Jewish Baseball News

Going Hanukkah shopping? Please use our Amazon.com link.
——————————————————————————————————————————————

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

It’s been a busy off-season so far for Jewish ballplayers.

The Boston Red Sox recently dealt 3B Danny Valencia to the Baltimore Orioles for cash. Though the 28-year-old Valencia had a tough 2012 season with the Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, and their respective AAA teams, the Orioles reportedly are interested in using him against left-handed pitchers, against whom he has a career MLB batting average of .316.

The Chicago Cubs signed free agent Scott Feldman to a one-year, $6-million deal. Chicago plans to add the 6-foot-6-inch, 29-year-old southpaw to its starting rotation. Feldman had been with the Texas Rangers since the franchise drafted him in 2005.

Earlier this week, the New York Yankees offered 3B Kevin Youkilis a one-year, $12-million contract. Acquired midseason in 2012 by the Chicago White Sox, the 33-year-old infielder spent years as a Yankee killer while starring for the rival Boston Red Sox. No word yet on whether he will accept the offer.

The Colorado Rockies stole pitching prospect Danny Rosenbaum from the Washington Nationals, which had left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft. The third overall pick in that draft, Rosenbaum spent 2012 with the Harrisburg Senators (AA), where he went a disappointing 8-10 with a 3.94 ERA. The 25-year-old lefty had posted ERAs of 1.95, 2.25, and 2.52 from 2009-11.

Also taken in the Rule 5 draft was former San Diego Padres prospect Nate Freiman, A 6’7″ slugger who led the Texas League in RBIs in 2012 and starred for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers, Freiman was nabbed by the Houston Astros.

Under draft rules, the Rockies and Astros must keep Rosenbaum and Freiman on their respective Major League rosters for the entire 2013 season. If they don’t, they must offer the players back to their former teams for a trivial cash sum. Thus there’s a decent chance both players will make their MLB debut sometime in 2013.

Jewish Baseball News wishes to thank contributing writer Zev Ben Avigdor and TheGreatRabbino.com‘s Jeremy Fine for keeping us posted on player transactions.

# # #

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 with a 2.81 ERA.
• Jason Marquis took a no-hitter into the 7th inning Saturday (8/11/2012) in a 5-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates (see video). The 33-year-old San Diego Padre ended up with a 2-hit, complete-game shutout and has won five of his last six starts. Interestingly, the resurgent Marquis matched the Pirates’ offensive output by going 2-for-4 at the plate. His .276 batting average is third best this season among MLB pitchers with at least 20 at-bats.
• Jeremy Schaffer, picked by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 18th round of this year’s amateur draft, already is putting up big numbers. The 22-year-old first baseman out of Tulane University leads the Appalachian rookie league with 41 RBIs in just 179 at-bats.
• The Kevin Youkilis trade just got a little worse for the Boston Red Sox. Not only has Youk been hitting the ball a ton for the Chicago White Sox — since arriving in late June, he’s hit .252 with 10 HRs, 29 RBIs, a .371 on-base percentage, and an .875 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) in 139 at-bats — but his successor at third base, rookie phenom Will Middlebrooks, just suffered a season-ending wrist injury. Coincidence of the day? Middlebrooks’ temporary replacement is recently-acquired 3B Danny Valencia.
• On Sunday (8/12/2012), Houston Astros prospect Ben Orloff celebrated his recent promotion to the Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) with a 5-for-5 performance. The 25-year-old shortstop doubled, tripled, and drove in 4 runs en route to a 20-9 thrashing of the Springfield Cardinals.
• Four in one month? That’s how many Jews the Boston Red Sox recently added to their roster. The quartet included Valencia (see above), reliever Craig Breslow, C Ryan Lavarnway, and LF Ryan Kalish, who has since returned to AAA.
• Just weeks after putting together a 3-HR game, Joc Pederson powered the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (A-advanced) to an 11-9 win over the Modesto Nuts. Pederson — ranked the Los Angeles Dodgers’ No.3 prospect by MLB.com — went 3-for-5 with a HR, two doubles, and 5 RBIs.
• Keep a close eye on Jack Marder. Already ranked the Seattle Mariners’ No. 15 prospect in just his second year of pro ball, the High Desert Mavericks (A-advanced) catcher is batting .363 with 10 HRs, 24 doubles (including three on 7/31/2012), 4 triples, 55 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.019 in only 273 at-bats. Marder is hitting a blistering .413 with runners in scoring position and recently added second base and the outfield to his fielding repertoire. It’s a shame that he may have too few at-bats to qualify for the California League batting crown.
• As Jewish Baseball News correspondent Zev Ben Avigdor points out on his minor-league Twitter feed, New York Mets prospect Josh Satin is on fire. The 27-year-old first baseman has hit .444 (16-for-36) in the past 10 games, with 2 HRs, six doubles, 4 walks, and 10 RBIs.
• Next season will mark the 40th anniversary of MLB’s designated hitter rule, and first-ever DH Ron Blomberg already is getting some love for his historic role.
• Sam Fuld loves going horizontal for fly balls, but the Tampa Bay Ray won’t be leaping tall buildings anytime soon. “Super Sam” told the Tampa Bay Times he’s scared of heights, “mainly bridges, tops of buildings, mountains.” He also revealed his favorite television show (Seinfeld) and said he has a “man crush” on actor Matt Damon — another diminutive but athletic Ivy Leaguer.

Have any good news about Jewish athletes? Send it to sbarancik@jewishbaseballnews.com.

# # #

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Buying something on Amazon.com? Help support Jewish Baseball News — use our Amazon link!

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

It’s not easy to muster a smile on Mondays, but here are a few good reasons:

• There are only three possible explanations for pitcher Scott Feldman‘s recent dominance: a pact with the devil, alien body-snatching, or performance-enhancing drugs. Through July 4, the Texas Ranger had a 2-6 record and a 6.11 ERA, while opposing batters were hitting him at a .285 clip. But the 29-year-old Hawaii native has strangled his past 3 opponents, giving up just one earned run in 17 innings (an ERA of 0.53) while striking out 10 and walking zero. The performance has boosted his record to 5-6 and slimmed his ERA to 4.76.
• Sam Fuld is back. After spending the first three months of the season on the disabled list, the scrappy Tampa Bay Rays outfielder returned to the field with a vengeance last week (7/24/2012). In five games since returning, Fuld went 6-for-16 (.375) with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs, and the slumping Rays won three of five.
• Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson is surging. A 20-year-old outfielder with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (A-advanced), Pederson has hit .333 in his past 10 games, including 3 HRs, 11 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, and a .429 on-base percentage. The Palo Alto, Calif. native was an 11th-round pick out of high school in the 2010 draft. At the beginning of this season, MLB.com ranked him the Dodgers’ No. 4 prospect.
• Baltimore Orioles prospect Robbie Widlansky is among Eastern League leaders in several offensive categories. A 27-year-old outfielder/DH with the Bowie Baysox (AA), Widlansky is hitting.301 with 6 HRs, 62 RBIs (3rd highest), 9 stolen bases, and an on-base percentage of .396 (4th).
• Think the Chicago White Sox are happy they acquired 3B Kevin Youkilis? Check out this MLB.com compilation video titled “The Youk Effect.”
• One of Israel’s few home-grown baseball stars is a 6’4″, 33-year-old pitcher whose day job is booking musicians for the City Winery in New York City. The Wall Street Journal has a terrific profile on Shlomo Lipetz and the challenges  he faced learning baseball in Tel Aviv after relatives first exposed him to the sport in a 1986 visit to Shea Stadium.
• Ike Davis had a 3-HR game for the first time in his career on Saturday (7/28/2012). The Arizona native homered in his first three at-bats (see video) and added a single to go 4-for-4 in a 6-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. After an anemic start this season, Davis is tied for 6th place in the National League with 20 HRs, is third among N.L. first basemen with 60 RBIs, and has raised his batting average to .213. He has six HRs in his past 10 games.
• According to our friends at Jewish Sports Review, a total of 13 Jewish players were selected in the 2012 amateur draft. We’ll publish the full list, along with short bios, very soon.
• Adam Greenberg is vying for a spot on on Team Israel, which will be competing in a qualifying round for the World Baseball Classic in September. The 31-year-old former Chicago Cub is best known, unfortunately, for getting hit in the head by pitcher Valerio de los Santos during his first and only Major League at-bat, in 2005. Greenberg’s career was derailed by the resulting concussion and vertigo. But the 5’9″ fireplug has grit. He singled off de los Santos when he next faced him, in a 2011 independent-league game, and you can see both at-bats in this video profile by ESPN. Good luck, Adam!
• Nearly 3 months after being demoted to AAA, Danny Valencia has returned to the Minnesota Twins. The 27-year-old third baseman immediately chipped in with an RBI double and two runs scored in a 12-5 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday (7/28/2012). His stay is likely to be short, as regular 3B Trevor Plouffe is suffering only from a bruised right thumb.
• Congratulations to U.S. women’s gymnastics captain Aly Raisman, a tribe member who advanced to the Olympics’ all-around finals with a terrific floor exercise she performed to the tune of Hava Nagila on Sunday night (7/29/2012).

Have any good news about Jewish athletes? Send it to sbarancik@jewishbaseballnews.com.

# # #

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Buying something on Amazon.com? Help support Jewish Baseball News — use our Amazon link!

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

Because our website was down on Monday, gosh darn it:

• If cats have nine lives, Jason Marquis may be a close second. After the Minnesota Twins unceremoniously dumped the 33-year-old journeyman and his 8.47 ERA last month, he was picked up by his 8^th MLB team, the San Diego Padres. Since then Marquis has excelled. Although poor run support has cost him three losses in four starts with San Diego, he has kept a trim 2.05 ERA and struck out 26 batters in 26-and-one-third innings, including a career-high 10 against the Texas Rangers last Monday (6/18/2012).
• Ryan Braun is on a tear. The reigning N.L. MVP’s hitting streak reached 18 games on Sunday (6/24/2012), and he leads the league in HRs (20/tie) while ranking 3^rd in RBIs (52). In his last 10 games alone, the 28-year-old Milwaukee Brewer hit .366 along with 5 HRs and 11 RBIs. Not surprisingly he ranked 4^th among N.L. outfielders in All-Star voting as of 6/19/2012, a shade behind Melky Cabrera of the San Francisco Giants.
• Speaking of All-Stars, Ian Kinsler was leading all A.L. second baseman in votes as of 6/18/2012, but not by much. The Texas Ranger had 2,580,306 votes, versus 2,565,046 for New York Yankees 2B Robinson. Voting ends Thursday (6/28/2012); cast your votes here.
• What slump? Ike Davis continued his recovery last week with two decisive HRs. On Monday (6/18/2012) he hit his first MLB grand slam HR, giving the New York Mets all it needed to knock off the Baltimore Orioles 5-0 (see video). On Friday (6/22/2012) he smacked a 3-run home run in a 6-4 victory over the crosstown New York Yankees. Though Davis’ .190 batting average still needs improving, he’s hit .290 in his past 10 games and nevertheless ranks 3^rd on the Mets in HRs (8/tie), RBIs (36), and walks (26).
• Philadelphia Phillies reliever Michael Schwimer is making a strong case for remaining in the Majors. Earlier this season, the Phils demoted the 6’8” reliever after he went 0-1 with a blown save and a bloated 8.53 ERA. But in nine starts since returning this month, Schwimer has put up stellar numbers, including a 2.08 ERA, 0.81 walks/hits per inning, and a .138 opposing-batter average.
• Nate Freiman hit a walk-off HR on Thursday (6/21/2012) to give the San Antonio Missions (AA) a 5-3 win over the Corpus Christi Hooks in extra innings. Luckily the 6’7” first baseman didn’t connect off Hooks reliever Josh Zeid, who pitched 2 scoreless innings earlier in the game. Freiman leads the Texas League with 63 RBIs in 74 games, ranks 2^nd with 16 HRs, 3^rd in slugging percentage (.512), and 5^th in OPS (.861).
• Danny Valencia showed some pop in his bat Saturday (6/23/2012), homering twice in the Rochester Red Wings’ (AAA) 12-1 win over the Charlotte Knights. Valencia is averaging .247 since being demoted by the Minnesota Twins but had a nice run in his past 10 games, hitting .310 with an on-base percentage of .447.

Have any good news about Jewish athletes? Send it to sbarancik@jewishbaseballnews.com.

# # #

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Buying something on Amazon.com? Show us some love — use our Amazon link!

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

Because Monday was Memorial Day, dontcha know:

• Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler broke out of a 27-game HR slump on Sunday (5/27/2012) with a HR, double, and four RBIs in a 12-6 triumph over the Texas Rangers. Despite the drought, Kinsler leads the majors with 41 runs scored. Sunday’s two-hit game was his fifth in six starts.
• After an impressive debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2010, neck and shoulder surgery sidelined LF Ryan Kalish for the better part of the past year. But in the first game of a rehab stint with the Salem Red Sox (A-advanced) last week, the 24-year-old celebrated his return with a HR and a single, and yesterday (5/28/2012) he even stole a base. Way to go, Ryno.
• Success has split up the power duo of San Diego Padres sluggers Nate Freiman and Cody Decker. While playing for the San Antonio Missions (AA) this season, the pair led the Texas League with 14 HRs apiece. Alas, Decker was promoted to AAA last week. So far he’s earned his keep: through 6 games and 22 at-bats, he is hitting .364 with a HR, three doubles, two RBIs, and an OPS of 1.098.
• Ryan Sadowski led the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization to victory Saturday (5/26/2012) with a 3-hit, complete-game performance. The 6’4″ hurler, whom Korean fans call “Dow,” is enjoying his third season with the team after completing one of the more unusual MLB careers. Called up in 2009 by the San Francisco Giants, the University of Florida alum promptly delivered two shutouts, followed by four less-impressive outings that led him back to AAA. Rather than try returning to The Show in 2010, Sadowski indulged his wanderlust by signing with the “other” Giants. At age 29, he’s young enough to revisit American baseball, but so far the iconoclastic Florida native is staying put. To learn more about this clever young man, see these 2011 and 2012 interviews.
• It’s no fun being sent down to the minors, but Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia is making the best of an opportunity to retool his mechanics. The 27-year-old started out slow with the Rochester Red Wings (AAA) but has hit .325 with 2 HRs and 9 RBIs in his past 10 games.
• Second-year player Jack Marder of the High Desert Mavericks (A-advanced) is tearing up the California League. The Seattle Mariners prospect ranks among league leaders with a .368 batting average (2nd), .413 on-base percentage (3rd), and .566 slugging percentage (7th), to go along with 4 HRs and 24 RBIs in 136 at-bats. On Sunday (5/27/2012), Marder’s two-run single with two outs in the 12th inning earned the Mavericks a 3-2 win over the Modesto Nuts.
• Released last week by the Minnesota Twins, P Jason Marquis is a free agent. Could the Twins’ loss be Team Israel’s gain?
• Tampa Bay Rays OF Sam Fuld may be on the disabled list, but that didn’t stop him from appearing as a sabermetrics expert on a recent Rays broadcast. The Stanford alum is a former STATS Inc. intern who applied for the position after reading Michael Lewis’ book Moneyball.
• And now our favorite headline of the week, from the San Francisco Chronicle: All Eyes are on Ryan Braun’s Groin. San Francisco’s reputation notwithstanding, the headline concerned a recent injury suffered by the reigning N.L. MVP.

# # #

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Buying something on Amazon.com? Show us some love — use our Amazon link!

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

In 2010, the year Jewish Baseball News debuted, MLB’s Opening Day rosters included 10 Jewish players. In 2011 there were nine.

This season? Only seven. It’s enough to make an M.O.T. cry in his $9 ballpark beer.

Thanks to injuries (Sam Fuld, Ryan Kalish), flips of a coin (Ryan Lavarnway, Michael Schwimer), a veteran’s departure (John Grabow), and a freak family accident (Jason Marquis), the number of Jewish players on Opening Day rosters will be the lowest in years.

The seven are:

1. Ryan Braun (LF), Milwaukee Brewers
2. Craig Breslow (P), Arizona Diamondbacks
3. Ike Davis (1B), New York Mets
4. Scott Feldman (P), Texas Rangers
5. Ian Kinsler (2B), Texas Rangers
6. Kevin Youkilis (3B/1B), Boston Red Sox
7. Danny Valencia (3B), Minnesota Twins

# # #

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Buying something on Amazon.com? Show us some love — use our Amazon link!

 ——————————————————————————————————————————————-

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

Here’s what’s happening in the world of baseball today (Thursday, Mar. 29, 2012):

• INJURY: Sam Fuld told the Tampa Tribune he’s going to get a second medical opinion on his injured right wrist and may end up facing surgery and/or rehab. The Tampa Bay Rays outfielder injured his wrist last September in Baltimore.
• TRIUMPHANT: Scott Feldman pitched masterfully in the Texas Rangers’ 12-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday (3/26/2012). The 6-foot-7-inch right-hander scattered three hits and no walks over 6 innings while striking out nine. Teammate Ian Kinsler contributed a HR.
• FAMILY EMERGENCY: Minnesota Twins right-hander Jason Marquis left Spring Training more than a week ago to care for his 7-year-old daughter, who was seriously injured when she fell off a bicycle.
• REASSIGNED: The Philadelphia Phillies optioned reliever Michael Schwimer to the franchise’s AAA team last week. After making his MLB debut last season, the 26-year-old hurler spent most of Spring Training 2012 with the Phillies, where he recorded a 3.86 ERA and one save in four-and-two-thirds innings.
• CONTRACT TALKS: Ian Kinsler is in talks with the Texas Rangers about extending his contract. His current contract ends after this season, although the team has a $10-million option for 2013.
• CONFIDENT: After hitting .311 and placing 3rd in balloting for A.L. Rookie of the Year in 2010, the 2011 season was a “humbling” one for Danny Valencia. But the Minnesota Twins 3B says he’s regained some confidence and is trying to have fun again on the field.

# # #

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Buying something on Amazon.com? Show us some love — use our Amazon link!

 ——————————————————————————————————————————————-

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

Given that he’s the reigning National League MVP, you might think Ryan Braun would be tearing up Spring Training pitching.

And you would be wrong.

Opening Day is little more than a week away, but 2012 already has already delivered a few surprises, as well as some more predictable performances.

The Surprising

• John Grabow has yet to give up an earned run. After a second mediocre season in Wrigley Field made him a target of fan frustration, the nine-year veteran seemed on the verge of Washed Up, and the best he could get for 2012 was a minor-league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But now, Grabow has a fighting chance at filling the final spot in the Dodgers’ regular-season bullpen. In six appearances this Spring, the 33-year-old has given up no runs, one walk, and only four hits across six innings, while striking out 7.
• In Arizona, veteran reliever Craig Breslow has been outperformed by a low-level minor leaguer. With a lifetime ERA of 3.06, the odds are good that Breslow will find his form during the regular season, but so far this Spring he’s been ineffective, running up a 7.11 ERA in five appearances. The real shocker has been teammate Brett Lorin, a 6’7″ starter who has yet to play even Double-A ball yet. In 7 relief appearances this Spring, the 24-year-old is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA, five strikeouts, and nary a single walk.
• Minor-leaguer Nate Freiman has 5 RBIs in just 5 at-bats. He’s yet to reach Double-A. He wasn’t on the San Diego Padres’ Spring Training roster, or among its non-roster invitees. But the 6’7″ first baseman has made the most of his limited opportunities this Spring. In 3 appearances, none of them as a starter, Freiman hit a three-run HR, an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly. Only two Jewish players — Danny Valencia (7 RBIs, 45 at-bats), and Ike Davis (6 RBIs, 35 at-bats) have driven in more runs.
• Ryan Braun is hitting just .095. Narrowly escaping a 50-game suspension under MLB’s drug policy probably hasn’t helped Braun’s psyche any. But who would expect the N.L.’s 2011 MVP to have just 2 hits in 21 at-bats so far this Spring? To be fair, the Milwaukee Brewers’ 28-year-old left fielder has drawn 6 walks, giving him a respectable if modest .321 on-base percentage. Still…
• The “other” Ryan is hitting .455. Boston Red Sox C Ryan Lavarnway, who made his Major League debut last August, has always swung a good bat. But his performance this Spring will make the Red Sox think twice about sending him down to AAA next week.

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Buying something on Amazon.com? Show us some love — use our Amazon link!

 ——————————————————————————————————————————————-

The Predictable

• Ian Kinsler is off to a fast start, hitting .368 with 3 HRs and 5 RBIs.
• Sam Fuld is hitting .217, identical to his average across seven MLB Spring Trainings. Notwithstanding his remarkable start last April, Super Sam hits only slight better during the regular season, with a career average of .244.
• Jason Marquis is struggling with his control. In 4 Spring stars, the newly-arrived Minnesota Twin is 1-1 with an 8.53 ERA, and he’s walked nearly twice as many batters (9) as he’s struck out (5).

Hitters

Pitchers

# # #

By Scott Barancik/Jewish Baseball News

Spring Training 2012 is in its second week, and a number of Jewish players are in the mix.

Fifteen Jews — including 6 pitchers and 9 position players — were invited to participate in Major League Baseball’s annual rite this year. They include all 13 who played MLB ball in 2011, plus former major league OF Ryan Kalish (Boston Red Sox) and current minor league P Brett Lorin (Arizona Diamondbacks). Fourteen of the 15 are on their teams’ 40-man roster. P John Grabow, who recently signed a minor-league contract with the Los Angeles dodgers, is the lone non-roster invitee.

The Boston Red Sox have the highest Jewish population of any team at Spring Training, with three players, followed by the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers, each with two.

Through games played March 10, Jewish batters were hitting a combined .253, with 2 HRs and 10 RBIs in 75 at-bats (see table below). New York Mets 1B Ike Davis led the group with a .400 average and .500 on-base percentage. Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia showed some power with a HR, two doubles, and a .357 average. National League MVP Ryan Braun was off to a slow start, with four strikeouts and just one hit in his first 8 at-bats, a home run.

Boston’s Kalish, who had off-season surgery on his neck and left shoulder, isn’t expected to play until June.

Jewish pitchers were playing admirably well. Five of the six hadn’t yielded a single run through March 10. Texas Rangers starter Scott Feldman, for example, gave up just two hits and a walk over five total innings while striking out three. Jason Marquis, a newly-minted Minnesota Twin, was the sole disappointment. He blew his first start by giving up 4 earned runs and 3 walks to the Red Sox before being removed in the 2nd inning. His second start, against the St. Louis Cardinals, was modestly better: Marquis gave up 1 earned run on 3 hits and 2 walks over 3 innings.

Following are player stats through games played March 10:

To track the performance of Jewish players during Spring Training, check the Jewish Box Score on our home page every day.

# # #

Buying something on Amazon.com? Show us some love by clicking our Amazon link beforehand

Jason Kipnis

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Highly-touted Cleveland Indians prospect Jason Kipnis will be the newest Jewish major-leaguer.

Shortly after today’s announcement of his impending promotion from the “AAA” Columbus Clippers (7/21/2011), MLB.com reported that Kipnis could make his MLB debut as early as Friday (7/22/2011).

“It’s time!” the 24-year-old wrote on his Twitter feed earlier today. “I’m coming Cleveland!”

The promotion did not come as a surprise. Drafted in 2009, Kipnis has quickly risen through the minor-league ranks. Through Wednesday’s games, the Illinois native led the “AAA” International League in triples (9) while ranking 2nd in runs scored (64), 7th in total bases (164), 10th in walks (44/tied), 12th in RBIs (55), and 17th in stolen bases (12).

Among the honors Kipnis already has received this season: a Player of the Week award, a starting slot in the AAA all-star game, and selection to the prestigious XM Futures Game, in which he homered.

Where Kipnis will play for the first-place Indians is an intriguing question. An outfielder through 2009, the franchise switched him to second base last year. But MLB.com says the Tribe’s greater need at present is in the outfield.

Friday’s home game against the Chicago White Sox will begin at 7:05pm EST.

Three  Jews made their ML B debuts last season: Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia, who finished 3rd in voting for the A.L. Rookie of the Year; New York Mets 1B Ike Davis, who finished 7th in the N.L. Rookie of the Year vote; and Boston Red Sox CF Ryan Kalish.

###
Planning to make a purchase at Amazon.com? Support Jewish Baseball News by using our link, below. It costs you nothing, and we earn a small commission.

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your MLB highlights for games played on Saturday (7/3/2011), plus an update on each player mentioned:

• Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia had the go-ahead hit in a come-from-behind, 9-7 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, going 2/4 with a double and two RBIs. The Brewers had led the Twins by as much as 5 runs early in the game. But when Valencia hit a bases-loaded single in the 7th inning and Twins LF Mark Kotsay misplayed the ball (see video), Valencia landed on third base and all three runners scored, putting the Twins ahead 9-7. Coincidentally, Kotsay was filling in for Brewers LF Ryan Braun, who was out with a strained left calf. Player update: Valencia, who finished 3rd in the 2010 A.L. Rookie of the Year contest while batting .311, has struggled both at the plate (he is hitting .225) and in the field (3 more errors so far) in his sophomore season. Through 293 at-bats, the 26-year-old Miami native has matched many of the offensive stats he had in 299 at-bats last year, including runs, triples, HRs, RBIs, and walks. But he has hit 37 percent fewer singles (down from 67 to 42), and 22 percent fewer doubles (down from 18 to 14).
• Valencia wasn’t the only Jewish ballplayer to put his team ahead Saturday. Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis made the Houston Astros regret their decision to intentionally walk Boston 1B Adrian Gonzalez in the top of the 9th inning when he drew a bases-loaded walk (see video), leading the Sox to a 2-1 win. For the day, Youk went 1/4 with a single and scored a run on an errant throw, possibly reinjuring his sore right ankle (see video). Player update: Youkilis, coming off a year in which he missed one-third of all games with injuries, is hitting just .271, his lowest average since his rookie year in 2004 (.260), and is hitting into too many double plays. But there are many positive notes. Because he is drawing walks at a personal-record pace, his on-base percentage (.392, 7th in A.L.) is on par with his career average. Youk’s 57 RBIs are 6th in the A.L. And his after hitting just .218 in April, he hit .293 in May and .289 in June. One lingering concern is the gap between his batting average this season at Fenway Park (.370) and everywhere else (.185).
• Batting leadoff, Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler had a stellar day on offense, notching 2 singles, a walk, and 2 stolen bases, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a 6-4 loss to the Florida Marlins. Kinsler also made this acrobatic catch and tag to nix Marlins RF Mike Stanton’s steal attempt. Player update: After an injury-plagued 2010 season in which he played only 103 games, Kinsler has recovered some of the HR power (12 HRs in 303 at-bats) and base-stealing skill (18 SBs, 8th-best in the A.L.) he displayed in his breakout 2009 season, when he became the second Jewish player in history to record at least 30 HRs and 30 SBs in a single season. He hit 2 HRs on 6/29/2011 — the eighth 2-HR game of his career but the first since 8/27/2009 — and has 4 in his past 10 games. And although he is hitting a career-low .241 (vs. a career average of .276), he is striking out less than ever and is poised to crush his personal walks record. As a result, Kinsler’s on-base percentage this season (.359) is on par with his career average (.356).
• In his worst start of the season, Washington Nationals P Jason Marquis gave up 6 earned runs and 8 hits over just 1-and-a-third innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates cruised to a 10-2 victory. The loss dropped his record to 7-3 and plumped his ERA to 4.11. Player update: Despite Saturday’s game, Marquis is enjoying his best season since 2004, when he went 15-7 with the St. Cardinals, and a remarkable turnaround from his injury-plagued 2010 season, when he went 2-9 with a 6.60 ERA before succumbing to elbow surgery. The 32-year-old Manhasset, N.Y., native is walking fewer batters than ever before; striking out twice as many batters as he walks, which is well above his career average; and has given up a career-low 7 HRs so far. But it’s somewhat concerning that opposing batters are hitting a robust .294 against him.

# # #
Planning to make a purchase at Amazon.com? Support Jewish Baseball News by using our link, below. It costs you nothing, and the few nickles we receive will help us keep the lights on.

Click here to cast up to 25 ballots

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The good news is that all six Jewish non-pitchers in the MLB this season are on the 2011 All-Star ballot.

The bad news? Two of the 6 are competing for a single slot.

Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox and Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins are among 14 men vying to play Third Base for the A.L. squad on July 12:

Unlike King Solomon, you can split this baby in two. A fan can cast up to 25 All-Star ballots per e-mail address under the MLB’s permissive rules, and there’s nothing stopping you from using multiple e-mail addresses, except perhaps your job, family, or good sense.

In short, you can cast half your votes for Youkilis and half for Valencia, if you wish.

But that’s jumping the gun. Who should the Jewish baseball fan for vote: Valencia? Youkilis? None of the above? Jewish Baseball News invites you to submit your opinion here or on our Facebook page.

Before you do so, here’s some food for thought:

• If you think Jewish fans should support Jewish players above all else, then your choice is between Youkilis and Valencia.
• Best arguments for Youkilis: he ranks 2nd among the 14 candidates in HRs (5/tie), 3rd in runs scored (16), and 4th in RBIs (17). His batting average may be weak (.232), but his .396 on-base percentage is tops among the 14 candidates and tied for 10th best in the A.L.
• Best arguments for Valencia: he finished 3rd in the A.L. Rookie of the Year race last season but didn’t appear on the All-Star ballot because he wasn’t called up until June. Now is the time to recognize him for an excellent 2010.
• If you think the All-Star Game should feature the season’s very best players regardless of religion, at least two deserve consideration. Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers is on pace to hit better than 35 HRs and 120 RBIs this season, and despite his power, he has struck out just 11 times in 124 at-bats. Maicer Izturis of the Los Angeles Angels is ranked 6th in the A.L. in batting (.340) and 5th in doubles (10).

Other random facts to confound you:

• Youkilis has played in 2 prior All-Star Games (2008, 2009, and Beltre in one (2010). Valencia and Izturis have yet never been selected.
• Youkilis is playing 3B regularly for the first time since 2009. He won a Gold Glove at 1B in 2007.
• Itzuris has played only five games at 3B this season. He’s played 11 at SS, 3 at 2B, and 3 at DH.

Not sure who to vote for? Don’t worry. It’s just an All-Star Game. But remember: many player contracts include a bonus for All-Star appearances.

###

Make life easier. Get Jewish Baseball News headlines automatically.

‘Like’ us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Track us via Google Reader

Click here to cast your votes

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Voting began yesterday (4/26/2011) for the 2011 All-Star Game, and all 6 Jewish position players were on the ballot.

The six include:

• Tampa Bay Rays OF Sam Fuld
• Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun
• New York Mets 1B Ike Davis
• Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia
• Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis
• Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler

Fans can vote online by going here, and up to 25 times .

All-Star pitchers are selected by team managers, so the fate of Jewish throwers like Oakland A’s reliever Craig Breslow, Washington Nationals starter Jason Marquis and Chicago Cubs reliever John Grabow remains to be seen.

The biggest surprise on the list is the selection of Sam Fuld, who began the season a virtual unknown but has grown famous for his aggressive baserunning, daring catches and surprisingly productive hitting. MLB.com’s article on the All-Star ballot even mentions him:

Could the amazing first-month story of Rays outfielder Sam Fuld carry momentum through the voting?

As they say in Chicago, vote early and often.

###

Make life easier. Get Jewish Baseball News headlines automatically.

‘Like’ us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Track us via Google Reader

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — There was another display of Maccabee Power in Major League Baseball yesterday (4/23/2011).

Four Jewish ballplayers — Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun, New York Mets 1B Ike Davis, Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia, and Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis — hit HRs, along with a combined 8 RBIs.

It’s no fluke. Through Saturday (4/23/2011), baseball’s six Jewish position players had hit a total of 23 HRs in 431 at-bats, or one in every 18.7 at-bats. By contrast, according to Jewish Baseball News calculations, non-Jewish players had a combined 526 HRs in 20,230 at-bats, or one in every 38.5 at-bats.

The comparison is ever-so-slightly skewed, because the non-Jewish totals include at-bats by pitchers, who typically are not HR hitters. Even so, it’s likely that Jewish position players are out-homering their non-Jewish counterparts roughly 2-to-1.

Leading the way for the Maccabees are Braun, who is tied for the National League lead with 7 HRs, and Kinsler, who has 5.

Several Jewish players are on a hot streak. Davis has homered in each of his last 3 games, Braun in 3 of his last 4, and Youkilis in 4 of his last 8.

The player with the least round-trippers is Sam Fuld, with one. But Fuld has nothing to be ashamed of. He leads the American League in stolen bases (10), ranks 4th in batting average (.365), and is tied for 2nd in triples (2),

###

Make life easier. Get Jewish Baseball News headlines automatically.

‘Like’ us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Track us via Google Reader

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — On the first night of Passover (4/18/2011), five Jewish batters split the defense like the Red Sea, batting a collective .650.

Every player had at least 2 hits, and each one saw his team win. Tampa Bay Rays OF Sam Fuld vaulted to first place in batting average among American Leaguers.

No word on how players of Egyptian descent performed.

Here is an overview of this special night for the Jews, player by player:

• Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun singled 3 times, walked once, hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 12th inning, and drove in 2 runs in a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. For the season, Braun is batting .357 (10th in the National League) with 4 HRs and 11 RBIs. He is ranked 5th in the league both in on-base percentage (.471) and OPS (1.096), which combines on-base percentage with slugging percentage.
• Tampa Bay Rays OF Sam Fuld continued his red-hot streak, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, three singles, and yet another diving catch in a 5-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. He leads the American League in batting average (.396) and has 1 HR and 5 RBIs. He ranks 1st in stolen bases (7), 5th both in on-base percentage (.431) and OPS (1.035), and 6th in slugging percentage (.604).
• Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler (2B) doubled, tripled, and walked twice in a 7-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Angels. It was the best performance in weeks for Kinsler, who began the season like gangbusters but has been slumping. For the season, he is hitting just .196 with 4 HRs and 8 RBIs. Thanks to 12 walks, he has a solid on-base percentage of .357.
• Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia singled and scored twice and drove in a run in a 5-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. For the season, Valencia is hitting .236 with 1 HR and 6 RBIs.
• Boston Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis homered (see video), doubled, and drove in 2 runs in a 9-1 trouncing of the Toronto Blue Jays. Youkilis is batting .213 with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs. The aptly-named “Greek God of Walks” is tied for the league lead with 15 and is ranked 8th in on-base percentage (.422).

To mangle a phrase: Next year in the World Series!

###

Make life easier. Get Jewish Baseball News headlines automatically.

‘Like’ us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Track us via Google Reader

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The Tampa Bay Rays played the Minnesota Twins on Friday night (4/15/2011), but for Jewish baseball fans, the game had a subplot: which team’s Jewish player would perform better?

Both contributed.

Twins 3B Danny Valencia, off to a slow start this season after finishing 3rd in last year’s A.L. Rookie of the Year contest, hit an RBI double over the head of Rays centerfielder B.J. Upton in the 5th inning to put the Twins up 2-0.

Rays LF Sam Fuld went 3/4 with a double and two singles, raising his team-high batting average to .366.

Twice, the two players went head-to-head. Fuld caught Valencia’s pop fly in the top of the 7th inning. In the bottom of the inning, Valencia got revenge, tagging Fuld out as he tried to steal 3rd base. (Fuld, who leads the American League with 7 stolen bases this season, was caught stealing twice Friday by Twins catcher Drew Butera.)

In the end, the Rays prevailed 5-2. But Jewish Baseball News tips its yarmulke to both players.

# # #

Make life easier. Get Jewish Baseball News headlines automatically.

‘Like’ us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Track us via Google Reader

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Three games into the 2011 season, Jewish players are aiming for the seats.

On Sunday alone (4/3/2011) they hit four, raising the season total to 7 in 54 at-bats, or roughly one HR every 8 at-bats.

For comparison’s sake, in 2010 players across all of major-league baseball hit 4,613 HRs in 165,354 at-bats, about one HR in every 36 at-bats.

Leading the way for the Jews of 2011 is Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler. The 5th-year player has hit a dinger in each of his team’s 3 games (including this one on Sunday), tying him with three others for the major-league lead. Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun has 2 HRs so far; Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia and New York Mets 1B Ike Davis each have one.

Nine Jewish players made it onto opening-day rosters this season, including six position players and three pitchers.

# # #

Make life easier. Get Jewish Baseball News headlines automatically.

‘Like’ us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Track us via Google Reader

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — The 2011 MLB season opened Thursday (3/31/2011), and Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun started things off on the right foot.

Braun, 27, went 2/3 with a long blast over the center-field fence, two walks, and 3 runs scored in a 7-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. In 2010, Braun went 2/4 on Opening Day, with a double, sacrifice fly, and two RBIs.

Braun is one of 9 Jewish players to make this year’s Opening Day rosters. They are:

• 3B Danny Valencia (Minnesota Twins)
• 2B Ian Kinsler (Texas Rangers)
• 1B Ike Davis (New York Mets)
• 3B Kevin Youkilis (Boston Red Sox)
• CF Sam Fuld (Tampa Bay Rays)
• P Jason Marquis (Washington Nationals)
• P John Grabow (Chicago Cubs)
• P Craig Breslow (Oakland A’s)
• LF Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers)

Several players who were on major-league teams in 2010 didn’t make an Opening Day roster this year. The Boston Red Sox sent LF Ryan Kalish to the team’s AAA affiliate, the Los Angeles Dodgers cut RF Gabe Kapler, and Texas Rangers P Scott Feldman is on the disabled list.

# # #

Make life easier. Get Jewish Baseball News headlines automatically.

‘Like’ us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Track us via Google Reader

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Daily Highlights for Wednesday (3/16/2011):

It took Tampa Bay Rays CF Sam Fuld just one game to more than double his spring batting average. In a 6-3 win over the Florida Marlins, the “defensive specialist” went 3/3 with a double, 2 RBIs, and a stolen base, boosting his batting average from .091 to a more palatable .200. Fuld, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs during the off-season, is fighting for a spot on the Rays’ opening-day roster.

Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia continued his hot streak, going 2/2 in a 4-3 triumph over the New York Mets. Valencia, who finished 3rd in last year’s A.L. Rookie of the Year voting, is hitting .393 with 4 doubles, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, and a .452 on-base percentage.

Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler doubled, stole a base, and scored 2 runs in an 11-10 loss to the Colorado Rockies. In an early display of power and speed that were largely absent during his injury-plagued 2010 season, Kinsler is hitting .378 with 4 doubles, 5 HRs, 9 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, and a .477 slugging percentage.

Boston Red Sox RF Ryan Kalish singled, walked, and stole his 3rd base of the spring in a 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Coming off his rookie season, Kalish is batting .238 with 1 double, 1 RBI, and a .319 on-base percentage.

# # #

Make life easier. Get Jewish Baseball News headlines automatically.

‘Like’ us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Track us via Google Reader

JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Daily Highlights for Monday (3/14/2011):

Texas Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler continued his sizzling spring, smacking a single and a double in a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 34 at-bats, the sixth-year pro is batting .382 with a league-leading 5 HRs and a team-high 9 RBIs and .912 slugging percentage. His on-base percentage is .475.

Minnesota Twins 3B Danny Valencia hit his first HR of the spring in a 9-0 drubbing of the Florida Marlins (see video). In 26 at-bats, the second-year player is batting .346 with 4 doubles, 5 RBIs, and a .414 on-base percentage.

Washington Nationals P Jason Marquis, just off a miserable season in which he had surgery on his elbow, had yet another strong spring start, giving up just 3 hits and one earned run over five innings in a 4-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. In 12 innings, Marquis has a 0.75 ERA with 8 strikeouts and has held opposing teams to a .158 batting average. He has given up just 6 hits and 3 walks.

# # #

Make your life easier. Get Jewish Baseball News headlines automatically!

‘Like’ us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Track us via Google Reader