Today I went to a professional baseball game. Not at Yankee Stadium or Citi Field but at Yogi Berra Stadium, home of the New Jersey Jackals. The Jackals play in the independent CanAm League and are in first place with an 8-4 record. Yogi Berra Stadium is on the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls, New Jersey right next to the lovely Yogi Berra Museum. It is only 20 minutes from Teaneck and conveniently near Passaic, Elizabeth, West Orange, Livingston and Springfield.

I had the opportunity to meet two of the three Jewish baseball players on both teams: Robert and Richard Stock, brother pitcher and catcher of the Jackals and Adam Ehrlich, catcher of Quebec City. I had previously met Ron Blomberg of the Yankees and Art Shamsky of the Mets, but never active Jewish players.

Robert and Richard Stock will be the highlights of the upcoming Jackals Jewish Heritage Night Scheduled for Wednesday June 22. The Stock brothers will be signing autographs after the game and Glatt kosher food will be available for purchase. Other Jewish dignitaries will be attending. All yeshiva day schools, Hebrew schools, synagogues and Jewish community centers are invited to bring their teams to the game in their team jerseys and receive a major discount on tickets. If you won a championship, let the Jackals know in advance, [email protected] and they will announce your team victory.

Yogi Berra Stadium, named after the immortal Yogi Berra who recently passed away, does not have one bad seat. All seats are in close proximity to the field, and balls are easily caught so bring your gloves!

There are also plenty of fun and games for the kids.

Join us on Wednesday June 22 for the New Jackals vs. the Rockland Boulders, who also have a Jewish player, Mike Schwartz, at Yogi Berra Stadium.

By Ira Jaskoll