Mike Epstein

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For other people named Michael Epstein, see Michael Epstein (disambiguation).
Mike Epstein
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 16, 1966, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last MLB appearance
April 28, 1974, for the California Angels
MLB statistics
Batting average.244
Home runs130
Runs batted in380
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Michael Peter Epstein (born April 4, 1943), nicknamed "Super Jew",

California Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB).[2][3][4]

Early and personal life

Epstein was born in

Los Angeles, California.[7][6][8] Epstein said of his father, who refused when Epstein was still a minor to sign a contract on his behalf with the Dodgers: "He wanted me to be a lawyer, rather than a bum."[8]

Amateur career

Epstein played for the baseball and football teams while attending Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, graduating in 1961.[9][6]

Epstein attended the

All-American.[10] He represented the United States in baseball at the 1964 Summer Olympics as a demonstration sport in Tokyo.[11]

Minor leagues

Epstein played for the Stockton Ports of the California League in 1965, and led the league in batting average (.338) and home runs (30; tying a league record set by Vince DiMaggio).[7] He was named the league's most valuable player (MVP).[7] Rival manager Rocky Bridges nicknamed him "Super Jew" for his efforts that season.[9]

Epstein played for the

runs batted in (RBIs), earning him league MVP and Rookie of the Year honors.[9][10] He was also named an All Star and received The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year Award and Topps Minor League Player of the Year Award.[9][10]

Major leagues

Epstein was first brought up for six games by the

Washington Senators for Pete Richert. Later that season, in his first at-bat against the Orioles, Epstein hit a grand slam.[9] In 1968 he was fourth in the league in HBP (9).[5]

In

runs batted in (RBIs), and hit for a .278 batting average (and .347 with runners in scoring position) with an excellent .414 on-base percentage and .551 slugging percentage.[5] He was fourth in the league in hit by pitch (10), and he hit a home run every 13.4 at bats.[5] He was 25th in voting for the American League MVP.[5]
This was also the only year in which the reconstituted Senators finished above .500.

In 1970 he was second in the league in being hit by a pitch (13), while hitting 20 home runs, and leading all AL first basemen in range factor (10.08).[5]

In May 1971 he was traded along with Darold Knowles to the Oakland Athletics for Frank Fernandez, Don Mincher, Paul Lindblad, and cash. In 1971, while hitting 18 home runs in 329 at bats, he was hit by a pitch 12 times, leading the league.[5] In 1972 he hit 26 home runs (3rd in the league) for the world champion Athletics.[5] He hit a home run every 17.5 at bats (3rd in the AL), had a .490 slugging percentage (5th), had a .376 on-base percentage (6th), collected 62 walks (10th), and was hit by a pitch 11 times (2nd).[5] He was 16th in voting for the American League MVP.[5]

Going hitless in 16 at bats during the World Series, in addition to his feud with manager Dick Williams over lack of playing time, resulted in the Athletics fulfilling his trade demand by sending him to the Texas Rangers for Horacio Piña on December 1, 1972.[12] Additionally, the A's wanted to free up the first base position for Gene Tenace who was the star of that same Fall Classic.

Opening 1973 batting .188 with one homer and six RBI, he was dealt along with Rich Hand and Rick Stelmaszek from the Rangers to the California Angels for Jim Spencer and Lloyd Allen on May 20.[13] In 1973 he was seventh in the league in hit by pitches (8).[5] On May 4, 1974, he was released by the Angels.

In 907 games over nine seasons, Epstein posted a .244

bases on balls, .358 on-base percentage and .424 slugging percentage. He finished his career with a .991 fielding percentage playing every inning at first base. In 13 postseason games, he hit only .108 (4-for-37) with two runs scored, one home run, one RBI, and nine walks.[5]

In 1991 he was inducted into the

National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[15]

Through 2010, he was sixth all-time in career home runs (behind Mike Lieberthal) among Jewish major league baseball players.[16]

After baseball

In 2007, Epstein began a hitting school.[17] His "rotational hitting" instruction has been used around the country, particularly on the West Coast.[18]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 9781439106938
    .
  2. ISBN 9781561719730
    . Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  3. ISBN 9780786431632
    . Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  4. ISBN 9780195359008
    . Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Mike Epstein Stats | Baseball-Reference.com
  6. ^ a b c d e The Big Book of Jewish Baseball - Peter S. Horvitz, Joachim Horvitz - Google Books
  7. ^ a b c Mike Epstein | Society for American Baseball Research
  8. ^ a b Ellis Island to Ebbets Field: Sport and the American Jewish Experience - Peter Levine - Internet Archive
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Epstein, Mike "Superjew"". Jews In Sports. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c The Big Book of Jewish Baseball - Peter S. Horvitz, Joachim Horvitz - Google Books
  11. ^ Pete, Cava (1991). "Baseball at the Olympics" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 9, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  12. ^ Durso, Joseph. "A's Send Epstein to Rangers; Scheinblum, Nelson to Reds," The New York Times, Saturday, December 2, 1972. Retrieved April 13, 2020
  13. ^ "Angels Get Epstein, Hand In 5‐Man Deal With Rangers," United Press International (UPI), Sunday, May 20, 1973. Retrieved December 4, 2021
  14. ^ Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Home
  15. ^ Jewishsports.org
  16. ^ "Career Batting Leaders through 2010". Career Leaders. Jewish Major Leaguers. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  17. ^ Lukas, Paul (April 2, 2007). "A kosher look at Judaism in baseball". ("Uni Watch", on) ESPN Sports. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
  18. ^ Hitting - Rotational Hitting - Mike Epstein Rotational Hitting

External links

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