Lubavitcher Wants to Be Next Blue Jays Manager

Yahoo News

Zev Icyk

“Three thousand years of beautiful tradition from Moses to Sandy Koufax to the first rabbi-manager in the big leagues?”

If 25-year-old Zev Icyk has his way, that statement will ring a little truer after the Toronto Blue Jays offer him the last managerial opening in baseball this winter. The lifelong Jays fan is currently studying at the Rabbinical College of America in New Jersey but told columnist Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he’d like to lead inside a stadium in addition to a synagogue.

No, really, he would.

From the Toronto Sun:

“I have drive, motivation, experience and personality to take the Jays where Alex Anthopoulos wants them to go [… Icyk wrote in an email].

”The Jays would be the most aggressive and exciting team in the bigs. I am the only rabbi in the world with the ability to manage in the majors.“ […]

”I just got married,“ Icyk said. ”My wife Sara asked, ‘why devote your life to baseball since you were three years old and not apply?’

If I can get an interview with Mr. Alex Anthopoulos, I’ll be on a plane to Toronto the next day.”

Icyk obviously has no shot of replacing John Farrell in the Blue Jays dugout, even though he played the sport during college and once threw a no-hitter. Then again, given the recent hirings of Robin Ventura, Mike Matheny and Walt Weiss, maybe Toronto can be, uh, unorthodox with its hiring as well. (If it is, someone make sure to get a camera on Ryne Sandberg when he hears the news a 25-year-old rabbi also got a big-league job before he did.)

In all seriousness, the Jays process that is expected to soon end with Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos reportedly eyeing someone with previous big-league experience (i.e., Don Wakamatsu, Lee Mazzilli, Jim Tracy, Alan Trammell).

11 Comments

  • GG

    Sure, baseball and Torah go well together. Why, the very first words of the Torah are:

    “In the big inning…”

  • Me for VP

    I sent my resume to Barak Obama to be vice president. I represented the 11th grade in my student council, have drive, ambition and can’t do worse than Biden. Email me if you want to write an article about it.

  • minyaner

    With all due respect to this kid, but it cannot have IF HE IS FRUM. why? they play on Saturday and Jewish holidays, and NO-ONE would hire a part time manager. Sorry bro, but you have to wake up and smell the coffee

  • 2 big reasons

    Toronto has the best kosher hot dogs in the league. Its popular to have a beard in baseball.

  • :-)

    It’s nice to dream….but be careful not to hallucinate

    Get some real experience, so you could give yourself an honest shot. Don’t consider this “trying.” This is silly, random, human-interested, lucky local story. If you really want it, go for it like a mentch.

    “No hitter at the Rabbinical College of America :-)) Did you manage to strike out Willshansky, Spalter and Gantz :-)

    Your hysterical. I gotta hand it to you for trying. Your story sounds great, but if they google you…….oy vey!

  • Ja

    I am pretty sure the place he threw a no-hitter was not at his rabbinical college – read the SUN article…

  • please stop

    why are you all speaking harmful words about a fellow Jew. Jews are being slaughtered as we speak and you are posting nasty comments about another Yid?