- Mose Solomon
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Mose Solomon Outfielder Born: December 8, 1900
New York, New YorkDied: June 25, 1966 (aged 65)
Miami, FloridaBatted: Left Threw: Left MLB debut September 30, 1923 for the New York Giants Last MLB appearance October 7, 1923 for the New York Giants Career statistics Batting average .375 Home runs 0 Runs batted in 1 Teams - New York Giants (1923)
Mose Hirsch Solomon, nicknamed the Rabbi of Swat (December 8, 1900, on the Lower East Side in Manhattan – June 25, 1966, Miami, Florida) was an American left-handed baseball player who briefly played for the New York Giants in 1923.
Contents
Early life
Mose, who was Jewish, was born on Hester Street in New York City.[1] The son of a junk dealer, who grew up in Columbus, Ohio, Mose also went by the nickname "Hickory." Even though the family was observant, he pursued baseball.
Minor leagues
While in the minors he played first base and outfield and hit from the left side.
Solomon was a minor league legend. In 1921 he was picked up by Vancouver in the Pacific Coast International League. He hit .313 his first year, matching his lifetime minor league average.
In 1923 he hit 49 home runs for the Class C Southwestern Conference Hutchinson Wheat Shockers, in only 108 games, with a .421 average. Unfortunately, he also made 31 errors (at first base). Only Babe Ruth had more home runs in a single season.
John McGraw, of the New York Giants bought out his contract from the Hutchinson, Kansas franchise in September 1923. By that time he had developed quite a reputation for himself. On the day that he left the club, he was batting .421 for the season, and was leading the league in runs, hits, and doubles, as well as breaking the previous minor league home run record established in 1895. The Sporting News ran a headline in 1923, “Dick Kinsella [Giants scout] Finds That $100,000 Jew.”[1]
The press gave him the nickname “The Rabbi of Swat,”[1] establishing him as “the Jewish Babe Ruth.”
But he had another reputation as well. As was common for players of ethnic origin, other than Irish or German ancestry, Solomon was forced to earn the respect of the other players. He could punch.[1] Word soon went around to “lay off the big Jew.”[1][2]
Major leagues
In 1923, The New York Giants were desperate for a slugger to offset crosstown Yankee star Babe Ruth, known as "The Sultan of Swat." They called up Solomon from the minors, and publicized him as "The Rabbi of Swat." But manager John McGraw didn't dare play him in the field. In his brief big-league stint, Solomon's fielding average was .833. His .375 batting average three for eight) in his two big-league games included one double and one RBI. His career slugging average is thus a robust .500. His entire major league career consists of two games for the Giants in 1923.
See also
- Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story, 2010 documentary
- List of select Jewish baseball players
References
- ^ a b c d The Jews Of Summer
- ^ "Jewish Journal article". 72.14.209.104. http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:YaCj7TvHgFYJ:www.jewishjournal.org/archives/archiveMarch11_05.htm+Moe+Solomon&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=6. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- BR Bullpen profile
- Jews in Sports bio
- Jewish Journal article
Categories:- Major League Baseball right fielders
- New York Giants (NL) players
- Baseball players from New York
- Jewish Major League Baseball players
- 1900 births
- 1966 deaths
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