Making It In the Bigs

Speaking
of names and sports, we sat up straight in our chair the other day, watching
the Red Sox season opener from Ameriquest
Field in Arlington, Texas. It was the top of the sixth, new Ranger ace,
the $60 million dollar man, Kevin Millwood, was getting knocked around
like the New York Knicks, and suddenly it was time for the Rolaids Call
to the Bullpen.

First man up, our Cuz, Scott Feldman. Now, it is rare
enough to find a Jew in professional sports, let alone a Feldman in major
league baseball.  According
to Jewish Major Leaguers,
there are only 13 Jewish players currently on major league rosters, including
Scott and three Red Sox: Adam Stern,
Gabe Kapler and Kevin Youkilis They may be shorthanded Wednesday night,
first day of Passover.

But it was the first time we had seen our own last name
plastered across the back of a real Major League Baseball uniform, in
a game, on the mound. We had a slight but not altogether unpleasant
sense of unreality. Could this guy be the first Feldman to reach the
Show?

We whipped out our cell phone and called our father,
known in his youth as Small Facts Feldman. Had there ever, in the 130
years of major league baseball, been a player named Feldman?

Sure, Small Facts advised, there was Harry Feldman,
a right handed pitcher for the New York Giants in the 40’s. We looked
it up, and there he was; Harry played six seasons in the bigs, ’41-’46,
and compiled a 3.80 ERA over a diabolical career spanning exactly 666
innings.

But old as we are getting, that was before our time,
and during the ensuing 60 years there was nary a Feldman to be found.
Until last year, when Scott burst on the scene. He only has 12 innings
pitched so far, but sports a gaudy 1.50 ERA and is looking good, so far.

Coincidentally, one of the most popular Dowbrigade postings
of all times (How
Jews Got Their Names) concerns the origins of many
popular Jewish surnames.

The chances we are actually related to Scott or Harry
(or Marty) are slim.  Feldman
was a "boat name" adopted by thousands of Eastern European Jewish immigrants
during the last great wave of immigration, 1890-1910, mostly by folks
who wanted America-sounding last names, but didn’t want to abandon their
easily identifiable Jewishness. Nevertheless, we feel a pleasant fraternal
pride when we read "Feldman" across that broad back on the mound.

MLB player page for Harry

MLB player page for Scott