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.
"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).
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