Is Rod Carew a Jew? Jewish Baseball Fans' Obsession with Jewish Players

Abstract: This essay examines the phenomenon of Jewish baseball fans' obsession with Jewish players that continues until this day within the American Jewish community. It explains the history of Jewish baseball fans' understanding of their connection to baseball and to the Jews who play professionally. It then theorizes about what that means for American Jewish identity, arguing that these fans are motivated by both a continuing insecurity about their place in American life and a search for the meaning of their American Jewish identity.