Posted on 07/12/21
| News Source: cceverybody
Jacob Steinmetz made history Monday afternoon.
The Woodmere, L.I. native became the first known Orthodox Jewish baseball player to get drafted, selected in the third round (77th overall) by the Diamondbacks. It has a slot value of $805,600.
The 6-foot-6, 224-pound right-hander, who has signed with Fordham, now has to decide if he will go to college or begin his professional career.
Steinmetz keeps kosher and is shomer Shabbos. From sundown Friday until sunset on Saturday, he cannot ride in a car, bus, train or plane. He can only walk. For baseball tournaments, he traveled ahead of time and arranged hotels within walking distance of the fields. Sometimes, that meant five-mile hikes the day he pitches. He does play during the Sabbath and on Jewish holidays, and explained to teams during the draft process how he could continue to juggle both his faith and baseball career.