Why is this Parshah named after Pinchas? Well that's an obvious question. In last week's Parshah, Bnei Yisrael were having illicit relations with the women of Moav, and all of a sudden Hashem starts a plague that killed thousands upon thousands of people. But then, Pinchas, the son of Elazar the son of Aharon, grabs a spear and stabs an Israelite and a Moabite who were having illicit relations with one strike and kills them, and then the plague stopped.
What was so great about Pinchas' actions? Right after he stabbed the two people (who we find out in Parshat Pinchas are named Zimri and Cazbi), our Mepharshim tell us that Bnei Yisrael accused him of murder. Then in this weeks Parshah, Hashem praises Pinchas, saying that הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקַנְאוֹ אֶת קִנְאָתִי בְּתוֹכָם- "that he turned back My wrath from upon the Children of Israel when he zealously avenged my vengeance" (Artscroll Chumash). First of all, what does that even mean, "he zealously avenged my vengeance"?
Sforno says that Pinchas avenged avenged the Kavod of Hashem by doing his zealous action of killing Zimri and Cazbi in front of the people. (Hashem's vengeance was the plague). Pinchas' action was so great that Hashem gave him בְּרִית כְּהֻנַּת עוֹלָם, the privilege of being a Kohen.
Pinchas wasn't even a Kohen. Aharon, his children, and his future grandchildren were made into Kohanim, but Pinchas, who was already born at the time, did not become a Kohen and instead lived as a Levi. Pinchas was an outsider among the people. He was the only person among the thousands of people in Shevet Levi whose father was a Kohen, but they were not. But despite not being included in the Kehunah, Pinchas still had a love of Hashem and sprang into action when the time came. After that, he became a Kohen. But his actions did more than that. The rest of Parshat Pinchas is a census of the people, and then the laws of the various Korbanot for the Korban Tamid, Rosh Chodesh, Shabbat, and for the various festivals. Why are these two very different things placed in the same Parshah?
The answer is that Pinchas made these things happen. If no one in Bnei Yisrael had stepped up in the time of crisis and defended the honor of Hashem, the plague would have killed everyone in the nation. If it weren't for Pinchas' actions there would be no religious services and Bnei Yisrael would not have gone on. These festivals are one of the many things that makes us, as Jews, different from the world. Bnei Yisrael could have been just another people that had its peak but then died out.But instead, thanks to Pinchas, Bnei Yisrael have lived on and gotten not only through the Midbar but through countless tests in the past 2500+ years.
On June 24th, 2009, the Yankees were 39-32, 5 games back of the Boston Red Sox, and loser of 5 of their last 6 games. They went behind the Atlanta Braves 1-0 on a home run by Jeff Francoeur, and they were still down 1-0 in the 6th. Catcher Francisco Cervelli came to the plate. Cervelli wasn't supposed to be there. He was only there because of injuries to Jorge Posada and Jose Molina. But it didn't matter. Cervelli hit a home run into the centerfield seats, the start of 8 Yankees runs in the game as the Yankees won 8-4. And it was just the start. The Yankees went 64-27 (.703) in their last 91 games as they won 103 games on the year and won their 27th World Series title. And it all started with the virtually unknown Cervelli.
Pinchas (and Cervelli) teach us that we have to take advantage of our opportunities. We never know where they will take us. Pinchas could have just been sorry for himself and made at Hashem for not being a Kohen. But instead he remained hopeful and retained his belief in Hashem, and he ended up as a Kohen because of it. My hope is that we can maintain a positive outlook on life knowing that there will opportunities ahead for each of us. And may we also maintain a positive outlook, knowing that one day Mashiach will come Bimheirah Biyameinu, Amein.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Parshat Balak Gematria of the Week
This week's Gematria of the Week is 142, the numerical value for בִּלְעָם, one of the main characters in the Parsha.
Three players are tied with a 142 ERA+ (earned run average adjusted to ballpark), good for 11th on the all time list. They are Addie Joss, Johan Santana, and Brandon Webb.
Sandy Koufax is the poster child for short yet dominant careers, but Addie Joss fits the role just as good if not better. Joss' Hall of Fame career lasted just 9 seasons, but his 1.89 career ERA ranks second all time. Joss' played his entire career with the Cleveland franchise in the AL (first called the Broncos, then the Naps), and dominated the American League. He had a 160-97 career record and 234 of his 260 career starts were complete games. His finest season was 1908, when he tossed a perfect game against the Chicago White Sox while using just 74 pitches, and went 24-11 with a 1.16 ERA on the year. Joss no-hit the White Sox again in 1910 and had a 2.26 ERA that season, but his life was cut short by lethal meningitis. He was a great pitcher, and he would have been one of the all-time greats if he had the opportunity to pitch a full career.
We're all familiar was Johan Santana. Santana was a Rule 5 draft pick by the Minnesota Twins from the Houston Astros franchise in 2000. The selected him as a 20 year old from Low-A ball, and they kept him on the major league roster even though he posted a 6.49 ERA in 30 appearances. But Santana went 8-6 with a 2.99 ERA and an 11.4 K/9 (strikeouts per 9 innings ratio) in 2002, and by 2004, he was a Cy Young Award winner, going 20-6 with a 2.61 ERA, 265 strikeouts, and just 54 walks. He won the CY again in '06, going 19-6 with a 2.77 ERA, 245 K's, and 47 walks. After the '07 season, Santana was traded to the Mets in a blockbuster deal, and his first season with the franchise, led the NL in ERA, going 16-7 with a 2.53 ERA, 206 K's, and just 63 walks. But after a 3.13 ERA in 2009 and a 2.98 ERA in 2010, he has been shelved for all of 2011 with a shoulder injury. Will he complete his potential Hall of Fame career?
Just an 8th round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2000 MLB Draft, sinkerballer Brandon Webb made the majors by 2003 and was already dominant, going 10-9 with a 2.84 ERA. He went just 7-16 with a 3.59 ERA in '04, but he was the NL Cy Young award winner by '06, when he went 16-10 with a 3.10 ERA and allowed just 1 homer every 15.2 innings. After going 18-10 with a 3.01 ERA in '07, Webb went 22-7 with a 3.30 ERA in '08. But Webb suffered a shoulder injury on Opening Day 2009 and hasn't pitched since. Webb has shown promise, but now 32 years old and still on the shelf, there's almost no possibility he'll rebound to make the Hall.
I find these ratio stats like ERA+ very interesting for active players. When they're so great to begin their careers, they set a precedent for the rest of their careers and it's always interesting to see whether they make it or not. Hope you all enjoyed.
Good Shabbos,
Robbie Knopf
Three players are tied with a 142 ERA+ (earned run average adjusted to ballpark), good for 11th on the all time list. They are Addie Joss, Johan Santana, and Brandon Webb.
Sandy Koufax is the poster child for short yet dominant careers, but Addie Joss fits the role just as good if not better. Joss' Hall of Fame career lasted just 9 seasons, but his 1.89 career ERA ranks second all time. Joss' played his entire career with the Cleveland franchise in the AL (first called the Broncos, then the Naps), and dominated the American League. He had a 160-97 career record and 234 of his 260 career starts were complete games. His finest season was 1908, when he tossed a perfect game against the Chicago White Sox while using just 74 pitches, and went 24-11 with a 1.16 ERA on the year. Joss no-hit the White Sox again in 1910 and had a 2.26 ERA that season, but his life was cut short by lethal meningitis. He was a great pitcher, and he would have been one of the all-time greats if he had the opportunity to pitch a full career.
We're all familiar was Johan Santana. Santana was a Rule 5 draft pick by the Minnesota Twins from the Houston Astros franchise in 2000. The selected him as a 20 year old from Low-A ball, and they kept him on the major league roster even though he posted a 6.49 ERA in 30 appearances. But Santana went 8-6 with a 2.99 ERA and an 11.4 K/9 (strikeouts per 9 innings ratio) in 2002, and by 2004, he was a Cy Young Award winner, going 20-6 with a 2.61 ERA, 265 strikeouts, and just 54 walks. He won the CY again in '06, going 19-6 with a 2.77 ERA, 245 K's, and 47 walks. After the '07 season, Santana was traded to the Mets in a blockbuster deal, and his first season with the franchise, led the NL in ERA, going 16-7 with a 2.53 ERA, 206 K's, and just 63 walks. But after a 3.13 ERA in 2009 and a 2.98 ERA in 2010, he has been shelved for all of 2011 with a shoulder injury. Will he complete his potential Hall of Fame career?
Just an 8th round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2000 MLB Draft, sinkerballer Brandon Webb made the majors by 2003 and was already dominant, going 10-9 with a 2.84 ERA. He went just 7-16 with a 3.59 ERA in '04, but he was the NL Cy Young award winner by '06, when he went 16-10 with a 3.10 ERA and allowed just 1 homer every 15.2 innings. After going 18-10 with a 3.01 ERA in '07, Webb went 22-7 with a 3.30 ERA in '08. But Webb suffered a shoulder injury on Opening Day 2009 and hasn't pitched since. Webb has shown promise, but now 32 years old and still on the shelf, there's almost no possibility he'll rebound to make the Hall.
I find these ratio stats like ERA+ very interesting for active players. When they're so great to begin their careers, they set a precedent for the rest of their careers and it's always interesting to see whether they make it or not. Hope you all enjoyed.
Good Shabbos,
Robbie Knopf
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Dvar Torah for Parshat Balak
In this week's Parshah, Parshat Balak, we find a very rare occurrence in the first Aliyah of the Parsha. Hashem says to Bilam מִי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה עִמָּךְ- "who are these men that are with you?". Hashem knows everything- why would he need to ask the question?
The Mepharshim have a multitude of opinions on the subject. Ibn Ezra, as usual, gives the Pshat. He says that Hashem asked the question to start a conversation with Bilam, just like in אי הבל אחיך in Bereshit. Ibn Ezra is saying that Hashem was doing something pretty insignificant, starting the conversation, but it was still something that needed to be done so Hashem did it.
Rashi adds a little bit onto Ibn Ezra. He says that Hashem was starting the conversation, but also that the question was a way to mislead Bilam into thinking that Hashem does not know everything and that Bilam would be able to curse Bnei Yisrael if he chose the proper moment. According to Rashi, Hashem was not only starting the conversation, but setting the tone for all of Bilam's actions in the Parsha.
Hashem's overarching purpose is to make a Kiddush Hashem by changing Bilam's curse of Bnei Yisrael into a blessing. But rather than creating a sudden miracle, Hashem carries out this one through a process. This little subtlety of starting the conversation with Bilam led to Bilam acting the way he did and making the Kiddush Hashem.
In baseball, the goal of the game is to score more runs than your opponent. But not every hit scores a run. Even so, every hit is part of the process of scoring runs. One of the aspects of baseball the managers are often criticized for is sacrifice bunts. Is it really worth it to pay an out to advance ta runner into scoring position when a base hit that would advance the runners would make you over 1.5 times more likely to have a big inning! (That's according to the Run Expectancy Matrix.) Bottom line, when the sac bunt works, the manager looks great and it doesn't, he looks bad. But even when the sac bunt is successful and leads to the run scoring, the player who drove in the run will be remembered, not the player who set it up with a bunt. The sac bunt that leads to the winning run scoring is a subtlety, but a necessary one. Sometimes we have to acknowledge that.
Not everything Hashem does is easy to see. Nowadays, when clear miracles are few and far apart, we have to look for the subtleties that Hashem does for us to get us through every day. Just like with Bilam, these subtleties can lead to great things. With the help of Hashem, however he may chose to help, we can do anything. I hope we can look for these subtleties that Hashem does in our lives and may those subtleties be part of the process that brings the days of Maschiach within our midst, Bimheirah Biyameinu, Amein.
The Mepharshim have a multitude of opinions on the subject. Ibn Ezra, as usual, gives the Pshat. He says that Hashem asked the question to start a conversation with Bilam, just like in אי הבל אחיך in Bereshit. Ibn Ezra is saying that Hashem was doing something pretty insignificant, starting the conversation, but it was still something that needed to be done so Hashem did it.
Rashi adds a little bit onto Ibn Ezra. He says that Hashem was starting the conversation, but also that the question was a way to mislead Bilam into thinking that Hashem does not know everything and that Bilam would be able to curse Bnei Yisrael if he chose the proper moment. According to Rashi, Hashem was not only starting the conversation, but setting the tone for all of Bilam's actions in the Parsha.
Hashem's overarching purpose is to make a Kiddush Hashem by changing Bilam's curse of Bnei Yisrael into a blessing. But rather than creating a sudden miracle, Hashem carries out this one through a process. This little subtlety of starting the conversation with Bilam led to Bilam acting the way he did and making the Kiddush Hashem.
In baseball, the goal of the game is to score more runs than your opponent. But not every hit scores a run. Even so, every hit is part of the process of scoring runs. One of the aspects of baseball the managers are often criticized for is sacrifice bunts. Is it really worth it to pay an out to advance ta runner into scoring position when a base hit that would advance the runners would make you over 1.5 times more likely to have a big inning! (That's according to the Run Expectancy Matrix.) Bottom line, when the sac bunt works, the manager looks great and it doesn't, he looks bad. But even when the sac bunt is successful and leads to the run scoring, the player who drove in the run will be remembered, not the player who set it up with a bunt. The sac bunt that leads to the winning run scoring is a subtlety, but a necessary one. Sometimes we have to acknowledge that.
Not everything Hashem does is easy to see. Nowadays, when clear miracles are few and far apart, we have to look for the subtleties that Hashem does for us to get us through every day. Just like with Bilam, these subtleties can lead to great things. With the help of Hashem, however he may chose to help, we can do anything. I hope we can look for these subtleties that Hashem does in our lives and may those subtleties be part of the process that brings the days of Maschiach within our midst, Bimheirah Biyameinu, Amein.
Parshat Balak Player of the Week
This parsha's Player of the Week is former catcher George Balak.
Balak had a nice high school career at Weir High School in West Virginia, being a catcher on the 1959 state champions and also an all-state center for the football team, who won the state championship in 1960.Balak attended Marshall University on a football scholarship, but he left after 2 years to sign with the Baltimore Orioles in 1965. Balak was assigned to a minor league team that you are all familiar with as a major league team, the Miami Marlins, then of the Single-A Florida State League. Balak hit .272 in 1966 with 5 doubles and 2 homers in 39 games for the Marlins.
In 1967, Balak split time between the Marlins and the Single-A Stockton Ports, and it did not go well. Balak hit just .166 between the two teams with 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 23 RBI in 80 games. He did post a decent .986 fielding percentage behind the plate.
In 1968, Balak was sent down to Short Season-A Corning, where he hit .217 with 1 homer in 23 games to end his career. I guess Balak had bigger things to worry about than baseball.
Balak had a nice high school career at Weir High School in West Virginia, being a catcher on the 1959 state champions and also an all-state center for the football team, who won the state championship in 1960.Balak attended Marshall University on a football scholarship, but he left after 2 years to sign with the Baltimore Orioles in 1965. Balak was assigned to a minor league team that you are all familiar with as a major league team, the Miami Marlins, then of the Single-A Florida State League. Balak hit .272 in 1966 with 5 doubles and 2 homers in 39 games for the Marlins.
In 1967, Balak split time between the Marlins and the Single-A Stockton Ports, and it did not go well. Balak hit just .166 between the two teams with 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 23 RBI in 80 games. He did post a decent .986 fielding percentage behind the plate.
In 1968, Balak was sent down to Short Season-A Corning, where he hit .217 with 1 homer in 23 games to end his career. I guess Balak had bigger things to worry about than baseball.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Some (late) thoughts on Parshat Chukat
This website is about inspiring. I had nothing to relate this Parshah to baseball (or any other sport for the matter) until midway through the Torah reading when it finally hit me. Chukim are the intangible Mitzvot. In sports, being a great player is about more than being a great athlete- you have to be able to control your mental side as well. The rare players who are able to use their mental toughness to not only help them succeed, but also to lead other are considered to have superior "intangibles". You can't really measure intangibles, but you know when they're there and when they're not, and they make each player who he really is.
Intangible can mean "not definite or clear to the mind" (thanks dictionary.com). That's exactly what Chukim are. They are Mitzvot that we don't understand. Why do we do them? Because they are what makes us who we are as Jews. It's great when there's a logical understanding to a Mitzvah, but often when there is, it's the kind of thing that's done universally. It doesn't degrade the Mitzvah at all- it's amazing that the whole world does it- but it's just the way of the world. Chukim are what separate us apart and make us understand what it means to be a Jew.
Why we were commanded to do Chukim in the first place? Well, I can't really answer that, but the Chukim are the loose ends that tie the 613 Mitzvot together. They're the challenge. Logic won't help you universally to follow the Mitzvot- you need the unwavering belief in Hashem to do these Chukim that seem so strange to us.
May we all realize their importance of the Chukim despite our lack of understanding. They're what keeps us together, and we can never forsake them.
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In Parshat Chukat, Aharon's incredible life comes to an end. His legacy lives on through Ohev Shalom VeRodeif Shalom, and the countless people named after him, whether Aaron or Aharon. Chukat is the perfect excuse to mention the only Aharon in the history of professional baseball, Aharon Eggleston. Eggleston, an outfielder, has played Independent baseball since 2005 and hit .316 through the 2010 season with 16 homers and 105 stolen bases. His finest season was 2006 with the Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League, when he hit .332 with 6 homers, 62 RBI, and 36 stolen bases.
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Parshat Chukat's Gematria of the week is 87, the number of verses in the Parshah. 87 is a prolific number in terms of extra-base hits for a single season. Only 20 players have hit exactly 87 extra-base hits in a single season, and 7 of them are in the Hall of Fame, and most of the others are on the way.
Let's waste some of your time and go through the whole list this time (in alphabetical order).
Ripper Collins- he was a complete nobody, but in the year in which he had 87 extra-base hits, he led the NL with 35 homers.
Kiki Cuyler- pronounced "Kai-Kai Coyler", Cuyler was a Hall of Fame outfielder, posting a .321 lifetime batting average and being a 4-time NL stolen bases champ. He accomplished the 87 XBH feat in 1925 with 43 doubles, 18 homers,and 25 triples.
Prince Fielder- Prince had 87 XBH in his 50 homer season in 2007. We'll have to see if he hits enough clean home runs to make the hall.
Charlie Gehringer- A Hall of Fame second baseman, Gehringer accomplished the feat thanks in 1936 thanks to an incredible 60 doubles.
Lou Gehrig- The Yankee Hall of Fame first baseman is second on the overall list with 117 XBH in 1927, when he hit 47 home runs, but he also managed 87 XBH in 1928, when he hit just 27 homers in a down year.
Jason Giambi- Giambi hit 47 doubles and 38 homers in his MVP season of 2001. Maybe he could have been a Hall of Famer if he didn't juice.
Shawn Green- Always nice to mention him. He hit 42 homers and 45 doubles in 1999 yet finished just 9th in the MVP voting. That's what happens when everyone's cheating.
Todd Helton- Helton's career-high for XBH was 105 in 2001, but he did have 87 in 2003 thanks to 49 doubles and 33 homers.
Chipper Jones- Jones, a certain future Hall of Famer, had his finest season when he reached 87 XBH in 1999, hitting 45 homers and also 41 doubles (and a triple).
Willie Mays- Arguably the greatest player to ever play the game of baseball, Mays managed 87 XBH at the age of 23 in 1954, smacking 41 homers, 33 doubles, and 13 triples. His career-high was 90 in 1962.
Mark McGwire- McGwire hit 65 homers in his 87 XBH 1999. He had 91 in '98. He would be in the Hall of it weren't for his steroid use.
Kevin Mitchell- A journeyman left fielder, Mitchell had 87 XBH in his career year in 1989, hitting 47 homers and 34 doubles.
Johnny Mize- Mize, a Hall of Fame first baseman, had 43 homers, 31 doubles, and 13 triples in his 87 XBH season in 1940.
Manny Ramirez- Mannny had a career-high 87 XBH in 2004, when he hit 43 homers and 44 doubles, Unfortunately, he's another one of the guys who cheated.
Alex Rodriguez- A-rod managed 87 XBH in his admittedly steroid-fueled 2001 in which he hit 52 homers and 34 doubles. A-rod should have been able to put up such numbers without PED's because a)he was still just 25 and b) he played in Arlington. But, he didn't.
Tris Speaker- Speaker, a Hall of Fame outfielder, hit 59 doubles in his 87 XBH 1923.
Mark Teixeira- Teixeira reached the 87 XBH plateau in 2005, when he hit a career-high 43 homers along with 41 doubles and 3 triples.
Frank Thomas- Thomas, a certain Hall of Famer, hit 43 homers and 44 doubles in his 87 XBH 2000 season.
Vernon Wells- Wells had his only real ridiculous season as a 24 year old in 2003, hitting 33 homers, 49 doubles, and 5 triples.
Robin Yount- Yount, a Hall of Fame shortstop, hit a career-high 29 homers along with 46 doubles and 12 triples in his 87 XBH 1982.
The final tally: 7 Hall of Famers, 2 soon-to-be Hall of Famers (Jones and Thomas), and with the exception of Collins, Mitchell, and Wells, everyone else has or did have a case for the Hall of Fame, at least before PED allegations.
Intangible can mean "not definite or clear to the mind" (thanks dictionary.com). That's exactly what Chukim are. They are Mitzvot that we don't understand. Why do we do them? Because they are what makes us who we are as Jews. It's great when there's a logical understanding to a Mitzvah, but often when there is, it's the kind of thing that's done universally. It doesn't degrade the Mitzvah at all- it's amazing that the whole world does it- but it's just the way of the world. Chukim are what separate us apart and make us understand what it means to be a Jew.
Why we were commanded to do Chukim in the first place? Well, I can't really answer that, but the Chukim are the loose ends that tie the 613 Mitzvot together. They're the challenge. Logic won't help you universally to follow the Mitzvot- you need the unwavering belief in Hashem to do these Chukim that seem so strange to us.
May we all realize their importance of the Chukim despite our lack of understanding. They're what keeps us together, and we can never forsake them.
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In Parshat Chukat, Aharon's incredible life comes to an end. His legacy lives on through Ohev Shalom VeRodeif Shalom, and the countless people named after him, whether Aaron or Aharon. Chukat is the perfect excuse to mention the only Aharon in the history of professional baseball, Aharon Eggleston. Eggleston, an outfielder, has played Independent baseball since 2005 and hit .316 through the 2010 season with 16 homers and 105 stolen bases. His finest season was 2006 with the Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League, when he hit .332 with 6 homers, 62 RBI, and 36 stolen bases.
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Parshat Chukat's Gematria of the week is 87, the number of verses in the Parshah. 87 is a prolific number in terms of extra-base hits for a single season. Only 20 players have hit exactly 87 extra-base hits in a single season, and 7 of them are in the Hall of Fame, and most of the others are on the way.
Let's waste some of your time and go through the whole list this time (in alphabetical order).
Ripper Collins- he was a complete nobody, but in the year in which he had 87 extra-base hits, he led the NL with 35 homers.
Kiki Cuyler- pronounced "Kai-Kai Coyler", Cuyler was a Hall of Fame outfielder, posting a .321 lifetime batting average and being a 4-time NL stolen bases champ. He accomplished the 87 XBH feat in 1925 with 43 doubles, 18 homers,and 25 triples.
Prince Fielder- Prince had 87 XBH in his 50 homer season in 2007. We'll have to see if he hits enough clean home runs to make the hall.
Charlie Gehringer- A Hall of Fame second baseman, Gehringer accomplished the feat thanks in 1936 thanks to an incredible 60 doubles.
Lou Gehrig- The Yankee Hall of Fame first baseman is second on the overall list with 117 XBH in 1927, when he hit 47 home runs, but he also managed 87 XBH in 1928, when he hit just 27 homers in a down year.
Jason Giambi- Giambi hit 47 doubles and 38 homers in his MVP season of 2001. Maybe he could have been a Hall of Famer if he didn't juice.
Shawn Green- Always nice to mention him. He hit 42 homers and 45 doubles in 1999 yet finished just 9th in the MVP voting. That's what happens when everyone's cheating.
Todd Helton- Helton's career-high for XBH was 105 in 2001, but he did have 87 in 2003 thanks to 49 doubles and 33 homers.
Chipper Jones- Jones, a certain future Hall of Famer, had his finest season when he reached 87 XBH in 1999, hitting 45 homers and also 41 doubles (and a triple).
Willie Mays- Arguably the greatest player to ever play the game of baseball, Mays managed 87 XBH at the age of 23 in 1954, smacking 41 homers, 33 doubles, and 13 triples. His career-high was 90 in 1962.
Mark McGwire- McGwire hit 65 homers in his 87 XBH 1999. He had 91 in '98. He would be in the Hall of it weren't for his steroid use.
Kevin Mitchell- A journeyman left fielder, Mitchell had 87 XBH in his career year in 1989, hitting 47 homers and 34 doubles.
Johnny Mize- Mize, a Hall of Fame first baseman, had 43 homers, 31 doubles, and 13 triples in his 87 XBH season in 1940.
Manny Ramirez- Mannny had a career-high 87 XBH in 2004, when he hit 43 homers and 44 doubles, Unfortunately, he's another one of the guys who cheated.
Alex Rodriguez- A-rod managed 87 XBH in his admittedly steroid-fueled 2001 in which he hit 52 homers and 34 doubles. A-rod should have been able to put up such numbers without PED's because a)he was still just 25 and b) he played in Arlington. But, he didn't.
Tris Speaker- Speaker, a Hall of Fame outfielder, hit 59 doubles in his 87 XBH 1923.
Mark Teixeira- Teixeira reached the 87 XBH plateau in 2005, when he hit a career-high 43 homers along with 41 doubles and 3 triples.
Frank Thomas- Thomas, a certain Hall of Famer, hit 43 homers and 44 doubles in his 87 XBH 2000 season.
Vernon Wells- Wells had his only real ridiculous season as a 24 year old in 2003, hitting 33 homers, 49 doubles, and 5 triples.
Robin Yount- Yount, a Hall of Fame shortstop, hit a career-high 29 homers along with 46 doubles and 12 triples in his 87 XBH 1982.
The final tally: 7 Hall of Famers, 2 soon-to-be Hall of Famers (Jones and Thomas), and with the exception of Collins, Mitchell, and Wells, everyone else has or did have a case for the Hall of Fame, at least before PED allegations.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Parshat Korach Gematria of the Week
The Gematria (numerical value) of the week is 308, the numerical value for קֹרַח.
In 1993, Randy Johnson struck out 308 batters, the 49th-highest total ever and 20th since World War II. One of the players he is tied with at 49th highest overall is Hall of Famer John Clarkson, who accomplished the feat in his sophomore season in 1884. Although they finished with the same amount of strikeouts, Johnson's and Clarkson's seasons were very different.
Johnson finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting in 1993, going 19-8 with 308 strikeouts, most in the league, and his strikeouts per 9 innings ratio, 10.9, was tops in the league as well, in 34 starts, 10 of which were complete games, 1 relief appearance, and 255.1 innings pitched. Clarkson's season was quite a bit different. There was no Cy Young award back then as Cy hadn't even starting pitching yet, but Clarkson had an outstanding season in his own right. He went an incredible 53-16, striking out 308, tops in the league, but just 4.4 per 9, in 70 starts, 68 of which were complete games, and 623 IP.The 308 strikeouts were really the only thing in common between these two seasons by these two very different pitchers from very different eras.
How does this relate to the Parsha? Well, Korach didn't understand why he wasn't the Kohen Gadol or the Nasi of Shevet Levi, and part of the problem was that he wasn't part of the decision making process. Hashem chose Moshe and Aharon, and that was completely separate from Korach. It's almost like he was a completely different era.
Hope you all have a good Shabbos,
Robbie
In 1993, Randy Johnson struck out 308 batters, the 49th-highest total ever and 20th since World War II. One of the players he is tied with at 49th highest overall is Hall of Famer John Clarkson, who accomplished the feat in his sophomore season in 1884. Although they finished with the same amount of strikeouts, Johnson's and Clarkson's seasons were very different.
Johnson finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting in 1993, going 19-8 with 308 strikeouts, most in the league, and his strikeouts per 9 innings ratio, 10.9, was tops in the league as well, in 34 starts, 10 of which were complete games, 1 relief appearance, and 255.1 innings pitched. Clarkson's season was quite a bit different. There was no Cy Young award back then as Cy hadn't even starting pitching yet, but Clarkson had an outstanding season in his own right. He went an incredible 53-16, striking out 308, tops in the league, but just 4.4 per 9, in 70 starts, 68 of which were complete games, and 623 IP.The 308 strikeouts were really the only thing in common between these two seasons by these two very different pitchers from very different eras.
How does this relate to the Parsha? Well, Korach didn't understand why he wasn't the Kohen Gadol or the Nasi of Shevet Levi, and part of the problem was that he wasn't part of the decision making process. Hashem chose Moshe and Aharon, and that was completely separate from Korach. It's almost like he was a completely different era.
Hope you all have a good Shabbos,
Robbie
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Dvar Torah for Korach
The craziest thing about the Korach story is that Korach's original reason for his protest against Aharon as the Kohen Gadol wasn't so crazy at all. Korach's group's stated complaint in BaMidbar 16:3 was כִּי כָל הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים וּבְתוֹכָם יְקֹוָק וּמַדּוּעַ תִּתְנַשְּׂאוּ עַל קְהַל יְקֹוָק- "because all of the nation are all holy; so why did you raise yourself above the congregation of Hashem?" That's really an amazing idea. Everyone has an equal holiness, an equal potential to be great, and every person, no matter who they are at this moment, has the ability to achieve such greatness. We all know the famous Pasukim קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ and וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם. Aren't those exactly what Korach was saying? What was Korach's real flaw in his protest if the base of his argument really was not that bad at all?
According to Rashi, Korach's mistake was וַיִּקַּח- he created a separation between himself and the rest of Bnei Yisrael in making this accusation. Korach had to mad that he wasn't the Kohen Gadol or the Nasi of Shevet Levi, but maybe his original intentions were just for fairness and equality for all of Bnei Yisrael in terms of their potential and their ability to lead. But Korach took a huge risk- that his accusation would divide Kahal Yisrael and start a rebellion. And so it did. We only remember Korach as evil after the terrible rebellion he started. But really, it didn't have to turn out that way.If Korach had approached things differently, maybe talking to Moshe and Aharon in private instead of וַיָּקֻמוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה, everything could have been different. But he did things the way he did, and now whenever anybody reads Parshat Korach, they vilify Korach, and rightfully so.
It was a line drive to right-center. Torii Hunter went back towards the gap and had to make a decision. The ball was quickly falling and Hunter was about within distance to make a dive to make the catch and keep the game tied at 2. But if Hunter missed it and the ball got by him, the ball would go back to the Metrodome wall and it would be a certain inside-the-park home run. Hunter could have played the ball on a hop and allowed Mark Kotsay to reach second on a double, but nothing more. But he instead elected to dive. He wasn't diving to be on SportsCenter the next day. He was diving to save a double and prevent the winning run from going into scoring position in 2006 ALDS Game 2 with the Twins already down a game in the best of 5. So he dived, and what happens? He misses the ball by several feet and the ball goes back to the wall for the inside-the-parker and the A's won the game and ended up sweeping the series. Hunter made a decision to help the team and it went wrong. He didn't receive an error on the play- it was going to be a tough play, and it just didn't work out. But still, if Hunter played the ball on a hop, maybe the Twins would have won the series and ended up as 2006 World Series Champions. Almost nobody criticized Hunter for his decision to dive- it was just a bad break for him that the ball went by him. But it turned out for the worst, and that's all everybody remembers.
Before we make decisions in life, we have to realize the consequences. There's always a risk and a reward, and we have to know when the risk is too high. We have to take risks in life- if we didn't we would live as boring people in a mundane world. But we have to pick our spots. Sometimes, a bad decision can start something far worse than we ever expected. My hope and prayer is that we can make the proper decisions in life and take chances only when the proper opportunities arise, and may that be part of the process of Mashiach coming speedily into our midst, Bimheirah Biyameinu, Amein.
Good Shabbos,
Robbie Knopf
I hope you enjoyed ITtB Dvar Torah #1.
According to Rashi, Korach's mistake was וַיִּקַּח- he created a separation between himself and the rest of Bnei Yisrael in making this accusation. Korach had to mad that he wasn't the Kohen Gadol or the Nasi of Shevet Levi, but maybe his original intentions were just for fairness and equality for all of Bnei Yisrael in terms of their potential and their ability to lead. But Korach took a huge risk- that his accusation would divide Kahal Yisrael and start a rebellion. And so it did. We only remember Korach as evil after the terrible rebellion he started. But really, it didn't have to turn out that way.If Korach had approached things differently, maybe talking to Moshe and Aharon in private instead of וַיָּקֻמוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה, everything could have been different. But he did things the way he did, and now whenever anybody reads Parshat Korach, they vilify Korach, and rightfully so.
It was a line drive to right-center. Torii Hunter went back towards the gap and had to make a decision. The ball was quickly falling and Hunter was about within distance to make a dive to make the catch and keep the game tied at 2. But if Hunter missed it and the ball got by him, the ball would go back to the Metrodome wall and it would be a certain inside-the-park home run. Hunter could have played the ball on a hop and allowed Mark Kotsay to reach second on a double, but nothing more. But he instead elected to dive. He wasn't diving to be on SportsCenter the next day. He was diving to save a double and prevent the winning run from going into scoring position in 2006 ALDS Game 2 with the Twins already down a game in the best of 5. So he dived, and what happens? He misses the ball by several feet and the ball goes back to the wall for the inside-the-parker and the A's won the game and ended up sweeping the series. Hunter made a decision to help the team and it went wrong. He didn't receive an error on the play- it was going to be a tough play, and it just didn't work out. But still, if Hunter played the ball on a hop, maybe the Twins would have won the series and ended up as 2006 World Series Champions. Almost nobody criticized Hunter for his decision to dive- it was just a bad break for him that the ball went by him. But it turned out for the worst, and that's all everybody remembers.
Before we make decisions in life, we have to realize the consequences. There's always a risk and a reward, and we have to know when the risk is too high. We have to take risks in life- if we didn't we would live as boring people in a mundane world. But we have to pick our spots. Sometimes, a bad decision can start something far worse than we ever expected. My hope and prayer is that we can make the proper decisions in life and take chances only when the proper opportunities arise, and may that be part of the process of Mashiach coming speedily into our midst, Bimheirah Biyameinu, Amein.
Good Shabbos,
Robbie Knopf
I hope you enjoyed ITtB Dvar Torah #1.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Parshat Korach Players of the Week: Korach and Joe Korach
No, the title is not a typo. When Baseball-Reference.com finds information for a player with a known last name and an unknown first name, they list the player just under his last name. So, you can find "Korach Minor League Statistics and History" on Baseball-Reference.com. Korach was a pitcher who played two seasons in organized baseball, the first of which in 1934 for the Class D Bentonville Officeholders (gotta love that name) and the second in 1936 for the Class D Rogers Lions. Next to nothing is known about Korach (why didn't they look in the Torah?). He pitched and played some other position in 1934, and he hit .303 with 3 homers at the plate while posting an 8-5 record on the mound. In '36, he went 0-1. Korach wasn't anything special at all as a baseball player, and this will probably be the last time you hear of his baseball career. (So that's why he was so frustrated that he wanted to challenge Moshe!)
Korach's brother, Joe (can't confirm that he was his brother, but he has the same last name and he played at about the same time), had a more illustrious career. He was signed by the Yankees in 1935 and was sent to the Class C Joplin (Washington state) Miners. Joe, an outfielder, second baseman, and pitcher, hit .279 in 1935 with 15 doubles, 5 triples, and a homer in 109 games while going 0-3 with a 6.20 ERA in 13 appearances on the mound. Nobody has any idea how old he was, but he seemed like he could have a decent professional career. But after hitting .265 with 6 doubles, 4 triples, and 4 homers in 1936 while going 1-7 with a 5.37 ERA in 13 appearances on the mound, Joe was done with baseball. Maybe he had more important things to do (like help his brother in his protest against Moshe).
It's unfortunate that Korach's protest against Moshe ended both his baseball career and his brother's.
Korach's brother, Joe (can't confirm that he was his brother, but he has the same last name and he played at about the same time), had a more illustrious career. He was signed by the Yankees in 1935 and was sent to the Class C Joplin (Washington state) Miners. Joe, an outfielder, second baseman, and pitcher, hit .279 in 1935 with 15 doubles, 5 triples, and a homer in 109 games while going 0-3 with a 6.20 ERA in 13 appearances on the mound. Nobody has any idea how old he was, but he seemed like he could have a decent professional career. But after hitting .265 with 6 doubles, 4 triples, and 4 homers in 1936 while going 1-7 with a 5.37 ERA in 13 appearances on the mound, Joe was done with baseball. Maybe he had more important things to do (like help his brother in his protest against Moshe).
It's unfortunate that Korach's protest against Moshe ended both his baseball career and his brother's.
Introducing ITtB
Hi everyone this is Robbie Knopf and this is a blog where I combine both of my interests, Torah and baseball. This blog is about Torah- if you want baseball you can check out my other blog here and my writing about the Rays over here.
What I am trying to do with this is to use baseball to inspire Torah. There are so many ideas in the Torah that we don't understand or we don't appreciate. Something I like to do is think about Torah concepts in baseball terms, and every once in a while, it actually helps me understand the concept. On this site, I'm planning to give a weekly Dvar Torah on the Parshah with a baseball analogy that (hopefully) ties it all together. Also, I'm going to do other fun weekly features like Gamatria (numerical value) of the Week where I relate the Gematria of something in the Parshah to something in baseball (ex. 262 was Ichiro's record of 262 hits in a season in 2004), and a Player of the Week whose name somehow relates to the Parshah (ex. Harry Desert for BaMidbar). I'll also do some impromptu posts when things happen (if ITtB was around, I definitely would have done a post on the reformation of Josh Hamilton). Also, I will hopefully think of other features to do, and you're welcome to comment on any of my posts with a suggestion (recent ones please- if you comment 2 years from now on this post, I probably won't see it).
This is going to be a lot of fun and I hope and anticipate that both you and I will learn something. I hope you all enjoy.
I'll put something up on ITtB later today, and my Dvar Torah on Korach will go up tomorrow.
What I am trying to do with this is to use baseball to inspire Torah. There are so many ideas in the Torah that we don't understand or we don't appreciate. Something I like to do is think about Torah concepts in baseball terms, and every once in a while, it actually helps me understand the concept. On this site, I'm planning to give a weekly Dvar Torah on the Parshah with a baseball analogy that (hopefully) ties it all together. Also, I'm going to do other fun weekly features like Gamatria (numerical value) of the Week where I relate the Gematria of something in the Parshah to something in baseball (ex. 262 was Ichiro's record of 262 hits in a season in 2004), and a Player of the Week whose name somehow relates to the Parshah (ex. Harry Desert for BaMidbar). I'll also do some impromptu posts when things happen (if ITtB was around, I definitely would have done a post on the reformation of Josh Hamilton). Also, I will hopefully think of other features to do, and you're welcome to comment on any of my posts with a suggestion (recent ones please- if you comment 2 years from now on this post, I probably won't see it).
This is going to be a lot of fun and I hope and anticipate that both you and I will learn something. I hope you all enjoy.
I'll put something up on ITtB later today, and my Dvar Torah on Korach will go up tomorrow.
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