+ HRs and stolen bases in a single year. Only 34 MLB players have joined the 30/30 club since 1901 (see table). Two are Jewish:…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Call it the Jewish Baseball News curse. Last month, we reported that Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun was leading the National League with 12 HRs and dared to speculate whether he might become the first Jewish home-run king since Cleveland Indians 3B Al Rosen in 1953. Braun, 27, didn’t hit another…
JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — It’s been quite a while since a Jewish ballplayer won a major-league home run crown. Fifty-eight years, to be precise. The last to do it? Cleveland Indians 3B Al Rosen, whose 43 HRs led the American League in 1953. Today, Rosen is 87 years old, which is a pretty good measure…
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 — Major League Baseball has named Ryan Braun its National League Player of the Week for April 18-24, the 3rd time he has won the distinction. The award coincided with Braun’s signing of a 5-year contract extension that will pay him a total of $105-million. But that doesn’t even begin to describe…
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 –Maybe it’s the matzoh. What is it about Jewish baseball players and Passover this season? On Monday (4/18), the night of the first seder, five Jewish batters hit a collective .650, each one knocking out anywhere from 2 to 4 hits apiece. Last night (4/23), the Jews brought their homer sticks to…
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 — Three games into the 2011 season, Jewish players are aiming for the seats. On Sunday alone (4/3/2011) they hit four, raising the season total to 7 in 54 at-bats, or roughly one HR every 8 at-bats. For comparison’s sake, in 2010 players across all of major-league baseball hit 4,613 HRs in…
