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Hello and Shana Tova! Yom Kippur begins tonight, which means I am contractually obligated to write about Sandy Koufax today.
But before we get to the mysterious story of Koufax’s 1965 Yom Kippur practices, let’s begin with this year’s MLB playoffs. Over the past few decades, plenty of Jewish ballplayers have faced their own Yom Kippur dilemmas — but this October, it turns out, none will have the opportunity to follow Sandy’s example.
Harrison Bader and the New York Mets defeated Garrett Stubbs and the Philadelphia Phillies this week in the National League Division Series, sending the Phils home. The Mets will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the San Diego Padres in the championship series, starting Sunday.
The two SoCal teams play in the sole MLB playoff game tonight, which will run into Kol Nidre, but neither team has a Jewish player. The same is true of the Detroit Tigers-Cleveland Guardians rubber match on Saturday night, which begins shortly after the fast ends in Ohio. (Read on for a player in another league who is sitting the holiday out.)
Did Sandy Koufax go to synagogue on Yom Kippur in 1965? It depends whom you ask.
Sandy Koufax pitches during Game 7 of the 1965 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Minnesota Twins, Oct. 14, 1965, at Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
The story could not be more famous: Sandy Koufax, a proud but non-observant Jew, declined to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. The future Hall of Famer’s act has earned the admiration of generations of American Jews and helped define his unmatched career.
But how did the ace pitcher spend Yom Kippur that year? It’s a question that has baffled fans for decades. Some claim he went to synagogue. Others say he stayed in his hotel room. Koufax himself, who is famously private, has never cleared up the confusion.
According to Daniel Schloff, Koufax did indeed attend services that morning, at Temple of Aaron in St. Paul, Minnesota. How does Schloff know? He was 17 at the time — and told me he sat behind Koufax in the sanctuary. They even wished each other a “Shana tova,” a happy new year, Schloff says.
“Everyone’s there for services, and the whole time I’m staring at the back of his bald head, davening, and thinking, huh, here’s Sandy Koufax,” said Schloff. “My God, here’s Sandy Koufax.”
There are aspects of the story that make it, shall we say, less than a no-hitter. For one thing, few if any other eyewitnesses have corroborated this account. And Koufax was not bald.
But there is other evidence. Rabbi Bernard Raskas, who led Temple of Aaron at the time and died in 2010, insisted Koufax was there. In a sermon he gave later in the Jewish holiday season that year, Raskas referred to the fact that Koufax “was in this very synagogue on Yom Kippur Day.”
We may never know for sure. In the words of former Temple of Aaron Rabbi Jeremy Fine, an avid sports fan, “Unless Sandy says he was there, to me, it’s midrash. Midrash becomes folklore that’s a part of our story.”
Click here for more on what we know — and what we don’t — about Koufax’s Yom Kippur observance.
Halftime report
FOR THREE. In case you missed it, we took a look at the career and legacy of Abe Saperstein, a Jewish immigrant from London who would go on to shape the game of basketball into the global powerhouse we know today. Saperstein, who founded the Harlem Globetrotters, also invented the three-pointer, and was ahead of his time on numerous other aspects of pro sports — and how to market it. I spoke to the authors of his new biography.
DON’T HATE THE PLAYER (OR THE GAME). New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism debuted its latest ad last night during “Thursday Night Football.” The 30-second spot, titled “Time Out Against Hate” featured prominent figures from across sports, including Billie Jean King, Shaquille O’Neal and Jim Harbaugh, along with Jewish NHL star Zach Hyman. The ad calls out all kinds of hate across society.
FRIENDLY CONFINES. Former Team Israel manager Jerry Weinstein is joining the Chicago Cubs’ coaching staff in an unspecified role. Weinstein, 80, had spent 18 years in the Colorado Rockies’ organization. He announced the news himself on X.
B.Y.-JUBILANT. Brigham Young University, the flagship Mormon school in Provo, Utah, is off to a strong 5-0 start to the college football season, thanks in large part to Jewish quarterback Jake Retzlaff, who threw two touchdowns with 216 passing yards in BYU’s 34-28 win over Baylor last Saturday. ESPN’s College GameDay program tomorrow will spotlight the quarterback who goes by the moniker “BY-Jew.” Here’s the trailer.
The Jewish NHL players to watch this season
Top row, L-R: Jordan Harris, Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox and Luke Kunin. Bottom row, L-R: Jason Zucker, Zach Hyman, Jack Hughes and Jeremy Swayman. (Getty Images; Design by Grace Yagel)
Hockey is back, and as of opening night this week, 13 Jewish players began the season on an NHL roster, with several more prospects in the minor leagues. Here are the NHL players to watch this year:
- Jakob Chychrun, Washington Capitals defenseman
- Adam Fox, New York Rangers defenseman
- Mark Friedman, Vancouver Canucks defenseman
- Jordan Harris, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman
- Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils center
- Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils defenseman
- Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks defenseman
- Zach Hyman, Edmonton Oilers winger
- Luke Kunin, San Jose Sharks center
- Devon Levi, Buffalo Sabres goaltender
- Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins goaltender
- Jake Walman, San Jose Sharks defenseman
- Jason Zucker, Buffalo Sabres left winger
Read more about the Jewish baker’s dozen, plus the prospects to keep an eye on, right here.
Jews in sports to watch this weekend (all times ET)
⚾ IN BASEBALL…
Harrison Bader and the New York Mets travel to California to face either the San Diego Padres or the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS Sunday at 8:15 p.m.
🏒 IN HOCKEY…
Quinn Hughes, Mark Friedman and the Vancouver Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at 10 p.m. Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins host the Los Angeles Kings Saturday at 1 p.m. Jakob Chychrun and the Washington Capitals host Jack and Luke Hughes and the New Jersey Devils Saturday at 7 p.m. Zach Hyman and the Edmonton Oilers host the Calgary Flames Sunday at 8 p.m.
🏈 IN FOOTBALL…
Michael Dunn and the Cleveland Browns face the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday at 1 p.m. Greg Joseph and the New York Giants host the Cincinnati Bengals at 8:20 p.m. on Sunday.
⚽ IN SOCCER…
Israel faces Italy in the UEFA Nations League Monday at 2:45 p.m. The squad, which features MLS players Tai Baribo and Liel Abada and Premier League player Manor Solomon, lost 4-1 to France yesterday. In the MLS, DeAndre Yedlin and F.C. Cincinnati face Baribo’s Philadelphia Union Saturday at 6 p.m. At the same time, Abada’s Charlotte F.C. faces D.C. United, and Daniel Edelman’s New York Red Bulls host Columbus. Zac MacMath and Real Salt Lake play Vancouver at 9 p.m.
🏀 IN BASKETBALL…
It’s the NBA preseason: Domantas Sabonis, who is converting to Judaism, and the Sacramento Kings face the Golden State Warriors tonight at 10 p.m. It is not clear whether Sabonis will play on Yom Kippur, but Israeli player Deni Avdija, who is entering his first season with the Portland Trail Blazers, announced on Instagram that he would not be playing during the holiday.
Taking her place on the mantle
(Courtesy of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum)
After making history as the youngest U.S. Olympic wrestler in history, and winning gold in her Olympics debut, Jewish wrestler Amit Elor has achieved another accolade most athletes can only dream of: receiving her own bobblehead.
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled its latest bobblehonoring the 20-year-old athlete. “Making her Olympics debut in Paris, Amit did not disappoint in becoming the youngest U.S. wrestler ever to win a gold medal. We congratulate Amit and wish her continued success, including the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028,” co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said in a statement.
Read our profile of Elor from this summer right here.
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