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2017-09-04 21:08:37 UTC
BASEBALL
Cal Abrams - Outfielder, played 1949-56. Lifetime .269 hitter. Abrams broke in
with the Brooklyn Dodgers and played for Brooklyn for his first three seasons.
He attracted a lot of attention as a Jewish, "Boy of Summer". Abrams retired to
Florida and was frequently seen at Jewish Federation events wearing his Dodger
uniform and signing autographs. He died in 1997.
Mel Allen - Hall of Fame announcer.
Lloyd Allen - Relief pitcher, played from 1969-75. Played for the Angels,
Texas, White Sox.
Ruben Amaro, Jr. - Major league outfielder from 1991-98. His father is Reuben
Amaro, Sr., former major leaguer (not Jewish) and his mother is Jewish. Amaro,
Jr. is now asst. general mgr. of the Phillies. Amaro, Jr. played for the
Indians, Phillies, and Angels. Career stats and picture on following link.
Amaro
Morrie Arnovitch - Outfielder with the Phillies (1936-41; 1946; with short
stays with the Reds and Giants). Hit .324 in 1939.
Brad Ausmus - ACTIVE PLAYER. Currently (2001) a catcher for the Houston
Astros.Formerly with Detroit. Ausmus's mother is Jewish. According to an
interview, relayed by a site visitor, he is now "exploring his Jewish roots".
But this may only have been a polite comment to the press. It is pretty clear
he does not identify much as Jewish. But we will note that Ausmus showed real
class in a 1999 ABC interview when he spoke about his ex-roommate, former
ballplayer Billy Bean, who is not Jewish, but recently came out of the "gay
closet". Ausmus showed the same spirit of tolerance that Hank Greenberg showed
to Jackie Robinson. Official Astro Bio
Jesse Baker - This guy is a footnote since he only was up for one year--he was
a short stop for the Washington Senators in 1919. But his real name was Michael
Myron Silverman. In 1919, playing under his real name would have been almost
impossible.
Brian Bark - Pitcher who had a "cup of coffee" with the Red Sox in 1995. (He
was up for a very short time.)
Ross Baumgarten - Pitcher, Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates (1978-82).
Grew up in suburban Chicago.
Jose Bautista - Pitcher from the Dominican Republic. Mother, Jewish. Bautista
was with a variety of clubs from 1988 though 1997. He may still be in the Mets'
farm system. A Jewhoo visitor told us that Bautista is a nice guy, an observant
Jew who tries to keep the Sabbath, and that Bautista gave the visitor a
baseball with a Mogen David.
Bo Belinsky - Major League pitcher in the 1960's. His best years were with the
Angels. He was a pretty talented pitcher, but he best known during his heyday
as a "wildman" who dated Hollywood starlets. Pitched a no-hitter in 1962.
Mother, Jewish. Father, not. Update: We have been reliably informed that
Belinsky's mother converted to Catholicism at the time of her marriage and that
Belinsky was raised Catholic.
Moe Berg - Good field; "no hit" catcher for the Boston Red Sox, others. But his
off field exploits and personal quirks have made him the subject of many
articles and at least two books. Berg spoke a dozen languages and read half a
dozen newspapers a day. The US government recruited him to take secret films of
Tokyo before WWII while he was on a pro baseball tour of Japan. The films were
used during WWII as guides for bombing targets. During WWII, Berg served in the
OSS (the forerunner of the CIA) and was assigned to to kill Werner Heisenberg,
the head of the Germans' atomic research program, if he concluded that the
Germans were took close to getting THE bomb. Berg attended a wartime lecture of
Heisenberg's in neutral Switzerland and concluded that killing Heisenberg was
not necessary. Berg, tutored in atomic physics, was able to conclude from
Heisenberg's lecture that the German program was not as advanced as the Allies
feared. There is a side exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame about Berg--he is
such a "wonderful footnote" to baseball history. (Berg played from 1923-39;
mostly with White Sox and Red Sox, also Senators, Cleveland, and Brooklyn.
Lifetime .243 hitter.)
Skip Bertman - Head coach of the Lousiana State University baseball team. He
lead the Tigers to five national championships in the 1990s. Bertman also
coached the 1996 US Bronze medal winning team at the Olympics. He has announced
that 2001 will be his last season. Bertham Annouces Retirement/Stats
Seymour Block - Known as "Cy". Played second base for the Cubs in '42, '45-47.
Appeared in one World Series. One of the outstanding rookies of 1942. He is the
author of a book about his time with the Cubs. And he has a lovely
granddaughter and grandson-in-law who called our attention to him.
Ron Blomberg - Baseball's first "designated hitter". Played for the Yankees
from 1969-76; one year for White Sox. Hit over .300 in two seasons. By the way,
for search engine users--"Ron Bloomberg" is not the correct spelling.
Blomberg's full career stats are on the following link. Stats
Sam Bohne - Born Samuel Arthur Cohen. Played shortstop and second base for
Cincinnati from 1921 to 1926 (612 games), with a brief stop in St. Louis in
1916 and a final tour with Brooklyn in 1926. Lifetime batting average .261
Lou Boudreau - Shortshop with a good batting eye who played for the Cleveland
Indians from 1938 to 1952. Father, not Jewish. Mother, Jewish. Lifetime, .295.
Hit over .300 four times. In Baseball Hall of Fame. Boudreau's parents divorced
when he was very young and he was raised by his father. His ties to anything
Jewish were minimal and it was not known--until long after he retired--that his
mother was Jewish.
Rod Carew - This great Panama born baseball player was long rumored to have
converted to Judaism following his marriage to a Jewish woman. He recently
confirmed he never converted in an interview with Minnesota-based American
Jewish World. A pity; not many great Jewish and Black players. His children
have been raised Jewish. Adam Sandler simply got it wrong in his Hannukah song.
Ron Cey - Former LA Dodger Star. His wife is Jewish and his children were
raised Jewish, including current minor leaguer Danny Cey. Jhoo has received, to
We have received definitive information that Ron Cey never converted. Danny Cey
unexpectedly decided to retire in 2000.
Frank Charles - ACTIVE PLAYER. Currently playing Triple A ball with the Houston
Frank Charles just broke into the bigs. He was called up to the Astros line-up
at the beginning of September, 2000. He is listed on the roster as a
catcher.//Charles is back in the minors again at the beginning of 2001. He
played four games with the Astros in September, 2000.
Al Clark - Active major league umpire. In an amusing sidelight, Shawn Green
recently told an LA magazine that he came up to bat, in 1999, when Clark was
umpiring and Jesse Levis was catching. They all laughed; said, "Hi, yids"; and
since it was near the Jewish New Year-- wished each other a happy new year.
Tony Cogan - ACTIVE PLAYER Cogan, a left-handed pitcher, broke into the Kansas
City Royals roster at the start of the 2001 season. He played college ball with
Stanford and pitched in two college world series games. He only spent one year
in the minors and racked up impressive numbers. Cogan graduated from Highland
Park High School (Illinois) and we are reliably informed that his bar mitzvah
was held at Temple Am Sholom. A biography with stats are on the following link.
Andy Cohen - NY Giants player, 1926-29.
Sydney Cohen - Brother of Andy Cohen. Pitcher. 1934; '36-37. All years were
with the Washington Senators. He was 3-7 lifetime with a 4.54 ERA.
Jason Robert Crews - Graduated from Appalachian State Univ. He was named
Organizational Pitcher of the Month for June 1999 w/ the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He played this past 1999 Baseball Season for the Arizona Diamondbacks AA El
Paso Diablos Baseball team.
Harry Danning - New York Giants Catcher, 1933-42. Lifetime .285 hitter. His
brother Ike played 2 games for the St. Louis Browns (1928). Nickname was "Harry
the Horse". He was on the all-star team between 1938-40. Once hit for the cycle
(single, double, triple, hr. in one game).
Barney Dreyfuss - Owner of Pittsburgh Pirates, credited with organizing the
first World Series.
Tiby Eisen - Outfielder in the "All American Girls Professional Baseball
League", which was portrayed in the excellent film, "A League of Our Own". She
played for four teams in the Midwest btw. '44-52. She made the league all-star
team in '46. Grew up in an Orthodox home.
Harry Eisenstat - Pitcher for Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians between 1935
and 1942. He was the winning pitcher for the Tigers in game which Indians'
great Bob Feller pitched a no-hitter, but did not win.
Mike Epstein - Played first base from 1966-74, mostly for the (old) Washington
Senators and the Oakland A's. Epstein was a lifetime .244 hitter, but did hit
130 home runs. His best season was 1969, when he hit .274, with 30 home runs.
Jon Farber - Farber was a member of the Rochester, NY team which took second in
the tournament (World Series) to determine the champion of the 13 year old Babe
Ruth League. Farber's team finished second in the tournament. Farber was named
all-tournament left fielder.
Donald Fehr - Executive director of and counsel to the Major League Baseball
Players' Association.
August Foreman - Better known as "Happy" Foreman. Pitcher. 1924; 1926. Pitched
a total of 8 games with White Sox and Red Sox. Decent stats; no wins or losses.
Micah Franklin - ACTIVE PLAYER Outfielder who was briefly up in 1997 with the
Cardinals (17 games; hit over .300).His mother is Jewish, his father is not. In
1999, he played in Japan for the "Nippon Ham Fighters" (!) (What does the team
do in its spare time, try and make Japan kosher? )In 2000, he was injured at
the beginning of the season and came back to America. We have heard that he is
trying to get on an American team roster. There is an interesting profile of
Franklin in the following article from the No.Cal Jewish bulletin. "Ham
Fighting Man"
Murray Franklin - Shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, 1941-42.
Howie Gershberg - Minor league shortstop w/the NY Giants and minor league
pitcher with the Dodgers (1950's). Pitching coach St. John's Univ. (1980s).
Pitching coach Anaheim Angels (1987-present).
Dennis Gilbert - Ex-super agent who had the biggest stable of players in the
game. Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds,and Mike Piazza were but a few of his major
clients.
Joe Ginsberg - Catcher from 1948 to 1962 for a variety of clubs (Detroit,
Cleveland, KC, Baltimore, Chicago, Boston and Giants). Most active years 1951
and 1962, when he played 102 and 113 games, respectively. Most other seasons he
was his team's back-up catcher. Lifetime average .241. "Joe" was his nickname.
His full name was Myron Nathan Ginsberg. Ginsberg was known as a clubhouse
comedian according to one web based biography we saw. He also holds two
"footnote" records. He broke up Yankee Vic Raschi's near bid for a no-hitter in
1952 and he was the first catcher to catch a game for the Mets. He caught two
games for the Mets in the Mets (inaugural) 1962 season.
Keith Glauber - ACTIVE PLAYER Reds right-handed pitcher who broke in the 1999
season, but was sent back to the minors in 2000. UPDATE: Glauber was called
back to the Reds roster as of 9/6/00.//He is back in the minors at the start of
the 2001 season.
Al Goldis - Scouting co-coordinator for the Reds. He was a minor league
outfielder with the Reds in the 1960's.
Jonah Goldman - (1906-1980). Shortstop for Cleveland 1928, 1930 and 1931. Was
in 111 games in 1930, had 44 RBIs and hit .242. Lifetime average .224.
Greg Goosen - Played for Mets (4yrs) and Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers
(2yrs). Catcher and first baseman. Lifetime .241 hitter. Father, Jewish.
Mother, not.
Sid Gordon - Played in the majors from 1941 to 1955 for the Giants, Braves and
others. He hit 202 homers while hitting .283. He struck out rarely. His ratio
of bbs to ks was 731/356. He was a .985 fielder. Sid was so popular in his
native Brooklyn that he was given a "Sid Gordon" day in the Brooklyn Dodgers
stadium, Ebbets Field!
Shawn Green - ACTIVE PLAYER The best Jewish ballplayer of this generation and
already he has to be ranked among the best of all-time. In 1999, he accepted a
$84 million dollar contract with the LA Dodgers. With Toronto, in 1999, he hit
.309, 42hrs, 123 RBI's. In 2000, he had a disapointing season--especially the
second half when his production tailed off. But he played every game and hit
.269 with 24 home runs and 99 runs driven in. He has associated himself with
several Jewish charities including, "Jewish Big Brothers" and a Jewish
community sponsored literacy program that sends volunteers into the LA public
schools. The linked on-site profile was written before the 2000 season. Green
Profile
Hank Greenberg - Hall of Fame slugger who played for the Detroit Tigers for all
but his last season. Greenberg played from 1933 to early in the 1941 season and
from late in the season in 1945 to 1947. (The break in playing time was due to
his WWII army service.) He was a career .313 hitter and he had 7 seasons when
he drove in over 100 runs. His most famous year was 1938 when he hit 58 home
runs and was a serious challenger for Ruth's record. (While Greenberg says he
ran out of "gas", he was subject to a lot of "pitching around him" so a Jew
would not break Babe Ruth's 60 home run record.) Greenberg was the subject of a
critically acclaimed documentary, "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg"
(1999). After retirement, Greenberg went on to be a part owner for a time. But
he and Bill Veeck (not Jewish) were the only former owners to testify on behalf
of Curt Flood in the landmark suit to overturn the "reserve clause". (The only
former player to testify against Flood was Joe Gargiola. Who was also notorious
as one of the worst verbal baiters of Jackie Robinson. The editor of this site
couldn't resist "outing" smiley Joe for the hypocrite he is.) See also: Aviva
Kempner (directors); George Moriarty (righteous gentiles). Following is a good
recent piece on Greenberg that makes most of the important points about him.
Greenberg's career stats are on the second link. Add on: the last link is to
the official site for the film, "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg". It is
truely "Greenberg heaven". Everything is there. Including the famous Edgar
Guest poem about Greenberg. Hank Stats Film Site
Eric Helfand - Catcher who played for Oakland between 1993 and 1995. Not much
of a hitter.
Ken Holtzman - Excellent left-handed pitcher who played for the Cubs, Oakland,
and the Yankees (1965-1979). Like Koufax, Holtzman declined to pitch on the
High Holy Days. Pitched two no-hitters. 4-1, in World Series. Twice named to
the All-Star team. Full stats and playing history on link. Stats
Joel Horlen - 1961-72. Pitcher with the Chicago White Sox and the Oakland A's.
Horlen won a total of 116 games and pitched one no-hitter. His best year was
1967, he went 19-7 and lead the league in ERA (2.06). Horlen converted to
Judaism following his marriage to a Jewish woman. According to a published
article, he told Mike Epstein about his conversion at an oldtimers' game. Mike
said, "Welcome to the tribe."
David Jacobs - This is an "amateur listing" but an interesting one. Mr. Jacobs,
the son of Holocaust survivors, is a top baseball pitcher for the top
international adult amateur baseball league. In 1999, his team won the league
World Series and he pitched in one of the winning games. Former major league
pitcher, Bill Lee, is on his team. Mr. Jacobs is in the "masters" (over 50)
division.
Gabe Kapler - ACTIVE PLAYER. Played outfield for Detroit in 1999, dealt to the
Texas Rangers in 2000. His mother works at a Jewish pre-school. A good
ballplayer who shows real potential to fill in the gaps in the all-star Jewish
team lists. Kapler had a good season in 2000, hitting .302 with 14 home runs.
He really seems to be coming into his own. The following link gives his basic
bio and stats; it will update as the 2001 season progresses. (He was on the
disabled list as of the start of the 2001 season. His game statistics will seem
"light" until well into the season). Here's a Jewish sidelight on Kapler that
was recently reported in Jewish community newspaper, the NY Jewish Press. It
has some relevance in light of the recent widely-publicized Charlie Ward
incident with the Knicks. We will leave the name of the other player out since
he "has reformed". A former NY Yankees centerfielder had a reputation of
hectoring NY Jewish sportswriters that they "might go to hell--if they didn't
convert." He was traded to the Rangers and he tried to "convert" Gabe Kapler.
Kapler, it is reported, experienced some minor anti-Semitic incidents while in
the minors and he had shrugged them off. However, he decided to confront this
outfielder head-on. Kapler figured he needed some religious heavyweights to
help him discuss religion in an informed way. Therefore, he invited the player,
a rabbi, and his agent (who is a religious Orthodox Jew) to a restaurant. The
other player said that he came away with a "revelation" that he shouldn't
preach the way he had been preaching at Jews and stopped pursuing Kapler.
Kapler said he came away with a better knowledge of Judaism. Kapler
Stan Kasten - President of the Atlanta Braves organization.
Sandy Koufax - What can we say? Koufax holds a place so deep in the hearts of
Jewish baseball fans that words are not enough. In our humble opinion, he
narrowly edges at Hank Greenberg as the greatest Jewish baseball player ever
(there is no one even close to third place in such a race). Sandy was born in
Brooklyn and started as a "bonus baby" with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He showed
flashes of greatness until he came into his own in 1962. Like a lot of southpaw
fastball pitchers, it took him time to gain control over his pitches. Simply
put, from 1962 to 1966 he was the dominant pitcher in the major leagues. He
pitched four no-hitters. He was the MVP in 1963 and 1965. There are more stats
like this on the second following link. Koufax, as most people know, declined
to pitch in a 1965 World Series game that fell on Yom Kippur. This fact has
added to the "reverence" Jewish fans feel for him. Needless to say, Koufax was
a Hall of Fame first ballot selection. Two fun facts: Tommy LaSorda was sent to
minors to make room for him on the roster and he was on the same Brooklyn
basketball teams as Mets' co-owner Fred Wilpon. On the first link is an article
that analyzes, with Talmudic-like scholarship, Koufax's record of pitching on
Jewish holidays. It's fun, in a strange sort of way. Koufax/Holidays Koufax
Stats
Barry Latman - Born Arnold Barry Latman. Pitched for White Sox, Indians,
Angels, and Astros. (57-67). Journeyman pitcher, best season: 13-5. He was a
graduate of Fairfax High School, Los Angeles. In the '59 series, he played
against his fellow Jewish Fairfax graduates--Larry and Norm Sherry.
Al Levine - ACTIVE PLAYER. After years of struggling in the minors, Levine
broke into the Angels roster in the 1999 season and has established himself as
a pretty good middle reliever. Stats on link. They update as the season goes
on. Stats
Jesse Levis - ACTIVE PLAYER Catcher with the Brewers, Milwaukee, and Tampa Bay.
Levis broke into the majors in 1992. Levis spent the 2000 season with AAA
Buffalo recuperating from an injury. He is a a career .256 hitter. Levis is a
good catcher, he committed only 5 errors during his 8 years behind the plate.
He hit .333 in 1995, .285 in 1997, and .351 in 1998. The question is whether he
will make it up to the bigs again on a regular basis.
Marvin Lieb - Marvin Lieb was recruited by Branch Rickey to play on the 1948
Brooklyn Dodgers. He was a first baseman. His career was cut very short by an
injury. He was depicted on the cover of Life magazine on April 5, 1948 in a
story about Dodger Rookies. Marvin died in FL on 2/5/00.
Mike Lieberthal - ACTIVE PLAYER Current Phillies catcher. His father is Jewish;
but he was not raised Jewish. He is unquestionably a talented player with good
power and a strong throwing arm. He made the all-star team in 2000. (We just
wish he was "more" Jewish). Profile and stats on link. They will update as the
season progresses. Stats
Lou Limmer - First baseman for the old Philadelphia A's. Played in the '50s.
Andrew Lorraine - ACTIVE PLAYER Left-handed pitcher who has played for the
Angels, Chicago, and ended up with Cleveland at the end of the 2000 season. His
career stats to date have not been impressive. His father emigrated from
England and Lorraine's uncle is an orthodox rabbi in England. The family's
original name is Levin. His grandfather, who served in the British Army in
Alsace-Lorraine, liked the name "Lorraine" and changed it.
Bob Lurie - Former owner of the SF Giants (now owned by a group headed up by
Peter MacGowan, heir to the Safeway fortune). A very sweet guy who bought the
team to save them from re-location out of San Francisco. Always soft-spoken.
Elliott Maddox - African-American outfielder who played from 1970 to 1980. He
played mostly for the Yankees and the Mets (3 seasons with each team). Two
years with the Rangers. Lifetime .26l hitter. Two .300 seasons with the
Yankees. Convert to Judaism.
Jason Marquis - ACTIVE PLAYER Pitcher out of Manhasset, LI (where he was a
member of the National Honor Society). Highly touted Braves' minor leaguer.
Reached Double A ball in 1999 at the age of 20. Throws the ball in the mid 90
mph. range. Derailed by minor injuries in 1999, lets hope he comes back this
season. UPDATE: Marquis has made the bigs for the 2000 season. He is up with
the Atlanta Braves. Correction: He is from Staten Island, not Manhasset, Long
Island.//He is on the Braves roster as a relief pitcher at the start of the
2001 season. Stats on link. They will update as the season progresses. Marquis
Mike Milchin - Milchin was a star pitcher with Clemson University. He was up in
the majors briefly in 1995 and 1996 with the Twins and the Orioles,
respectively (3 games total). Milchin was a member of the US Olympic team which
won a gold medal in the 1988 Olympics (baseball was a demonstration sport that
year). Milchin's father is Jewish, his mother is not Jewish.
Norm Miller - Outfielder, Houston Astros,Atlanta Braves, 1965-74. Executive
with Mets and Astros. Casey Stengel once said, Norm Miller had the sweetest
swing in baseball.
Marvin Miller - We have long had Miller up in our lawyers category, but he
really should be cross-listed. Miller, a former lawyer for the Steelworkers'
union, became Executive Director of the baseball players' union when the
association was a joke, and the prospects were dim. He got the players to stick
together, got contract arbitration and got the arbitrator to throw out the
reserve clause, which had held the players in servitude for a 100 yrs. He then
out-lawyered the owners at every turn regarding free agency. Its an old story,
if you stick together and have smart leadership, you sometimes get what you are
worth in the market.
Buddy Myer - Second baseman who played mostly for the Washington Senators
(1925-41). Lifetime .303; nine .300 seasons.
Sam Nahem - A Brooklyn College star pitcher, he had a brief career in the
majors--pitching a limited number of games over four seasons ('38,
41-42,'48)--with Brooklyn, Cardinals, Phillies. He was also a lawyer.
Billy Nash - Played 1884-1898. Regular 3B. Mostly Boston, National League.
Lifetme batting avg. .275. Sources differ on whether Nash was Jewish. We put
him up for informational purposes.
David Newhan - ACTIVE PLAYER Currently a back up second baseman with the
Philadelphia Phillies. He broke in with the Padres in 1999 and was up for a
brief time. Newhan again made the Padres in 2000, but was dealt to the Phillies
in September, 2000 and played some games last September with Philly. His father
is Los Angeles area sportswriter Ross Newhan. A baseball journalist was kind
enough to share her source with us. Thanks. Official team biography, photo, and
stats on the following link. Newhan
Jeff Newman - Played 438 games as a catcher for the Oakland A's. Currently a
third base coach for the Indians.
Yaron Peters - All-state (California) third baseman. He plays for Cuesta
College in San Luis Obispo.
Lipman Pike - The first professional baseball player was a Jewish ballplayer.
He acheived this status in 1866 when he accepted $20 a week to play for the
Philadephia Athletics. A good hitter and baserunner, he played for the Reds in
1876, the first year the National League was in existence. Born 1845, in New
York. He also managed. His five season National League average was .306, with 5
home runs, 36 doubles, 16 triples and 88 RBIs.
Jake Pitler - Brooklyn Dodgers First Base Coach, 1950's. Played for Pittsburgh,
1917-18. Second base and outfield.
John Powers - Current Minor Leaguer. Now Double A with the San Diego Padres'
Mobile, Alabama team. He's an infielder. In 1998, he was a Double A all-star.
Out with injuries in 1999. Father, not Jewish. Mother, Jewish.
Scott Radinsky - ACTIVE PLAYER Currently a relief pitcher for the St. Louis
Cardinals. His mother is Jewish. His parents divorced when he was young and his
mother has been quoted as saying that she regrets not sending him to Hebrew
school. He has expressed no interest in his Jewish side.
Jimmy Reese - Born James Hymie Solomon, in San Francisco. Played for the
Yankees, from 1930-31. Cardinals in 1932. Second baseman. He was Babe Ruth's
roommate. Reese has said this meant he usually roomed with Ruth's suitcase,
because the Babe liked to "party". Reese played in the Pacific Coast League for
12 seasons, sandwiched around his time with the Yankees and was a coach with
the Angels for decades after his retirement as a player. He is in the Angels'
team hall of fame.
Jerry Reinsdorf - Owner of the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls.
Consistently left off voters' lists for "nice guy" of the year and Michael
Jordan's gift lists.
Ed Reulbach - A great pitcher in the first two decades of the 20thc. Pitched
mostly for the Cubs. Reulbach has long been listed as Jewish in most books
about famous Jews in sports, etc. However, recent research, as reported by
"Total Baseball", states he is not Jewish (other notable "assumed, but not"
include George Stone and Benny Kauff). If anyone out there has info that
contradicts/confirms this report--contact us. One person has--a gentleman named
Reulbach who is researching any biographical reference he can find to other
Reulbachs. He says he has never encountered a single Jewish person named
"Reulbach" among all the Reulbachs he has researched. Final nail: A friend of
Ed Reulbach's family contacted us. He was Catholic and went to Notre Dame.
Dave Roberts - Pitched for Padres, Astros, Tigers, Cubs, Mets, Seattle. Best
season 17-11; 103 lifetime wins w/some weak teams. Father, Jewish. Mother, not.
Saul Rogovin - AL Pitcher (Tigers and White Sox). Led league in ERA in 1951.
After retirement he became a schoolteacher in Brooklyn, NY.
Goody Rosen - Born George Goodwin Rosen. Canadian. Played for the Dodgers
between 1937-39; 1944-46. Outfielder. Lifetime .291. Told Jon Blank, who runs
the "Jewish Baseball Western Wall of Fame", that "his proudest accomplishment
was being the only Canadian Jew to ever play in the majors". Also in Canadian
Baseball HOF.
Al Rosen - 1953 American League MVP (by unanimous vote). Cleveland Indians.
General Manager of SF Giants in the 80's and early '90's. Rosen hit over .300
in 3 seasons. Came w/ in less than a percentage pt. of winning battle title in
'53, had he done so, he would have won the triple crown. Nickname "Flip" from
the way he pitched softball. Was a college boxing champ, and used these skills
dealing with some anti-semites in baseball.
Steven Rosenberg - Pitcher who was with the White Sox btw. 1988-91; part of his
last season with San Diego.
Harry Rosenberg - Harry played 9 games for the NY Giants in 1930. His brother
Lou played 3 games for the White Sox in 1923. But their name leaves little
guess work about their background.
Johnny Rosenblatt - Former mayor of Omaha, Nebraska and minor league ballplayer
who lead the renovation of what is now called the "Johnny Rosenblatt" stadium.
The College World Series is now held there annually.
Max Rosenfeld - 1931-3 Brooklyn Dodgers. Outfielder.
Wayne Rosenthal - Pitcher, Texas Rangers, 1991-92.
Marv Rotblatt - Marv Rotblatt, a native Chicagoan, pitched for the Sox in 1948,
1950 and 1951, compiling a 4-3 lifetime record. He was a little southpaw,
standing only 5'8".
Jared Roth - An amateur listing--but we couldn't resist. Jared, who is from
Rochester, NY, was named All Tournament Utility League Infiedler. The
tournament was the 13 year old World Series of the Babe Ruth League. The Bath
Ruth League is for players who have graduated from Little League.
Mickey Rutner - A third baseman who played eleven games for the old
Philadelphia A's in 1947. A visitor who met Mickey relates this story. Mickey
couldn't stay up because the A's had a first class third baseman already. He
asked manager/owner Connie Mack to trade him.
Cal Abrams - Outfielder, played 1949-56. Lifetime .269 hitter. Abrams broke in
with the Brooklyn Dodgers and played for Brooklyn for his first three seasons.
He attracted a lot of attention as a Jewish, "Boy of Summer". Abrams retired to
Florida and was frequently seen at Jewish Federation events wearing his Dodger
uniform and signing autographs. He died in 1997.
Mel Allen - Hall of Fame announcer.
Lloyd Allen - Relief pitcher, played from 1969-75. Played for the Angels,
Texas, White Sox.
Ruben Amaro, Jr. - Major league outfielder from 1991-98. His father is Reuben
Amaro, Sr., former major leaguer (not Jewish) and his mother is Jewish. Amaro,
Jr. is now asst. general mgr. of the Phillies. Amaro, Jr. played for the
Indians, Phillies, and Angels. Career stats and picture on following link.
Amaro
Morrie Arnovitch - Outfielder with the Phillies (1936-41; 1946; with short
stays with the Reds and Giants). Hit .324 in 1939.
Brad Ausmus - ACTIVE PLAYER. Currently (2001) a catcher for the Houston
Astros.Formerly with Detroit. Ausmus's mother is Jewish. According to an
interview, relayed by a site visitor, he is now "exploring his Jewish roots".
But this may only have been a polite comment to the press. It is pretty clear
he does not identify much as Jewish. But we will note that Ausmus showed real
class in a 1999 ABC interview when he spoke about his ex-roommate, former
ballplayer Billy Bean, who is not Jewish, but recently came out of the "gay
closet". Ausmus showed the same spirit of tolerance that Hank Greenberg showed
to Jackie Robinson. Official Astro Bio
Jesse Baker - This guy is a footnote since he only was up for one year--he was
a short stop for the Washington Senators in 1919. But his real name was Michael
Myron Silverman. In 1919, playing under his real name would have been almost
impossible.
Brian Bark - Pitcher who had a "cup of coffee" with the Red Sox in 1995. (He
was up for a very short time.)
Ross Baumgarten - Pitcher, Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates (1978-82).
Grew up in suburban Chicago.
Jose Bautista - Pitcher from the Dominican Republic. Mother, Jewish. Bautista
was with a variety of clubs from 1988 though 1997. He may still be in the Mets'
farm system. A Jewhoo visitor told us that Bautista is a nice guy, an observant
Jew who tries to keep the Sabbath, and that Bautista gave the visitor a
baseball with a Mogen David.
Bo Belinsky - Major League pitcher in the 1960's. His best years were with the
Angels. He was a pretty talented pitcher, but he best known during his heyday
as a "wildman" who dated Hollywood starlets. Pitched a no-hitter in 1962.
Mother, Jewish. Father, not. Update: We have been reliably informed that
Belinsky's mother converted to Catholicism at the time of her marriage and that
Belinsky was raised Catholic.
Moe Berg - Good field; "no hit" catcher for the Boston Red Sox, others. But his
off field exploits and personal quirks have made him the subject of many
articles and at least two books. Berg spoke a dozen languages and read half a
dozen newspapers a day. The US government recruited him to take secret films of
Tokyo before WWII while he was on a pro baseball tour of Japan. The films were
used during WWII as guides for bombing targets. During WWII, Berg served in the
OSS (the forerunner of the CIA) and was assigned to to kill Werner Heisenberg,
the head of the Germans' atomic research program, if he concluded that the
Germans were took close to getting THE bomb. Berg attended a wartime lecture of
Heisenberg's in neutral Switzerland and concluded that killing Heisenberg was
not necessary. Berg, tutored in atomic physics, was able to conclude from
Heisenberg's lecture that the German program was not as advanced as the Allies
feared. There is a side exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame about Berg--he is
such a "wonderful footnote" to baseball history. (Berg played from 1923-39;
mostly with White Sox and Red Sox, also Senators, Cleveland, and Brooklyn.
Lifetime .243 hitter.)
Skip Bertman - Head coach of the Lousiana State University baseball team. He
lead the Tigers to five national championships in the 1990s. Bertman also
coached the 1996 US Bronze medal winning team at the Olympics. He has announced
that 2001 will be his last season. Bertham Annouces Retirement/Stats
Seymour Block - Known as "Cy". Played second base for the Cubs in '42, '45-47.
Appeared in one World Series. One of the outstanding rookies of 1942. He is the
author of a book about his time with the Cubs. And he has a lovely
granddaughter and grandson-in-law who called our attention to him.
Ron Blomberg - Baseball's first "designated hitter". Played for the Yankees
from 1969-76; one year for White Sox. Hit over .300 in two seasons. By the way,
for search engine users--"Ron Bloomberg" is not the correct spelling.
Blomberg's full career stats are on the following link. Stats
Sam Bohne - Born Samuel Arthur Cohen. Played shortstop and second base for
Cincinnati from 1921 to 1926 (612 games), with a brief stop in St. Louis in
1916 and a final tour with Brooklyn in 1926. Lifetime batting average .261
Lou Boudreau - Shortshop with a good batting eye who played for the Cleveland
Indians from 1938 to 1952. Father, not Jewish. Mother, Jewish. Lifetime, .295.
Hit over .300 four times. In Baseball Hall of Fame. Boudreau's parents divorced
when he was very young and he was raised by his father. His ties to anything
Jewish were minimal and it was not known--until long after he retired--that his
mother was Jewish.
Rod Carew - This great Panama born baseball player was long rumored to have
converted to Judaism following his marriage to a Jewish woman. He recently
confirmed he never converted in an interview with Minnesota-based American
Jewish World. A pity; not many great Jewish and Black players. His children
have been raised Jewish. Adam Sandler simply got it wrong in his Hannukah song.
Ron Cey - Former LA Dodger Star. His wife is Jewish and his children were
raised Jewish, including current minor leaguer Danny Cey. Jhoo has received, to
We have received definitive information that Ron Cey never converted. Danny Cey
unexpectedly decided to retire in 2000.
Frank Charles - ACTIVE PLAYER. Currently playing Triple A ball with the Houston
Frank Charles just broke into the bigs. He was called up to the Astros line-up
at the beginning of September, 2000. He is listed on the roster as a
catcher.//Charles is back in the minors again at the beginning of 2001. He
played four games with the Astros in September, 2000.
Al Clark - Active major league umpire. In an amusing sidelight, Shawn Green
recently told an LA magazine that he came up to bat, in 1999, when Clark was
umpiring and Jesse Levis was catching. They all laughed; said, "Hi, yids"; and
since it was near the Jewish New Year-- wished each other a happy new year.
Tony Cogan - ACTIVE PLAYER Cogan, a left-handed pitcher, broke into the Kansas
City Royals roster at the start of the 2001 season. He played college ball with
Stanford and pitched in two college world series games. He only spent one year
in the minors and racked up impressive numbers. Cogan graduated from Highland
Park High School (Illinois) and we are reliably informed that his bar mitzvah
was held at Temple Am Sholom. A biography with stats are on the following link.
Andy Cohen - NY Giants player, 1926-29.
Sydney Cohen - Brother of Andy Cohen. Pitcher. 1934; '36-37. All years were
with the Washington Senators. He was 3-7 lifetime with a 4.54 ERA.
Jason Robert Crews - Graduated from Appalachian State Univ. He was named
Organizational Pitcher of the Month for June 1999 w/ the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He played this past 1999 Baseball Season for the Arizona Diamondbacks AA El
Paso Diablos Baseball team.
Harry Danning - New York Giants Catcher, 1933-42. Lifetime .285 hitter. His
brother Ike played 2 games for the St. Louis Browns (1928). Nickname was "Harry
the Horse". He was on the all-star team between 1938-40. Once hit for the cycle
(single, double, triple, hr. in one game).
Barney Dreyfuss - Owner of Pittsburgh Pirates, credited with organizing the
first World Series.
Tiby Eisen - Outfielder in the "All American Girls Professional Baseball
League", which was portrayed in the excellent film, "A League of Our Own". She
played for four teams in the Midwest btw. '44-52. She made the league all-star
team in '46. Grew up in an Orthodox home.
Harry Eisenstat - Pitcher for Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians between 1935
and 1942. He was the winning pitcher for the Tigers in game which Indians'
great Bob Feller pitched a no-hitter, but did not win.
Mike Epstein - Played first base from 1966-74, mostly for the (old) Washington
Senators and the Oakland A's. Epstein was a lifetime .244 hitter, but did hit
130 home runs. His best season was 1969, when he hit .274, with 30 home runs.
Jon Farber - Farber was a member of the Rochester, NY team which took second in
the tournament (World Series) to determine the champion of the 13 year old Babe
Ruth League. Farber's team finished second in the tournament. Farber was named
all-tournament left fielder.
Donald Fehr - Executive director of and counsel to the Major League Baseball
Players' Association.
August Foreman - Better known as "Happy" Foreman. Pitcher. 1924; 1926. Pitched
a total of 8 games with White Sox and Red Sox. Decent stats; no wins or losses.
Micah Franklin - ACTIVE PLAYER Outfielder who was briefly up in 1997 with the
Cardinals (17 games; hit over .300).His mother is Jewish, his father is not. In
1999, he played in Japan for the "Nippon Ham Fighters" (!) (What does the team
do in its spare time, try and make Japan kosher? )In 2000, he was injured at
the beginning of the season and came back to America. We have heard that he is
trying to get on an American team roster. There is an interesting profile of
Franklin in the following article from the No.Cal Jewish bulletin. "Ham
Fighting Man"
Murray Franklin - Shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, 1941-42.
Howie Gershberg - Minor league shortstop w/the NY Giants and minor league
pitcher with the Dodgers (1950's). Pitching coach St. John's Univ. (1980s).
Pitching coach Anaheim Angels (1987-present).
Dennis Gilbert - Ex-super agent who had the biggest stable of players in the
game. Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds,and Mike Piazza were but a few of his major
clients.
Joe Ginsberg - Catcher from 1948 to 1962 for a variety of clubs (Detroit,
Cleveland, KC, Baltimore, Chicago, Boston and Giants). Most active years 1951
and 1962, when he played 102 and 113 games, respectively. Most other seasons he
was his team's back-up catcher. Lifetime average .241. "Joe" was his nickname.
His full name was Myron Nathan Ginsberg. Ginsberg was known as a clubhouse
comedian according to one web based biography we saw. He also holds two
"footnote" records. He broke up Yankee Vic Raschi's near bid for a no-hitter in
1952 and he was the first catcher to catch a game for the Mets. He caught two
games for the Mets in the Mets (inaugural) 1962 season.
Keith Glauber - ACTIVE PLAYER Reds right-handed pitcher who broke in the 1999
season, but was sent back to the minors in 2000. UPDATE: Glauber was called
back to the Reds roster as of 9/6/00.//He is back in the minors at the start of
the 2001 season.
Al Goldis - Scouting co-coordinator for the Reds. He was a minor league
outfielder with the Reds in the 1960's.
Jonah Goldman - (1906-1980). Shortstop for Cleveland 1928, 1930 and 1931. Was
in 111 games in 1930, had 44 RBIs and hit .242. Lifetime average .224.
Greg Goosen - Played for Mets (4yrs) and Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers
(2yrs). Catcher and first baseman. Lifetime .241 hitter. Father, Jewish.
Mother, not.
Sid Gordon - Played in the majors from 1941 to 1955 for the Giants, Braves and
others. He hit 202 homers while hitting .283. He struck out rarely. His ratio
of bbs to ks was 731/356. He was a .985 fielder. Sid was so popular in his
native Brooklyn that he was given a "Sid Gordon" day in the Brooklyn Dodgers
stadium, Ebbets Field!
Shawn Green - ACTIVE PLAYER The best Jewish ballplayer of this generation and
already he has to be ranked among the best of all-time. In 1999, he accepted a
$84 million dollar contract with the LA Dodgers. With Toronto, in 1999, he hit
.309, 42hrs, 123 RBI's. In 2000, he had a disapointing season--especially the
second half when his production tailed off. But he played every game and hit
.269 with 24 home runs and 99 runs driven in. He has associated himself with
several Jewish charities including, "Jewish Big Brothers" and a Jewish
community sponsored literacy program that sends volunteers into the LA public
schools. The linked on-site profile was written before the 2000 season. Green
Profile
Hank Greenberg - Hall of Fame slugger who played for the Detroit Tigers for all
but his last season. Greenberg played from 1933 to early in the 1941 season and
from late in the season in 1945 to 1947. (The break in playing time was due to
his WWII army service.) He was a career .313 hitter and he had 7 seasons when
he drove in over 100 runs. His most famous year was 1938 when he hit 58 home
runs and was a serious challenger for Ruth's record. (While Greenberg says he
ran out of "gas", he was subject to a lot of "pitching around him" so a Jew
would not break Babe Ruth's 60 home run record.) Greenberg was the subject of a
critically acclaimed documentary, "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg"
(1999). After retirement, Greenberg went on to be a part owner for a time. But
he and Bill Veeck (not Jewish) were the only former owners to testify on behalf
of Curt Flood in the landmark suit to overturn the "reserve clause". (The only
former player to testify against Flood was Joe Gargiola. Who was also notorious
as one of the worst verbal baiters of Jackie Robinson. The editor of this site
couldn't resist "outing" smiley Joe for the hypocrite he is.) See also: Aviva
Kempner (directors); George Moriarty (righteous gentiles). Following is a good
recent piece on Greenberg that makes most of the important points about him.
Greenberg's career stats are on the second link. Add on: the last link is to
the official site for the film, "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg". It is
truely "Greenberg heaven". Everything is there. Including the famous Edgar
Guest poem about Greenberg. Hank Stats Film Site
Eric Helfand - Catcher who played for Oakland between 1993 and 1995. Not much
of a hitter.
Ken Holtzman - Excellent left-handed pitcher who played for the Cubs, Oakland,
and the Yankees (1965-1979). Like Koufax, Holtzman declined to pitch on the
High Holy Days. Pitched two no-hitters. 4-1, in World Series. Twice named to
the All-Star team. Full stats and playing history on link. Stats
Joel Horlen - 1961-72. Pitcher with the Chicago White Sox and the Oakland A's.
Horlen won a total of 116 games and pitched one no-hitter. His best year was
1967, he went 19-7 and lead the league in ERA (2.06). Horlen converted to
Judaism following his marriage to a Jewish woman. According to a published
article, he told Mike Epstein about his conversion at an oldtimers' game. Mike
said, "Welcome to the tribe."
David Jacobs - This is an "amateur listing" but an interesting one. Mr. Jacobs,
the son of Holocaust survivors, is a top baseball pitcher for the top
international adult amateur baseball league. In 1999, his team won the league
World Series and he pitched in one of the winning games. Former major league
pitcher, Bill Lee, is on his team. Mr. Jacobs is in the "masters" (over 50)
division.
Gabe Kapler - ACTIVE PLAYER. Played outfield for Detroit in 1999, dealt to the
Texas Rangers in 2000. His mother works at a Jewish pre-school. A good
ballplayer who shows real potential to fill in the gaps in the all-star Jewish
team lists. Kapler had a good season in 2000, hitting .302 with 14 home runs.
He really seems to be coming into his own. The following link gives his basic
bio and stats; it will update as the 2001 season progresses. (He was on the
disabled list as of the start of the 2001 season. His game statistics will seem
"light" until well into the season). Here's a Jewish sidelight on Kapler that
was recently reported in Jewish community newspaper, the NY Jewish Press. It
has some relevance in light of the recent widely-publicized Charlie Ward
incident with the Knicks. We will leave the name of the other player out since
he "has reformed". A former NY Yankees centerfielder had a reputation of
hectoring NY Jewish sportswriters that they "might go to hell--if they didn't
convert." He was traded to the Rangers and he tried to "convert" Gabe Kapler.
Kapler, it is reported, experienced some minor anti-Semitic incidents while in
the minors and he had shrugged them off. However, he decided to confront this
outfielder head-on. Kapler figured he needed some religious heavyweights to
help him discuss religion in an informed way. Therefore, he invited the player,
a rabbi, and his agent (who is a religious Orthodox Jew) to a restaurant. The
other player said that he came away with a "revelation" that he shouldn't
preach the way he had been preaching at Jews and stopped pursuing Kapler.
Kapler said he came away with a better knowledge of Judaism. Kapler
Stan Kasten - President of the Atlanta Braves organization.
Sandy Koufax - What can we say? Koufax holds a place so deep in the hearts of
Jewish baseball fans that words are not enough. In our humble opinion, he
narrowly edges at Hank Greenberg as the greatest Jewish baseball player ever
(there is no one even close to third place in such a race). Sandy was born in
Brooklyn and started as a "bonus baby" with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He showed
flashes of greatness until he came into his own in 1962. Like a lot of southpaw
fastball pitchers, it took him time to gain control over his pitches. Simply
put, from 1962 to 1966 he was the dominant pitcher in the major leagues. He
pitched four no-hitters. He was the MVP in 1963 and 1965. There are more stats
like this on the second following link. Koufax, as most people know, declined
to pitch in a 1965 World Series game that fell on Yom Kippur. This fact has
added to the "reverence" Jewish fans feel for him. Needless to say, Koufax was
a Hall of Fame first ballot selection. Two fun facts: Tommy LaSorda was sent to
minors to make room for him on the roster and he was on the same Brooklyn
basketball teams as Mets' co-owner Fred Wilpon. On the first link is an article
that analyzes, with Talmudic-like scholarship, Koufax's record of pitching on
Jewish holidays. It's fun, in a strange sort of way. Koufax/Holidays Koufax
Stats
Barry Latman - Born Arnold Barry Latman. Pitched for White Sox, Indians,
Angels, and Astros. (57-67). Journeyman pitcher, best season: 13-5. He was a
graduate of Fairfax High School, Los Angeles. In the '59 series, he played
against his fellow Jewish Fairfax graduates--Larry and Norm Sherry.
Al Levine - ACTIVE PLAYER. After years of struggling in the minors, Levine
broke into the Angels roster in the 1999 season and has established himself as
a pretty good middle reliever. Stats on link. They update as the season goes
on. Stats
Jesse Levis - ACTIVE PLAYER Catcher with the Brewers, Milwaukee, and Tampa Bay.
Levis broke into the majors in 1992. Levis spent the 2000 season with AAA
Buffalo recuperating from an injury. He is a a career .256 hitter. Levis is a
good catcher, he committed only 5 errors during his 8 years behind the plate.
He hit .333 in 1995, .285 in 1997, and .351 in 1998. The question is whether he
will make it up to the bigs again on a regular basis.
Marvin Lieb - Marvin Lieb was recruited by Branch Rickey to play on the 1948
Brooklyn Dodgers. He was a first baseman. His career was cut very short by an
injury. He was depicted on the cover of Life magazine on April 5, 1948 in a
story about Dodger Rookies. Marvin died in FL on 2/5/00.
Mike Lieberthal - ACTIVE PLAYER Current Phillies catcher. His father is Jewish;
but he was not raised Jewish. He is unquestionably a talented player with good
power and a strong throwing arm. He made the all-star team in 2000. (We just
wish he was "more" Jewish). Profile and stats on link. They will update as the
season progresses. Stats
Lou Limmer - First baseman for the old Philadelphia A's. Played in the '50s.
Andrew Lorraine - ACTIVE PLAYER Left-handed pitcher who has played for the
Angels, Chicago, and ended up with Cleveland at the end of the 2000 season. His
career stats to date have not been impressive. His father emigrated from
England and Lorraine's uncle is an orthodox rabbi in England. The family's
original name is Levin. His grandfather, who served in the British Army in
Alsace-Lorraine, liked the name "Lorraine" and changed it.
Bob Lurie - Former owner of the SF Giants (now owned by a group headed up by
Peter MacGowan, heir to the Safeway fortune). A very sweet guy who bought the
team to save them from re-location out of San Francisco. Always soft-spoken.
Elliott Maddox - African-American outfielder who played from 1970 to 1980. He
played mostly for the Yankees and the Mets (3 seasons with each team). Two
years with the Rangers. Lifetime .26l hitter. Two .300 seasons with the
Yankees. Convert to Judaism.
Jason Marquis - ACTIVE PLAYER Pitcher out of Manhasset, LI (where he was a
member of the National Honor Society). Highly touted Braves' minor leaguer.
Reached Double A ball in 1999 at the age of 20. Throws the ball in the mid 90
mph. range. Derailed by minor injuries in 1999, lets hope he comes back this
season. UPDATE: Marquis has made the bigs for the 2000 season. He is up with
the Atlanta Braves. Correction: He is from Staten Island, not Manhasset, Long
Island.//He is on the Braves roster as a relief pitcher at the start of the
2001 season. Stats on link. They will update as the season progresses. Marquis
Mike Milchin - Milchin was a star pitcher with Clemson University. He was up in
the majors briefly in 1995 and 1996 with the Twins and the Orioles,
respectively (3 games total). Milchin was a member of the US Olympic team which
won a gold medal in the 1988 Olympics (baseball was a demonstration sport that
year). Milchin's father is Jewish, his mother is not Jewish.
Norm Miller - Outfielder, Houston Astros,Atlanta Braves, 1965-74. Executive
with Mets and Astros. Casey Stengel once said, Norm Miller had the sweetest
swing in baseball.
Marvin Miller - We have long had Miller up in our lawyers category, but he
really should be cross-listed. Miller, a former lawyer for the Steelworkers'
union, became Executive Director of the baseball players' union when the
association was a joke, and the prospects were dim. He got the players to stick
together, got contract arbitration and got the arbitrator to throw out the
reserve clause, which had held the players in servitude for a 100 yrs. He then
out-lawyered the owners at every turn regarding free agency. Its an old story,
if you stick together and have smart leadership, you sometimes get what you are
worth in the market.
Buddy Myer - Second baseman who played mostly for the Washington Senators
(1925-41). Lifetime .303; nine .300 seasons.
Sam Nahem - A Brooklyn College star pitcher, he had a brief career in the
majors--pitching a limited number of games over four seasons ('38,
41-42,'48)--with Brooklyn, Cardinals, Phillies. He was also a lawyer.
Billy Nash - Played 1884-1898. Regular 3B. Mostly Boston, National League.
Lifetme batting avg. .275. Sources differ on whether Nash was Jewish. We put
him up for informational purposes.
David Newhan - ACTIVE PLAYER Currently a back up second baseman with the
Philadelphia Phillies. He broke in with the Padres in 1999 and was up for a
brief time. Newhan again made the Padres in 2000, but was dealt to the Phillies
in September, 2000 and played some games last September with Philly. His father
is Los Angeles area sportswriter Ross Newhan. A baseball journalist was kind
enough to share her source with us. Thanks. Official team biography, photo, and
stats on the following link. Newhan
Jeff Newman - Played 438 games as a catcher for the Oakland A's. Currently a
third base coach for the Indians.
Yaron Peters - All-state (California) third baseman. He plays for Cuesta
College in San Luis Obispo.
Lipman Pike - The first professional baseball player was a Jewish ballplayer.
He acheived this status in 1866 when he accepted $20 a week to play for the
Philadephia Athletics. A good hitter and baserunner, he played for the Reds in
1876, the first year the National League was in existence. Born 1845, in New
York. He also managed. His five season National League average was .306, with 5
home runs, 36 doubles, 16 triples and 88 RBIs.
Jake Pitler - Brooklyn Dodgers First Base Coach, 1950's. Played for Pittsburgh,
1917-18. Second base and outfield.
John Powers - Current Minor Leaguer. Now Double A with the San Diego Padres'
Mobile, Alabama team. He's an infielder. In 1998, he was a Double A all-star.
Out with injuries in 1999. Father, not Jewish. Mother, Jewish.
Scott Radinsky - ACTIVE PLAYER Currently a relief pitcher for the St. Louis
Cardinals. His mother is Jewish. His parents divorced when he was young and his
mother has been quoted as saying that she regrets not sending him to Hebrew
school. He has expressed no interest in his Jewish side.
Jimmy Reese - Born James Hymie Solomon, in San Francisco. Played for the
Yankees, from 1930-31. Cardinals in 1932. Second baseman. He was Babe Ruth's
roommate. Reese has said this meant he usually roomed with Ruth's suitcase,
because the Babe liked to "party". Reese played in the Pacific Coast League for
12 seasons, sandwiched around his time with the Yankees and was a coach with
the Angels for decades after his retirement as a player. He is in the Angels'
team hall of fame.
Jerry Reinsdorf - Owner of the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls.
Consistently left off voters' lists for "nice guy" of the year and Michael
Jordan's gift lists.
Ed Reulbach - A great pitcher in the first two decades of the 20thc. Pitched
mostly for the Cubs. Reulbach has long been listed as Jewish in most books
about famous Jews in sports, etc. However, recent research, as reported by
"Total Baseball", states he is not Jewish (other notable "assumed, but not"
include George Stone and Benny Kauff). If anyone out there has info that
contradicts/confirms this report--contact us. One person has--a gentleman named
Reulbach who is researching any biographical reference he can find to other
Reulbachs. He says he has never encountered a single Jewish person named
"Reulbach" among all the Reulbachs he has researched. Final nail: A friend of
Ed Reulbach's family contacted us. He was Catholic and went to Notre Dame.
Dave Roberts - Pitched for Padres, Astros, Tigers, Cubs, Mets, Seattle. Best
season 17-11; 103 lifetime wins w/some weak teams. Father, Jewish. Mother, not.
Saul Rogovin - AL Pitcher (Tigers and White Sox). Led league in ERA in 1951.
After retirement he became a schoolteacher in Brooklyn, NY.
Goody Rosen - Born George Goodwin Rosen. Canadian. Played for the Dodgers
between 1937-39; 1944-46. Outfielder. Lifetime .291. Told Jon Blank, who runs
the "Jewish Baseball Western Wall of Fame", that "his proudest accomplishment
was being the only Canadian Jew to ever play in the majors". Also in Canadian
Baseball HOF.
Al Rosen - 1953 American League MVP (by unanimous vote). Cleveland Indians.
General Manager of SF Giants in the 80's and early '90's. Rosen hit over .300
in 3 seasons. Came w/ in less than a percentage pt. of winning battle title in
'53, had he done so, he would have won the triple crown. Nickname "Flip" from
the way he pitched softball. Was a college boxing champ, and used these skills
dealing with some anti-semites in baseball.
Steven Rosenberg - Pitcher who was with the White Sox btw. 1988-91; part of his
last season with San Diego.
Harry Rosenberg - Harry played 9 games for the NY Giants in 1930. His brother
Lou played 3 games for the White Sox in 1923. But their name leaves little
guess work about their background.
Johnny Rosenblatt - Former mayor of Omaha, Nebraska and minor league ballplayer
who lead the renovation of what is now called the "Johnny Rosenblatt" stadium.
The College World Series is now held there annually.
Max Rosenfeld - 1931-3 Brooklyn Dodgers. Outfielder.
Wayne Rosenthal - Pitcher, Texas Rangers, 1991-92.
Marv Rotblatt - Marv Rotblatt, a native Chicagoan, pitched for the Sox in 1948,
1950 and 1951, compiling a 4-3 lifetime record. He was a little southpaw,
standing only 5'8".
Jared Roth - An amateur listing--but we couldn't resist. Jared, who is from
Rochester, NY, was named All Tournament Utility League Infiedler. The
tournament was the 13 year old World Series of the Babe Ruth League. The Bath
Ruth League is for players who have graduated from Little League.
Mickey Rutner - A third baseman who played eleven games for the old
Philadelphia A's in 1947. A visitor who met Mickey relates this story. Mickey
couldn't stay up because the A's had a first class third baseman already. He
asked manager/owner Connie Mack to trade him.