Face of the Jewish ballplayer

Today's Record reports that when Sunday's New York Mets game was cancelled for rain, "[Shawn] Green came out of the locker room to meet with a group of 15 to 20 reporters, most from Jewish publications that had little interest in the day-to-day workings of the Mets. But they wanted to speak to Green because he is the... face of the Jewish ballplayer. " (Sunday was Shea Stadium's annual Jewish Heritage Day. Since the baseball game was postponed, tickets to the game were honored on Monday.)

Shawn Green was quoted as saying, "When it came to Yom Kippur [in L.A.], I had to do what was consistent with my own beliefs rather than what everyone else expected. As far as off-the-field stuff, there's only a few Jewish players in the game and there's a ton of Jewish fans. I do what I can and that's all I can do."

The newest New York Met also said he wants to take a prominent role in the Jewish community after the (post-)season ends, "next year I want to be in New York and kind of not just go there and play baseball. I want to be a part of their Jewish community."

Pre-game minyan

Morry Alter of New York's WCBS News took to the streets of Kew Garden Hills to discuss the Mets' acquisition of Shawn Green with innocent Jewish bystanders, including the owners of Benjy's Kosher Pizza.

The video is available here.

During his post-report banter with the news anchors, Alter remarks that if one day two teams each have five Jewish players, they could have a pre-game minyan.

Green was Greenberg

On August 27, Murray Chass wrote in the New York Times about Shawn Green's pursuit of the career home run record for Jewish players. He's 17 short of Hank Greenberg's 314 homers.

Hank's son, Steve, is quoted as saying, “I’m fine with it. think it’s great. I’m fine with anything that keeps my dad’s name in the news.” According to the article, Steve Greenberg is an investment banker, engaged in selling naming rights for the Mets’ new stadium, replacing Shea Stadium in 2009.

"If Green does pass Greenberg for career home runs, the name of the standard-bearer won’t change all that much," Chass reports, "In fact, Green’s grandfather shortened the family name from Greenberg."

Shawn Green is the real deal

"So when a star ballplayer who happens to be Jewish comes to play in the New York area, a capital of Jewish culture, home to nearly two million Jews, it is cause for much rejoicing.

Americans, Jewish and otherwise, may not hold sports stars in the esteem they once did. Jews no longer feel quite the need to prove themselves as Americans by, for instance, excelling at sports.

But still the Jewish people hunger for a hometown hero to call their own.

Mr. Green, acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks this week to give the Mets an offensive lift as they look toward the playoffs, is the real deal."

-- New York Times, August 26, 2006, "A Power Hitter. And a Source of Jewish Pride."