Fried vs. Kremer: For the First Time Since 1966, Two Jewish Pitchers Are Facing Off

Tonight, the Jewish Sabbath, Braves’ pitcher Max Fried faces off against the Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer in Atlanta.

The last time two Jewish pitchers started for opposing major league teams was probably September 25, 1966, when the Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax (at the very end of his career) pitched against Ken Holtzman, a 20-year old rookie for the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Holtzman beat Koufax 2 to 1. (He’d pitched four innings for the Cubs the previous year, but was still considered a rookie in 1966). It was the day after Yom Kippur. Koufax and Holtzman had both refused to pitch on the Jewish holy day.

Everyone knows that Koufax had an outstanding career He is often considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time, although during his first six out of his 12 major league seasons he was plagued by wildness and was mediocre. But Holtzman had an outstanding career, too. Both were winning pitchers in a World Series Game 7. Both were lefthanders.

During his major league career, which was shortened by injuries (he retired at 30), Koufax won 165 games and lost only 87. He had 2,396 strikeouts. He was selected the NL’s MVP in 1963. He won the Cy Young Award as the game’s outstanding pitcher, unanimously in 1963, 1965, and 1966 when the honor was for all of baseball, not just one league. In those three years, Koufax led all major league pitchers in wins, strikeouts and earned run average. Over his career, he hurled four no-hitters, including a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs in 1965. In 1972, Koufax (then 36), was the youngest player ever elected to the Hall of Fame.

During his 15-year career, Holtzman had a 174-150 won-lost record. He threw two no-hitters for the Cubs. He was a two-time All-Star. He was a top pitcher for the Oakland A’s dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974. In 1973 he started 40 games for the A’s and had a 21-13 won-lost record. He pitched in 8 games in five World Series and was 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA.

In seven years with the Braves, Fried has an amazing 56-25 won-lost record, a .691 winning percentage, which is even better than Koufax’s .655. This season so far he’s started four games and is 2-0. He’s pitched 20 innings and has given up only one run, which translates into an almost impossible 0.45 ERA. Fried pitched in last year’s All Star game and has won three Gold Gloves for being the best-fielding pitcher.

Kremer became the first Israeli citizen to play in the major leagues on September 6, 2020, when he held the Yankees to one hit and one run in six innings and earned the win. His parents are Israelis who moved to the U.S. after they completed military service in Israel. Kremer was born and raised in Stockton, California. In four major league seasons, he’s 11-16. This season so far he’s started six games, pitched 29 innings, and is 2-1.

There are 14 Jews current on major league rosters. In addition to Fried and Kremer, they include  Harrison Bader (Yankees), Alex Bregman (Astros), Dalton Guthrie and Garrett Stubbs (Phillies), Joc Peterson (Giants), Kevin Pillar and Jared Shuster (Braves), Rowdy Tellez (Brewers), Jake Bird (Rockies), Richard Bleier (Red Sox),  Eli Morgan (Guardians), and Matt Mervis (Cubs).