Daily Minyan – June 21, 2009
Philip Weintraub, nicknamed Mickey died on this day in
1987.
He was primarily a reserve outfielder, though he was
platooned at first base in the last few years of his career. He
batted .295 for his career, with a .398 on base percentage.
Through 2006, he had the 4th-best career batting average of
all Jewish major league baseball players, behind Hank
Greenberg, Buddy Myer, and Lou Boudreau. Blessed with an
excellent eye and bat control, he walked 232 times in his
career while striking out only 182 times.
Weintraub was a heavy hitter in the minors. In 1934, he was
helped to the first .400 season in Southern Association history
by Nashville Vols manager Chuck Dressen’s ability to tip him
off to pitches.
In 1939 with the Minneapolis Millers in the American
Association he hit .331 with 33 home runs and 126 RBIs. He
followed in 1940 by hitting .347 with 27 home runs and 109
RBIs.
His professional debut was on September 5, 1933, for the
New York Giants. In 1934 he batted .351, with a .461 on
base percentage, in 31 games.
In 1938 he was 3rd in the National League in on base
percentage (.422), 9th in batting average (.311), and 10th in
walks (64) for the Phillies
In December 1938 he was purchased by the Boston Red Sox
from the Phillies.
He did not play major league baseball from 1939-43.
In November 1943 he was drafted by the New York Giants
from the St. Louis Browns in the Rule 5 draft.
In 1944, Weintraub returned to the majors with the Giants as
a war-time player after a 6-year absence. He was 5th in the
NL in OBP (.412), slugging percentage (.524) and at bats per
home run (27.8), 6th in triples (9), 8th in batting average
(.316), and 9th in home runs (13).
On April 30, 1944, Weintraub had 11 RBIs, one short of the
major league record, as the Giants defeated the Brooklyn
Dodgers, 26-8. He had two doubles, a triple, and a home run.
Amazingly, he missed the cycle because he didn’t get a
single.
Weintraub played his last game on August 5, 1945.
Miscellaneous
He had the last hit in Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl
In 1934 during spring training a Florida hotel refused entry to
Weintraub and fellow Jew Harry Danning. “Hibiscus” was a
code word for Hebrew in Florida — as in “we don’t have
hibiscus in our hotel.” Giants manager and All-Star first
baseman Bill Terry threatened to take the entire World
Champion team to another hotel unless his Jewish players
were given lodging. The hotel’s management backed down
On Yom Kippur of 1938, Phil Weintraub and his Phillies
teammate Morrie Arnovich opted to take the day off.
Called “baseball’s best-dressed pinch hitter” by journalist
Fred Lieb.
One cold, windy afternoon in spring 1944, the Giants played
at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, and the Navy staged a
sideshow by dropping baseballs from a blimp 400 feet in the
air to Giant players. Weintraub managed to make a catch.
NY Giants 1944 signed baseball
Jack Brewer, Buddy Kerr, Bruce Sloan, Johnny Allen, Mel Ott, Phil Weintraub, Gus Mancuso
Let’s see how the guys did on June 20.
Brad Ausmus, C - Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers over the Angels.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B - Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan had a big day going 4-for-5, with a homer (# 15 ), 2
RBIs, 2 runs scored and a stolen base (#6) against the
Tigers. He raised his average to .325.
Ryan earned a Chai 5,
but he could just as easily been the Macher of the day!!
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig didn’t pitch in the A’s victory over the Padres.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott didn’t pitch in the Rangers extra-inning loss to the
Giants.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John had a lousy day. In the one inning that he pitched, he
gave up 3 earned runs on a homer by Rockies C Chris
Ianetta, but somehow notched 3 strikeouts. He blew his
second save of the year and raised his ERA to 4.22.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 1-for-3 in the Rays victory over the Mets, hitting
his 8th double of the year and knocking in his 16th run. He
raised his average to .228 and earned a pastrami sandwich
from Katz’ Deli!!!
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 2-for-4 and was practically the entire
offense for the Rangers in their extra-inning 2-1
loss to the Giants. Ian accounted for 2 of the
Rangers 3 hits with one of his hits being a solo
homer (#18). He also stole his 14th base and took
part in 2 double plays!! His average rose to fall
to .269.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason didn’t pitch in the Rockies win over the Pirates.
Aaron Poreda, P – Chicago White Sox
Aaron didn’t pitch in the White Sox victory over the Reds.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott didn’t pitch in the D-Backs loss to the Mariners.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-3 in the Bosox win against the
Braves, drove in a run and in a big surprise he
walked!!! He raised his average to .317.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day - Ian Kinsler
Daily Minyan – June 20, 2009
Although I’m a bit late (just call it working on Jewish time) I’d like to welcome the newest member of the Minyan, pitcher Aaron Poreda of the Chicago White Sox!!!
MAZEL TOV!!!
He received “the Call” on June 8 and he is taking the spot of Bartolo Colon, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 8. He’s currently working out the ChiSox bullpen.
Aaron, who Baseball America ranks as the White Sox’ No. 3 prospect, is 22 years old, stands 6’6″ and weighs 240 pounds. He was the White Sox’ first round pick in 2007 out of the University of San Francisco.
He was promoted from the White Sox’s AA Birmingham Barons, where he was part of the starting rotation, Aaron posted a 5-4 record with a 2.38 ERA in 11 starts. fanned 69 over 64 1/3 innings and led the Southern League in strikeouts. He also limited opposing hitters to a .206 average and held left-handers to a .170 mark, while allowing just one home run.
Poreda’s last start was on June 5 against Montgomery, when he threw six scoreless innings and gave up three hits. He worked out of the bullpen during Arizona Fall League action and also pitched there in Spring Training, so he was more than ready to tackle the change of roles.
“I’m happy to fulfill my role first in the bullpen,” Poreda said. “We’re just trying to win games, so I’m doing whatever the White Sox want me to do. And having fun.”
That fun started when Poreda found out about his promotion on and immediately posted the great news on his Facebook status.
“I was just so excited I wanted to shout it out to the world,” said Poreda with a laugh. “I guess it snowballed a little bit.”
White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said Poreda simply was the best option to add to the White Sox staff, while Manager Ozzie Guillen stressed that this move was not a sign of rebuilding but simply another decision made to help the team compete.
Poreda’s goal at the outset of the 2009 campaign was to develop secondary pitches behind his fastball in the high 90s, and he admitted to working hard on his slider and changeup.
“Going right after hitters, a lot of inside fastballs,” said Poreda of his pitching style. “I like to pound the strike zone.”
“You’re going to be treated the same way as everyone else,” said Guillen of his message to Poreda. “If you don’t do the job, we have Southwest Airlines waiting for you to go to Charlotte.
“That’s the only one with non-stop. I already checked,” added Guillen with a laugh. “In Spring Training, I liked the way he threw. But I make it really clear to him, this isn’t development.”
As of June 19, Aaron had pitched twice out of the bullpen and was unscored on. On June 12, against the Brewers he pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up one hit while striking out three. On Friday, June 19, he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up only a walk. So I’d say that’s a pretty darn good start for the 11th member of the Minyan!!!
Let’s see how the other 10 did!
Brad Ausmus, C - Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers loss to the Angels on Friday.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B - Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan reached on an error in his first at bat and scored on Prince Fielder’s 3-run homer in the Brewers loss to the Tigers on Friday. Other than the first inning, Ryan went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts and dropped his average to .316.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning on Friday in the A’s win over the Padres. Though he gave up a hit and a walk, he picked up his 8th hold of the year and lowered his ERA to 4.50.
Craig earned a Chai 5 for his work!
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott (5-2) allowed five runs on eight hits over 6 innings on Friday to the Giants to record his second straight loss. Along the way, he gave up 2 homers and struck out five. This effort raised his ERA to 4.02.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates loss Jason Marquis and the Rockies on Friday.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe didn’t play in the Rays loss to the Mets on Friday.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-5, on Friday against the Giants, with the one hit being his 15th double of the year. He also took part in 2 double plays. He saw his average fall to .266.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason came within an out of the sixth complete game in his 10-year career as the Rockies beat Pittsburgh, 7-3, Friday night for their 14th win in 15 games. Jason (9-4) allowed three runs on eight hits. He induced 21 ground-ball outs, three strikeouts and two flyouts, and he did it mostly with his nasty sinker. Jason, who improved to 5-1 in his last seven starts, lowered his ERA to 3.71 .
Manager Jim Tracy, who is 16-5 since taking over for Clint Hurdle on May 29, received a chorus of boos when he went to the mound following pinch-hitter Eric Hinske’s run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth.
The fans gave Tracy a standing ovation when he spun around and returned to the dugout alone, having given Marquis one more chance at his second complete game of the season.
“He told me this was my last guy, it was make or break,” Marquis said.
Andrew McCutchen sliced a sinker into the corner just out of right fielder Brad Hawpe’s reach to pull the Pirates to 7-3 and chase Marquis.
Left-hander Alan Embree came on and retired Nyjer Morgan for the final out.
“I needed to make better pitches to Hinske and McCutchen. But you know what, we got the win and that’s what matters,” “It’s not the best I felt all year, but it was good enough to get the job done,” Marquis said. “It’s definitely fun when you get deep into games and watching guys make plays like that.”
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott faced one batter on Friday, Mariners’ 1B Russell Branyan, who proceeded to hit a solo homer, which proved to be a important run in the Mariners’ 4-3 win over the D-Backs. That at bat raised his ERA to an even 3.00.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk grounded into a fielder’s choice and scored on Jason Bay’s 2-run homer, which accounted for the BoSox’ only runs in their loss to the Braves Friday night. On the night he went 0-for-4 and lowered his average to .317.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day - Jason Marquis
Daily Minyan – June 19, 2009
This was the last day of school for my kids, so I
know they were very happy!!
Let’s see who was happy based on their performance last
Thursday!!
Brad Ausmus, C - Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers 1-run victory over the A’s on
Thursday.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B - Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers had an off day last Thursday.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig pitched a scoreless inning on Thursday the A’s loss to
the Dodgers. He walked one and struck out one and lowered
his ERA to 4.62.
Craig earned a Chai 5 for his inning of work!
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott didn’t pitch in the Rangers loss to the Astros on
Thursday.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates loss to the Twins on
Thursday.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe didn’t play in the Rays loss to the Rockies on
Thursday.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 0-for-4, Thursday against the Astros and saw his average fall to .267.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason didn’t pitch in the Rockies win over the Rays on
Thursday.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott didn’t pitch in the D-Backs win over the Royals on
Thursday.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk accounted for the BoSox only hit and the
only run in Thursday’s rain-shortened 2-1 loss
to the Marlins. He went 1-for-2, and smacked a
solo homer (#12) in the first inning against
Ricky Nolasco. He raised his average to .324.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day - Kevin Youkilis
Daily Minyan – June 18, 2009
On June 18, 1938, Babe Ruth is signed as a Brooklyn
Dodgers coach for the rest of the season. He is in uniform for
batting demonstrations the following day. It was a well-
known fact that Babe wanted to manage the Yankees and he
took the Dodgers’ job in an attempt to gain a managing job,
which ultimately proved fruitless.
Let’s see if any of our guys delivered a Hall of Fame performance.
Brad Ausmus, C - Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers’ loss to the A’s on
Wednesday.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B - Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 2-for-4, hitting his 15th double, driving in a run and
scoring two in the Brewers extra-inning victory over the
Indians on Wednesday. His average increased to .321.
Ryan left in the 8th inning with lower back tightness.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig somehow earned his 7th hold of the year, in spite of
giving up 2 runs (1 earned) in his 1/3 of an inning of work in
the A’s win over the Dodgers on Wednesday. He faced 3
batters, with the first 2 – who eventually scored - reaching
base on a walk and an error. This effort raised his ERA to
4.81.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott didn’t pitch in the Rangers’ extra-inning victory over the
Astros.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John pitched 2 scoreless innings and earned his 12th hold in
the Pirates win over the Twins on Wednesday. He wasn’t as
effective as usual and walked 3 batters and gave up a hit in
his 2 innings of work. He got out of a based-loaded jam in
the 7th inning, but only faced 3 batters in the 8th inning. His
effort reduced his ERA to 3.48.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe pinch hit in the 9th inning on Wednesday and ground out
to third. That lowered his average to .225.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian had a very busy and productive day for the
Rangers in their extra-inning victory over the
Astros on Wednesday, where he scored the
winning run!
He went 2-for-4, hit his 14th double, stole bases
#12 and #13, hit a sac fly, drove in a run and
scored twice, with the last one being the game
winner. And for good measure, he took part
in a double play. His exciting day raised his
average to .271.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason didn’t pitch in the Rockies win over the
Rays on Wednesday.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning Wednesday in his 2nd
game back in the D-Backs win over the Royals. It’s nice to
see that he has returned to his former level of
effectiveness. This lowered his ERA to 2.25.
Scott has earned a Chai 5:
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk had an uncharacteristically bad day on
Wednesday, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts
to lower his average to .322. He also left 5
BoSox on base!!
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day - Ian Kinsler
Daily Minyan – June 17, 2009
In looking at the boxscores from June 17, I saw
that Scott Schoeneweis was listed as pitching,
but somehow I missed the fact that he returned
on June 9!!! Please join me in welcoming him
back!!!
Here is the complete text of an AP article about his return.
Schoeneweis returns to Diamondbacks
PHOENIX (AP)–Pitcher Scott Schoeneweis returned to the Arizona
Diamondbacks’ active roster on Tuesday, 21 days after the death of his wife.
The club reinstated the lefty reliever from the restricted list and optioned
another left-hander, Daniel Schlereth, to Double-A Mobile in a corresponding
move.
Schoeneweis said he felt it was time to return to work after spending the last
three weeks tending to the couple’s four children and handling other matters.
“The family’s good, and it’s time for daddy to go back to work,” Schoeneweis
said before the Diamondbacks played host to the San Francisco Giants.
Authorities have not determined a cause of death for Gabrielle Schoeneweis,
39, who was found dead in the couple’s home in suburban Fountain Hills on
May 20.
Schoeneweis said he initially considered sitting out the rest of the season
before deciding he needed to return.
“It’s something that I would feel unfinished for me, personally,” he said. “I think
my wife would want me to play as well.
“I wanted to make sure that my kids were OK, first, obviously,” he said. “They
have been doing well. I had a lot of things to take care of. I needed the time to
get those things taken care of. I kind of put myself on the back burner. It’s been
kind of tough on me recently. I’m running out of things to do. 8:30 at night,
everybody’s asleep.”
Schoeneweis said he’s relying on family and friends to help him care for the
family’s children. He and Gabrielle had three children together, and she also
had a daughter before she married the reliever. The couple celebrated their
10th anniversary in January.
Schoeneweis had visited Chase Field several times since his wife’s death but
had not spoken publicly. He tuned up for his return with bullpen sessions and by
throwing an inning of extending spring training last Friday.
“We’re happy to see him and get him back on our club,” manager A.J. Hinch
said. “Obviously, we still have heavy hearts for him. I know he’s going through a
lot.
“As his second family here, we’re certainly thrilled to have him back, and we’ll
provide any support that he needs as his life gets back underway and the
normal schedule that he’s used to in a baseball life,” Hinch said.
Schoeneweis told Hinch that he was available to pitch Tuesday night, when the
Diamondbacks opened a three-game series against the Giants. Schoeneweis
spoke as if he’s looking forward to his work life returning to normal quickly.
“Baseball’s pretty distracting,” Schoeneweis said. “It takes a lot of
concentration and focus, so that’ll be good for me personally. It’ll be emotional,
I’m sure. It’s just different. It’s not the same. But it’s my job and I’m fully
confident that I can get the job done.”
Schoeneweis, acquired from the New York Mets last winter, is 0-0 with a 2.53
ERA in 19 games.
Here is an excerpt from an article about his return to the
mound.
LHP Scott Schoeneweis retired the only two batters he faced
Saturday, throwing six strikes on seven pitches, in his first
appearance since his wife, Gabrielle, was found dead of
undetermined cause in the couple’s suburban Phoenix home
on May 20. Schoeneweis, 35, was given a standing ovation
as he left the field but kept his eyes down. “I couldn’t look at
anybody,” Schoeneweis said. “I couldn’t acknowledge the
crowd. I apologize. You know the old saying, ‘There’s no
crying in baseball,’ so I just kept my head down.”
Brad Ausmus, C - Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers’ extra-inning
victory over the A’s.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B - Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 1-for-4 on Tuesday, walked once and
scored once in the Brewers win over the
Indians. His average fell to .318.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig pitched to one batter, 1B James Loney, in
the 8th inning of the A’s extra-inning loss to the
Dodgers on Tuesday and promptly walked him!
I guess he was rusty since he hadn’t pitched in
3 games. His ERA remained unchanged at
4.50.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott earned a well-deserved day of rest.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates loss to the Twins
on Tuesday.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 3-for-4, homered in his 4th straight
game, drove in four runs – which tied a career
high- and fell a double short of the cycle on
Tuesday in the Rays mashing of the Rockies.
Gabe became the third Ray to homer in four
straight games, joining Jose Canseco (five
straight in 1999)
and Julio Lugo (four in 2003)
He raised his average to .228.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian snapped out of his slump by going 3-for-4 with
two homers. He also singled and walked and
finished the game with 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs
and raised his average to .268.
Ian, who was 4-for-33 with no RBIs or runs
scored in his previous eight games, put the
Rangers ahead to stay with his fourth leadoff
homer this season. He added another solo shot in
the second off struggling Astros’ left-hander
Wandy Rodriguez.
Ian’s nine career leadoff homers are the most in
Rangers history. This was his fifth multihomer
game, and his third this season.
Manager Ron Washington never considered
taking Kinsler out of the leadoff spot.
“I have confidence in the fact that he’s been there
before and he’ll get out of it,” Washington said. “I
just hope tonight is the night that got him back
going.”
Ian gets a Chai 5 shirt and hat combo for his
efforts. He was narrowly beaten for Macher of the Day by Gabe Kapler’s
big day at Coors!
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason earned a day of rest.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is back!!!
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-4, hit his 16th double, scored
and guess what, he walked again!!
His average fell to .330.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day - Gabe
Kapler
Daily Minyan – June 16, 2009
There was only guy playing on Monday and he made us very
proud!!! Ryan had a HUGE night on ESPN’s national
broadcast of the Brewers/Indians game!
Ryan smacked a homer (#14), triple (#2) and single, drew a
walk, stole his 5th base, scored four times and drove in five
runs in the Brewers’ 14-12 come back victory over the
Indians. He raised his average to .319.
Ryan, who had a great April (.317, 5 HR, 16 RBI) and May
(.315, 4 HR, 16 RBI) and was remarkably consistent for the
first two months, is currently batting .333, with 5 HR and 16
RBI through June. Thus, he should easily exceed his
production of the first two months and may bat for a an even
higher average when the month ends.
Below are a couple of quotes from Ryan about Monday’s
game:
“That was fun. Hopefully, it gives us some momentum.”
“Everybody feels better about themselves after a game like
this,” Braun said. “It’s a special night, one of those nights you
have to enjoy. They don’t come around very often.”
Now for some fun for me and my loyal readers (THANKS!!!!).
Here are some interesting pictures or items related to Ryan:
There is this very cool T-shirt:
This a website that has some interesting user designed items
related to Ryan. You can also find some items that my son
Jordan designed on here as well.
http://www.zazzle.co.uk/ryan_brauns_girlfriend_tshirt-235969951268645881
Here is the design that clearly inspired the Hebrew Hammer
logo above:
Here is Ryan being introduced as a member of Team USA’s
World Baseball Classic Team
Here is Ryan showing his braun!!
Ladies; You’re welcome!!
Here’s Ryan at a Grammy Awards event looking stylish:
These two pictures show Ryan at the University of Miami:
And for you bobblehead collector’s, here’s one of you know who!
And last, but not least, is this fantasy photo of the O’s new
left fielder, which would give us the top outfield in the game!!!
He look’s great in the Orange and Black, don’t you think!!!
Daily Minyan – June 15, 2009
On this date in 1938 – Johnny Vander Meer stuns baseball
by pitching his second successive no-hitter, defeating the
Dodgers 6-0, as Brooklyn plays the first night game ever at
Ebbets Field. In front of 38,748 fans, including spectator
Babe Ruth, Vander Meer strikes out seven and walks eight,
including three walks in the ninth.
Let’s see if any of our guys delivered a Hall of Fame performance.
Brad Ausmus, C - Los Angeles Dodgers
Since it was Sunday, Brad of course played! As
I have noted previously, if you want to see a
team’s backup catcher play, you have a great
shot of seeing him on a Sunday. And per
usual, Brad did quite well, he went 2-for-2, hit
his 2nd double of the year and drove in his 4th
run of the year in the Dodgers victory over the
Rangers. He also walked and was hit by a
pitch, thus, Brad reached based each time he
came to the plate!!! He must have been talking
to Youk or something!!!
He raised his average back over .300 to .317.
Additionally, he threw out his counterpart,
Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who
was trying to steal 2nd in the 8th inning.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B - Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 1-for-4, with his lone hit being his
14th double of the year, in the Brewers loss to
the ChiSox. His average fell to .313.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig didn’t pitch in the A’s loss to the Giants on
Sunday.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott earned a well-deserved day of rest.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John earned his 11th hold of the year by
pitching a scoreless 8th inning in the Pirates
win over the Tigers on Sunday. He lowered his
ERA to 3.72.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 2-for-2, homered in his third straight
game and drove in three runs for Tampa Bay in
their win over the Nats. Gabe also walked twice
and was caught trying to steal 2nd in the 8th
inning. He raised his average above the
Mendoza Line once again!
Kapler is still batting only .202 (.268 against
lefties), but he has hit three home runs since
last Monday after hitting none in his first 34
games. His pinch-hit homer off Ron Villone on
Friday sparked a 4-3 victory, and his two-run
shot in the sixth off Ross Detwiler on Sunday
tied the game at 4.
He earned a Chai 5 for this continued hot
streak.
A .291 career hitter against lefties who hit .354
against them last year at Milwaukee, Kapler
acknowledged he’s heard the carping from fans
said he’s thankful Maddon trusted in him.
“Talk radio is an interesting medium,” he said.
“But I absolutely stunk for a really nice stretch
there.
The fact I kept getting the opportunity to
go back on the field, I’m not sure how many
managers would have kept throwing me out
there.
“At the same time, I never believe I can’t get the
job done. I always believe something great is
around the corner.”
“If he was 42, I might have had some doubts,”
Maddon said. “But he’s a young man, 33, who
keeps himself in great shape. (See the picture
below – especially my female fans)
Mrs. Kapler sure seems to like him as well!
He works his butt off, so it was a matter of time.
On top of that, his track record indicates that’s
what he is like.”
There has been at least one homer hit in all 33
games this season at Tropicana Field. The only
other park in the majors to have a homer streak
since from opening day is Yankee Stadium (32
games).
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 0-for-4 in the Rangers loss to the
Dodgers on Sunday. His average continues to
sink and now is at .260.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason earned a day of rest.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his
wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 0-for-4, and guess what, he
walked again!! He didn’t score or drive
anybody in. His average fell to .331.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day - Brad Ausmus
Daily Minyan – June 14, 2009
On this day in 1985 - Hall of Famer Earl Weaver comes out
of retirement to manage the Orioles. Weaver led Baltimore to
six A.L. titles from 1968-82.
Now 78 and living in Florida, Weaver recently shared with a
Baltimore Sun reporter his favorite ways of showing umpires
that their judgment was, um, wrong:
1. Tearing up the rule book under the umpire’s nose.
“I did that in Cleveland after getting thrown out of a game.”
2. Ripping third base off its moorings and hurling it off the field.
“If (the umpire) couldn’t tell fair from foul, why keep the base?
3. Scuffing dirt onto home plate.
“He wasn’t using it anyway.”
4. Wearing his baseball cap backward.
“I really did that so umpires couldn’t say I bumped them with
the bill of my hat (during arguments).”
Let’s see if any of our guys delivered a Hall of Fame
performance.
Brad Ausmus, C - Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers victory over the Rangers on
Saturday.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B - Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 0-for-4, and struck out twice. His average fell
to .314.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig pitched a scoreless 1/3 of an inning in the A’s loss to
the Giants on Saturday, giving up a hit and striking out
one. He lowered his ERA to 4.50.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott pitched 5 scoreless innings on Saturday night against
the Dodgers, but was unable to get a win due to a very long
delay in the game (1 hour 41 minutes) because of a power
outage! He allowed 3 hits and struck out one in his
abbreviated appearance and lowered his ERA to
3.70. Because of the long delay, Rangers manager Ron
Washington didn’t allow him to retake the mound for the 6th
inning.
Here are a couple of quotes courtesy of AP.
“It was pretty frustrating,” Feldman said. “I felt I was throwing
pretty good and wanted to go back out there.”
“Feldman was on his way to a pretty good game when we
got hit with the lights,” manager Ron Washington said.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates win over the Tigers on
Saturday.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe didn’t play in the Rays’ win over the Nats on Saturday.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-4 Saturday in the Rangers loss to
the Dodgers. His average is at .264.
The Rangers recognized Ian during pregame for
his 6-for-6 cycle game on April 15, and fans
were given commemorative color lithographs.
He was third in the majors batting .474 after that
night, but has dropped to .264 since.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason limited the Mariners to a run and seven
hits and 3 walks in seven innings on Saturday,
but was denied the decision in the Rockies 5-3
victory. He struck out two and also had an RBI
with a bases-loaded walk for the Rockies’ first
run in the second inning!
“I didn’t get the win, but the team did,” Marquis
said. “That’s all that matters.”
Jason has earned another Chai 5:
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his
wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 0-for-3, walked three times, struck
out twice and scored once. “The Greek God of
Walks” was at it again!!
His average fell to .339.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day - Scott Feldman
Daily Minyan – June 13, 2009
On this date in 1948, Babe Ruth’s #3 is retired in front of
49,641 fans at Yankee Stadium.
Our guys might have a retired parent or two, so let’s see if any of them made their parents proud!
Brad Ausmus, C - Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers loss to the Rangers on
Friday.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B - Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 2-for-5, and scored a run in the Brewers 7-2
victory over the ChiSox on Friday. His average rose to .320.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig didn’t pitch in the A’s loss to their Bay-area rivals, the
Giants on Friday.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott didn’t pitch on Friday.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John pitched the 8th inning Friday and gave up a solo shot to
the Brandon Inge in the Pirates 3-1 loss to the Tigers. He
also struck out one. His ERA rose to 3.86.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe pinch hit for Gabe Gross in the 8th inning Friday and he
smacked a solo homer (#2), which wound being the winning
run in the Rays 4-3 victory over the lowly Nats!!! He also
recorded his 8th RBI of the year and raised his average
to .183.
Stuck in a 3-for-31 slide that dropped his batting average
to .173, Gabe went deep against Ron Villone (3-2) after first
baseman Nick Johnson dropped a pop foul that would have
been the third out.
“I was screaming at the ball as hard as I could, and I think it
heard me,” Kapler said. “I wanted the opportunity badly.”
“Joe and the (coaching) staff have shown a tremendous
amount of loyalty to me,” Kapler said. “To me that’s kind of
special.”
Rays’ Manager Joe Maddon said he liked the way Kapler
swung the bat earlier in the day when he batted against Scott
Kazmir in a simulated game.
Kapler said he felt good against Kazmir and during batting
practice, but didn’t think that carried over to his pinch-hit at-
bat.
It was Kapler’s second home run of the season. His first
came Monday at Yankee Stadium against Andy Pettitte.
It was the Rays’ fourth pinch-hit home run of the season and
first by someone not named Ben Zobrist.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-4 and struck out once in the
Rangers 6-0 victory over the Dodgers on
Friday. He also took part in one double play. His
average fell to .264.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason didn’t pitch in Friday’s win over the
Mariners.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his
wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-5 on Friday, hit his 11th homer
of the year, a solo shot, was hit by a pitch and
stole his 4th base of the year in the same inning
that he was hit. His average fell to .345.
He earned a Chai 5 and an icepack for his effort!
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day - Gabe Kapler
Welcome to the club!!!! Took you long enough!!!
Daily Minyan – June 12, 2009
On this date in 1939 – The greatest-ever gathering of
members and future inductees of the Baseball Hall of Fame
assembles in Cooperstown, N.Y., for the dedication of the
museum: Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Walter
Johnson, Grover Alexander, Nap Lajoie, George Sisler, Eddie
Collins, Tris Speaker, Cy Young and Connie Mack accept
their plaques.
Let’s see if any of our guys delivered a Hall of Fame performance.
Brad Ausmus, C - Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers had an off day yesterday.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B - Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan once again had a big day, going 3-for-5, hitting a 3-run
homer (#13), and throwing out Rockies SS Troy Tulowitski
trying to stretch a double into a triple. His homer brought the
Brewers within one run of the Rockies, but Mat Gamel struck
out with a Prince Fielder at first. He was a busy boychik!!
Troy Tulowitski being called out at 3rd on Ryan’s throw.
His average rose to .318.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig didn’t pitch in the A’s win over the Twins.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott is slated to pitch over the weekend at home against the
Dodgers.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates win over the Braves.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe didn’t play in the Rays’ big win over the the Angels
Angels of Anaheim.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 0-for-4 and struck out twice in the
Rangers 1-0 victory over the Blue Jays. His
average continues to sink and now is at .265.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason is slated to pitch at home versus the
Mariners.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his
wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-3, and guess what? Yes, he
walked again!! Now you know why he was
called “The Greek God of Walks.” He didn’t
score or drive anybody in. His average
remained at .350.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day - Ryan Braun
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