Today in Jewish baseball history
1899 — Leo Fishel of the New York Giants becomes the first Jewish pitcher in the major leagues, going all nine innings and allowing nine hits and striking out six in a 7-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. He gets one hit in four at-bats in his only major-league appearance.
1937 — Hank Greenberg’s grand slam home run helps the Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 12-9. Game summary
1938 — Danny Gurian hits a grand slam homer to help the Long Island University freshmen beat the New York Stock Exchange 10-4.
1947 — Goody Rosen collects four singles and four walks in eight trips to the plate as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 and 5-4 in an International League doubleheader.
1953 — In an American Association doubleheader against the Indianapolis Indians, Alan Richter of the Louisville Colonels registers one hit, five walks and two stolen bases.
1957 — Hy Cohen pitches five-hitter as the Memphis Chicks defeat the Chattanooga Lookouts 7-1 in the Southern Association.
1965 — Al Feldstein’s first home run of the season helps give the Auburn Mets a 5-3 victory over the Wellsville Red Sox in the New York-Penn League.
1970 — Mike Epstein’s two-run homer in the seventh inning rallies the Washington Senators past the Oakland Athletics to a 6-4 victory in the second game of a doubleheader. Game summary
2004 — Jason Marquis of the St. Louis Cardinals and Greg Maddux of the Chicago Cubs both steal a base. They are the first opposing starting pitchers to steal a base in the same game since Warren Spahn of the Boston Braves and Bob Rush of the Cubs in the second game of a doubleheader on June 11, 1950. The steal is the only one of Marquis’ major league career. Game summary
2018 — Ian Kinsler of the Angels apparently draws a walk from Baltimore Orioles pitcher Miguel Castro, but home-plate umpire Brian Gorman loses the count, and Castro makes two more pitches, eventually striking Kinsler out and starting a double play where Kole Calhoun is caught stealing second base. Anaheim wins 12-3.
Birthday
Hal Saltzman, 1925 — The right-handed pitcher made the Cleveland Indians’ 1950 Opening Day roster, but did not appear in a game and was sent down to Triple-A the next day because of a back injury. Saltzman won 23 games for his hometown Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League in 1949.
MLB debut
Leo Fishel, 1899 — See first item above
Final MLB game
Leo Fishel, 1899
Recent transactions (2024)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros Triple-A) activated LHP Colton Gordon from the injured list.
Chicago White Sox recalled LHP Jared Shuster from the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.
Los Angeles Angels signed free agent LF Kevin Pillar.
Items based on the author’s “Day by Day in Jewish Sports History” (KTAV 2008)