Will He Play Baseball on Yom Kippur?

By Martin Abramowitz

NEWTON, Mass. (JTA) — As the baseball seasons heads into the home stretch and the High Holy Days approach, Ryan Braun is supplying a double dose of suspense: Will the Milwaukee Brewers’ slugging third baseman become the first Jewish player to be named Rookie of the Year in either league? And does he plan to take a day off for Yom Kippur in the tradition of Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax and Shawn Green?

If Braun, the son of an Israeli who immigrated to the United States at the age of 7, is selected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America as the N.L.’s top rookie, it would mark a first for Jewish players in Major League Baseball history.

My comment: Fans will just have to wait until Sept. 21 to find out if Braun will play baseball; and if he does, he may be wearing a prayer shawl over his uniform and a yarmulke instead of his baseball cap.

To read the full article: JTA Forum: Article Comments: Suspense builds around Brewers’ Braun