Brian Horwitz

Brian Jeffery Horwitz, nicknamed "The Rabbi", (born November 7, 1982, in Santa Monica, California) is an American former baseball outfielder who played for the San Francisco Giants in 2008. He has won two minor league batting titles and made his Major League debut in 2008.

Jewish heritage

According to Baseball Almanac, Horwitz was the 159th Jewish player to make the majors. Horwitz became the first Jewish player to play with the Giants since the 1995–1996 tenure of pitcher Jose Bautista, and the eighth since they moved to San Francisco. In 1923, the New York Giants tried to trump up publicity by advertising Mose Solomon as "The Rabbi of Swat," playing across town from Babe Ruth, "The Sultan of Swat." Horwitz joined, among other Jewish major leaguers, Brad Ausmus, Kevin Youkilis, Ian Kinsler, Ryan Braun, Gabe Kapler, Jason Marquis, Jason Hirsh, John Grabow, Craig Breslow, and Scott Schoeneweis. Horwitz credited one set of grandparents for “instilling a lot of Jewish traits in our family.” “I still love my religion,” said Horwitz. He played in the JCC Maccabi Games when he was 15 and 16, leading his LA-area team to national titles in 1996 and 1997.