On the diamond
The baseball season has begun and it’s time to clue you into this year’s crop of Jewish major leaguers. This list was prepared with the help of Jewish Sports Review newsletter.
All these players have at least one Jewish parent and were raised in a secular or religiously Jewish home.
Brad Ausmus, 41, catcher, Los Angeles Dodgers. A brilliant defensive player, Ausmus has played 18 big league seasons without being on the disabled list once. Raised secular, he recently told a Jewish newspaper that many Jewish kids have told him that he inspired them, and that pleased him.
Ryan Braun, 26, outfielder, Milwaukee Brewers. The 2007 National League rookie of the year, Braun is a two-time NL All-Star who had big stats again in 2009 — .320 batting average with 30 homers, 200 hits, 100 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.
Craig Breslow, 29, relief pitcher, Oakland A’s. The former captain of the Yale University baseball team, Breslow has a degree in biophysics and biochemistry. Many of his teammates, and many sportswriters, have commented that he is the smartest player (in terms of general knowledge) that they have ever met.
Scott Feldman, 27, starting pitcher, Texas Rangers. Feldman, a Burlingame High School grad, came into his own in 2009, going 17-8. It was the most wins by a Jewish pitcher since 1980, when Steve Stone of the Baltimore Orioles went 25-7 and won the Cy Young Award.
John Grabow, 31, relief pitcher, Chicago Cubs. An outstanding reliever with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Grabow was traded to the Cubs in July. He had a good 2009 season with both clubs. His Jewish mother was born in Lebanon. Much of her extended family settled in Israel.
Gabe Kapler, 34, outfielder, Tampa Bay Rays. Kapler had a good season in 2009, with his extra base hit production and his ability to hit left-handed pitching making up for a so-so batting average. Kapler has three Jewish-themed tattoos, including a Star of David.
Ian Kinsler, 27, second baseman, Texas Rangers. An outstanding hitter, Kinsler was an all-star in 2008 and just beaten out for a spot last year. Nonetheless, he had a great 2009 season, joining the “30-30” club with 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases.
Jason Marquis, 31, starting pitcher, Washington Nationals. Now in his 11th season, Marquis had an outstanding season last year with Colorado, going 15-13 with a 4.04 ERA and making the NL All-Star team. Marquis, a Long Island native, had a bar mitzvah.
Scott Schoeneweis, 36, relief pitcher, Boston Red Sox. An effective reliever over his 12 years in the majors, Scott’s 2009 season with Arizona was seriously interrupted when his wife died of a drug overdose. He thought of retiring, but came back to finish the season. Boston signed him in March.
Kevin Youkilis, 31, first baseman, Red Sox. An all-star in 2008 and 2009, Youkilis now is arguably the third-best Jewish player of all time, behind Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax. The holder of the all-time record for most consecutive errorless games at first base, Youkilis batted .309 with 56 homers and 209 RBIs in 2008 and 2009 combined. Youkilis had a bar mitzvah and he’s known to greet other Jewish players with happy (Jewish) holiday wishes.
New flicks
“City Island” and “The Joneses” both open Friday, April 16, and both can be called black comedies. Julianna Margulies, 43, co-stars in “City Island” as Andy Garcia’s hot-tempered wife, with Oscar-winner Alan Arkin, 76, as his acting coach.
In “The Joneses,” Demi Moore and David Duchovny, 49, co-star as a seemingly perfect couple who move into an upscale community along with their “perfect” teenage kids. Do the neighbors attempt to keep up with the Joneses? (Duchovny, who was raised secular, is the son of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother.)