Jewish Ledger | July 20, 2012

By Suzy Iarusso ~

With the 2012 baseball season hitting the mid-way point, the Ledger takes its annual look at how the Jewish boys of summer are faring on the field this year. (Statistics are as of July 15)

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Ryan Joseph Braun
Born: Nov. 17, 1983
Birthplace: Mission Hills, Calif.
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Position: Left field
Number: 8
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Season Average: .312
Season HR: 26
Season RBI: 64
Career Avg: .312
Career HR: 187
Career RBI: 595
Experience: 6 years

RYAN JOSEPH BRAUN

In 2011, Braun won his fourth consecutive Silver Slugger award and the National League MVP. Braun is the fourth Jewish player to win the MLB award and the first in almost 50 years. In 2012, he made the All-Star team for his fifth consecutive year. In December 2011, ESPN reported that an Oct. 2011 urine test on Braun came back positive for elevated levels of testosterone that could have been caused by a performing-enhancing drug (PED). That could have resulted in a 50-game suspension for Braun, but he denied taking the drug and appealed the test to MLB. On Feb. 23, the MLB arbitration panel overturned the 50 game suspension. It was the first time an MLB player has had a PED suspension overturned.
In April 2012 Braun became the first player ever to hit 3 homeruns in Petco Park in San Diego, Calif.

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Craig Breslow
Born: August 8, 1980
Birthplace: New
Haven, Conn.
Team: Arizona
Diamondbacks
Position: Relief
Pitcher
Number: 32
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Season ERA: 2.87
Season SO: 35
Season Record: 2-0
Career ERA: 3.05
Career SO: 330
Career Record: 14-17
Experience: 7 Years

CRAIG ANDREW BRESLOW

In Dec. 2011 Breslow was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a multiplayer trade.
Breslow’s Strike 3 Foundation continues to host charity events and accepts donations to support pediatric cancer research.

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Ike Davis
Born: March 22, 1987
Birthplace: Edina,
Minn.
Team: New York Mets
Position: First Base
Number: 29
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Season AVG: .204
Season HR: 13
Season RBI: 50
Career AVG: .252
Career HR: 39
Career RBI: 146
Experience: 3 Years

ISAAC “IKE” BENJAMIN DAVIS

Davis missed the remainder of the 2011 season after sustaining an ankle injury on May 10, 2011. He has returned to being an everyday player in 2012. On June 18, he hit his first major league grand slam.

2012 Draft

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Scott Feldman
Born: Feb. 7, 1983
Birthplace: Kailua, Hi.
Team: Texas Rangers
Position: Starting Pitcher
Number: 39
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Season ERA: 5.89
Season SO: 39
Season Record: 3-6
Career ERA: 4.85
Career SO: 376
Career Record: 36-39
Experience: 8 Years

SCOTT WYNNE FELDMAN

In the 2011 post-season, Feldman pitched 10.1 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and only four hits. Only eight other relief pitchers have pitched more post-season scoreless innings.

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Sam Fuld
Born: Nov. 20, 1981
Birthplace: Durham, NH
Team: Tampa Bay Rays
Position: Outfield
Number: 5
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Season Average: 0
Season HR: 0
Season RBI: 0
Career AVG: .244
Career HR: 4
Career RBI: 32
Experience: 5 Years

SAMUEL BASON FULD

Fuld has missed all of the 2012 season so far due to wrist surgery performed in early April. He is currently rehabbing at the AAA level.

Jewish AAA Players

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Ian Kinsler
Born: June 22, 1982
Birthplace: Tucson, Ariz.
Team: Texas Rangers
Position: Second Base
Number: 5
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Season Average: .278
Season HR: 10
Season RBI: 43
Career AVG: .276
Career HR: 133
Career RBI: 437
Experience: 7 Years

IAN MICHAEL KINSLER

In 2011, Kinsler became a member of the 30-30 club (30 HR’s and 30 stolen bases in one season) for the second time in his major league career. He is only the twelfth player in major league history to have multiple 30-30 seasons. Through 2011 he was third on the Ranger’s all-time stolen base list but has since moved up to second in the 2012
season. In April 2012, Kinsler signed a 5-year contract extension with the Texas Rangers for $75 million.

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Jason Marquis
Born: August 21, 1978
Birthplace: Manhasset, N.Y.
Team: San Diego Padres
Position: Starting Pitcher
Number: 38
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Season ERA: 5.59
Season SO: 58
Season Record: 4-9
Career ERA: 4.60
Career SO: 1032
Career Record: 108-107
Experience: 13 Years

JASON SCOTT MARQUIS

On July 30, 2011, Marquis was traded from the Washington Nationals to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Two weeks later in August 2011, he broke his fibula and was out for the remainder of the 2011 season. In Dec. 2011, he signed a one year contract with the Minnesota Twins. After getting off to a bad start in the 2012 season he was released by the team on May 26, and signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres on May 29.. After one minor league start at the AA level he was promoted to the major league team. On June 18, he recorded his one-thousandth career strikeout against Ian Kinsler.

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Michael Schwimer
Born: Feb. 19, 1986
Birthplace: Fairfax, Virginia
Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Position: Relief Pitcher
Number: 44
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Season ERA: 4.79
Season SO: 16
Season Record: 0-1
Career ERA: 4.89
Career SO: 32
Career Record: 1-2
Experience: 2 years

MICHAEL FREDARICK SCHWIMER

Schwimer was drafted by the Phillies in 2008 in the 14th round from the University of Virginia. He made his major league debut on August 21, 2011 against the Washington Nationals.

Sidenotes: Grabow & Ausmus

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Daniel Valencia
Born: Sept. 19, 1984
Birthplace: Boca Raton, Fla.
Team: Minnesota Twins
Position: Third Base
Number: 19
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Season AVG: .190
Season HR: 1
Season RBI: 11
Career AVG: .261
Career HR: 23
Career RBI: 123
Experience: 3 Years

DANIEL PAUL VALENCIA

Valencia finished the 2011 season by leading all major league third basemen in assists with 260. A slow start to the 2012 season has resulted in him being demoted in May to AAA. He is currently hitting .269 there with 7 HR’s and 34 RBI’s in 58 games.

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Kevin Youkilis
Born: March 15, 1979
Birthplace: Cincinnati,
Ohio
Team: Chicago White Sox
Position: Third Base
Number: 20
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Season Average: .251
Season HR: 7
Season RBI: 29
Career AVG: .327
Career HR: 136
Career RBI: 579
Experience: 9 Years

KEVIN EDMUND YOUKILIS

The first half of the 2012 season for Kevin Youkilis was plagued with injuries and poor performance, which led to him being traded on June 24 to the Chicago White Sox. Since then he has hit .333 with 3 HR and 15 RBI for the White Sox. On July 9 he was named the AL Player of the Week.

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