Kapler: First Jewish Ball Player in Japan

- With Gabe Kapler joining the Giants, I think he is the first Jewish baseball player in Japan.

Micah Franklin was halachically Jewish, though I don't know if he was observant. He played with Nippon Ham in 1999. There might be others.

The Duke: There are a lot more Jewish ballplayers in MLB than the guys you mentioned. If you ever read Larry King's articles, he likes to point out who is Jewish in not only the entertainment world, but in sports as well. Because of Larry King, I know that Mike Lieberthal of the Phillies is also Jewish. I'm sure there are a lot more Jewish players in MLB besides Lieberthal and Shawn Green.

You also forgot one of the most famous Jewish ballplayers in MLB history, Rod Carew. He wasn't born Jewish - he converted. I knew that because of Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song.

Yes, that's true. There are probably enough to hold a minyan (quorum of 10 to hold a prayer service). I've read some debate about whether Youkilis was or wasn't. Greek Jewish extraction, I think. It's not really a big deal to me, only whether the guy can play ball. Well, Koufax was a big deal, but that's another story. If you do a Google search, I'm sure you can find a few lists.

The related story on Rod Carew, the great Panamanian-born perennial batting champ is interesting. I just read that he never converted and never said he had converted. His wife is Jewish and most assumed that he had converted, since they raised their children Jewish. So you can't take everything that Adam Sandler sings as the, err, gospel.

I don't know if the NPB season plays through the Jewish High Holy Days in September or Oct. (date changes due to lunar-based Jewish calendar) or if Kapler's team will be in the race, or whether Kapler will refuse to play on the two major holy days. Koufax refused. Green refused one year, played and prayed another year. It is a personal decision, so be prepared if the issue comes up.

I never heard of that Micah fella. Was he any good?

You can find Franklin's stats here.

I recall he hit a number of tape measure home runs in 1999. Then I'm not sure what happened to him in 2000. But he went to Hanshin in the middle of the 2000 season, where he wasn't called on to do anything.

I think you'll find that he was injured for most of his time at Hanshin. I saw him play once at Osaka Dome for the Tigers, and he hit a monster shot into the upper deck, so I'm sure Hanshin would have called on him more if he had been fit to play, considering the team's lack of firepower at the time.

A little Googling found that Micah Franklin signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamonbacks in June 2004 and played with their AAA team in Tucson. I do not know if he is under contract for the 2005 season. At 33, he is an old minor leaguer. He hit .294, 4 homers, 12 RBIs, and struck out a whopping 21 times in 68 at bats for the Tucson Sidewinders (AAA). He cetainly is a free swinger.

According to this article, Franklin has retired. [Link - TucsonCitizen.com]

No need to worry about Kapler missing games during high holy days - he showed up in uniform for the two games during Yom Kippur in the 2004 season. Although it may have been an exception, since they were playing the Yankees. I think there's something in Leviticus about that.

I am sorry. I had to smile at the thought of Micah Franklin, a Jewish ballplayer, playing in Japan for Nippon Ham of all teams. (For non-Jews: ham is pork and is a forbidden food for observant Jews under religious law.) I am sure it is a fine product nevertheless.

I also noted that that the Hebrew word for a non-Jewish people is "goyim" (nations), and in Japanese, the word for non-Japanese people is gaijin. Almost similar.

The weird thing is that Nippon Ham is the company's name in Japanese only: in English it's Nippon Meat Packers. "Nippon Meat Packer Fighters"? Sounds like some underworld gang of union-busting thugs.

The translation of that team into English is a bit odd. But I guess they have to get the full corporate name in there. In the NFL, there's the Green Bay Packers, so I guess the Nippon Ham (Meat) Packers would be OK, but that's not great either. The corporate name isn't very sizzling, which is part of the translation difficulty, too.

The important thing is how the Japanese name sounds. Is it as awkward as the English translation?

Mazel Tov, Micah! Keep fighting that Ham!

Apparently the total in MLB history is 143 with Kevin Youkilis (despite the name) being the latest. Other current players include Jason Marquis, Brad Ausmus, and Mike Lieberthal.

Wasn't Mike Greenwall Jewish?

Whatever his religion, he most certainly was religious: he said that God told him to take the money and retire after a handful of games for the Tigers.

Yes, I remember that well. But to be fair, he didn't receive the full year's salary, which would have amounted to something like $3 million. I believe he settled for an amount a whole lot lower than that.

Interesting side note: Greenwell wants Canseco's MVP award from 1988 because of the 'roids. I don't know if god has taken a stand for or against yet.

- Wasn't Mike Greenwall Jewish?

Nope. Sid Gordon was the only star Jewish LF in MLB history.

Last season there were 8/9 Jewish ball players in the majors; Kapler and Youklis of the Sox, Green of the Dodgers, Marquis of the Braves, Ausmus of the Padrees, Levine of the Tigers, Grabow of the Pirates, Lieberthal of the Phils, Koplove of the D-backs. I say 8/9 because Kapler and Youklis constantly were moving from Pawtucket back to Boston. There was a great story on HYPE, I mean ESPN, about all of Youk's tatoos. Include two very large Stars of David on each side of his chest.

Go Sox!

Correction, Kap was with the team the whole season, and didn't spend a day on the DL. (Quite an accomplishmet for Gabe. Some say he is too big!) As for Youk, yes, he spent a lot of time in Pawtucket.

Correction, Gabe spent the whole season with the BoSox. Youk did bounce back and forth though.

I remember now - I think Brook Jacoby was a Jewish gaijin in Japan.

- I remember now - I think Brook Jacoby was a Jewish gaijin in Japan.

Brook Jacoby was not Jewish either.

There are several good lists of Jewish major leaguers, but a good source IMO is jewhoo.com.

www.jewishmajorleaguers.org lists some guys who aren't halachically Jewish and who never considered themselves Jewish, but have at least one Jewish parent. Jacoby is not on their list either. Al Rosen, as a Jewish Indian third baseman is enough, I'd think!

OTOH, there might be some Jews who played in Japan but not in MLB who wouldn't be on these lists.

I stand corrected - usually I don't post anything unless I can substantiate facts.