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A Short History of Jews in Baseball

The Jewish people developed an early interest in baseball, which had its origins in the 1840s.

·       Lipman E. (Lip) Pike became baseball’s first professional in 1866 when he played third base for the Philadelphia Athletics at a salary of $20 per week.

·       In 1882, Louis Kramer helped organize the major league American Association, and was its president in 1891.

·       Barney Dreyfuss, president of the Louisville Colonels in 1899 and owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1900-32, founded the World Series in 1903.

·       Louis W. Heilbroner managed the St. Louis Cardinals in 1900, and nine years later founded baseball’s first statistical bureau.

·       Harry (Judge) Goldman was an organizer of the American League in 1900.

·       Hank Greenberg was the first Jewish player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

·       In 1972, Sandy Koufax, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, became at the age of 36 the youngest player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Jews were significant in baseball in both managerial, ownership and executive roles.

·       Harold (Lefty) Phillips (1969-71) and Norman Sherry (1976-77) managed the American League California Angels.

·       In 1978, former major leaguer Al Rosen succeeded Gabriel (Gabe) Paul as president of the New York Yankees. Rosen resigned as president of the New York Yankees in 1979 and was named general manager of the Houston Astros the following year. From 1985 to 1992, Rosen was president and general manager of the San Francisco Giants.

·       Marvin Miller, served as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association since 1966, retired in 1983.

·       By 1980, Fred Wilpon, New York Mets; Walter Haas, San Francisco Giants; and Jerry Reinsdorf, Chicago White Sox were owners of big league clubs.

·       In 1992 Alan (Bud) Selig, owner of the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, was named chairman of baseball’s executive council and given the authority to act as commissioner.  He is still acting commissioner as of today.

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Full List of Jewish Baseball Players Below

Player Name Debut / Box Position Notes
Cal Abrams 04-20-1949 OF
Lloyd Allen 09-01-1969 P Converted to Judaism
Ruben Amaro 06-08-1991 OF Jewish Mother
Morrie Arnovich 09-14-1936 OF
Brad Ausmus 07-28-1993 C Jewish Mother
Jesse Baker 09-14-1919 SS
Brian Bark 07-06-1995 P
Ross Baumgarten 08-16-1978 P
Jose Bautista 04-09-1988 P Jewish Mother
Joe Bennett 07-05-1923 3B
Moe Berg 06-27-1923 C
Bob Berman 06-04-1918 C
Cy Block 09-07-1942 3B
Ron Blomberg 09-10-1969 DH
Sam Bohne 09-09-1916 2B
Henry Bostick 05-18-1915 3B
Lou Boudreau 09-09-1938 SS Jewish Mother
Ryan Braun 05-25-2007 3B Jewish Father
Craig Breslow 07-23-2005 P
Louis Brower 06-13-1931 SS
Conrad Cardinal 04-11-1963 P
Harry Chozen 09-21-1937 C
Tony Cogan 04-02-2001 P
Alta Cohen 04-15-1931 OF
Andy Cohen 06-06-1926 2B

Player Name Debut / Box Position Notes
Hy Cohen 04-17-1955 P
Syd Cohen 09-20-1934 P
Dick Conger 04-22-1940 P
Phil Cooney 09-27-1905 3B
Ed Corey 07-02-1918 P
Bill Cristall 09-03-1901 P
Harry Danning 07-30-1933 C
Ike Danning 09-21-1928 C
Bob Davis 07-26-1958 P
Ike Davis 04-19-2010 1B Jewish Mother
Harry Eisenstat 05-19-1935 P
Mike Epstein 09-16-1966 1B
Reuben Ewing 06-21-1921 SS
Al Federoff 09-27-1951 2B
Eddie Feinberg 09-11-1938 SS
Harry Feldman 09-10-1941 P
Scott Feldman 08-31-2005 P
Leo Fishel 05-03-1899 P
Matt Ford 04-02-2003 P
Happy Foreman 09-03-1924 P
Micah Franklin 05-13-1997 OF Jewish Mother
Moe Franklin 08-12-1941 SS
Milt Galatzer 06-25-1933 OF
Mark Gilbert 07-21-1985 OF
Joe Ginsberg 09-15-1948 C
Keith Glauber 09-08-1998 P
Jonah Goldman 09-22-1928 SS
Izzy Goldstein 04-24-1932 P

Player Name Debut / Box Position Notes
Greg Goossen 09-03-1965 1B Jewish Father
Sid Gordon 09-11-1941 OF
Herb Gorman 04-19-1952 OF
John Grabow 09-14-2003 P
Shawn Green 09-28-1993 OF
Adam Greenberg 07-07-2005 OF
Hank Greenberg 09-14-1930 1B
Eric Helfand 09-04-1993 C
Steve Hertz 04-21-1964 3B
Jason Hirsh 08-12-2006 P
Ken Holtzman 09-04-1965 P
Joe Horlen 09-04-1961 P Converted to Judaism
Skip Jutze 09-01-1972 C Jewish Father
Ryan Kalish 07-31-2010 OF
Harry Kane 08-08-1902 P
Gabe Kapler 09-20-1998 OF
Herb Karpel 04-19-1946 P
Benny Kauff 04-20-1912 OF
Ian Kinsler 04-03-2006 2B
Johnny Klippstein 05-03-1950 P
Alan Koch 07-26-1963 P
Sandy Koufax 06-24-1955 P
Brian Kowitz 06-04-1995 OF
Barry Latman 09-10-1957 P
Jim Levey 09-17-1930 SS
Alan Levine 06-22-1996 P
Jesse Levis 04-24-1992 C
Mike Lieberthal 06-30-1994 C Jewish Father
Lou Limmer 04-22-1951 1B

Player Name Debut / Box Position Notes
Andrew Lorraine 07-17-1994 P
Elliott Maddox 04-07-1970 OF Converted to Judaism
Cy Malis 08-17-1934 P
Moxie Manuel 09-25-1905 P
Duke Markell 09-06-1951 P
Jason Marquis 06-06-2000 P
Ed Mayer 09-15-1957 P
Erskine Mayer 09-04-1912 P Jewish Father
Sam Mayer 09-14-1915 OF
Ed Mensor 07-05-1905 P
Mike Milchin 05-14-1996 P Jewish Father
Norm Miller 09-11-1965 OF
Buddy Myer 09-26-1925 2B
Sam Nahem 10-02-1938 P
David Newhan 06-04-1999 2B
Jeff Newman 06-30-1976 C Converted to Judaism
Barney Pelty 08-20-1903 P
Jay Pike 08-27-1877 OF
Lip Pike 05-09-1876 OF
Jake Pitler 05-30-1917 2B
Aaron Poreda 06-12-2009 P Jewish Mother
Scott Radinsky 04-09-1990 P Jewish Mother
Steve Ratzer 10-05-1980 P
Jimmy Reese 04-19-1930 2B
Al Richter 09-23-1951 SS
Dave Roberts 07-06-1969 P Jewish Father
Saul Rogovin 04-28-1949 P

Player Name Debut / Box Position Notes
Al Rosen 09-10-1947 3B
Goody Rosen 09-14-1937 OF
Harry Rosenberg 07-15-1930 OF
Lou Rosenberg 05-22-1923 2B
Steve Rosenberg 06-04-1988 P
Max Rosenfeld 04-21-1931 OF
Si Rosenthal 09-08-1925 OF
Wayne Rosenthal 06-26-1991 P
Marv Rotblatt 07-04-1948 P
Larry Rothschild 09-11-1981 P
Mickey Rutner 09-11-1947 3B
Mike Saipe 06-25-1998 P
Ike Samuels 08-03-1895 3B
Roger Samuels 07-20-1988 P
Moe Savransky 04-23-1954 P
Al Schacht 09-18-1919 P
Sid Schacht 04-23-1950 P
Hal Schacker 05-09-1945 P
Heinie Scheer 04-20-1922 2B
Richie Scheinblum 09-01-1965 OF
Mike Schemer 08-08-1945 1B
Scott Schoeneweis 04-07-1999 P Jewish Mother
Bill Schwarz 08-13-1914 C
Art Shamsky 04-17-1965 OF

Player Name Debut / Box Position Notes
Dick Sharon 05-13-1973 OF Jewish Father
Larry Sherry 04-17-1958 P
Norm Sherry 04-12-1959 C
Harry Shuman 09-14-1942 P
Al Silvera 06-12-1955 OF
Fred Sington 09-23-1934 OF
Mose Solomon 09-30-1923 OF
Bill Starr 08-23-1935 C
Jeff Stember 08-05-1980 P
Adam Stern 07-07-2005 OF
Steve Stone 04-08-1971 P
Bud Swartz 07-12-1947 P
Don Taussig 04-23-1958 OF
Bob Tufts 08-10-1981 P Converted to Judaism
Eddie Turchin 05-09-1943 3B
Danny Valencia 06-03-2010 3B
Steve Wapnick 04-14-1990 P
Justin Wayne 09-03-2002 P
Phil Weintraub 09-05-1933 1B
Ed Wineapple 09-15-1929 P
Steve Yeager 08-02-1972 C Converted to Judaism
Larry Yellen 09-26-1963 P
Kevin Youkilis 05-15-2004 3B
Guy Zinn 09-11-1911 OF
Eddie Zosky 09-02-1991 SS Jewish Mother