Ten Jews now on major league baseball fields

NEWTON, Massachusetts (Press Release)– Opening Day rosters in Major League Baseball find nine Jewish players and one manager listed, and as Jewish players and fans approach the new season, they can do so with the confidence that members of “the Tribe” (not the Cleveland Indians), more then held their own last year.

These and many more facts come to life in the seventh and newest edition of Jewish Major Leaguer baseball cards, on sale now.

This year’s opening day rosters includes nine Jewish players – Ryan Braun (MIL), Craig Breslow (BOS), Ike Davis (NYM), Scott Feldman (HOU), Sam Fuld (OAK),Ian Kinsler (DET), Josh Satin (NYM), Danny Valencia (KC) and Ryan Kalish (Cubs).  Breslow is on the Red Sox disabled list.  In addition of course, Brad Ausmus will be managing the Detroit Tigers.  All are included in this year’s 50-card set, the seventh edition of Jewish Major Leaguer cards.

The 14 Jewish players active in the Major Leagues in 2013 included  Braun, Breslow,  Davis,  Feldman, Nate Freiman, Fuld,  Kinsler, Ryan Lavarnway, Jason Marquis, Kevin Pillar, Satin, Valencia, Youkilis and Josh Zeid.

As pointed out on card #50 of the newly-issued set, (attached), the Jewish players of 2013 represented about one percent of Major League Baseball’s 1,355 players for the season.

The ten position players hit a combined .258, slightly above the MLB average of .253, and their combined 54 home runs, 260 RBIs and 32 stolen bases were in keeping with the 1% of all players (slightly higher).

The four pitchers had a combined 3.60 ERA (all players were at 3.87), while compiling a 26-20 record.  This “attest(s) to modestly superior performance by the Class of 2013,” reports the card back.

When the original edition of Jewish Major Leaguers baseball cards was researched and released in 2001, there were approximately 160 Jewish players in history, out of some 17,000 total.  And those 160 players slightly out-performed the total field in just about every key category except stolen bases.

Hank Greenberg remains the career Jewish leader in average (.313), home runs (331) and RBIs (1276), with Shawn Green having fallen just three home runs behind him.  Ryan Braun has a career average of .312.  The stat cards in this year’s edition show Buddy Myer as the leader in hits.  Among pitchers, Ken Holtzman has the most wins (174 to Sandy Koufax’s 165), Barney Pelty the lowest ERA (2.62 to Koufax’s 2.76), Koufax the most strikeouts (2396) and Scott Schoeneweis the most appearances (562).

The new 50-card set has updated team information cards providing an all-time roster; career leaders; Jewish managers (Lipman Pike, Lou Boudreau, Lefty Phillips and Norm Sherry join Ausmus in this small club); “in memorium cards for Joe Ginsberg, Marv Rotblatt and Al Federoff; and Jewish pitcher-catcher combinations including the Red Sox Breslow and Lavarnway.  There is also a Jewish link to the Negro Leagues in the person of Max Rosner.

There are also cards featuring artifacts from Chasing Dreams, the major exhibition at Philadelphia’s National Museum of American Jewish History, with items on loan from the American Jewish Historical Society.  The two institutions jointly sponsor this edition, which presents recognition of the importance of baseball in the history of Jewish American life.

The cards are licensed by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association.

The cards are $36 for one set plus $5 shipping, available by credit card via Paypal at Jewishmajorleaguers.com, or by check sent to JML Inc., 104 Greenlawn Avenue, Newton, MA 02459.  Two sets are $50 (plus $5 shipping), three sets $75 plus $5, four sets $92 plus $8, five sets $115 plus $10, and six sets $140 plus $10.  Larger orders for gift shops and retail outlets should write to martinabramowitz@gmail.com for information.

Visit www.Jewishmajorleaguers.org for additional information.

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