Playing Hardball: Adam Greenberg swings and misses after getting a shot at playing last season. The Jewish ballplayer signed a new minor league contract. Image by getty images

Jewish player Adam Greenberg will resume his professional baseball career after signing a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

Greenberg, 31, signed a minor-league contract with the Orioles and will work to get a spot ontheir Class AAA farm team in Norfolk, Va.

Chosen by the Chicago Cubs in the ninth round of the 2002 draft, Greenberg was beaned in his only Major League at-bat, as a pinch-hitter on July 9, 2005. He suffered a concussion.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Greenberg was released by the Cubs in June 2006. After that he played in the minor leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, and the Cincinnati Reds. He spent 2009, 2010 and 2011 playing for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League.

Greenberg’s story resurfaced in September when he was tapped to replace the injured Gabe Kapler for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in Jupiter, Fla. In his only at-bat of the qualifiers, Greenberg walked against South Africa and scored on a single by Shawn Green coupled with an error.

At approximately the same time, an online campaign called “One at Bat” had fans rallying for Greenberg to be given another shot at the majors. Greenberg was offered the second chance on Sept. 28 when the Marlins surprised him with a one-day contract announced live on NBC’s “Today” show. He struck out as a pinch hitter in a game against the New York Mets, but returned to the dugout smiling and was greeted by high fives and hugs from his Marlins teammates for the day.

“To get the opportunity with the Orioles means everything to me,” he said, according to the Associated Press.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount