Jews and Baseball

You know about “the Sultan of Swat,” but how about “the Rabbi of Swat” or “the Yiddish Curver”? These are the less iconic nicknames given to two Jewish baseball players (Mose Solomon and Barney Pelty, respectively), who helped smash the stereotype that Jews were not adept at sports and who are among the subjects in this award-winning documentary. Jews and Baseball boasts an all-star line-up: Dustin Hoffman narrates, Pulitzer Prize–winning sportswriter Ira Berkow wrote the script, and Peter Miller (a frequent teammate of Ken Burns) directed. From Lipman Pike, the first professionally paid ballplayer, to contemporary stars such as Shawn Green and Kevin Youkilis, the film covers all the bases: how the sport allowed immigrants to assimilate; the anti-Semitism they faced; and the heroics that raised Jewish pride. Featuring interviews with historians, rabbis, ballplayers, sportswriters, and celebrity fans such as Larry King and Ron Howard, the highlight here is a rare conversation with Sandy Koufax, who reflects on his decision not to pitch in the World Series because it conflicted with Yom Kippur (when the manager yanked Don Drysdale, who pitched in Koufax's place and got rocked, Drysdale said, “I bet you wish right now I was Jewish, too”). Of course, you don't have to be Jewish to be moved by this engaging documentary that combines fascinating baseball history with stirring individual stories. DVD extras include deleted scenes, brief newsreel footage, and a jazzy rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”—which, yes, was written by a Jew. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (D. Liebenson)