Jews in baseball has been a major topic of interest in both the secular and Jewish newspapers during the past two months. It began with a wonderful idea, "A Celebration of Jews in Baseball" at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, a club more exclusive than the Senate of the United States Congress.

It ended last Sunday with the post-mortem on the decision of Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Shawn Green, whether to play baseball on Yom Kippur or not.

The Hall of Fame event had an extremely worthy objective. They wanted to make known all of the Jews who had played the game, not just the two Jews enshrined in the building, Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax. And that is just as well. Greenberg is dead, and Koufax, a private man, did not attend.

As for Green’s Solomonic decision —play on Erev Yom Kippur, sit out Yom Kippur Day — it wasn’t Greenberg like and it wasn’t Koufax-like. Both of them said a flat no, and that was it. Speaking for myself, I could respect a flat no.

Don Drysdale, another Dodger great, tells a funny story about the Yom Kippur Day World Series game in 1964 that Koufax didn’t pitch. Drysdale got the call instead.

It just wasn’t Drysdale’s day. The Twins whacked him around pretty good, and eventually, Walter Alston, the Dodger manager, shambled out to the mound to take him out of the game.

As Alston arrived at the mound, Drysdale put the ball in his coach’s hand and said, "I bet you wish I was Jewish now."

Out of the more than 14,000 men who have been part of the game for one or more appearances, only 258 have been Jewish and I would question the Jewishness of many of them.

For instance, Johnny Kling, a catcher on the great Chicago Cubs teams of 1906-7-8, has been said to have been Jewish. And it also been said he was thought to be Jewish, because he married a Jewish woman. Nobody knows for sure.

And what of Rod Carew, the great black baseball player of the Minnesota Twins? Many people said he was Jewish, especially when one of his daughters was dying some years ago.

But the truth is, he was not Jewish. He married a Jewish woman and fathered two children by her that were raised Jewish, but he never converted, although I have heard it said he wore a mezuzah around his neck.

And what about today’s ballplayers? The Baltimore Orioles’ David Newhan was born Jewish, but an article in the Baltimore Jewish Times said he has affiliated with a born-again Christian group and married a non-Jew.

When Brad Ausmus of the Houston Astros, went to Cheshire (CT) High School, I umpired a few of his games. According to Bert Leventhal, the Cheshire coach at the time, Ausmus’ mother was Jewish, his father not. After he turned pro, I wanted to write an article about him for a Jewish newspaper. I was told he prefers not to be reported as Jewish.

That doesn’t say he is not Jewish, nor does it say he is. It just leaves the thought as to where he stands up in the air.

Getting back to the Cooperstown affair, those who showed up were:

Mike Epstein, the former Baltimore Oriole did. So did Ron Blomberg, who became the first designated hitter in the sport in 1973, while playing with the New York Yankees. Elliot Maddox, a black convert to Judaism was there, and so were Richie Scheinblum, Norm Sherry, Ken Holtzman, a pitcher often compared to Koufax, and Bob Tufts, another convert.

One man who wasn’t there was Harry Danning, an All-Star catcher with the New York Giants in the 1930’s. One time, while looking through some back copies of the New York Times, I saw an article in which a Times’ writer referred to Danning in print, as "The Hebrew Schnozz."

Danning, in his 90s, was unable to attend due to his age. He also had a brother who played briefly, with the St. Louis Cardinals, I believe.

Danning also played with another Jew on the Giants, Phil Weintraub.

Also, Norm Sherry’s brother, Larry, who played with the Dodgers.

Those currently in the major leagues are Ausmus, Houston Astros; John Grabow, Pittsburgh Pirates; Shawn Green, Los Angeles Dodgers; Alan Levine, Tampa Bay Devil Rays; Mike Lieberthal, Philadelphia Phillies; Jason Marquis, St. Louis Cardinals; Gabe Kapler, Boston Red Sox; Scott Schoeneweis, Chicago White Sox; and Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox

You can also add two other names to the list, Tony LaRussa, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Larry Rosenthal, an assistant coach with the Devil Rays.


OLYMPICS

Three flags rose behind the podiums. And in-between the flags of Great Britain and Greece, and above both, the white and blue flag of Israel, all to the vocal singing of Hatikvah by the mostly Israeli crowd.

Last August, Gal Fridman, a 29-year old windsurfer from the Sdot-yam Yacht Club won Israel’s first gold medal in the Modern Olympics. Fifty-two years after the founding of the Middle Eastern democracy, and ironically, more than 2200 years after the Hasmoneans evicted the sports-minded Greeks from Israel, an Israeli stood proudly before the world wearing a gold medal over his heart, and an olive wreath around his head.

News services, including the Jerusalem Post flashed the news home almost immediately. It was cause for celebration throughout the country.

Fridman had to come from behind to catch Britain’s Nick Dempsey and Nick Kaklamamakis of Greece. He actually finished second in the final race, but it gave him enough points to finish in first place. His final score was 42 negative points, to 53 for Dempsey and 54 for Kaklamamakis.

The medal was Fridman’s second in Olympic competition. At Atlanta, GA, in 1996 he took the bronze medal, finishing two places behind Kaklamamakis, the then gold medalist.

This year’s medal makes the 29-year old windsurfer, the first two-time medalist in Israeli Olympic history.

After the race, Fridman told the Jerusalem Post that he "… did it for the people of Israel... they were behind me and I'm glad I could do this for them."

Lee Korzits Israel’s entry in the female Mistral competition, finished her final race in 12th and ended the women's competition in 13th place overall

The effect of Fridman’s effort had positive repercussions around the world. Letters (in particular) to the Editor of the Jerusalem Post and in general the people of Israel, poured in from every continent except Antartica. Jewish Pride ran high as this letter from Canadian Walter Zimmerman illustates:

Mazel Tov to Gal and to all of Israel!

The news came to me of Israel's first Olympic gold medal just minutes before our morning minyan began here in London, Ontario. I kept it to myself until an appropriate part of the service when I began chanting the Shehecheyanu prayer. People at first looked on in surprise and then joined in. At the end, I explained (in both Hebrew and English) that Israel had won its first gold medal ever. There were smiles all around.

Thanks for making us all so proud -- it's wonderful to hear GOOD news from Israel for a change, even though we all know Israel is doing wonderful things in many fields of endeavour all the time. Again, Mazel Tov!!

In other Olympic action, Deena Drossin Kastor of Agoura, CA, came from deep in the pack to win the bronze medal in the women’s marathon. It was America’s first medal in that race in 20 years. Kastor finished the race in 2:27.20

Also Israeli Nili Abramski finished 42nd in the race. Her time was 2:48.08.

Eighty-two runners started the race, but only 66 finished, the others pulling out because of the 94-degree heat and high humidity during the marathon. One of the withdrawals was world record-holder Paula Radcliffe, who pulled out with just five kilometers to go.

Japan's Mizuki Noguchi won the race in 2:26.20. Catherine Nderebra of Kenya (2:26.32) was second.

Kastor’s is the first U.S. woman to medal in the Olympic marathon since Joan Benoit won at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

"I didn't know if I was fourth or third," she said, moments after finishing the race, "but when I heard (I was third), I just lost all my emotion, I couldn't contain myself."

Adam Stern, a baseball player from London Ontario also had his chance at an Olympic medal, but wound up with a great experience instead..

A professional baseball player in the Atlanta Braves organization, Canadian baseball management offered Stern a place on the National team which qualified for Athens after a series of games in Panama. Based on his performance in Panama, Canada formally placed Stern on the Olympic roster.

Stern joined the Canadian team at the Toronto SkyDome, July 31 for a mini-camp, then traveled to Italy with the team to play in a tune-up tourney.

Moving on to Greece, the former Nebraska Cornhusker marched with the Canadian contingent in the opening ceremonies. He said it was an unforgettable.

"I got chills marching through the tunnel into the Olympic Stadium, with more than 72,000 people in the stands. The ceremonies were unbelievable, and something I would not have missed for all the world."

The Canadian team finished in fourth place after losing to Cuba and Japan,

One other Israeli medaled at the Olympics. He was Arik Ze'evi an Israeli judoka.

Ze’evi took a bronze medal in Judo, under 100 kilos (220 pounds) division.

For his medal, Ze’evi received a NIS 300,000 grant from Migdal Insurance, his main sponsor, Migdal also announced it was extending its sponsorship of the European champion through 2008.

Also, the Radzyner School of Law at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya awarded him a full scholarship for the remaining two years of his law and business program at the school. In addition he was due to receive many other prizes and grants promised to medal winners by businesses throughout the country.

Ze’evi’s next goal is to take part in the world championships in Cairo, Egypt, next year.

"I still remember the boos we received when competing at the youth championships there 10 years ago. I'd be a very happy man if I could see the [Israeli] flag raised high in Cairo, too."