By Zev Ben Avigdor, Correspondent The son of a choreographer and a crime-scene cleanup specialist, 21-year-old centerfielder Rhett Wiseman grew up in Mansfield, Mass. Drafted out of high school by the Chicago Cubs, he postponed pro ball for the chance to attend Vanderbilt University, where he helped deliver a College World Series championship. Wiseman may be best known…
By Zev Ben Avigdor, Correspondent January 18, 2016 Like many men playing in baseball’s independent leagues, 28-year-old Casey Logan Haerther began his professional career with a Major League franchise. Casey was drafted out of Chaminade College Preparatory School in West Hills, California, by the San Diego Padres, in the 35th round of the 2006 draft. Electing instead…
By Zev Ben Avigdor, Correspondent Ryan Lashley has seen his share of independent minor leagues, where the teams are unaffiliated with MLB franchises. Three years into his pro career, the 25-year-old infielder already has traveled through four separate leagues: Frontier, United, Can-Am, and American Association. 2015 did not begin well. Injuries plagued Ryan’s debut with the…
By Zev Ben Avigdor, correspondent Many Jewish baseball fans follow Jewish players’ journeys from college, through the affiliated minor leagues, up to a Major League Baseball team. Not as many fans keep track of players in independent baseball, such as the Can-Am League, the Atlantic League, or the Frontier League. One of the top independent leagues…
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…
Going shopping? Please use our Amazon.com link ———————————————————————— By Zev Ben Avigdor/Jewish Baseball News We at Jewish Baseball News didn’t know about 22-year-old catcher Richard Stock until recently, when the Cleveland Indians prospect proclaimed his ancient heritage via the most modern of ways: Twitter. “Best part of being Jewish is macaroons,” he Tweeted. Raised with…
By Zev Ben Avigdor/Jewish Baseball News Jeff Urlaub was in no rush to turn pro. The lanky pitcher from Scottsdale, Ariz., turned down draft offers in 2005 (right out of high school) and 2008 before finally accepting a contract in 2010 with the Oakland A’s. Since then, the 25-year-old reliever has been a model of…
By Scott Barancik and Zev Ben Avigdor/Jewish Baseball News Your weekly source of pride-inducing updates: Ryan Braun hit his 37th HR on Sunday (9/2/2012), tying a career high. Thanks to the 3-run blast, he needs only 5 more RBIs to pierce the 100-RBI mark for the 5th straight season. So far, the only player to…
By Zev Ben Avigdor/Jewish Baseball News For the second season in a row, Jewish ballplayers Garrett Wittels and Corey Baker are playing together on the Batavia Muckdogs (A-short season), a New York-based affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Though having a Jewish teammate is rare in baseball (in fact, last year they even had a third Jewish teammate, Venezuelan…
By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News Mondays bite. But you can bite back: Scott Feldman‘s winning streak ended Friday (8/10/2012) with a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers, but what a streak it was. After losing his first six decisions of the season and amassing a 6.50 ERA, the 6-foot-6-inch Texas Ranger won the next six…
By Zev Ben Avigdor/Jewish Baseball News In 2010, Zach Kapstein was drafted out of Tiverton (Rhode Island) High School by the team he grew up rooting for, the Boston Red Sox. The young catcher had put together a senior year the Sox simply could not ignore: a .603 batting average with five home runs, 22…
By Zev Ben Avigdor/Jewish Baseball News Baltimore Orioles prospect Robbie Widlansky is getting a lot of attention lately. A first baseman, outfielder, and DH with the Bowie Bowsox (AA), the 27-year-old will play in next week’s Eastern League All-Star game. In June he was named the league’s Player of the Month after hitting .407 with 10 doubles, 2 HRs,…
By Zev Ben Avigdor/Jewish Baseball News New York Mets prospect Jeff Kaplan doesn’t have a blazing fastball or any other lights-out pitch. The 26-year-old San Diego native with the 2.98 career E.R.A. just seems to get people out with focus and control. An 11th-round pick out of Cal State Fullerton in 2008, Kaplan was a starting pitcher…
By Zev Ben Avigdor/Jewish Baseball News More than 50 Jews currently play Major- or minor-league ball, but few are generating more raves this season than award-winning Washington Nationals prospect Danny Rosenbaum. The 24-year-old hurler is putting up ridiculous numbers for the Harrisburg Senators (AA), compiling a 5-0 record, league-leading 0.71 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and just…
By Zev Ben Avigdor/Jewish Baseball News Like most professional athletes, Cleveland Indians prospect Eric Berger can be described as the sum of his stats. In four minor-league seasons, the 25-year-old reliever has amassed a 19-16 record, a trim 3.49 ERA, and two stints with the Tribe’s AAA team. His 1.22-per-inning strikeout ratio last year was a…
By Zev Ben Avigdor/Jewish Baseball News In January, a group of college students traveled to Israel on a special Birthright Israel trip designed for baseball players and fans. Allison Hellman, a 20-year-old baseball fan and communications major at Cornell University, shared some of her thoughts about the trip with Jewish Baseball News. Her interview is the…
