I don’t get as attached to “favorite players” as I used to. Case in point: I now have a new favorite major leaguer – and he’s a 6-foot-6 Jewish kid from Moraga.

The White Sox this week called up pitcher Aaron Poreda, rated one of the top three prospects in the organization for the past couple of years.

I’ve never seen this guy pitch, but I’m firmly on the Poreda bandwagon, and how could I not be: He was born in Walnut Creek, he was bar mitzvahed at Temple Isaiah in Lafyette, he went to high school at Campolindo High in Moraga, and then he played for the USF Dons. He’s Jewish. He's 6-foot-6. He's left-handed. And he has a fastball in the mid-90s.

Just a few minutes ago (on Friday night), Poreda made his major-league debut in a 7-2 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee. And what an amazing debut it was! He struck out the first batter he faced (Mat Gamel), and in 1 2/3 innings, he did give up one RBI single, but retired five of the six batters he faced -- including three strikeouts!

Moreover, one of the strikeouts was Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun, not only one of the best hitters in the game – but also a fellow Jew! I’m sure Poreda will have some interesting things to say about that strikeout, but it’s too soon after the game to have any quotes come out of the clubhouse.

Poreda was hoping to make the majors coming out of spring training, but the White Sox sent the 240-pounder back to Double-A for more seasoning. The team’s No. 1 draft pick in 2007 (25th overall) didn’t sulk; with Jacksonville in the minors this season, he was 5-4 with a 2.38 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings (although he did walk 35 and allow 47 hits).

 

The Sox plan to use him as a relief pitcher (at least initially) even though he’ll probably be a starter somewhere down the line. His contract was purchased and he was added to the 25-man roster.

 “I'm happy to fulfill my role first in the bullpen,” Poreda told Chicago reporters. He described his promotion as "amazing" and said he was "star-struck."

The Chicago Tribune reported that Poreda received some ribbing for his attire when he showed up. "The outfit I wore [Tuesday], with a long-sleeve shirt and a vest and a Kangol hat, I got some [flak] for it," the Tribune quoted Poreda as saying. "But I had to pick one outfit, and I decided to go with that one."

In spring training, the Tribune ran a story on Poreda that said he is devoted to his faith and hopes to perform well in front of the large Jewish Chicago community.

“I’m a big family man,” Poreda was quoted as saying. “I really like to celebrate the Jewish holidays. It’s good to know Chicago has a strong Jewish background. … Our family celebrates all the High Holidays. But it has been hard being on the road. I enjoy going home and celebrating them.”

He reportedly wears a gold chai necklace that had belonged to his grandfather; he began wearing it after the death of his grandfather. A reporter for mlb.com, MOT Jonathan Mayo, reported last year that while he has seen a handful of players wearing a Star of David, Poreda is the first player he’s ever seen wearing a chai.

At Temple Isaiah, May reported, Poreda attended Sunday school and then Hebrew school on Wednesdays, even though his father isn’t Jewish.

 

“The majority of the family on that side is Jewish,” Poreda told Mayo. “I’d say our family was pretty religious, but more based on family traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation.”