Career highlights (through 2015)

• Selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 26th round of the 2002 draft (769th overall)
• Struck out three of the 7 batters he faced in his MLB debut (2005)
• Had a career ERA of 3.31 through 2015
• Played in the 2013 World Series with victorious Boston Red Sox
• Was named smartest athlete in all of sports by Sporting News (2010)

Career bests, by statistic

• ERA: 1.81 (2013)
• Wins: 8 (2009)
• Saves: 5 (2010)
• Holds: 16 (2010) — Fangraphs
• Strikeouts: 71 (2010)
• K/9 innings: 8.7 (2012)
• K/BB ratio: 2.77 (2012)
• Opponent AVG: .194 (2010) — ESPN
• Opponent OBP: .272 (2010) — ESPN

2014 highlights

• Pitched a perfect 8th inning against the Rays, retiring three batters on a total of 6 pitches, none faster than 88 mph (7/25/2014)

2013 highlights

• Had a career-best 1.81 ERA, 8th-best in A.L. among those with at least 40 innings pitched (ESPN)
• Recorded 13 holds and just one blown save (Fangraphs)
• Delivered an average of 14.5 pitches per inning, tied for 6th-lowest in the A.L. among those with at least 40 innings pitched (ESPN)
• Pitched in three World Series games and earned a championship ring
• In the final game of the A.L. Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, struck out the first 4 batters he faced and earned the win
• Nominated by the Boston Red Sox for the 2013 Roberto Clemente Award, which recognizes community service

2012 highlights

• In a season split between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox, had an overall ERA of 2.70, his best since 2008
• Career bests in strikeouts per nine innings and strikes vs. walks
• Went 0-for-3 at the plate for Diamondbacks; his only other at-bat, an out, came in 2005

2011 highlights

• 11th in games pitched, A.L. (67)
• Traded by the Oakland A’s to the Arizona Diamondbacks after the season ended

2010 highlights

• After the Minnesota Twins released him in May 2009, Breslow pitched in 60 games for the Oakland A’s, going 7-and-5 with a 2.60 ERA
• 2nd in games pitched, A.L. (75)
• 15th in holds, A.L. (16)

2009 highlights

• After the Minnesota Twins released him in May 2009, Breslow pitched in 60 games for the Oakland A’s, going 7-and-5 with a 2.60 ERA
• Notched career bests in wins, holds, strikeouts, and opponent batting average
• 1st in fielding percentage among pitchers, A.L. (1.000)
• 2nd in games pitched, A.L. (77)
• 5th in opponent batting average, A.L. (.197/tie)

On being Jewish

• “Being Jewish is something that I am very proud of.  However, I believe that when I enter the clubhouse I am a teammate and a baseball player just like everyone else around me. I believe that a lot is made of ethnicity, religion, color, and how certain athletes are expected to champion causes on behalf of these traits, and perhaps this is true to a degree, but I also believe that it is an individual’s right, or even obligation, to fight for the causes he chooses, not those that are expected of him.” (TheGreatRabbino.com; Feb. 25, 2010)
• “Question: Was there a special connection when you played for the Red Sox in 2006 with 3 other Jewish players: Kevin Youkilis, Gabe Kapler, and Adam Stern? Answer: There was a connection among us for a number of reasons.  Judaism gave us an instant commonality, however, so too did playing for the Red Sox, being teammates, and sharing a common goal.” (TheGreatRabbino.com; Feb. 25, 2010)
• Breslow, whose sister was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age 14, later founded the Strike 3 Foundation, which raises money for pediatric cancer research
  

For more information

• Baseball-Reference page
• Jewish Baseball Museum bio
• Baseball cards

xxxx