Mose Solomon

Mose Hirsch Solomon, nicknamed the Rabbi of Swat (December 8, 1900 – June 25, 1966) was an American left-handed baseball player. In 1923, he hit 49 home runs in the minors, a new minor league record. He briefly played for the New York Giants in Major League Baseball in 1923.

Early and personal life

Solomon, who was Jewish, was born on Hester Street on the Lower East Side in New York City. His parents were Benjamin (born in Russia; a peddler and junk dealer) and Anna (Hertz) Solomon (born in Austria), and were observant Jews. While Solomon was young, the family moved to Columbus, Ohio. His brother became an Ohio champion boxer, fighting under the name Henry Sully.

He became a professional football player, playing as a ringer with Jim Thorpe on the Carlisle Indian School team. He also had a .421 batting average, leading the league, while he played primarily first base and right field.

After major league career From 1924 to 1928, Solomon again played in the minor leagues, never advancing past class AA. He batted over .300 with a number of teams, He then played for Albany in 1926-28, and for the Canton Terriers in his last year in 1929, at 28 years of age. The Sporting News ran the headline that Giants scout "Dick Kinsella Finds That $100,000 Jew". Due to antisemitic remarks about Solomon being Jewish, he had been in a number of fights in the minor leagues. With a great deal of publicity, team manager John McGraw introduced Solomon to the press as the "Rabbi of Swat".