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Look, Jews in Baseball!

Fourteen in the majors this year, as columnists continually remind us

by
Sara Ivry
August 31, 2009
Youkilis after striking out against the Yankees at Fenway on August 23.(Elsa/Getty Images)
Youkilis after striking out against the Yankees at Fenway on August 23.(Elsa/Getty Images)

As the pennant race gets underway, it’s time for the annual, “Look! Jews play baseball!” articles, like one in today’s Boston Globe and another in last week’s Connecticut Jewish Ledger. These articles invariably reference Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg before going on to talk about current icons like the Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis. Of course, his year’s clichéd paeans are, arguably, a bit more warranted, as there are a record 14 Jewish major leaguers (three of whom—Youkilis, the Rockies’ Jason Marquis, and the Brewers’ Ryan Braun—played in the All-Star game). It’s more than enough to field a team—and even enough to make a minyan.

Sara Ivry is the host of Vox Tablet, Tablet Magazine’s weekly podcast. Follow her on Twitter@saraivry.