Designated Hebrew

The Autobiography of the First Designated Hitter to Play in the MLB—​Now in Paperback!

On April 6, 1973, Ron Blomberg took a swing at home plate that changed baseball history. Through a quirk of fate the young Jewish Yankee became the first designated hitter to play an MLB game. At the time, George Steinbrenner had just taken control of the Bronx Bombers, the National League was still refusing to adopt the DH rule, and New Yorkers were pinning their hopes on a new generation of players. In this heart-warming autobiography, now in paperback, Blomberg relives the moment that made his career and the countless experiences before and after that helped boost him to legendary heights.

In Designated Hebrew, Blomberg recounts a time when baseball and America itself were changing. Before Blomberg arrived in New York, the Yankees only employed three Jews in the entire organization. Though his career goals were eventually thwarted by injury, Blomberg still represented hope and pride to millions of Americans across the country. This unforgettable story is the journey of one man as he learns to balance life, religion, and ultimately, baseball.

Ron Blomberg played for the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox during his eight seasons in the Major Leagues. While his career was an injury-riddled one that failed to meet high expectations, Blomberg earned a spot in Cooperstown thanks to his first at-bat on April 6, 1973, at Fenway Park. In that at-bat, he became Major League Baseball's first designated hitter.

Dan Schlossberg, a former AP sportswriter, is the author or coauthor of more than thirty baseball books, including The New Baseball Bible and Making Airwaves: 60 Years at Milo’s Microphone. He is a national baseball writer for forbes.com and a contributor to many publications, including USA TODAY Sports Weekly and Sports Collectors Digest. 

Marty Appel was the youngest public relations director in baseball history when the New York Yankees hired him in 1973.  He is the author or coauthor of several books, including the New York Times bestselling Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain and Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss.