John Grabow: The Next Jewish Yankees' Left Hander?

by Harold Friend A New York City tabloid reported recently that Yankees’ scout Bill Emslie had been sent to watch Pittsburgh Pirates’ left handed relief pitcher John Grabow, which is not surprising since the Yankees have been seeking a reliable lefty specialist since the departure of Australian Graeme Lloyd almost a decade ago. What is interesting is that John Grabow is one of a handful of Jewish major leaguers, and even more intriguing is that if the Yankees acquire Grabow’s services, John will be the first Yankees’ Jewish left hander since Ken Holtzman during the late 1970s. Jewish Yankees' Players There have been fewer than 150 Jewish players in the history of the game. Jewish Yankees have included Jimmy Reese, who was Babe Ruth’s roommate and used to say that his roommate was really Babe Ruth’s suitcase, Ron Blomberg, who was the game’s first designated hitter, Elliott Maddox, who converted to Judaism, and Holtzman, the Yankees' only Jewish left hander. John Grabow Is No...