:List of Jewish Major League Baseball players
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{{Use American English|date=May 2024}}
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| alt1 = A baseball player smiles for the camera while posing with a bat.
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| alt2 = A baseball player in uniform and a jacket with "Dodgers" on it poses with four baseballs with zeroes on them, two in each hand, and smiles as he looks ahead.
| footer = Hank Greenberg (left) and Sandy Koufax (right), the only Jewish baseball players to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
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Jewish players have played in Major League Baseball since the league came into existence in the late 19th century, and have a long and storied history within the game. There have been 190 players who identified as Jewish during their Major League career, including players who converted during or before their careers, and players who have or had at least one Jewish parent, and identified as Jewish by virtue of their parentage.
In the early years, Jewish baseball players faced constant antisemitic heckles from opponents and fans, with many hiding their heritage to avoid discrimination in the league. Despite this, a number of Jewish players overcame such abuse and went on to become stars. Two such players, Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax, were both elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and are widely considered to be amongst the most important and iconic players in baseball and American history. The sport played a large part in the assimilation of American Jews into American society at a time of rampant antisemitism, and remains a very important part in Jewish American culture today.
The criteria for this list have been taken from the Jewish Baseball Museum, a virtual museum dedicated to the preservation and recording of Jewish history and the involvement of Jews in baseball. The list includes players who identified as Jewish during their careers. Where the player has one parent who is Jewish and also identifies as Jewish or has converted before or during their careers, it is noted as such. Players who converted after their careers had ended or did not identify as Jewish despite having Jewish parentage are not listed.{{cite web |title=The Roster |url=https://jewishbaseballmuseum.com/the-roster/ |website=Jewish Baseball Museum |quote=Who's Jewish? It's complicated. What qualifies a ballplayer for inclusion on this site? That's complicated, too. But if a player had a Jewish parent (or converted prior to or while active as a player) and identified himself as Jewish during his playing career, we're including him on our team. If you got a problem with that, consult a rabbi. Or an umpire. |access-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429215042/https://jewishbaseballmuseum.com/the-roster/ |url-status=live }}
History of Jews in Major League Baseball
{{Further|Jews in baseball}}
Jewish players have played in Major League Baseball since the league came into existence, with Lip Pike being the first. With the surge of Jewish immigrants from Europe to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, baseball, then the most popular sport in the country and referred to as the "National Pastime", became a way for children of Jewish immigrants to assimilate into American life. Sportswriter Jon Wertheim described baseball as being "interwoven with the American Jewish experience".{{cite news |last1=Wertheim |first1=Jon |title=Forget Peanuts and Cracker Jack. What Jews Love About Baseball Is Jewish Players. |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/sports/articles/why-jews-love-baseball |work=Tablet |date=March 13, 2014 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506204636/https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/sports/articles/why-jews-love-baseball |url-status=live }} Baseball historian John Thorn described it as an "agent of integration".
For many years, Jewish players who made it to the Major Leagues often changed their names and hid their identities in order to avoid antisemitism, at the time rampant in the country and the league. Industrialist Henry Ford, during the Black Sox Scandal and the alleged involvement of Jewish crime boss Arnold Rothstein in the fixing of the 1919 World Series, famously wrote about the gambling scene that was widespread in the sport at the time: "If fans wish to know the trouble with American baseball they have it in three words—too much Jew."{{cite news |last1=Schuppe |first1=Jon |title=Exhibit Tells the Story of Baseball's Role in Jewish-American Life |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/exhibit-tells-story-baseball-s-role-jewish-american-life-n568036 |work=NBC News |date=May 15, 2016 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506204639/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/exhibit-tells-story-baseball-s-role-jewish-american-life-n568036 |url-status=live }}
It was not until Hank Greenberg, the son of Orthodox Romanian-Jewish immigrants, broke into the Majors in 1930 with the Detroit Tigers that Jewish players stopped hiding their identities.{{cite news |work=Vox |title=The secret history of Jews in baseball |first=Dara |last=Lind |url=https://www.vox.com/2014/10/2/6877671/the-secret-history-of-jews-in-baseball |date=October 2, 2014 |access-date=May 3, 2024 |archive-date=May 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240503095638/https://www.vox.com/2014/10/2/6877671/the-secret-history-of-jews-in-baseball |url-status=live }} Greenberg played in Detroit, which was home to Father Coughlin, a Catholic priest who used his radio program to broadcast antisemitic commentary, and Henry Ford who spread antisemitism through his newspaper The Dearborn Independent. He faced verbal abuse from opposing benches and fans. However, Greenberg never hid his Jewish identity, famously sitting out a game during a tight pennant race in 1934 due to it falling on Yom Kippur. He became the first Jewish player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.{{cite news |last1=Beschloss |first1=Michael |title=Hank Greenberg's Triumph Over Hate Speech |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/26/upshot/hank-greenbergs-triumph-over-hate-speech.html |work=The New York Times |date=July 26, 2014 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506204636/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/26/upshot/hank-greenbergs-triumph-over-hate-speech.html |url-status=live }}
After Greenberg, many Jewish players went on to become stars in the Jewish American communities. The most famous of those was Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers, widely considered to be one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, who later became the second Jewish player elected to the Hall of Fame. Like Greenberg, Koufax never pitched during the High Holy Days, famously sitting out Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur.{{cite news |date=October 9, 2015 |title=Sandy Koufax's refusal to pitch on Yom Kippur still resonates today |url=https://www.espn.in/mlb/story/_/id/13710996/los-angeles-dodgers-legend-sandy-koufax-decision-not-pitch-game-1-1965-world-series-yom-kippur-resonates-today |work=ESPN.com |last=Caple |first=Jim |access-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-date=May 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517131350/https://www.espn.in/mlb/story/_/id/13710996/los-angeles-dodgers-legend-sandy-koufax-decision-not-pitch-game-1-1965-world-series-yom-kippur-resonates-today |url-status=live }} Rabbi Rebecca Alpert stated that Koufax, who faced antisemitism as well, helped break stereotypes of Jewish men who were seen as being weak and bookish. His decision to sit out a World Series game became one of the most iconic moments for American Jews, making him "an important role model, and a real hero."
Since Greenberg and Koufax, Thorn noted that Jewish baseball fans have become known for paying close attention to Jewish baseball players, both upcoming stars and prospects, and that there are sets of Major League Baseball cards dedicated to every Jewish player who has played in the Major Leagues, indicating the continuing importance of the game in the Jewish community.{{cite news |last1=Silver |first1=Stephen |title=Major League Baseball's official historian on Jews in baseball |url=https://www.jta.org/2020/09/15/sports/major-league-baseballs-official-historian-on-jews-in-baseball-and-making-sense-of-the-weirdest-season-of-all-time |work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=September 15, 2020 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506204635/https://www.jta.org/2020/09/15/sports/major-league-baseballs-official-historian-on-jews-in-baseball-and-making-sense-of-the-weirdest-season-of-all-time |url-status=live }}
In 2010, a documentary film called Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story was released which discussed the relationship between baseball and American Jews in detail. While Greenberg and Koufax were the main subjects of the film, the movie also discussed how baseball was used to fight against stereotypes of Jews as non-athletic and bookish. It also talked about Jewish immigration and assimilation into American society as well as Jewish stars and notable players besides the two Hall of Famers, such as Al Rosen, Moe Berg, Kevin Youkilis, and Ryan Braun.{{cite web |last=Anderson |first=John |url=https://variety.com/2010/film/reviews/jews-and-baseball-an-american-love-story-1117943960/ |title=Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story – Film Review |work=Variety |date=October 31, 2010 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506204635/https://variety.com/2010/film/reviews/jews-and-baseball-an-american-love-story-1117943960/ |url-status=live }}
List of players
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Gallery
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| File:Lip_Pike_Baseball.jpg
| Lip Pike, the first Jewish Major League Baseball player and one of the first professional baseball players in history
| alt1=Sketch of a man with a bushy mustasch and a 19th-century hairstyle.
| File:MoeBergGoudeycard.jpg
| Moe Berg, a catcher who became better known for being a U.S. spy during World War II
| alt2=Baseball card with a green background and the likeness of a catcher with the name "Morris (Moe) Berg".
| File:Al_Rosen_1953.jpg
| Al Rosen, nicknamed "The Hebrew Hammer", star third baseman of the Cleveland Indians
| alt3=A man in a baseball uniform kneeling on the ground with a baseball bat in hand, with the stadium grandstands in the background.
| File:Cal_Abrams_1953.jpg
| Cal Abrams, one of the "Boys of Summer" players who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers teams of the 1940s and 1950s{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Robert L. |title=Home (Plate) For the Holidays |url=https://momentmag.com/jewish-baseball-players/ |work=Moment |date=September 1, 1984 |access-date=May 13, 2024 |archive-date=May 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513125353/https://momentmag.com/jewish-baseball-players/ |url-status=live }}
| alt4=A baseball player posing in a hitting stance.
| File:Harry_Danning_1947.jpg
| Harry "the Horse" Danning, All-Star catcher for the New York Giants in the 1930s and 40s
| alt6=Headshot of a man wearing a suit and smiling, looking to the side.
| File:Sid_Gordon_1953.jpg
| Sid Gordon, an All-Star, five-tool outfielder for the Giants{{cite news |last1=Bernstein |first1=Jesse |title=The Greatest Jewish Baseball Players of All Time, by Position |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-greatest-jewish-baseball-players-of-all-time-by-position |work=Tablet |date=July 30, 2016 |access-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508124949/https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-greatest-jewish-baseball-players-of-all-time-by-position |url-status=live }}
| alt7= A man in a baseball uniform with the words "Braves", smiling for the camera.
| File:Larry_Sherry_-_Los_Angeles_Dodgers_-_1961.jpg
| Larry Sherry, relief pitcher and 1959 World Series MVP for the Los Angeles Dodgers{{cite news |last1=Epstein |first1=Dan |title=The 12 greatest Jewish feats in baseball playoff history |url=https://forward.com/culture/476258/the-12-greatest-jewish-moments-baseball-koufax-greenberg-holltzman/ |work=The Forward |date=October 5, 2021 |access-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-date=May 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507220011/https://forward.com/culture/476258/the-12-greatest-jewish-moments-baseball-koufax-greenberg-holltzman/ |url-status=live }}
| alt8=Baseball pitcher holding his arms up, posing for the camera.
| File:Erskine_Mayer.jpg
| Erskine Mayer, the first Jewish player to appear in a World Series game, starting Game 2 of the 1915 World Series
| alt9=Baseball card with a red background and the words "Cracker Jack".
| File:Kenny_Holtzman_1969.jpg
| Ken Holtzman, the all-time wins leader amongst Jewish pitchers in Major League history
| alt10=Baseball player in a white pinstriped uniform posing for the camera
| File:Ron_Blomberg_1972.jpg
| Ron Blomberg, the first designated hitter in MLB history
| alt11= A man wearing a cap with an intertwined "NY" smiling at the camera
| File:Ryan_Braun_(41976772944)_(cropped).jpg
| Ryan Braun, five-time Silver Slugger winner and MVP winner for the Milwaukee Brewers
| alt12= A baseball player on-deck, taking practice swings before his at-bad.
| File:Shawn_Green.jpg
| Shawn Green, one of 16 players in MLB history to hit 4 home runs in one game
| alt13= A baseball player wearing batting gloves and a helment
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See also
References
{{Reflist}}
=Book sources=
- {{cite book |first1=Peter S. |last1=Horvitz |first2=Joachim |last2=Horvitz |title=The Big Book of Jewish Baseball: An Illustrated Encyclopedia & Anecdotal History |date=2001 |publisher=S.P.I. Books |location=New York |isbn=978-1561719730 |url=https://archive.org/details/bigbookofjewishb0000horv/mode/2up |url-access=registration |ref=Horvitz}}
Further reading
=Articles=
- {{cite web |last1=Thorn |first1=John |title=Overcoming Adversity |url=https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/overcoming-adversity-4760e469fd29 |website=Our Game |publisher=MLBlogs.com |date=July 18, 2016}}
=Books=
- {{cite book |title=The Jewish Baseball Card Book |first1=Bob |last1=Wechsler |url=https://jewishbaseballmuseum.com/spotlight-story/new-jewish-baseball-card-book-shows-unique-perspective-jews-game/ |isbn=978-0692894118 |publisher=Jewish Major Leaguers Inc. |year=2017}}
- {{cite book |title=American Jews and America's Game: Voices of a Growing Legacy in Baseball |last1=Ruttman |first1=Larry |year=2013 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0803264755 |url=https://archive.org/details/americanjewsamer0000rutt}}
External links
{{Portal|Baseball|Judaism}}
- [https://jewishbaseballmuseum.com/the-roster/ The Roster] at the Jewish Baseball Museum
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20201020093413/http://chasingdreams.nmajh.org/ Chasing Dreams: Baseball & Becoming America] at the National Museum of American Jewish History
- {{Official website|http://jewsandbaseball.com|Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story}}
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