Go Red Sox! 2004 World Series Champions
Nothing is more Jewish than the World Series (although, arguably, the number of devout Christians on the Red Sox makes for a relatively goyish team playing this great Jewish passtime). No one of my generation doesn't remember how Sandy Koufax refused to play in the World Series on Yom Kippur, making us all feel special to be Jewish, and bonding Jews to the ideal of a multicultural America where we could be free to assimilate, or not; to play klezmer, or jazz, or to mix them all together to create something new.
It was that wonderful Jewish American songwriter, Irving Berlin, who penned the song they sing during the Seventh inning stretch, "God Bentsh America". But, the best way to celebrate this victory is to bring back memories of baseball 86 years ago, when many of our great grandparents were arriving on these shores, quickly learning to sing about, "der base ball spiel". Thank you Mandy Patinkin for the album whence this clip came, "Mamaloshen". Thank you Henry Sapoznik for the Yiddish. Thank you Bernard Malamud for "The Natural". And thanks to my home town team for breaking a long drought and winning the world series again.
Enjoy.
Comments
From the Boston Phoenix:
"[i]n
their entire history, the Sox have had only eight other Jewish players, according to
Martin Abramowitz, who runs the Web site jewishmajorleaguers.org. (He is also
president of policy and agency relations for Combined Jewish Philanthropies of
Greater Boston.) Only once before has the team had two in the same season, and that
was almost 80 years ago, when outfielder Si Rosenthal and relief pitcher Happy
Foreman briefly donned the uniform in 1926. After them came shortstop Buddy Myer
(1927-'28), catcher Moe Berg ('35-'39), shortstop Al Richter ('51-'53), catcher Joe
Ginsberg ('61), catcher Jeff Newman ('83-'84) and pitcher Brian Bark ('95). Wade
Boggs, who used to draw the Hebrew word chai ("life") in the batter’s box before
every at bat, is not Jewish."
Michael Atleson
Sunday Simcha, WMPG-FM
Portland, ME
Posted by: Michael Atleson | November 2, 2004 10:10 AM
OK, Kurt Schilling can thank the hand of G-d for pulling him through, but Gabe Kaplar is on record as putting on tefillin! Two Jewish players and a GM too?!
I haven't stopped kvelling from so much naches!
For an interesting piece, see:
Hope, Jews, and the Boston Red Sox, by Tzvi Gluckin
http://www.aish.com/societyWork/arts/Hope3_Jews3_and_the_Boston_Red_Sox.asp
Posted by: Yankel Wice | November 5, 2004 5:11 PM