Tagged: Gabe Kapler
Daily Minyan – June 24, 2009
On this date in 1947 – The Dodgers win 4-2
over the Pirates as Jackie Robinson swipes
home for the first of 19 times in his career.
I’m pretty sure that none of these guys have ever stolen
home, but I wouldn’t put it past Ian Kinsler to accomplish it.
Let’s see how they did on Tuesday, June 23.
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers victory over the Chisox.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 0-for-3 and walked twice in the Brewers loss to
the Twins. He lowered his average to .316.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig didn’t pitch in the A’s loss to their cross-Bay rivals, the
Giants.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott didn’t pitch in the Rangers loss to the D-Backs.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates loss to the Indians.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 1-for-3, hit his 10th double of the year and walked
in the Rays loss to the Phillies. Gabe raised his batting
average to .240.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-5 and drove in a run (#49) in the
Rangers loss to the D-Backs. He also took part in
one double play. His average fell to .266.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason didn’t pitch in the Rockies loss to the Angels.
Aaron Poreda, P – Chicago White Sox
Aaron pitched a scoreless 9th inning in the ChiSox loss to the
Dodgers, giving up 2 hits and striking out 1. His ERA remains
a perfect 0.00.
Aaron deserves a bagel and lox for his continued excellence.
Oy vey, that looks tasty!!
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott didn’t pitch in the D-Backs win over the Rangers.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 2-for-5, hit his 17th double of the
year, drove in 2 runs, scored 2 runs and of
course, he walked in the BoSox victory over the
Nats. He raised his average
to .318.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Kevin Youkilis
Daily Minyan – June 22, 2009
On this day in 1909, Harry Rosenberg was born in San
Francisco, CA
- Debut July 15, 1930
- Final Game September 20, 1930
- Born June 22, 1909 in San Francisco, CA
- Died April 13, 1997 in San Mateo, CA
While working as a shovel operator in San Francisco, in 1930,
he tried out for the San Francisco Missions and made the
club, continuing to work his job in construction in the
mornings.
His first year, Rosenberg displayed superb range in center
field and hit .368, sixth in the Pacific Coast League. John
McGraw scouted Harry and was impressed. The New York
Giants purchased Rosenberg’s contract for $35,000-50,000.
He initially refused to sign, unless he got a $5,000 bonus, but
eventually he joined New York without a bonus.
As with other Jewish players signed by McGraw, there was a
lot of publicity in New York, but Rosenberg only played in nine
games and got five at-bats. After walking in his first plate
appearance, he never got another walk or a hit, but he did
score a run.
Rosenberg would not return to the majors. In 1931 he played
for the Newark Bears, hitting .284, then with the Bridgeport
Bees (.329) and the Indianapolis Indians (.330) to complete a
busy year. In 1932, Rosenberg hit .318 for the Indians,
then .281 the next season. He also appeared for the Fort
Worth Cats (.325) in ’33. With Indianapolis full-time in 1934,
Harry batted .329. He returned to the PCL to stay in 1935
when he signed with the Sacramento Solons and posted
a .354 average, around 8th in the league. Back with the
Missions in ’36 and ’37, Harry hit .334 and .330; he was
fourth in the Coast League in the latter campaign.
In 1938, Rosenberg hit .320 for the Portland Beavers, then
followed that with years of .331 and .314 for the club. Moving
to the Hollywood Stars in 1941, Harry had a .286 average,
his first full season with a team in which he hit under .300.
After not playing in 1942, he finished his career by
batting .362 for the 1943 San Francisco Seals.
I’m pretty sure that these guys will have a longer career than
Harry, so let’s see how they did on Sunday, June 21.
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and 2 sacrifice bunts in the
Dodgers victory over the Angels. He lowered his average
to .302.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan had a rare bad day at the plate went 0-for-4 in the
Brewers loss to the Tigers and lowered his average to .320.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig pitched 2/3 of an inning but allowed a single to Tony
Gwynn, Jr., who scored on Kevin Kouzmanoff’s 2-run homer
in the 8th inning of the the A’s loss to Padres. He raised
his ERA to 4.72.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott didn’t pitch in the Rangers loss to the Giants.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates loss to the Rockies.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe entered the Rays victory against the Mets as a pinch
hitter for Gabe Gross in the 7th inning and hit a double to
drive in a run and the next inning he hit a sacrifice fly to drive
in another run. Nice work!! Gabe raised his batting average
to .237. He also earned a pastrami sandwich from Katz’s
Deli.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 0-for-2, walked twice and was doubled
up on first in the Rangers loss to the Giants. His
average is now .267.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason didn’t pitch in the Rockies win over the Pirates.
Aaron Poreda, P – Chicago White Sox
Aaron didn’t pitch in the ChiSox win over the Reds.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott pitched to one Mariners’s batter, 1B Mike Carp, who
got a hit and came around to score later in the inning, but of
course he was charged with the earned run because that is
how baseball works. Thus, his ERA rose to 3.75.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk, playing third, went 1-for-4, singled,
reached on an error, scored a run and was
caught stealing in the BoSox victory over the
Braves. He lowered his average to .316.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Gabe Kapler
Daily Minyan – June 17, 2009
In looking at the boxscores from June 17, I saw
that Scott Schoeneweis was listed as pitching,
but somehow I missed the fact that he returned
on June 9!!! Please join me in welcoming him
back!!!
Here is the complete text of an AP article about his return.
Schoeneweis returns to Diamondbacks
PHOENIX (AP)–Pitcher Scott Schoeneweis returned to the Arizona
Diamondbacks’ active roster on Tuesday, 21 days after the death of his wife.
The club reinstated the lefty reliever from the restricted list and optioned
another left-hander, Daniel Schlereth, to Double-A Mobile in a corresponding
move.
Schoeneweis said he felt it was time to return to work after spending the last
three weeks tending to the couple’s four children and handling other matters.
“The family’s good, and it’s time for daddy to go back to work,” Schoeneweis
said before the Diamondbacks played host to the San Francisco Giants.
Authorities have not determined a cause of death for Gabrielle Schoeneweis,
39, who was found dead in the couple’s home in suburban Fountain Hills on
May 20.
Schoeneweis said he initially considered sitting out the rest of the season
before deciding he needed to return.
“It’s something that I would feel unfinished for me, personally,” he said. “I think
my wife would want me to play as well.
“I wanted to make sure that my kids were OK, first, obviously,” he said. “They
have been doing well. I had a lot of things to take care of. I needed the time to
get those things taken care of. I kind of put myself on the back burner. It’s been
kind of tough on me recently. I’m running out of things to do. 8:30 at night,
everybody’s asleep.”
Schoeneweis said he’s relying on family and friends to help him care for the
family’s children. He and Gabrielle had three children together, and she also
had a daughter before she married the reliever. The couple celebrated their
10th anniversary in January.
Schoeneweis had visited Chase Field several times since his wife’s death but
had not spoken publicly. He tuned up for his return with bullpen sessions and by
throwing an inning of extending spring training last Friday.
“We’re happy to see him and get him back on our club,” manager A.J. Hinch
said. “Obviously, we still have heavy hearts for him. I know he’s going through a
lot.
“As his second family here, we’re certainly thrilled to have him back, and we’ll
provide any support that he needs as his life gets back underway and the
normal schedule that he’s used to in a baseball life,” Hinch said.
Schoeneweis told Hinch that he was available to pitch Tuesday night, when the
Diamondbacks opened a three-game series against the Giants. Schoeneweis
spoke as if he’s looking forward to his work life returning to normal quickly.
“Baseball’s pretty distracting,” Schoeneweis said. “It takes a lot of
concentration and focus, so that’ll be good for me personally. It’ll be emotional,
I’m sure. It’s just different. It’s not the same. But it’s my job and I’m fully
confident that I can get the job done.”
Schoeneweis, acquired from the New York Mets last winter, is 0-0 with a 2.53
ERA in 19 games.
Here is an excerpt from an article about his return to the
mound.
LHP Scott Schoeneweis retired the only two batters he faced
Saturday, throwing six strikes on seven pitches, in his first
appearance since his wife, Gabrielle, was found dead of
undetermined cause in the couple’s suburban Phoenix home
on May 20. Schoeneweis, 35, was given a standing ovation
as he left the field but kept his eyes down. “I couldn’t look at
anybody,” Schoeneweis said. “I couldn’t acknowledge the
crowd. I apologize. You know the old saying, ‘There’s no
crying in baseball,’ so I just kept my head down.”
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers’ extra-inning
victory over the A’s.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 1-for-4 on Tuesday, walked once and
scored once in the Brewers win over the
Indians. His average fell to .318.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig pitched to one batter, 1B James Loney, in
the 8th inning of the A’s extra-inning loss to the
Dodgers on Tuesday and promptly walked him!
I guess he was rusty since he hadn’t pitched in
3 games. His ERA remained unchanged at
4.50.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott earned a well-deserved day of rest.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates loss to the Twins
on Tuesday.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 3-for-4, homered in his 4th straight
game, drove in four runs – which tied a career
high- and fell a double short of the cycle on
Tuesday in the Rays mashing of the Rockies.
Gabe became the third Ray to homer in four
straight games, joining Jose Canseco (five
straight in 1999)
and Julio Lugo (four in 2003)
He raised his average to .228.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian snapped out of his slump by going 3-for-4 with
two homers. He also singled and walked and
finished the game with 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs
and raised his average to .268.
Ian, who was 4-for-33 with no RBIs or runs
scored in his previous eight games, put the
Rangers ahead to stay with his fourth leadoff
homer this season. He added another solo shot in
the second off struggling Astros’ left-hander
Wandy Rodriguez.
Ian’s nine career leadoff homers are the most in
Rangers history. This was his fifth multihomer
game, and his third this season.
Manager Ron Washington never considered
taking Kinsler out of the leadoff spot.
“I have confidence in the fact that he’s been there
before and he’ll get out of it,” Washington said. “I
just hope tonight is the night that got him back
going.”
Ian gets a Chai 5 shirt and hat combo for his
efforts. He was narrowly beaten for Macher of the Day by Gabe Kapler’s
big day at Coors!
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason earned a day of rest.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is back!!!
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-4, hit his 16th double, scored
and guess what, he walked again!!
His average fell to .330.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Gabe
Kapler
Daily Minyan – June 15, 2009
On this date in 1938 – Johnny Vander Meer stuns baseball
by pitching his second successive no-hitter, defeating the
Dodgers 6-0, as Brooklyn plays the first night game ever at
Ebbets Field. In front of 38,748 fans, including spectator
Babe Ruth, Vander Meer strikes out seven and walks eight,
including three walks in the ninth.
Let’s see if any of our guys delivered a Hall of Fame performance.
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Since it was Sunday, Brad of course played! As
I have noted previously, if you want to see a
team’s backup catcher play, you have a great
shot of seeing him on a Sunday. And per
usual, Brad did quite well, he went 2-for-2, hit
his 2nd double of the year and drove in his 4th
run of the year in the Dodgers victory over the
Rangers. He also walked and was hit by a
pitch, thus, Brad reached based each time he
came to the plate!!! He must have been talking
to Youk or something!!!
He raised his average back over .300 to .317.
Additionally, he threw out his counterpart,
Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who
was trying to steal 2nd in the 8th inning.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 1-for-4, with his lone hit being his
14th double of the year, in the Brewers loss to
the ChiSox. His average fell to .313.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig didn’t pitch in the A’s loss to the Giants on
Sunday.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott earned a well-deserved day of rest.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John earned his 11th hold of the year by
pitching a scoreless 8th inning in the Pirates
win over the Tigers on Sunday. He lowered his
ERA to 3.72.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 2-for-2, homered in his third straight
game and drove in three runs for Tampa Bay in
their win over the Nats. Gabe also walked twice
and was caught trying to steal 2nd in the 8th
inning. He raised his average above the
Mendoza Line once again!
Kapler is still batting only .202 (.268 against
lefties), but he has hit three home runs since
last Monday after hitting none in his first 34
games. His pinch-hit homer off Ron Villone on
Friday sparked a 4-3 victory, and his two-run
shot in the sixth off Ross Detwiler on Sunday
tied the game at 4.
He earned a Chai 5 for this continued hot
streak.
A .291 career hitter against lefties who hit .354
against them last year at Milwaukee, Kapler
acknowledged he’s heard the carping from fans
said he’s thankful Maddon trusted in him.
“Talk radio is an interesting medium,” he said.
“But I absolutely stunk for a really nice stretch
there.
The fact I kept getting the opportunity to
go back on the field, I’m not sure how many
managers would have kept throwing me out
there.
“At the same time, I never believe I can’t get the
job done. I always believe something great is
around the corner.”
“If he was 42, I might have had some doubts,”
Maddon said. “But he’s a young man, 33, who
keeps himself in great shape. (See the picture
below – especially my female fans)
Mrs. Kapler sure seems to like him as well!
He works his butt off, so it was a matter of time.
On top of that, his track record indicates that’s
what he is like.”
There has been at least one homer hit in all 33
games this season at Tropicana Field. The only
other park in the majors to have a homer streak
since from opening day is Yankee Stadium (32
games).
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 0-for-4 in the Rangers loss to the
Dodgers on Sunday. His average continues to
sink and now is at .260.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason earned a day of rest.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his
wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 0-for-4, and guess what, he
walked again!! He didn’t score or drive
anybody in. His average fell to .331.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Brad Ausmus
Daily Minyan – June 13, 2009
On this date in 1948, Babe Ruth’s #3 is retired in front of
49,641 fans at Yankee Stadium.
Our guys might have a retired parent or two, so let’s see if any of them made their parents proud!
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers loss to the Rangers on
Friday.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 2-for-5, and scored a run in the Brewers 7-2
victory over the ChiSox on Friday. His average rose to .320.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig didn’t pitch in the A’s loss to their Bay-area rivals, the
Giants on Friday.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott didn’t pitch on Friday.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John pitched the 8th inning Friday and gave up a solo shot to
the Brandon Inge in the Pirates 3-1 loss to the Tigers. He
also struck out one. His ERA rose to 3.86.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe pinch hit for Gabe Gross in the 8th inning Friday and he
smacked a solo homer (#2), which wound being the winning
run in the Rays 4-3 victory over the lowly Nats!!! He also
recorded his 8th RBI of the year and raised his average
to .183.
Stuck in a 3-for-31 slide that dropped his batting average
to .173, Gabe went deep against Ron Villone (3-2) after first
baseman Nick Johnson dropped a pop foul that would have
been the third out.
“I was screaming at the ball as hard as I could, and I think it
heard me,” Kapler said. “I wanted the opportunity badly.”
“Joe and the (coaching) staff have shown a tremendous
amount of loyalty to me,” Kapler said. “To me that’s kind of
special.”
Rays’ Manager Joe Maddon said he liked the way Kapler
swung the bat earlier in the day when he batted against Scott
Kazmir in a simulated game.
Kapler said he felt good against Kazmir and during batting
practice, but didn’t think that carried over to his pinch-hit at-
bat.
It was Kapler’s second home run of the season. His first
came Monday at Yankee Stadium against Andy Pettitte.
It was the Rays’ fourth pinch-hit home run of the season and
first by someone not named Ben Zobrist.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-4 and struck out once in the
Rangers 6-0 victory over the Dodgers on
Friday. He also took part in one double play. His
average fell to .264.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason didn’t pitch in Friday’s win over the
Mariners.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his
wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-5 on Friday, hit his 11th homer
of the year, a solo shot, was hit by a pitch and
stole his 4th base of the year in the same inning
that he was hit. His average fell to .345.
He earned a Chai 5 and an icepack for his effort!
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Gabe Kapler
Welcome to the club!!!! Took you long enough!!!
Daily Minyan – June 9, 2009
On this date in 1973, Triple Crown Winner Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by an amazing 31 lengths. This isn’t a baseball specific post, but since baseball has a Triple Crown and this was such an historic achievement, I’m leading with it.
This is one account of his 1 1/2 trip around the track:
Secretariat emerged from an inside post position in a field of only 5 runners. The break was clean and My Gallant got out the quickest with Sham up on the outside, and Secretariat at the rail. Seeing no one to block his path and interfere with him, Secretariat went right for the lead. He assumed command almost immediately after the start, and Sham went right up with him to pressure him. The two raced together around the first turn, then Secretariat drew away, and continued drawing away. By the mid-backstretch his lead was 10 lengths. By the far turn it was 12 lengths. Secretariat turned into the homestretch at least 20 lengths ahead of the others.Chick Anderson, who called the race that day, spoke the now immortal words “…but Secretariat is moving like a tremendous machine… he’s a sixteenth of a mile ahead of the other horses!” And he continued to widen the margin. 22 lengths. 25 lengths. 28 lengths. At the wire, the official margin was an unbelieveable 31 lengths. Twice a Prince was far, far back in second place. There was no doubt about this finishing time – 2:24 flat – a new world record.
This picture shows how far back the other horses were!
This picture shows jockey Ron Turcotte glancing back at the rest of field,
This picture shows clearly why his nickname was Big Red.
Are there any possible Triple Crown winners in
the Minyan? Maybe Ryan Braun, but it’s too
early to tell.
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers had the day off yesterday.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers had the day off yesterday.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig earned his 6th hold of the year by working 1/3 of a
scoreless inning in the A’s win over the Twins. Craig
lowered his ERA to 4.70.
Craig earned a Chai 5 for getting another hold.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott, who had won his previous three outings (5-1) lost for the first
time in nine starts
and allowed four runs
on seven hits (including
2 home runs) and two
walks in six innings of
work against the Blue
Jays. He also struck out
2 batters and saw his
ERA rise to 4.01.
“I didn’t feel like it was one of my better games.”
Feldman said, stating the obvious. “I tried to
hang in there as long as I could.”
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John pitched a scoreless 8th inning, striking out one, in the
Pirates extra-inning loss to the Braves. He lowered his ERA
to 3.96.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe must have borrowed “Wonderboy”
for yesterday’s Rays loss to the Yankees because Gabe
actually hit a home run!!!! The homer, a 2-run shot off Andy
Pettitte, was Gabe’s first home run of the year and his first
since last Sept. 7, when he was playing for Milwaukee. He
finished the game 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs to bring his total for the
year to just 7 RBIs.
He actually raised his, below the Mendoza Line, average
to .173.
Gabe earned himself a pastrami sandwich at
Katz’s Deli for actually showing life with his
bat!! Dig in bubula!!!
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-4, with a walk in the Rangers win loss to the Blue Jays. His average remained at .274.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason (8-4) became the first NL pitcher with 8 victories when
he got the win by allowing two runs on 6 hits and a walk in 6
2/3 innings against the Cardinals. He struck out 4 batters
along the way and lowered his ERA to 3.98. He also leads
the league with five road victories, and has won four of his
last five starts overall.
Jason pitched for the Cardinals from 2004 to 2006, when he
won 42 games for them.
Here are some quotes about and from Jason, courtesy of the
AP and the Denver Post:
“I am proud of my record,” Marquis said. “My job is to
compete and give the team a chance to win. But I have had a
lot of help.”
“This is my fourth team so I’ve been through it enough to
control the emotions. But it still feels like I’m at home because
I played here for so long (St. Louis) and had good success.”
“He’s been brilliant. But I have seen this from him before,”
Rockies Manager Jim Tracy said.
Jason not only pitched well, he supported his cause by
singling and scoring in the 5th inning. Below, he is
congratulated by Troy Tulowitski after scoring:
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his
wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
The Sawx had the day off yesterday.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Jason Marquis
Daily Minyan – May 28, 2009
May 28, 1946 – The Washington Senators edge the New York Yankees 2-1 before 49,917 fans in the first night game at Yankee Stadium.
May 28, 1951 – After going 0-for-12, Willie Mays connects for his first major-league hit, a home run off Braves pitcher Warren Spahn. The Giants lose the game 4-1.
Willie playing stickball
So, who used their “sticks” well or who didn’t let any sticks touch the ball?
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in Wednesday’s win over the Rockies.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 0-for-4, with a strikeout one day after getting hit on the wrist. Ryan’s batting average fell to .315.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig struck out the side in the 8th inning of the A’s loss to the Mariners on Wednesday!!! He also lowered his ERA to 5.40.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott had a well-deserved day of rest and is scheduled to pitch the second game of a double header Friday against the A’s.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in Wednesday’s Pirates loss to the Cubbies.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 1-for-3 and drove in 2 runs in Wednesday’s Rays’ loss to the Indians. Although he is still below the Mendoza Line (.197 average), he gets a Chai 5 for finally contributing to the Rays offense!
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-4, with his lone hit being a 2-run homer (#13) which accounted for all of Texas’ runs in Wednesday’s Rangers loss to the Yanks. His average is now .282.
I’ve added this to Ian’s hat collection for his homer!
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason is slated to pitch Friday.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 0-for-2, with a walk, but drove in a run (RBI #29) with a sac fly in the 3rd inning of Wednesday’s BoSox loss to the Twins. His average fell to .373.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Craig Breslow
Daily Minyan – May 22, 2009
Today marks the 64th anniversary of death Jake Atz, of one of the first Jewish players in Major League Baseball history.
John Jacob Atz, born Jacob Henry Zimmerman in Washington, D.C. (born July 1, 1879 — May 22, 1945) was one of the first Jewish players in Major League Baseball. Early in his career he changed his name from Zimmerman to Atz. Atz was an second baseman for the Washington Senators (1902) and Chicago White Sox (1907-1909). He also was the most successful minor league managers of the 1920s, winning all or parts of the Texas League championship in seven consecutive seasons (1919-25) as skipper of the Fort Worth Panthers.
In four major league seasons, he played in 209 games, had 605 at bats, 64 runs, 132 hits, 21 doubles, three triples, 49 RBIs, 23 stolen bases, 69 walks, a .218 batting average, .304 on-base percentage, .263 slugging percentage, and 33 sacrifice hits.
Atz’ first managerial assignment was the Providence Grays of the East League in 1911, and he failed dismally, losing 69 of 108 games (.361). Three years later, in 1914, he took over Fort Worth. His Panthers had winning records in his first 13 seasons. During their seven-year skein as kings of the Texas League, the Panthers won over 100 games five times – with records of 108-40 (.730) in 1920, 107-51 (.677) in 1921, 109-43 (.717) in 1922, 109-41 (.727) in 1924, and 103-48 (.682) in 1925. In 1926, the Panthers fell to third and Atz would not win another pennant until 1939, with Henderson in the Class C East Texas League, three levels below the Texas League. His career record as a manager in the minors over 27 seasons was 1,972 wins, 1,619 losses (.549), still one of the best winning percentages among longtime minor league skippers.
He died in New Orleans, Louisiana, at age 65.
Let’s see how the the modern day Jewish ballplayers did yesterday.
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play yesterday because the Dodgers were off.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 2-for-4, including his first triple of the year in yesterday’s Brewers win over the Astros. He drove in his 30th run of the year and scored his 31st run of the year – vert nice balance! His average rose to .326.
But perhaps the highlight of his night was when threw out Astro’s first baseman Lance Berkman at home. Berkman didn’t like the call as was ejected by Umpire Delfin Colon.
Ryan threw home and catcher Jason Kendall tagged Berkman as he slid and touched the plate with his left hand. When Berkman was called out he jumped and screamed in the umpire’s face. Astros Manager Cecil Cooper then ran out of the dugout, pushed Berkman away and started yelling at Colon, who took offense and ejected Cooper as well.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig, 28, will be joining his fifth major league team. He was a surprise success in the Twins’ bullpen last season, posting a 1.63 ERA in 42 games after getting claimed off waivers from Cleveland.
Until then, he was probably better known for his academic resume. As mentioned previously in this blog, Craig graduated from Yale and majored in molecular biophysics and biochemistry.
“I’m excited about taking a look at him,” A’s manager Bob Geren said. “He’s a left-handed guy that’s experienced. He’s had some success at this level.”
The A’s had seven right-handed relievers and no lefties for Wednesday’s 7-6 victory over the Rays. Though Geren typically downplays the need for a lefty specialist, he acknowledged it will be convenient having that option with Breslow.
Lefties were hitting .211 against him this season and righties .226. But Breslow has battled control problems in 17 appearances, walking 11 in 141/3 innings
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott didn’t pitch in yesterday’s Rangers loss to the Tigers.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in yesterday’s Pirates loss to the Nats.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 1-for-3, clubbing his 7th double of year, recorded an RBI and scored a run. All of Gabe’s action occurred in the 2nd inning, when he knocked in the Rays first run and scored their second run in their victory over the A’s. His average is now right on the Mendoza line, .200. Thus, Mario Mendoza’s card will remain.
However, I’m feeling generous, so I’m awarded Gabe a Chai 5:
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-5 and stole his 10th base of the year as the Rangers lost to the Tigers. His average fell to .295.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason is scheduled to pitch this weekend in Detroit.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his wife. My prayers are with him.
The article below is courtesy of AP.
Schoeneweis was back in suburban Phoenix, where his wife was found dead at their home Wednesday. Police said the cause of death hadn’t been determined. The pitcher released a statement late Thursday through his agent Scott Boras.
“On behalf of my and Gabrielle’s entire family I want to express my deepest appreciation for the prayers and support of my current and former teammates, front office and team personnel and dear friends both inside and outside of the baseball community,” Schoeneweis said. “Your support is needed and appreciated during this most difficult time. We want all of you to know how important your love and friendship is to all of us.”
Funeral services were scheduled for Monday at the Messenger Pinnacle Peak Mortuary in Scottsdale. The family asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Ronald McDonald House of Phoenix.
Schoeneweis left the team when he received the news before a doubleheader at Florida. He declined an offer to have teammate Jon Garland accompany him home.
“It’s a long flight,” Garland said. “It was completely up to him, and he felt he would be all right. I couldn’t even imagine what he’s going through.”
Hinch told the team 30 minutes before Wednesday’s doubleheader about the death of Schoeneweis’ wife, Gabrielle, who was 39. The couple celebrated their 10th anniversary in January and had three children together.
“It lets you know the things you have, you need to cherish,” Garland said in the clubhouse before Thursday’s game. “I think everybody at that moment put that in perspective. It was a weird feeling in here. Everybody was quiet and sitting around. The guys handled it in a professional manner and went about their business.”
The Diamondbacks and Marlins split a doubleheader that ended at 1:48 a.m., with Arizona winning the second game in 13 innings.
“It was quite a day,” general manager Josh Byrnes said. “We’ll move forward, but it was a tough day.”
Schoeneweis was placed on the bereavement list. The Diamondbacks were scheduled to conclude their series at Florida on Thursday before flying to Oakland for a weekend series.
“It’s impossible for any of us to not think about Scott and his family,” Hinch said. “On the professional side, the schedule doesn’t stop. We have to play and find a way to play a baseball game time and time again.
“Are we playing with heavy hearts? Yes. Are we playing with one of our own struggling through one of the worst tragedies you can imagine for your family? Yes. But these guys will show up and be ready to play.”
And the message Hinch texted to Schoeneweis?
“Just letting him know we’re here and supporting him and thinking about him,” Hinch said.
Hinch and Schoeneweis worked out together last offseason and have known each other since college, when they were Team USA teammates.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-3, drove in a run, scored and walked in the BoSox victory over the Blue Jays. His average fell slightly to .402.
Youk also earned a Chai 5.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Ryan Braun
Daily Minyan – May 13, 2009
I am proud to present the first Macher of the Month to none other than Ryan Braun, who is so good that he merits his own logo!
Ryan Joseph Braun, was born on November 17, 1983, in Mission Hills, CA, won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2007, during which he led the National League in slugging percentage. He also won the Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year, the Baseball America Rookie of the Year, the Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball NL Rookie of the Year, and the Players Choice NL Most Outstanding Rookie Awards. Over the prior decade, the only other NL hitter to win all 5 awards was Albert Pujols, in 2001.
In 2008, Ryan was included on the 2008 NL Sporting News All Star Team, won the 2008 NL Outfielder Silver Slugger Award, and was third in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP award, with 139 points, behind Pujols and Ryan Howard, for which he received a $50,000 bonus.
Ryan’s father, Joe, is Israeli-born and immigrated to the United States at the age of seven. His nickname is “The Hebrew Hammer,” which references his Jewish heritage, former Brewer Hank Aaron (whose nickname was “Hammerin’ Hank”), and the movie The Hebrew Hammer, starring Adam Goldberg.
It is also the nickname of former teammate Gabe Kapler and in the past was a nickname for Al Rosen
and Hank Greenberg.
Ryan is one of the highest-drafted Jewish ballplayers in the history of professional baseball. The New York Yankees made Ron Blomberg the number one pickin the 1967 draft. Ryan was considered the best Jewish minor league baseball prospect in 2006, and became major league baseball’s first Jewish Rookie of the Year the following season. In each of 2007 and 2008, Ryan hit more home runs (34 and 37) than all but 3 of the top 10 career Jewish home run hitters had hit in their best seasons. Only Hank Greenberg (58), Shawn Green (49), and Al Rosen (43) hit more in a single year.
“Braun” was, coincidentally, the family name of Sandy Koufax, until his mother remarried and he took his stepfather’s name. “There’s no (family) connection that I know of,” Braun said, “but it’s kind of cool.” In another coincidence, Ryab lived for a time with his maternal grandfather in a house that previously belonged to Jewish Hall of Fame outfielder Hank Greenberg. Ryan’s grandfather has lived in the house for over 40 years.
In December 2007, Ryan was the only Jewish athlete invited by President George W. Bush to the annual Hanukkah Dinner at the White House, where he talked baseball with the President.
Now on to the updates. As far as I know, none of our boys played on Monday, so this update only covers yesterday’s games.
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in yesterday’s Dodgers’ loss to the Phillies.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 1-for-4, and scored a run in the Brewers victory over the Marlins. Ryan lowered his average to .342.
Craig Breslow, P – Minnesota Twins
Craig didn’t pitch in yesterday’s Twins victory over the Tigers.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott took a shutout into the seventh and gave up one run and four hits in 6 1-3 innings for the first-place Rangers. He also walked 2 and struck out 2 in the Rangers victory over the Mariners. Scott left with game tied 1-1. The Rangers exploded for 6 runs in the bottom of the 7th, giving the victory to rookie Derek Holland, who earned his first career victory. Scott’s stellar pitching performance lowered his ERA to 4.85.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in yesterday’s Pirates win over the Cardinals.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 1-for-2, with a single and knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly in the Rays loss to my O’s. His raised his average to .234.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 3-for-5, and hit his 10th double of the year. He raised his average to .316.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason didn’t pitch in yesterday’s Rockies big victory over the Astros.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott pitched a scoreless 9th inning, with one strikeout, in the D-backs loss to the Reds. He lowered his ERA to 1.80.
Scott gets the Chai 5 for the second time in a row!
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk was placed on the 15-day disabled list–retroactive to May 5–because of a strained oblique on his left side.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Scott Feldman
