Navigate to News section

Great Jewish Moments in MLB All-Star Game History

From Hank Greenberg to Steve Stone, here’s archival footage of some of baseball’s best Jewish players performing on the game’s most spectacular stage

by
Jesse Bernstein
July 11, 2016
Wikimedia / United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division
Seven of the American League's 1937 All-Star players, from left to right Lou Gehrig, Joe Cronin, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg. All seven would be elected to the Hall of Fame. Image from July 7, 1937.Wikimedia / United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division
Wikimedia / United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division
Seven of the American League's 1937 All-Star players, from left to right Lou Gehrig, Joe Cronin, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg. All seven would be elected to the Hall of Fame. Image from July 7, 1937.Wikimedia / United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division

Monday’s Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby is a gift for anybody who’s a fan of ESPN’s Chris Berman bleating, “BACKBACKBACKBACKBACKBACK…. GONE!” every time someone hits a dinger. For everyone else, there’s the All-Star Game tomorrow on Tuesday in beautiful San Diego, California, a city whose name origin is lost to history.

To prepare for the game, we’ve put together a reel of the greatest moments in Jewish All-Star Game history, of which there are, regrettably (and predictably) not that many.

Hank Greenberg, 1939
Silent footage of a Hank Greenberg single in the 1939 All Star game, a contest he started over Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig. Exciting? Not particularly, but the pickins’ are slim and Hammerin’ Hank is surprisingly spry in this clip

Al Rosen, 1954:
Here we go! Al Rosen, who’d won the MVP the year before, goes deep off of Phillies great Robin Roberts in the eventual AL victory.

Sandy Koufax, 1965:
If you have the time, please, go ahead and watch this game in its entirety on YouTube. If not, you can see Koufax mow down some AL hitters in a bit of a wild inning, by his standards. Bonus points for the first available audio on this list.

Rod Carew, 1978:
Like I said, slim pickins’, so we’re counting Rod Carew. Carew tripled twice in the game, a record that stands to this day. He (never actually) converted!

Steve Stone, 1980:
These ‘80s jerseys are ugly as sin, but that doesn’t stop flame-throwing Heb Steve Stone from three perfect innings. Stone also won the Cy Young that year.

Ryan Braun, 2015:
Loooong gap here, but hey, it happens. Braun triples here, which reminds me—does anyone remember the time that Ryan Braun blamed a failed drug test on anti-Semitism? Not a high water mark for the Hebrew Hammer.

BONUS: Home Run Derby clip: Joc Pederson, 2015
Pederson had an outstanding first half last year to carry him into the break, and he ended up finishing second in the Derby.

There you have it, folks. So tonight, grab your Shawn Green jersey, flick your commemorative Mike Lieberthal bobblehead, and settle in for an, unfortunately, Jew-free Derby. In the meantime, let’s hope that Joc Pederson breaks out of his sophomore slump and makes next year’s roster. Hey, it’s our best shot.

Jesse Bernstein is a former Intern at Tablet.