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Dept. of Mountains Out of Molehills: Reggie Jackson’s Jewish Joke

So baseball great Reggie Jackson, haggling with an artist over a painting, jokingly asked him, “Are you Jewish?” A foolish comment, made all the more foolish by the fact that it was made in earshot of a New York Post video camera. The cameraman followed up by asking Jackson why he said that, to which he replied, “because he’s always working me.”

The Post ran with it, UPI and Fox picked it up and now Jackson is explaining to the Post that he wouldn’t insult a Jewish person. “I am a minority. I don’t do that. I don’t go there,” he told the Post.

Was Jackson’s joke in poor taste? Yeah. Was it funny? No. Is it proof of any hostility to Jews? Not really. After all, Jews have been known, on occasion, to make similarly tasteless jokes, and sometimes they’re even funny. (Even if we don’t buy into — no pun intended — such stereotypes, they can make good fodder for humor.) And Jackson was always known almost as much for his big mouth as for his clutch hitting.

The artist himself, who is Jewish, told the Post that he didn’t think Jackson was antisemitic: “I think he was joking… that I had chutzpah.” Then again, he had a fiduciary interest in defending Jackson, who had just paid him $1,500 for his painting. (And no, I’m not making a Jewish joke.)

The worst part of this whole teapot tempest is that all-star slugger Ryan Braun — whose father is Israeli, but whose mother isn’t Jewish — is now being asked by reporters to weigh in. (As JTA’s Ami Eden cleverly quipped, “Braun is expected to play Abe Foxman instead of left field.”)

The best part of the brouhaha, however, is that it provided the Brewers outfielder with an opportunity to indicate his willingness to step up to the plate for the tribe. There had been questions about how strongly Braun — who has been dubbed “the Hebrew Hammer” by some excited fans — identifies as Jewish. But regarding being asked by a reporter about Jackson’s remarks, Braun explained, “I think that it’s something that comes with the territory. There aren’t too many Jewish athletes at the highest level. It’s something that I certainly embrace. But there are times when people expect me to be aware of issues, like that specific example. I didn’t have any idea what he was talking about.”

Hat tip: JTA’s Telegraph

Hank Greenberg Would Be Proud of Brian Horwitz

Brian Horwitz is off to a pretty good start in the big leagues.

Last night, in his third Major League game, the San Francisco Giants’ rookie outfielder knocked off a two-run home run in his team’s blowout of the Mets. After eight at-bats, Horwitz is batting .500 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

“Unbelievable,” Horwitz has said of his Major League experience so far. “It’s extraordinary, surreal. It’s an out-of-body experience. I’m really enjoying being here. How could you complain? It’s great to be winning as well.”

The newest Jew in the Majors reportedly has already been dubbed “the Rabbi” by his teammates.

Personally, I have two reasons to shep naches about Horwitz. Not only is he a co-religionist, but he’s also a graduate of my alma mater.

Horwitz has arrived on the scene at a time when there are already a few really good Jewish ballplayers in the Majors. Last year, Jon Stewart and Denis Leary had some fun discussing the number of Jews playing baseball today. (The Jew-y bit of the following video begins around 4:15 — and, no matter what Leary says, David Wright isn’t Jewish.)

Baseball cap tip: J.J. Goldberg

Mighty Billy Crystal Has…

On the heels of a very serious brawl during one of their spring-training games, the Yankees managed to lighten the mood today by sending Billy Crystal out as their leadoff hitter against the Pirates.

Crystal — who had been signed by the Yankees to a one-day contract as a 60th birthday gift — managed to work the count to 3-1 before whiffing at two pitches by Pirates starter Paul Maholm to strikeout.

Crystal was set to come to bat again in the bottom of the third but, with a runner on first and two out, he was swapped out for star slugger Johnny Damon, who the Yanks apparently figured was their best chance to push the lone base-runner home. Damon came in, took one pitch and promptly grounded to third on the next pitch to end the inning.

They may as well have kept Crystal in. He, at least, in his lone at-bat, was close to working a walk against a pitcher who was at the top of his game, throwing four shutout innings of one-hit ball against some of the most powerful bats the Yankees could muster.

While Crystal may have finished his professional baseball career with a lifetime batting average of .000, perhaps for his next act — given his very disciplined at-bat — he could run a batting clinic for the free-swinging leadoff hitter for the Yankees’ cross-town rivals. We know Crystal already has a Mets’ hat he can wear if need be.

Billy Crystal Is Yankees’ ‘Designated Hebrew’

The Yankees have been without a significant Jewish player for quite some time, but that is all about to change with yesterday’s minor-league signing.

Billy Crystal — yes, that Billy Crystal — has signed a one-day minor-league contract with the Yankees and will be playing in an exhibition spring-training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. Crystal could be seen Wednesday taking batting practice and warming up with Derek Jeter in the Yankees’ Tampa facilities. The signing was a gift from the franchise to the famed comedian for his 60th birthday, thanking the life-long Yankees fan for his support of the team over the years.

But some fans and sports columnists have lashed out at the move, arguing that it undermines the seriousness of spring training. Others have objected to Crystal on the grounds that he is a part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who dealt the Yankees a crushing defeat in the 2001 World Series.

Not that this is the first time a celebrity has played in a spring-training game — Garth Brooks, Tom Selleck and Bruce Hornsby have all played in spring-training games before.

It is yet to be determined how many at-bats Crystal will get or whether he will play the field but, according to ESPN, when a fan asked him what position he will play, Crystal responded “DH — designated Hebrew.”

UPDATE: Watch Billy Crystal get ready for his big day:

Hat tip for the video: JTA’s Ami Eden

The Yankees Look East to Zion

The Yankees may not have yet picked a successor for departing manager Joe Torre, but they have made some minor announcements in the past few days, signing two stars from this season’s Israel Baseball league to minor-league contracts.

The Yankees organization picked up Jason Rees, an outfielder with the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox who hit .362 and led the league in home runs and runs batted in, and Eladio Rodriguez, starting catcher for the Modi’in Miracle who was the co-winner of the Hank Greenberg Most Valuable Player Award. Neither player is Jewish.