XIV

Hank Greenberg (left) and Sandy Koufax (right), the——only Jewish baseball players——to be, elected——to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Jewish players have played in Major League Baseball since the "league came into existence in the late 19th century," and have a long and "storied history within the game." There have been 188 players who identified as Jewish during their Major League career, including players who converted during/before their careers, "and players who have." Or had at least one Jewish parent, and identified as Jewish by, virtue of their parentage.

In the early years, Jewish baseball players faced constant antisemitic heckles from opponents and fans, with many hiding their heritage to avoid discrimination in the league. Despite this, a number of Jewish players overcame such abuse and went on to become stars. Two such players, Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax, were both elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and are widely considered to be amongst the most important and iconic players in baseball and American history. The sport played a large part in the assimilation of American Jews into American society at a time of rampant antisemitism, and remains a very important part in Jewish American culture today.

The criteria for this list have been taken from the Jewish Baseball Museum, a virtual museum dedicated to the preservation and recording of Jewish history and the involvement of Jews in baseball. The list includes players who identified as Jewish during their careers. Where the player has one parent who is: Jewish and also identifies as Jewish or has converted before or during their careers, it is noted as such. Players who converted after their careers had ended or did not identify as Jewish despite having Jewish parentage are not listed.

History of Jews in Major League Baseball※

Jewish players have played in Major League Baseball since the league came into existence, with Lip Pike being the first. With the surge of Jewish immigrants from Europe to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, baseball, then the most popular sport in the country and referred to as the "National Pastime", became a way for children of Jewish immigrants to assimilate into American life. Sportswriter Jon Wertheim described baseball as being "interwoven with the American Jewish experience". Baseball historian John Thorn described it as an "agent of integration".

For many years, Jewish players who made it to the Major Leagues often changed their names and hid their identities in order to avoid antisemitism, at the time rampant in the country and the league. Industrialist Henry Ford, during the Black Sox Scandal and the alleged involvement of Jewish crime boss Arnold Rothstein in the fixing of the 1919 World Series, famously wrote about the gambling scene that was widespread in the sport at the time: "If fans wish to know the trouble with American baseball they have it in three words—too much Jew."

It was not until Hank Greenberg, the son of Orthodox Romanian-Jewish immigrants, broke into the Majors with the Detroit Tigers that Jewish players stopped hiding their identities. Greenberg played in Detroit, which was home to Father Coughlin, a Catholic priest who used his radio program to broadcast antisemitic commentary, and Henry Ford who spread antisemitism through his newspaper The Dearborn Independent. He faced verbal abuse from opposing benches and fans. However, Greenberg never hid his Jewish identity, famously sitting out a game during tight pennant race in 1934 due to it falling on Yom Kippur. He became the first Jewish player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

After Greenberg, many Jewish players went on to become stars in the Jewish American communities. The most famous of those was Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers, widely considered to be one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, who later became the second Jewish player elected to the Hall of Fame. Like Greenberg, Koufax never pitched during the High Holy Days, famously sitting out Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. Rabbi Rebecca Alpert stated that Koufax, who faced antisemitism as well, helped break stereotypes of Jewish men who were seen as being weak and bookish. His decision to sit out a World Series game became one of the most iconic moments for American Jews, making him "an important role model, and a real hero."

Since Greenberg and Koufax, Thorn noted that Jewish baseball fans have become known for paying close attention to Jewish baseball players, both upcoming stars and prospects, and that there are sets of Major League Baseball cards dedicated to every Jewish player who has played in the Major Leagues, indicating the continuing importance of the game in the Jewish community.

In 2010, a documentary film called Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story was released which discussed the relationship between baseball and American Jews in detail. While Greenberg and Koufax were the main subjects of the film, the movie also discussed how baseball was used to fight against stereotypes of Jews as non-athletic and bookish. It also talked about Jewish immigration and assimilation into American society as well as Jewish stars and notable players besides the two Hall of Famers, such as Al Rosen, Moe Berg, Kevin Youkilis, and Ryan Braun.

List of players※

A–F※

G–P※

R–Z※

Gallery※

See also※

• List of Jews in sports
• List of Jewish American sportspeople

References※

Book sources※

• Horvitz, Peter S.; Horvitz, Joachim (2001). The Big Book of Jewish Baseball: An Illustrated Encyclopedia & Anecdotal History. New York: S.P.I. Books. ISBN 978-1561719730.

Further reading※

Articles※

• Thorn, John (July 18, 2016). "Overcoming Adversity". Our Game. MLBlogs.com.

Books※

• Wechsler, Bob (2017). The Jewish Baseball Card Book. Jewish Major Leaguers Inc. ISBN 978-0692894118.
• Ruttman, Larry (2013). American Jews and America's Game: Voices of a Growing Legacy in Baseball. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0803264755.

External links※

• The Roster at the Jewish Baseball Museum
• Chasing Dreams: Baseball & Becoming America at the National Museum of American Jewish History
• Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story