Hope springs eternal, especially for baseball fans hungry for Jewish heroes.

In the 1970s, for example, many fans thought batting king Rod Carew was Jewish. Rumor had it his wife was a member of the tribe, his children were being raised Jewish, and Carew himself had converted. Adam Sandler’s “Chanukah Song“ rejuvenated the myth in the 1990s. Alas, while the first two claims were true, Carew never converted (see video). And after divorcing, his ties to Judaism largely faded away.

Thus, Jewish Baseball News concludes that Rod Carew is Not a Jew.

Below is a list of players often rumored to be Jewish who, in fact, are not. Click on the highlighted names for more detailed accounts.

For our all-time list of players who are Jewish, click here.