Eighty Years Ago On Two Sides Of The Atlantic
Rewind eight decades to 1933.
That year marked the rise of the greatest villain of our time and the biggest Jewish sports hero of all time.
Congrats To The Cubs
Ed Mierkowicz, 92, is the last surviving player from the 1945 World Series between the Cubs and the Detroit Tigers.
Meet the Israeli Olympians: Rhythmic Gymnastics – Neta Rivkin
Video: Neta Rivkin, a returning Olympian in rhythmic gymnastics, sees participating in London 2012 and winning a medal as the fulfillment of a long-term dream. Her beautiful yet difficult training sessions show how she is preparing to make her dream come true.
PKS Returns To Serve Kosher Delights At The U.S. Open
After a successful run in previous years and a staple vendor at numerous stadium venues, PKS is once again taking center court to provide a unique and satisfying dining experience for all attendees.
Fantasy Come True
Seventy-eight degrees and sunny.
That's what it was that Thursday afternoon in November when I arrived in Tampa, site of the Yankees Fantasy Camp.
After checking into the Sheraton Suites where the campers were staying for the Monday through Saturday camp, I shuttled to George M. Steinbrenner Field (where the Yanks play during spring training and also the home of the Tampa Yankees, three levels below the major leagues), to join the camp in progress.
Florida Musings
Those of us who winter in the Orthodox enclave of Century Village in West Palm Beach are lucky to be so close to Florida's finest baseball facility, which boasts many stars and superstars.
The Marlins’ Coming New Stadium And More
While there are great rates on fares to the Miami area this time of year, it's not a place most people want to visit in the summer, unless, of course, they have relatives or good friends to visit or a simcha to attend.
Baseball Trivia
Of all the audiences I’ve spoken to, the Boynton Beach guys were among the best informed on baseball history and trivia.
Maccabee On A Mission
YU Star Balances Full-Time Job, Marriage, Early Practices, Daf Yomi, and College Classes In Championship Quest
Rocky Colavito, A Mid-Century Champion
On the last day of spring training in 1960, Colavito, his fans and the baseball world were shocked as he was traded to Detroit for Harvey Kuenn.
Remembering Bobby Thomson
Those of us who were around then will never forget that afternoon 59 years ago.
Remembering The ‘Yiddish Infielder’
It was the 20th yahrzeit of Andy Cohen (no relation) recently, and he was remembered by some of the fans in my favorite shul.
Basketball Semifinals: Lobos vs. Yak Pak, Hawke & Co. vs. Jerry’s Kids
Lobos will meet Hawke & Co. in the finals, and attempt to pick up their second consecutive championship title.
All-Star Musings And Memories
Hope everyone enjoyed this year's All-Star Game, which was played on Tuesday this week, after this column was prepared.
Spring’s Almost Here
With spring training almost upon us, our attention turns to Arizona (Cactus League) and Florida (Grapefruit League).
The Man And His Book
In the four years-plus I've been writing this column, I've received many questions from readers. This month would be a good time to showcase some of the more popular questions and tell you of a book about an Orthodox Jew in the baseball field.
Remembering The Year Of The Bird
They asked me about him for so long that I didn't get a chance to interview or take any pictures of players.
Those Who Left Us
As of early December, some 72 former major leaguers had died in 2012. The number is much higher than any of us would have guessed.
Baseball, Finances, And A Senator Named Bunning
Baseball fans know C. C. Sabathia signed a $161-million, seven-year contract with the Yankees. Not many fans know C. C. is short for Carsten Charles.
Ruminations On The 2014 Season
The two World Series combatants, the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants, were Wild Card teams (meaning they didn't win their respective divisions) that got hot at the right time.
Lina Glushko is Sole Israeli to Reach 2024 US Open Qualifying Lists
Born in Israel to Ukrainian parents, Sergio and Olga, who migrated to Israel a year before her birth, Lina was introduced to tennis at a young age. Her parents, both tennis coaches, played a pivotal role in nurturing her talent.
Red Sox Hires Orthodox Jew as New Chief Baseball Officer
Chaim Bloom, 36, who spent 15 years with the Tampa Bay Rays, will be “responsible for all baseball operations matters” for the team.
May 16, 1954
It was a great game and the Tigers held on to win 7-6. We had a good view of 19-year-old skinny rookie Al Kaline in right field. Kaline singled in four attempts and Harry Agganis and Ted Williams each had three hits. The second game was even more interesting.
Hammerin’ Hank’s 100th
January 1 will be the 100th anniversary of the birth of Hank Greenberg. And Greenberg's 25th yahrzeit will be marked next August.
Lipsky Fights To Semifinals In Mixed Doubles At Australian Open
Favored to win his match, Lipsky fell in two tough sets to an Austrian-Romanian duo. After flying to the opposite side of the world, losing a first round match was not the best result.
Thirty Years Since Billy Martin’s Car Crash
Martin broke into the major leagues with the New York Yankees in 1950, the same year I started following baseball as a youngster in Detroit.
If You Like My Column, You’ll Love My Book
Let me tell you about my new book.
Like you, I’m interested in Jewish baseball players and Jewish history. So, after years of research, first-hand observations and interviews, I combined the aforementioned information from the post-civil war era to the present and came up with a book titled Jewish History in the Time of Baseball's Jews: Life on Both Sides of the Ocean.
A Century Ago In Baseball
Al Schacht quickly became a fan favorite with his before-game entertainment imitating the mannerisms of other players.
Play Ball!
Gone are the days of the big games between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox as the BoSox are more in a rebuilding phase and have their best pitcher, Chris Sale, out for the season because of surgery.
Forty Years Ago In The MLB
The coming days and weeks provided even better post World Series news. I would be getting a World Series ring with my name on it and a check with a nice amount and my name on it.