Greenberg Goes To Shul
It was 75 years ago.
In 1934 in my city of Detroit, a survey revealed that 33.1 percent of male Jews in the area were proprietors, managers, and officials and had a median income of $1,638.
Brooklyn’s Best Go West
The coliseum could house over 100,000 fans. On Opening Day the Dodgers drew 78,672 paying fans – almost double what their beloved former home, Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, could accommodate.
2010 Season Preview
As we clean for Pesach, several players will be cleaning out their lockers after being released by teams paring down their rosters for Opening Day.
Random Thoughts between Seasons
There were 15 Jews in the major leagues during the 2013 season, but only a few from a Jewish mother.
Andy Pafko: My Number One
Pafko was a much-sought-after autograph signer at card shows through the years and would frequently appear at Cubs games in Wrigley Field, leading the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch.
What I Did On My ‘Mancation’
Last year I told you about my "mancation" (men only) to a city to check out its Jewish community and major league team and ballpark. Last year it was Pittsburgh and Cincinnati; this year's first "mancation" destination was Cleveland.
Random Thoughts A Month Into The Season
A local Orthodox attendance record was set at Detroit's Comerica Park on Sunday Chol Hamoed Pesach as an estimated 500 frum fans were in the stands. They saw a good game as the Tigers downed the White Sox 3-0 on a beautiful sunny day. Seven families from my shul returned with suntans and they reported many shuls were represented in all sections of the downtown ballpark, about a 20-minute ride from my dugout.
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.
A True American Hero
Those of us who grew up when television was considered kosher in its black and white days remember "The Stratton Story," a 1949 movie that aired often on TV in the '50s starring Jimmy Stewart as Chicago White Sox pitcher Monty Stratton, who lost a leg in an off-season hunting accident in 1938 near his Greenville, Texas home.
The Joys Of Spring Training
In 1870 the Chicago White Stockings headed south to New Orleans for preseason workouts.
Wiping Off The Old Crystal Ball For 2009
The baseball spotlight, as always, is on New York.
Spring Training Musings
The big news this spring is that the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals will be leaving their old spring homes north of Port St. Lucie and moving south to a beautiful new complex scheduled to open in two years in West Palm Beach.
Play Ball!
The 2008 baseball season is finally here. These are my predictions:
Another Season Goes Into The Books
Forget the results. The 2009 World Series featured the two best teams in baseball. In the old days, the Series always had the best team in the American League against the best team in the National League. But with the advent of two rounds of league playoffs, a good but not great team that has a hot week or two can find itself in the World Series.
Postseason Picks
A huge Mets fan from Brooklyn moved to my town (Oak Park, Michigan.) and settled in a few houses from me. Walking home from shul the other day, he took issue with my picking, in last month's column, the Mets to finish fourth in the National League East.
A Look Back At ’08
The year is passing quickly. The balls and bats, the lulavim and esrogim, the Phillies World Series memorabilia - all have been put away, and it's time to look back on the 2008 baseball season.
Baseball’s Back!
Bryce Harper may be the best player in baseball, but Washington can't match the starting pitching depth of the Mets over a long season, so look for the Mets to win the N.L. Eastern Division.
Jackie Robinson And Hank Greenberg: Forever Linked
While Pittsburgh embraced Greenberg, Robinson had a more mixed reception in Brooklyn. The borough’s Jewish fans welcomed him, as did most of the rest of the Ebbets Field faithful.
Baseball Shakes Off Its Winter Slumber
Baseball is back. And for the first time, half the 30 major league clubs are holding spring training in the Phoenix area.
A Pair Of Pitchers… And Some Welcome Changes
Craig Breslow and Jason Marquis will be wearing different uniforms this season.
The two pitchers also share a unique trait among those labeled “Jewish players” by the media: Breslow and Marquis both have two Jewish parents.
The Greatest World Series Finish Ever
It was a half-century ago but I still have vivid memories of 1960.
Television was still considered kosher and my favorite shows were mostly westerns.
Kaddish For Barney Dreyfuss
"Who are you saying Kaddish for today?" one of the kollel young men asked.
Spring’s Almost Here
With spring training almost upon us, our attention turns to Arizona (Cactus League) and Florida (Grapefruit League).
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.
Ball Fields And Battlefields, 1948
The year was1948 and a great baseball season was unfolding.
Jews And The Early Years Of Baseball
At the time the first player with the last name Cohen was playing in the major leagues. Pitching under the name Harry Kane, he made his big league debut a year earlier in 1902 with the St. Louis Browns of the American League.
Play Ball!
Shai Abramson, chief cantor of the IDF, belted out the national anthem while Mets and Cardinals players stood at attention.
One Hundred Years Ago
In 1914 Mayer became the first Jewish pitcher to win 20 games in a big league season, posting a 21-9 record with a superb earned run average of 2.58.
The Jewish Ed Mayer
I always seemed to end up with, what they call in card-collecting circles, "commons." To me, Ed Mayer was even less than a common.
Fifty Years Writing About Baseball
A chance phone call to a sports call-in radio program would change the course of my life. But it wasn't by chance. It was orchestrated by Hashem.
Headlines
Latest News Stories
Recommended Today
Sponsored Posts
