Tagged: Scott Schoeneweis
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 – May 27, 2009
On this date in 1950, Hall of Fame slugger Hank Greenberg buys an interest
in the Cleveland Indians, becoming the team’s second-largest stockholder.
During his tenure, he assembled more African American players than any
other team executive in the Majors. Greenberg’s contributions in finding and
developing talent contributed to that team’s successes through the 1950s.
Greenberg remained as general manager and part-owner until 1957. He was
the mastermind behind a move to Minneapolis for the Indians, but that was
vetoed by the rest of ownership at the last minute. Greenberg was furious and
sold his share soon afterwards.
Hank in his Cleveland office
Did our boys have any Hall of Fame performances? Let’s take a looksie!
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad went 2-for-5 and scored 2 runs in the Dodgers victory over the Rockies. He raised his average to .355.
Brad also was the catcher for former University of Maryland pitcher Eric Milton who allowed one run in five innings for his first win in nearly three years. Milton had reconstructive surgery on his left elbow in June 2007 and missed all of 2008 before joining the Dodgers as a free agent in February
Brad said that Milton helped himself by getting ahead of hitters and spotting his curveball. “That was very effective for him today. He was getting some popups and quick outs,”
“Offensively, we’re continuing to live up to our billing,” Brad said. “When we lost Manny, a lot of the naysayers thought we would have trouble scoring runs but apparently, that isn’t true.”
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 0-for-1 in Tuesday’s game against the Cards, but left before the fifth inning after being hit on the right wrist by a pitch in the third by Adam Wainwright. X-rays were negative, but Ryan will be re-evaluated before Wednesday’s series finale.
OUCH!!!
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning in the A’s win over the Mariners and earned his 3rd hold of the year. His ERA fell to 5.71.
Craig gets a Chai 5:
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott had a well-deserved day of rest and is scheduled to pitch later in the week.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates loss to the Cubbies .
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe didn’t play in Tuesday’s loss to the Indians.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 2-for-4, hit his 2nd triple and scored a run in Tuesday’s Rangers win over the Yanks. His average rose to .283.
That effort earned him a Chai 5:
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason is slated to pitch later in the week.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his wife. My prayers are with him.
The following story is courtesy of AP:
Grieving Schoeneweis visits Chase Field
PHOENIX (AP)–Grieving Arizona pitcher Scott Schoeneweis visited Chase Field on Wednesday for the first time since the death last week of his wife, Gabrielle.
Schoeneweis played catch and lifted weights before the Diamondbacks’ game against the San Diego Padres, manager A.J. Hinch said.
“It’s still obviously fresh off the horrible tragedy, but he got a little activity in today,” Hinch said. “I know he lifted and played a little catch. He stayed very clear of everything else.”
Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes said the commissioner’s office granted the team permission to place Schoeneweis on the restricted list after his seven-day stint on the bereavement list expired. Byrnes said the club requested 30 days on the restricted list but added the length of Schoeneweis’ absence from the team was uncertain.
“We’ll just continue to talk to Scott and MLB about the realistic timeframe,” Byrnes said. “Return-to-work issues seem a little ridiculous at this point.”
Schoeneweis and his wife celebrated their 10th anniversary in January and had three children together. Gabrielle Schoeneweis also had a daughter before she married the reliever.
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. Several Diamondbacks and team officials attended her funeral Monday.
Hinch said the Diamondbacks had no definite plan for the pitcher’s return to the active roster.
“Obviously, we’ll do anything for him to support him,” Hinch said. “Happy to see his face and have him come in to kind of his second home here in the clubhouse.”
Hinch said Schoeneweis planned to speak to the media after he is activated.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-4, and struck out 3 times in Tuesday’s BoSox loss to the Twins. His average fell to .379.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Brad Ausmus
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 21, 2009
The Diamondbacks are devastated by the news that reliever Scott Schoeneweis’ wife was found dead Wednesday in the couple’s Fountain Hills, Ariz., home.
“Words cannot describe how shocked and saddened we are this evening,” D-backs president/CEO Derrick Hall said in a statement. “This is a tragedy for the Schoeneweis family, who we naturally consider members of our family. We are here to support Scott in any way during this traumatic period in his life.”
Gabrielle Dawn Schoeneweis, 39, was unresponsive when Maricopa County sheriff’s department deputies arrived at the family home after responding to call from the couple’s 14-year old daughter, according to the sheriff’s office.
Schoeneweis was informed about an hour before the D-backs’ doubleheader in Florida and immediately returned to Phoenix to be with his four children.
There were no signs of foul play, according to the sheriff’s department, and the death is not being treated as a homicide. The county medical examiner will investigate in an attempt to determine a cause of death.
“We’re trying to get the facts the best we can. It’s devastating news. Everyone is taking it very hard,” D-backs general manager Josh Byrnes said.
Schoeneweis, 35, will be placed on the bereavement list. He was acquired by the D-backs in a trade with the New York Mets in the offseason and has a 2.53 ERA in 19 relief appearances.
“His world was just rocked. He and his kids, his family, his extended family, his in-laws, everybody’s lives are changed forever. He took it as expected, very hard,” D-backs manager A.J. Hinch said after Arizona lost to Florida, 8-6, in the first game Wednesday.
“As I told the team, just give him as much support as you can. Really, tell people that you love them if you do. You can never expect something like this to happen.”
Thanks to Yahoo for the article.
Please join me in saying a prayer for Scott and his family.
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in yesterday’s Dodger win over the Mets.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 1-for-4 in yesterday’s Brewers win over the Astros. His average fell to .321.
Craig Breslow, P – Minnesota Twins
In a surprising turn of events, yestersday, the Twins cut Craig, but he was immediately claimed off waivers by the Oakland A’s. Below are excerpts from the A’s official website about this transaction:
The A’s have gone without a left-hander in the bullpen at times this season, and at times they’ve carried lefties in whom they seemed to have little confidence.
Their search for a successful southpaw might have come to an inexpensive end Wednesday, when they claimed Craig Breslow off waivers from the Twins.
Breslow, 28, was 1-2 with a 6.28 ERA in 17 games with the Twins this season, but in 2008, he was one of the most underrated lefty relievers in the game.
While splitting the season between Cleveland and Minnesota, he posted a 1.91 ERA in 49 games and 47 innings. His ERA was the second-best among American League lefty relievers who worked at least 35 innings, and it was the ninth-best among all AL pitchers who worked at least 40 frames.
A 2002 Yale graduate with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, Breslow has a career 2.91 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 89 2/3 innings.
“I’m excited about having a left-handed guy who’s experienced and has had some success at this level,” A’s manager Bob Geren said, who noted that left-handed hitters batted .183 against Breslow last season. “He could be a nice weapon to have.”
Breslow, whose one-year contract pays him $422,000, is expected to join the team on Thursday in time to be available in the finale of a four-game series against the host Rays at Tropicana Field.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott earned a well deserved day of rest.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John earned his second win of the year (2-0) by pitching a perfect 8th inning in the Pirates 2-1 victory over the Nats, which occurred 2 and 1/2 blocks from my office. John lowered his ERA to 5.21.
John is awarded a Chai 5 for the victory:
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 0-for-2 in the Rays loss to the A’s. His average fell to below the Mendoza line to .193.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 0-for-4 as the Rangers lost to the Tigers. His average fell to below .300 for the first time in quite a while and now stands at .298.
But the big news is that Ian was involved in a Triple Play in the 4th inning.
With Brandon Inge on 2nd and Ryan Raburn on 1st running on the pitch, Gerald Laird he lined out to Ian Kinsler who flipped to the ball to SS Elvis Andrus, who stepped on 2nd base, doubling off Inge, then tagged Raburn.
Ryan Raburn being tagged out to complete the Triple Play
Ian could have turned an unassisted triple play, but said that he didn’t realize it in time.
“Elvis was screaming for the ball, so I got it to him before I saw where the runners were,” Ian said. “Something like that is just complete luck. They’ve got the hit-and-run on, and he hits a line drive right at me. You can’t really plan something like that.”
It was the third triple play in the majors this season.
To reward his good fortune, Ian is rewarded with a Chai:
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 wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk returned from the disabled list and didn’t look like he had lost any timing in his swing as he went 3-for-5 and scored a run in the BoSox victory over the Blue Jays. He raised his average to .404.
Before the game, Youk said, “Watching baseball is not something I like to do. I like playing the game. I don’t like being a spectator as much. It was definitely real boring just sitting back and not being able to do anything.”
Youk was batting .393 with six homers and 20 RBI when he went on the disabled list on May 12, retroactive to May 5, with a strained left side muscle.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Kevin Youkilis
Daily Minyan – May 20, 2009
Tragic news (courtesy of AP):
The wife of Scott Schoeneweis was found dead at her home Wednesday.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said deputies found the body of 39-year-old Gabrielle Dawn Schoeneweis on the floor of the master bedroom in the family’s suburban home shortly after noon.
Authorities said her 14-year-old daughter called the sheriff’s office to report that she had found her mother lying there and unresponsive.
A team spokesman said Schoeneweis had left the team, which was playing a doubleheader in Florida on Wednesday night, and was returning to Phoenix.
“At this point, anything we can do to support Scott and his family, will be our focus,” said Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes, who was with the team. “I have talked to Scott Boras, the agent, a few times. We’re trying to get the facts the best we can. It’s devastating news. Everyone is taking it very hard.”
The 35-year-old Schoeneweis came to the Diamondbacks last December in a deal with the Mets.
Schoeneweis, a survivor of testicular cancer, is 45-55 with a 4.89 ERA in 11 seasons with five teams.
Scott and Gabrielle Dawn Schoeneweis celebrated their 10th anniversary in January. They had three children together, and she already had a daughter when they were married.
“His world was just rocked. He and his kids, his family, his extended family, his in-laws, everybody’s lives are changed forever. He took it as expected, very hard,” Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said after Arizona lost 8-6 to Florida in the first game. “As I told the team, just give him as much support as you can. Really, tell people that you love them if you do. You can never expect something like this to happen.”
Francisco Rodriguez (K-Rod), who teamed with Schoeneweis in the Angels bullpen in 2002 and 2003, said he was “speechless” when he heard the news.
“I’m sad for him,” Rodriguez said. “I can’t imagine what he’s going through right now, all the pain he’s going through.”
Former Mets teammate Ryan Church added: “He’s always been able to battle through adversity because he’s had cancer before. Everybody needs to be thinking about him and his family and just pray, pray a lot.”
Mets manager Jerry Manuel said he still considers Schoeneweis part of his family. “I mentioned that to our people, that we’ve got to reach out and do all we can to help support him at this time,” Manuel said. “And whatever he needs from us, we’ll be here for him.”
Please join me in saying a prayer for Scott and his family.
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in yesterday’s Dodger win over the Mets. But I’m pretty sure that he was very actively involved in the Dodger’s Jewish Community Night as the only Jewish ballplayer on the team!
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 0-for-2, but walked twice and came around to score each time in yesterday’s Brewers win over the Astros. His average fell to .323.
Craig Breslow, P – Minnesota Twins
Craig pitched a scoreless 8th inning, including one strike out, in yesterday’s Twins loss to the ChiSox. This perfect outing lowered his ERA to 6.28.
And in a shocking turn of events, today, the Twins cut Craig, but he was immediately claimed off waivers by the Oakland A’s. Below are excerpts from the A’s official website about this transaction:
The A’s have gone without a left-hander in the bullpen at times this season, and at times they’ve carried lefties in whom they seemed to have little confidence.
Their search for a successful southpaw might have come to an inexpensive end Wednesday, when they claimed Craig Breslow off waivers from the Twins.
Breslow, 28, was 1-2 with a 6.28 ERA in 17 games with the Twins this season, but in 2008, he was one of the most underrated lefty relievers in the game.
While splitting the season between Cleveland and Minnesota, he posted a 1.91 ERA in 49 games and 47 innings. His ERA was the second-best among American League lefty relievers who worked at least 35 innings, and it was the ninth-best among all AL pitchers who worked at least 40 frames.
A 2002 Yale graduate with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, Breslow has a career 2.91 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 89 2/3 innings.
“I’m excited about having a left-handed guy who’s experienced and has had some success at this level,” A’s manager Bob Geren said, who noted that left-handed hitters batted .183 against Breslow last season. “He could be a nice weapon to have.”
Breslow, whose one-year contract pays him $422,000, is expected to join the team on Thursday in time to be available in the finale of a four-game series against the host Rays at Tropicana Field.
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 extra inning win over the Nats.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 0-for-3 in the Rays loss to the A’s. His average fell to an even .200, which puts him on the Mendoza line.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 0-for-4 as the Rangers got shut out by Dontrelle Willis and the Tigers. His average fell to .306.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason had a well deserved day of rest.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott didn’t pitch in the D-backs win over the Marlins.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk is on the 15-day disabled list–retroactive to May 5– and is eligible to return from the disabled list on today.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Craig Breslow
Now an Oakland Athletic!!
Daily Minyan – May 17, 2009
One day after the first night game in the AL, the first baseball game ever televised — Princeton against Columbia at Baker Field, Columbia’s home field — is seen by a handful of viewers on May 17, 1939 watching W2XBS in New York City.
Reviewing the game the next day, the New York Times says, “it is difficult to see how this sort of thing can catch the public fancy.” This from a paper without a comics section!!!
Now, we get upset if the games aren’t on TV and we can watch any game we want on MLB.TV!!
So, what did some of us see on TV yesterday?
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in yesterday’s Dodgers’ loss to the Marlins.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 1-for-4 in yesterday’s Brewers win over the Cardinals. His average fell to .320.
Craig Breslow, P – Minnesota Twins
Craig was victimized by A-Fraud’s walk-off homer in yesterday’s Twins extra inning loss to the Yanks. Craig entered the game in the 10th inning and got Johnny Damon on a foul pop, but he started off the 11th by walking Mark Teixeira and then threw a gopher ball to A-Roid. Craig’s record fell to 1-2 and his ERA rose to 7.11.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott didn’t pitch in yesterday’s Ranger’s victory over the Angels.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John pitched a scoreless 8th inning and earned his 5th hold of the year in the Pirates win over the Rockies. He lowered his ERA to 5.20.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe didn’t play in the Rays victory over the Indians.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 0-for-2, but was hit by a pitch, walked, stole a base and scored a run in the Rangers victory over the Angels.
Angels starter John Lackey was ejected after his first pitch sailed behind Ian’s head and the next one hit him in the ribs.
He promptly stole second (#9) and after advancing to 3rd on Bobby Abreu’s sac fly, he scored on Josh Hamilton’s sac fly.
His average fell to .313, but Ian earned a Chai 5 for just walking to first after being plunked by Lackey (which can mean servile follower).
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason had a day of rest.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning in the D-backs thumping of the Braves. He gave up 2 singles and struck out a batter to lower his ERA to 2.53.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk is 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 – John Grabow
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
Daily Minyan – May 6, 2009
Let’s see what’s nu in the Minyan!
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers win over the D-Backs.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 0-for-4, with a walk and a strikeout in the Brewers victory over the Pirates. He lowererd his batting average to .308.
Craig Breslow, P – Minnesota Twins
Craig pitched a scoreless inning, striking out two, while giving up a single and issuing a walk Twins loss to the Tigers. He lowered his ERA to 7.04. For his effort, I’ll be awarded a new honor, the Chai 5, which will be awarded to whomever did well, but didn’t get selected as the Macher of the Day. So let’s hear a big MAZEL TOV!!! for Craig who gets a new article of clothing for his leisure time:
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott watched the Rangers extra inning victory over the Mariners from the bench.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates loss to the Brewers.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 0-for-3, and scored a run in yesterday’s Rays win over my O’s. He reached base in the 6th inning, courtesy of an error by Melvin Mora and came in to score on Carl Crawford’s groundout. He lowered his average to .211.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 2-for-6, struck out once and made his second error of the year in the Rangers extra-inning victory over the Mariners. His average remained at .321.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason didn’t start in the Rockies loss to the Padres.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott entered the eight inning with 2 outs and the Dodgers clinging to a 3-1 lead over the D-backs. He gave up a single and got the last batter to fly out, preserving the D-Backs chance for a comeback victory. He lowered his ERA to 2.25.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk didn’t play in the Red Sox victory over the Evil Empire due to muscle soreness in his left side.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Scott Schoeneweis
Daily Minyan – April 21, 2009
Yesterday, MLB played a relatively light schedule and I was actually home to see the O’s get swept by the Red Sox (in the Patriot’s Day Game) whom they can’t seem to beat these days!
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers had the day off.
Jose Bautista, 3B – Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays had the day off.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers had the day off.
Craig Breslow, P – Minnesota Twins
The Twins had the day off.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
The Rangers had the day off.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t see any action in the Pirates game against the Marlins.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays had the day off.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
The Rangers had the day off.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason gave up six runs and nine hits, including 2 home runs in five innings, walking two and striking out two. He dropped to 0-4 lifetime in Chase Field (I guess the D-Backs shouldn’t seek his services). His record now stands at 2-1 and his ERA increased to 4.26.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott pitched 2/3 of an inning against the Rockies and struck out one hitter. He earned his second hold and lowered his ERA to 3.86.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-2 with an RBI and 3 walks in the Red Sox game against the Orioles. He raised his average to .469.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Scott Schoeneweis
Jews on First 