10 Best Jewish Baseball Players

For more than a century, the U.S. Jewish population has been underrepresented on the baseball field. For various reasons, only a handful of Jewish players have broken through to the major leagues. A few of those who did, though, enjoyed notable careers. These are the 10 best Jewish players in the game's history.

Hank Greenberg
Without question, Greenberg belongs near the top of the list of Jewish baseball players. While some others might pass his achievements at the plate, there is little question that Greenberg is the preeminent Jewish slugger. Although he played just 13 seasons, Greenberg slammed 331 homers and had 1,276 RBIs to go with a .313 lifetime batting average. Greenberg spent all but one season with the Detroit Tigers. He played one game for Detroit in 1930 and then didn't play again until 1933. In 1938, Greenberg had his best season. He hit 58 homers and had 146 RBIs. He retired after spending the 1947 season with the Pittsburg Pirates. During his last year, Greenberg had 25 homers in only 402 at bats. He made $100,000 that season. It was the most of his career.

Shawn Green
Green probably earns more respect than he has received since he retired after the 2007 season. He hit 328 homers and knocked in 1,071 runs in 15 seasons. The first-round draft pick also played in two All-Star games. Green came up one base shy of setting a major-league record in 2002. He tied the record for homers in a game with four and also had a triple. His 19 total bases broke the major-league mark of Joe Adcock, who had 18 total bases for the Milwaukee Braves in 1954. Green was also a great fielder. He had a strong arm and rarely committed fielding errors.

Buddy Myer
Myer, who played in the 1920s and '30s, has the most hits of any Jewish player. He finished his career with 2,131 hits and a .303 lifetime batting average. Myer was not a power hitter, but he did move well. In 1,923 games, he scored 1,174 times. Myer spent 15 years with the Washington Senators. His best season was in 1934, when he hit .349 with 57 RBIs and 103 runs scored. Myer also stole 156 bases during his career.

Lou Boudreau
Born outside of Chicago in 1917, Boudreau signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1938. He played 13 of his 15 seasons with the Indians and retired after the 1952 season at age 35. Boudreau, who appeared in eight All-Star games, played his first full season in 1940, and it proved to be one of his greatest. The 5-foot-11 shortstop hit 46 doubles and 10 triples knocked in 101 runs and became a instant fan favorite in Cleveland. A doubles machine throughout his career, Boudreau had his best season in 1948, when he won the American League MVP award. He hit .355 with a .453 on base percentage. He also had a career-high 18 homers and a career-high 106 RBIs. Boudreau, though, only played one more full season, and Cleveland traded him to Boston after the 1950 season. He played a half-season for Boston in 1951 and retired four games into the 1952 season. Boudreau was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1970.

Sandy Koufax
Koufax might be the game's best left-handed pitcher. Certainly, he's the best Jewish player to step onto the diamond. With an uncanny mix of power and a dazzling curveball, Koufax gave opposing batters fits during his 12-year career. Only injury kept Koufax from winning 300 games. After all, he dominated the 165 games he did win. Koufax, in fact, was 27-9 during his last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers. After that 1966 season, he retired. His career ERA is 2.76 and he struck out 2,396 batters over 397 big-league games. He's a Hall of Fame inductee, too.

Ryan Braun
Sometimes referred to as the Hebrew Hammer, Braun arrived in Milwaukee in 2007, just two years after the team selected him in the first round of the amateur draft. Immediately, Braun left his mark. He earned the Rookie of the Year award after belting 34 homers with 97 RBIs and a .324 average. He performed similarly at the plate in 2008 and 2009. Just 27 in 2010, the third baseman's power might be enough to move him to the top of the career homer and RBI marks among Jewish players.

Ken Holtzman
Holtzman pitched for 15 seasons. He won 174 games from 1965 through 1979. Although he played for four different teams, Holtzman began and ended his career with the Chicago Cubs. His best year came in 1972. He went 19-11 with a .251 earned run average. The following year, Holtzman was 21-13. It was his only 20-win season. He has a lifetime 3.48 ERA and 1,601 career strikeouts.

Al Rosen
Although he played just 1,044 games over 10 seasons, Rosen made his mark in the summer of 1953. He smacked 43 homers with 145 RBIs and finished the year with a .336 batting average. For those who wonder, he came up just a tick short of a triple crown. Mickey Vernon won the batting title with a .337 mark, but Rosen was the American League's Most Valuable Player. He also won the Major League Player of the Year award. Due to a lingering back injury, Rosen switched from third base to first base after the 1953 season, but he only played three more seasons. Rosen retired after the 1956 season at age 32. He attributed the decision to back pain. Rosen played all of his games with Cleveland. He finished his career with a .285 batting average, 192 homers and 717 RBIs. He was a four-time all-star.

Kevin Youkilis
Youk, who arrived in the big leagues in 2003, is one of the finest hitters in today's game. Over six seasons, he has posted a .292 lifetime batting average with 93 homers and 408 RBIs. Through the 2010 season, Youkilis had spent his entire career with the Boston Red Sox.

Steve Stone
Most folks know Steve Stone as the Chicago Cubs play-by-play man. Stone, though, was a fine baseball player, too. In fact, Stone went 25-7 with the Baltimore Orioles during a magical 1980 season. He finished his 11-season career with 107 wins and a 3.97 earned run average.

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