Jewish Stars

Green Is `Slumping With A .260 Average

MIKE ROSENNBAUM
Special to the Jewish News

was voted the school's Female Rookie
of the Year. Roberts led the team with
a .416 batting average, was 9-6 on the
mound with a 3.89 ERA and 82
strikeouts.
Andrea Schubiner hit .250 and, like
Roberts, was an Academic All-Stater.
Two Jewish freshmen helped
Roeper's soccer team win a state
Division 4 district title and reach the
regional final. Roeper finished 14-4-3
and placed second in the MIAC.
Defender Danielle Steinberg earned
All-District and All-Regional honors.
The strong-legged sweeper handled
Roeper's free and corner kicks.
Midfielder Lisa Lederman came off

B

aseball's top Jewish player,
Shawn Green, played in
Detroit for the first time since
1999 earlier this month.
His Los Angeles Dodgers took three
straight victories from the Tigers, but
Green didn't enjoy individual success;
he was 1-for-11 with a walk and a sac-
rifice fly.
It's been a difficult season for Green,
who plays right field (although he was
the designated hitter twice in Detroit)
and bats third. He entered the Detroit
series hitting .260 with seven home
runs and 30 RBIs.
"The whole year I've been trying to
find my swing," he said. Green hit 40
or more home runs in three of the last
four seasons and drove in at least 99
runs in each of the past five years. He
set a major league record with 19 total
bases in one game last season, includ-
ing six hits and a record-tying four
home runs.
Asked why that day was different
from all other days, the modest Green
passed over his chance to boast. "It's
something that I can't explain," he
said. "If I knew, I'd do it more often.
It's something that just happened and
I'm fortunate to be the person it hap-
pened to on that particular day."
Green, 30, grew up in a non-obser-
vant home but says, "I learned more
about my religion just playing and
traveling" early in his big league career
with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was
approached frequently by people from
"the (Jewish) community, JCCs,
friends in Toronto ... In Toronto and
other cities, like Detroit, people want
to talk about things, talk about my
religion. So I learned as I went."
When Toronto didn't re-sign him in
1999, Green asked for a trade to a city
with a significant Jewish population.
He received his wish with a deal to
Los Angeles. In 2001, Green ended
the majors' longest consecutive-game

Shawn Green

playing streak, 415
games, to observe
Yom Kippur. "I just
felt it was the right
thing to do," he
says. "There's not a
lot of Jewish ath-
letes so I felt like it
was a good message
to send to the
kids."
A two-time All
Star and Gold
Glove winner, the
›C',',07,V,,t,S410',1':':* ■ '•KYkl•$:'103'.
only item missing
Shawn Green finds his swing.
from Green's base-
ball resume is post-
the bench but was one of the team's
season play. Nearing the midway point
most-improved players this season.
this year, the Dodgers are contenders
Fifth-year coach Dan Smith led
for the NL West title, despite a team-
Andover's baseball team to its first-ever
wide hitting slump.
district title. The Barons finished 20-5
"I want to get to the post-season,"
and placed second in the eight-team
Green says. "This year would be as
OAA Division 3. Andover then won
good a time as any to start ... We like
its state Division 2 district before
our chances. We have a good pitching
falling to eventual state champion
staff and our goal is to stay close until
Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 6-4 in a 10-
we start swinging the bats, and then
inning regional battle.
make a run at it."
Andover's lineup included a pair of
Cranbrook-Kingswood freshman
Jewish starters, senior centerfielder
A.J. Roberts earned First Team All-
Mike Goode and freshman
Metro Conference softball honors and
shortstop/third baseman . Casey Smith,

'

the coach's son. Also seeing action
were outfielders Dan Mickelson, a
senior, and junior Noah Smith, no
relation to the coach. Dan is coaching
and Casey is playing for the Michigan
Hitmen, a summer travel team that
also includes Adam Pullman from
Country Day.
On the girls' side, Andover's softball
squad won its first division title since
1977. The Barons were 20-8 overall
and captured the OAA Division 4
crown. Jewish players included two
senior captains, shortstop Catie Luria,
who won Andover's coach's award as
the best team player, and third base-
man Sara Leemon, who hit over .300.
Both were three-year starters.
Junior left fielder Lisa Goode will
follow in their footsteps; she's been
named a captain of next year's team.
Sophomore first baseman Ericka
Heligman also started and hit over
.500.
Other Jewish players included senior
outfielder Lauren Rapp, a two-year
letterwinner, and junior outfielder
Abby Kuzin.
Walled Lake Western's softball and
baseball teams both enjoyed successful
tournament runs. The softball team,
which reached the state quarterfinals,
included junior outfielder Lauren
Sharkey. Junior outfielder-pitcher Eric
Lubanski played for the baseball
Warriors, who won a district title.
Softball teams can register online for
the B'nai B'rith Labor Day tourna-
ment; visit
wwvv.jewishmensslopitch.com/
softball/tournament/registration.htm
After 14 teams have registered and
paid a $500 deposit, teams will only
be added in pairs, to avoid scheduling
problems. Organizers report inquiries
from 18 teams so far. El

To contact the Jewish Stars col-
umn, e-mail:
sports@thejevvishnews.com

Russian-Speaking Hosts Needed

Local host families are needed for
members of an Israeli in-line hockey
team that will participate in two local
hockey tournaments this summer.
The team of 16 boys, ages 14-18,

two coaches and two adult chaperones
will arrive July 30 and stay until Aug.
12.
Volunteer families will need to pro-
vide bed and breakfast for two team

members and provide occasional
transportation to the Jewish
Community Center in West
Bloomfield.
A few kosher homes are needed. All

of the participants speak some
English, but Russian-speaking hosts
would be appreciated.
For information, call Lynne
Levenbach, (248) 432-5419.

6/27

2003

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