Moe Solomon
Encyclopedia
Mose Hirsch Solomon, nicknamed the Rabbi of Swat (December 8, 1900, on the Lower East Side
in Manhattan
– June 25, 1966, Miami, Florida
) was an American left-handed
baseball
player who briefly played for the New York Giants
in 1923.
, Mose also went by the nickname "Hickory." Even though the family was observant, he pursued baseball.
Solomon was a minor league legend. In 1921 he was picked up by Vancouver in the Pacific Coast International League. He hit .313 his first year, matching his lifetime minor league average.
In 1923 he hit 49 home runs for the Class C Southwestern Conference Hutchinson Wheat Shockers, in only 108 games, with a .421 average. Unfortunately, he also made 31 errors (at first base). Only Babe Ruth had more home runs in a single season.
John McGraw, of the New York Giants bought out his contract from the Hutchinson, Kansas
franchise in September 1923. By that time he had developed quite a reputation for himself. On the day that he left the club, he was batting .421 for the season, and was leading the league in runs, hits, and doubles, as well as breaking the previous minor league home run record established in 1895. The Sporting News ran a headline in 1923, “Dick Kinsella [Giants scout] Finds That $100,000 Jew.”
The press gave him the nickname “The Rabbi of Swat,” establishing him as “the Jewish Babe Ruth.”
But he had another reputation as well. As was common for players of ethnic origin, other than Irish or German ancestry, Solomon was forced to earn the respect of the other players. He could punch. Word soon went around to “lay off the big Jew.”
star Babe Ruth
, known as "The Sultan of Swat." They called up Solomon from the minors, and publicized him as "The Rabbi of Swat." But manager John McGraw didn't dare play him in the field. In his brief big-league stint, Solomon's fielding average was .833. His .375 batting average three for eight) in his two big-league games included one double and one RBI. His career slugging average is thus a robust .500. His entire major league career consists of two games for the Giants in 1923.
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
– June 25, 1966, Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
) was an American left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player who briefly played for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in 1923.
Early life
Mose, who was Jewish, was born on Hester Street in New York City.http://books.google.com/books?id=9ZzxydPInwgC&pg=PA178&dq=Mose+Solomon+jewish+baseball&hl=en&ei=FodVTqXTNMXTgQf6h_A5&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Mose%20Solomon%20jewish%20baseball&f=false The son of a junk dealer, who grew up in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Mose also went by the nickname "Hickory." Even though the family was observant, he pursued baseball.
Minor leagues
While in the minors he played first base and outfield and hit from the left side.Solomon was a minor league legend. In 1921 he was picked up by Vancouver in the Pacific Coast International League. He hit .313 his first year, matching his lifetime minor league average.
In 1923 he hit 49 home runs for the Class C Southwestern Conference Hutchinson Wheat Shockers, in only 108 games, with a .421 average. Unfortunately, he also made 31 errors (at first base). Only Babe Ruth had more home runs in a single season.
John McGraw, of the New York Giants bought out his contract from the Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
franchise in September 1923. By that time he had developed quite a reputation for himself. On the day that he left the club, he was batting .421 for the season, and was leading the league in runs, hits, and doubles, as well as breaking the previous minor league home run record established in 1895. The Sporting News ran a headline in 1923, “Dick Kinsella [Giants scout] Finds That $100,000 Jew.”
The press gave him the nickname “The Rabbi of Swat,” establishing him as “the Jewish Babe Ruth.”
But he had another reputation as well. As was common for players of ethnic origin, other than Irish or German ancestry, Solomon was forced to earn the respect of the other players. He could punch. Word soon went around to “lay off the big Jew.”
Major leagues
In 1923, The New York Giants were desperate for a slugger to offset crosstown YankeeYankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
star Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, known as "The Sultan of Swat." They called up Solomon from the minors, and publicized him as "The Rabbi of Swat." But manager John McGraw didn't dare play him in the field. In his brief big-league stint, Solomon's fielding average was .833. His .375 batting average three for eight) in his two big-league games included one double and one RBI. His career slugging average is thus a robust .500. His entire major league career consists of two games for the Giants in 1923.
See also
- Jews and Baseball: An American Love StoryJews and Baseball: An American Love StoryJews and Baseball: An American Love Story is a 2010 American documentary film narrated by Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Ira Berkow, and directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Peter Miller...
, 2010 documentary - List of select Jewish baseball players