There has been a growing trickle of Israelis in American sports leagues, especially in the NBA. Even the NHL now has one Israeli athlete. I dont think any are in the NFL, and probably not even heading in that direction. I am not aware of any in MLB either, though there was a rare Israeli assitant pitching coach last year for the Miami Marlins and before that for the Cincinatti Reds.

Back in July 2021 Orthodox Jew Jacob Steinmetz was drafted to Major League Baseball by the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Honestly, many, or most, of us Jewish baseball fans have been there at some point...

I am not mu of a stats guys so I don't really know - Is this the most Jewish players (3) ever playing in one World Series or have there been more?

and soon they'll be able to make a minyan... or maybe at least some ballplayers will join the mincha/maariv minyan in the stands between innings..

With the 77th pick, the @Dbacks select Elev8 Academy (FL) right-hander Jacob Steinmetz, No. 121 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.

Watch live: https://t.co/oDjcuCzH7G pic.twitter.com/n1CryogVc8

— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 12, 2021

Mazel tov to Jacob Steinmetz and to his family upon being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks! What an accomplishment!

Chabad Online has the story of a Nevada teenager who is forgoing a potential career in Major League Baseball because he is shomer shabbos, and that would not be possible in the Major Leagues.

“My dream has always been to be a Major Leaguer. I never thought of anything else—baseball has always been what I’ve wanted to do,” says Elie Kligman, a high school senior from Las Vegas who plays as both an infielder and pitcher.

The 18-year-old has been playing ball his entire life. After years of competing at all levels, Elie, who is on his high school team and one of the top-ranked players in Nevada, was one of only 175 high-schoolers from across the country—and the first Orthodox Jew—to take part in the Major League Baseball-scouted “Area Code Baseball Games.”


He does all this without compromising his Judaism. Elie has never played on Shabbat, makes time to pray three times a day and keeps the Jewish dietary laws of kashrut.

“I have the mindset of, ‘This is what I am doing for Judaism, and this is what I am doing for baseball.’ Once the sun goes down on Friday night, it’s not a debate for me, [celebrating Shabbat] is just what I am doing,” says the teen. “When you are a proud Jew, people respect when I tell them I’m not going to play on Friday night and Saturday.”

Nearly 3 years ago construction of the Bet Shemesh baseball field was inaugurated with a ceremony that included some celebrity guests - some Jewish MLB baseball players.

A new ERA of Baseball in Beit Shemesh and Baseball in Israel has begun today!!! The building of Beit Shemesh Baseball stadium, and what will likely become the very center of Israel Baseball is finally underway. Step one- clean up the area so the construction can begin. Thank you to @israel_baseball and the JNF @jnfusa for making today possible!!!

The Lakewood BlueClaws, a minor league baseball team, will be hosting its first ever "Pride Night" this Saturday as part of LGBTQ Pride Month.

Our favorite loudmouth and provocateur rabbi, Rabbi Yehuda Levin is leading the fight against this event specifically, and against Pride events in general.

What is interesting about this is that Levin's protest has been noted by a New Jersey radio station. They are now calling on people to attend the game, just to tick off the anti-gay rabbi. The headline of the article is "GO TO THE BLUECLAWS GAME TO TICK OFF THIS ANTI-GAY RABBI". By the end of the article they note that Levin does not represent all Orthodox Jews, nor are the Jews the only religion with lunatics like Levin and they quote an anti-gay tweet from a Christian pastor... but it is interesting that Levin, a Jewish rabbi, is the one they stress and take note of.

My guess is that this will be the best-attended game in BlueClaws history.

pic.twitter.com/01l9BDwoHp

— anytime55 (@ihatedeadends) July 25, 2018

Acting like a mensch is wonderful, and when it gets broadcast on video to millions of people it can even be a kiddush hashem.

Not too many Jews have played professional sports, though a number that did have became famous by having played at the highest caliber.

This years MLB draft that just happened last week has opened the door to the possibility of another  Jewish player at some time in the future, and another also has aspiration for a future MLB career as he starts his career in the minors..

Starting with the Cubs, because they are the Cubs... they drafted a young man named Itamar Steiner. Steiner was drafted in the 40th, and final, round, so the chances of his playing for the Cubs, or any team, in the majors, is not very high. However, he was drafted, so there is a chance...

Steiner is from the Chicago suburban area, so, like many kids he dreamed of playing in the majors, but being drafted by your favorite team adds another dimension to that. Steiners family lived in Israel for some years while his father, now deceased, studied to be a rabbi. You can read more about the Steiners and Itamar's journey leading to the MLB draft in the Chicago Sun Times article.

The second young man is a fellow named Isaac Spiegel, from Engelwood, graduate of SAR High School. At Muhlenberg College they are making arrangements for him regarding Shabbos, such as staying at hotels within walking distance of the fields and dietary needs. I am not sure if he expects teams in the minors and majors to be as accommodating, but more power to him if he can work it out!

You can read more about Spiegel and his major league aspirations in the New Jersey Jewish Link.

The Philadelphia Phillies are hiring Gabe Kapler as their new manager.

Kapler has managed and coached mostly in the minor leagues until now and has been involved in other aspects of baseball in a variety of ways.

Gabe Kapler is a Member of the Tribe. a Jew, and has coached Israel's National Baseball Team and in 2013 was the manager of Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic.

Good luck Gabe Kapler! I won't be rooting for the Phillies, but I always like to see our brothers succeed.

will we one day see Israeli teams, or an Israeli National Team, play baseball against Palestinian teams and a Palestinian National Team? Peace would probably have to come first, and we know how likely that is...

this Friday, January 6, will be the ceremony inaugurating the construction of the new Bet Shemesh baseball field.

The ceremony will include a number of MLB baseball players, including Danny Valencia, Sam Fuld, Ty Kelly, Ike Davis, Ryan Lavarnway, Josh Zeid, Cody Decker, Jon Moscot, Corey Baker, Jeremy Bleich and Gabe Kapler.

they will also be coming to Bet Shemesh to inaugurate the construction of the new baseball field...