OCTOBER 5 • 2023 | 35
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the ball that Bridwell hit, 
touched second base, and 
Merkle was out on a force 
play. 
Because there were 
thousands of fans on the 
field, thinking the game was 
over, the game was declared 
a tie.
The Giants and Cubs 
ended up tied for first place 
in the NL. They played a 
makeup game Oct. 8, 1908, 
again at the Polo Grounds, 
and the Cubs won 4-2. They 
won the NL pennant.
There’s a bit of history 
attached to Shaarey Zedek’s 
title.
This was the team’s second 
Koufax Division playoff 
championship in three years. 
Shaarey Zedek won 
the Inter-Congregational 
league’s inaugural playoff 
championship in 1996, when 
there were six teams and no 
divisions in the league, then 
ended a 25-year playoff title 
drought when it broke the 

dry spell in 2021.
Richard Jacobs has been 
Shaarey Zedek’s manager 
since 1996. He’s the only 
current Shaarey Zedek player 
who was on the 1996 team.
Shaarey Zedek finished 
in third place among seven 
teams in the regular-season 
Koufax standings this 
summer with a 12-8 record 
behind Congregation Shir 
Tikvah (15-5) and Temple 
Israel No. 3 (13-7).
Shaarey Zedek roared 
through the double-
elimination playoffs without 
losing. It beat Congregation 
Beth Ahm 17-8, Temple 
Israel No. 3 21-20, Shir 
Tikvah 14-12 and Temple 
Israel No. 3 again 11-5.
After the crazy ending 
in Shaarey Zedek’s second 
playoff game, the almost 
anticlimactic playoff 
championship game vs. 
Temple Israel No. 3 featured 
a pitching gem by Sam 
Yashinsky.

“Pitching gem. That’s not 
a phrase you hear often in 
slow pitch softball, but my 
brother was clipping the 
edges of the strike zone 
all game and fielding his 
position beautifully,” Joey 
Yashinsky said. 
The three Yashinskys — 
Joey, Sam and their father, 
Gary — went a combined 
9-for-12 at the plate in the 
playoff championship game.
“Cooperstown hasn’t called 
asking for our cleats from 
the game, but I would expect 
that to happen soon,” Joey 
Yashinsky said.
On a more serious note, 
Joey said the key to Shaarey 
Zedek’s success this season 
was, “we played together, 
and we played the game 
right. Richard (Jacobs) 
steered the ship, and we 
got contributions from 
everyone.”
Gary Yashinsky is a 
Gold Glove third baseman, 
according to his son. 
“He was one of our 
leaders. He had a fabulous 
post-season,” Joey said.
Matt Fealk and Sam 
Yashinsky led the Shaarey 
Zedek offense. 
“They had extra-base hits 
in key moments,” Joey said.
Alan Harris “probably 
hit .800 in the playoffs. He 
couldn’t make an out,” Joey 
said. “Stephen (Maiseloff) 
in left field is like having 
Secretariat out there. He 
covers so much ground with 
just a few strides.” 
Also on the Shaarey Zedek 
roster this summer were 
Justin Bayer, Tom Berry, 
Gary Fealk, Lance Lis, Adam 
Ossipove, Evon Pervan-Heller 
and Marc Rosenstock. 

Please send sports news 

to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

ABOVE: The Yashinsky crew (from left): Sam, Joey and Gary.
FACING PAGE: Congregation Shaarey Zedek celebrates its Inter-
Congregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League Koufax Division 
playoff championship.

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