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Jewish Major Leaguers in Their Own Words: Oral Histories of 23 Players
Author(s): Martin Abramowitz Peter Ephross (Author)
- Publisher: McFarland & Co
- Publication Date: 15 Mar. 2012
- Language: English
- Print length: 275 pages
- ISBN-10: 0786465077
- ISBN-13: 9780786465071
Book Description
Between 1870 and 2010, 165 Jewish Americans have played Major League baseball. This work presents oral histories featuring 23 of these Jewish major leaguers. From Bob Berman, a catcher for the Washington Senators in 1918, to Adam Greenberg, an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs in 2005, the players discuss their careers and consider how their Jewish heritage has affected their lives in and out of baseball. Legends like Hank Greenberg and Al Rosen join lesser-known players to reflect on topics such as the annual dilemma of whether to play on high holidays, efforts to rebut anti-Semitism on and off the field, bonds formed with black teammates also facing prejudice, and personal and Jewish pride in their accomplishments. Together, these oral histories paint a vivid portrait of what it was like to be a Jewish major leaguer and shed light on a fascinating facet of American baseball history.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“The greatest contribution of this ambitious book is the opportunity to read players’ perspectives on Jewish identification and to understand the choices they made. This book will satisfy readers interested in learning more about the lives of a diverse group of Jewish major leaguers…all of the players’ stories will be informative and interesting, engaging and enjoyable”―Nine; “the stories of the trials and tribulations of Jewish ballplayers are brilliantly recounted…a solid job…the wonderfully told stories of the players included give the reader an intimate feeling of what life was, and is like, as a Jewish Major Leaguer”―Washington Jewish Weekly; “manages to break new ground…a worthy addition to Jewish baseball fans’ bookshelves…fascinating personal vignettes”―Jewish Book Council; “engaging and stimulating…a source of pride for Jewish baseball fans”―The Buffalo Jewish Review; “a superb job…we get more of a ‘what’s it like’ for Jewish ballplayers…a very good book…highly recommended…in fact, I give it the following grade: A+”―The Kentucky Democrat; “Jewish Sports fans in general and baseball fans in particular will enjoy and appreciate this book”―Jewish Journal, Dade County.
About the Author
Peter Ephross, a journalist who has written extensively about Jews and sports, is a longtime editor for the Jewish Telgraphic Agency news service. His work has been published in Publishers Weekly, the Village Voice, and Forward, among other publications. Martin Abramowitz is the president of Jewish Major Leaguers, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that documents American Jews in America’s game and sponsored many of the interviews in this book.
