Designated Hebrew; The Ron Blomberg Story As Told to Dan Schlossberg
Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2006. First Edition [stated], presumed first printing. Hardcover. xvi, 176 pages. Illustrations. Appendix. Inscribed on the title page by the author. Inscription reads To Joel Ron Blomberg. Foreword by Marty Appel. Ronald Mark Blomberg (born August 23, 1948), nicknamed "Boomer", is a former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a designated hitter, first baseman, and right fielder. He played for the New York Yankees (1969, 1971–1976) and Chicago White Sox (1978), and was the manager of the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox in the Israel Baseball League (2007). He was the first designated hitter in Major League Baseball history. He batted left-handed, and threw right-handed. Over eight seasons, Blomberg compiled a .293 batting average (391-for-1,333) with 52 home runs, 224 RBIs, 184 runs, 67 doubles, and 8 triples in 461 games. He added a .360 on-base percentage and a .473 slugging average. For his career, he hit .304 against right-handers, and .304 with two out and runners in scoring position, as well as .325 when the score was tied. Blomberg made his major league debut on September 10, 1969. Blomberg was a natural hitter who had a remarkably quick bat with tremendous power. Many felt that he should play every day but manager Ralph Houk platooned him. Blomberg was the first major leaguer to bat as a designated hitter in a regular season game. On April 6, 1973, at Fenway, he was walked by Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant on five pitches with the bases loaded in the first inning, and the bat he used is in Cooperstown's Hall of Fame. Blomberg twice was voted the most popular person in New York. In April 2006, Blomberg's biography, Designated Hebrew: the Ron Blomberg Story was released by Sports Publishing. It was co-written by Dan Schlossberg, the author of over 30 baseball books, including The Baseball Catalog, and host of the syndicated radio show, BallTalk. The book discusses Blomberg's life leading up to his major league career, his playing days as a Yankee, and his Jewish heritage. Ron Blomberg is viewed as a trailblazer: in addition to being the first designated hitter in the history of major league baseball, an accident of fate, he was also the first significant Jewish Yankee. The only lantzman who preceded Blomberg to the Bronx hid behind the pseudonym of Jimmie Reese. Blomberg didn't believe in hiding, either from pitchers with overpowering fastballs or the baseball fans of New York. A witness to cross burnings and synagogue bombings in his youth, Blomberg felt relieved when New York's large Jewish population embraced him. He loved people almost as much as he loved to eat. And so, he wore his religion on his sleeve. Ron Blomberg's story is more than a baseball tale, and more than a religious tale. It's the story of a Designated Hebrew, and there is no other tale quite like it. On April 6, 1973, Ron Blomberg took a swing at home plate that changed baseball history. Through a quirk of fate the young Jewish Yankee became the first designated hitter to play an MLB game. At the time, George Steinbrenner had just taken control of the Bronx Bombers, the National League was still refusing to adopt the DH rule, and New Yorkers were pinning their hopes on a new generation of players. In this heart-warming autobiography, Blomberg relives the moment that made his career and the countless experiences before and after that helped boost him to legendary heights. In Designated Hebrew, Blomberg recounts a time when baseball and America itself were changing. Before Blomberg arrived in New York, the Yankees only employed three Jews in the entire organization. Though his career goals were eventually thwarted by injury, Blomberg still represented hope and pride to millions of Americans across the country. This unforgettable story is the journey of one man as he learns to balance life, religion, and ultimately, baseball. Condition: Very good / Very good, in a plastic sleeve, and has a removable banner stating Inscribed 1st Edition 2006.
Keywords: Designated Hitter, Jew, Baseball, New York Yankees, MLB, First Baseman, Right Fielder, Chicago White Sox, Professional Athlete, Cooperstown, Hall of Fame, Luis Tiant, Marty Appel, Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park
ISBN: 1582619875
[Book #83854]
Price: $125.00