By Scott Barancik, editor Baseball great Al Rosen died Friday night (3/15/2015) in Rancho Mirage, Calif., just two weeks after his 91st birthday. A native South Carolinian who learned boxing as a youth to defend himself against anti-Semitic attacks, “Flip” Rosen had a storied career with the Cleveland Indians despite playing just 8 full Major League…
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…
How a Jewish roommate at U. of Florida led 6’9″ power forward Alex Tyrus to convert to Judaism, play ball in Israel (9/23/2014) *** Maxx Tissenbaum is one of 4 Rays prospects who will play in Australia for the Brisbane Bandits this Fall (9/23/2014) *** In limited play — 30 ABs in 15 games —…
By Ron Kaplan, correspondent “Slide, Kelly, Slide!” was usually heard in association with the great 19th-century player King Kelly, who played for several Major League teams and was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945. But fans of the Israeli team that will be participating for the first time in the upcoming World Baseball Classic…
By Scott Barancik, Editor When Ryan Braun launched two home runs Friday (5/15/2015), it left him a dozen short of 250. Only 15 active players, and just 210 of the more than 17,000 who have worn a Major League jersey throughout baseball history, have hit 250 or more HRs. Still not impressed? From 2007 through the present,…
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…
