SubscribeThe Jewish Major Leaguers 2009 card set: A “critical” analysis
Hey, to some, baseball cards are a critical subject.
The fifth set of cards produced by JewishMajorLeaguers continues to improve on its self-appointed theme.
Card #1: Intro card, describing the set as the “Record Setters” Edition
Cards 2-5: All-time roster of Jewish Major Leaguers
Cards 6-7: Career batting leaders (including home runs, runs batted in, hits, and batting average) and career pitching leaders (including wins, earned run average, strike outs, and games).
Cards 8-20: a look at each of the Jewish Major Leaguers active in 2008, including rookies Brian Horwitz and Josh Whitesell.
Card 21: The three Jews in the 2008 All-Star game.
Card 22: A tribute to Kevin Youkilis’ errorless game streak, which ended last June
Card 23: A tribute to Shawn Green, who had four homes and 19 total bases in a 2002 game.
Card 24: A “tribute” to shortstop Eddie Feinberg, who tied a record when he fielded exactly zero chances in a 12 inning game in 1939.
Card 25: Conversely, Jake Pitler set a record with 15 put outs at second base in a 220inning game in 1917.
Card 26: Phil Weintraub collected 11 RBI in a single game in 1944.
Card 27: Moe Berg was known as a “colorful character” almost more than as a Major Leaguer, but he established a record — since broken — by playing 117 consecutive errorless games behind the plate.
Card 28: Art Shamsky’s four consecutive home runs (albeit over two games).
Card 29: “First Impressions”: Guy Zinn, the first batter to to step up to the plate at Fenway Park (1912) and Barney Pelty won the first game in Comiskey Park (1910)
Card 30: “Last Impressions”: several Jewish players who accomplished “lasts,” including Lou Limmer, who hit the final homer in Philadelphia Athletics history.
Card 31: “Good hitting pitchers”
Card 32: The longest batting streaks by Jewish players
Card 33: The four Jewish catchers who were behind the plate for no-hitters.
Card 34: “Spoilers” — Jewish batters who broke up no-hitters in the ninth-inning.
Card 35: Sy Berger, the “father” of the modern baseball card, without whom you probably wouldn’t be reading this.
Card 36: Harry Hartman, an early broadcaster who is credited with the home run description, “Going, going, gone!”
Card 37: Early owners
Card 38: Kevin Youkilis and John Brabow, winners of the 2008 Jewish Major Leaguer Awards.
Card 39: A memorial card for long-time sportswriter Jerome Holztman, who is credited with inventing the save statistic.
Card 40: A quick recap of baseball in Israel
Card 41: Who knew? Baseball’s Chosen People actually includes “Chozen” people, i.e., Harry and his Brother Mike (who actually never made to the Majors).
Card 42: Season-ending dramatics. How odd was it that two Jewish players were critical in the post-season picture? Ryan Braun hit the game-winning home run for the Milwaukee Brewers shortly after the Mets’ Scott Schoeneweis was yielding the game-losing clout. Brewers in, Mets out.
Card 43: Hitting for the cycle, accomplished by Harry Danning in 1940. Now that Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers mirroed the feat earlier this season, look for a revision next year.
Card 44: Batting Champ. Again, with Youkiulis and Kinsler (and perhaps Braun) performing so well, this one — featuring Buddy Myer as the only Jewish to cop the batting title — might need an update as well.
Card 45: Two-in-Ones, featuring Sid Gordon, the only Jewish batter to hit two home runs in the same inning; and Scott Feldman, the only pitcher to strike out two “landsmen” in the same frame.
Card 46: Stolen bases, featuring the most prolific Jewish “thieves.”
Card 47: Same Inning Homers — The quartet of Jewish batters who have “gone yard” in teh same frame.
Card 48: A tribute to Kinsler, who hit the 2,500th home run in JML history.
Card 49: A “Discovery” card, proclaiming Bill Hurst, a member of the Florida Marlins in 1996, as one of our own.
Card 50: A tribute to Braun, who is one of only four batters in the history of the game to have hit 71 homers in his first two seasons.
Card 51: “The Class of 2008″ — a recap of the cumulative accomplishments of JMLers last season.
All in all, a great set with informative and entertaining factoids, and great photos (was Art Shamsky ever really that young?)
For more information, visit Jewishmajorleaguers.org.
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