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How ‘Pitching Ninja’ Rob Friedman accidentally became one of the most popular Jewish personalities in baseball
(JTA) — It’s safe to say that few people watch more baseball than Rob Friedman.
During the MLB season — which features 30 teams playing 162 games each from April through October — Friedman spends countless hours every day watching as much of the sport as he can from the comfort of a four-screen media center he set up in his home outside Atlanta.
His particular area of expertise is pitching — a complex, crucial and, he believes, underappreciated aspect of the game. His dissection of individual pitches, posted on social media, has made him an authority on the craft.
For nine years, posting as the “Pitching Ninja,” he has built a following of more than a million users across social media platforms. He highlights impressive performances from the mound and has gone on to work as an analyst on multiple TV networks as well as MLB’s own channels. Big league players have been spotted wearing his merchandise — with its recognizable logo of a baseball dressed as a ninja — and learning from his videos.
Dozens of times a day, on the platform popularly known as Twitter, Friedman shares pitching GIFs and edited videos of pitchers throwing multiple pitches, overlaid on top of each other to illustrate their variety. He also has a daily segment where he breaks down his “filthiest” pitches of the day, highlighting sliders, changeups or fastballs that he calls “nasty” or “dirty” — adjectives that all count as high praise in the baseball world.
Scott Effross, Slider and Sinker, Overlay.
pic.twitter.com/PUtpUtqOM9
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 11, 2022
How did Friedman, a lawyer by trade with only scant amateur baseball experience, become one of the most popular personalities in the sport?
“I have no idea,” he recently told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Friedman, 56, grew up in a Conservative Jewish family on Long Island, had a bar mitzvah and attended Hebrew school, where he fondly recalls melting crayons on the heater in his classroom.
And although he was born the same year Sandy Koufax retired, Friedman was a big fan of the Jewish Dodgers pitcher, saying that he has always admired “the way he carried himself his entire career.”
Friedman played baseball on and off through college But he said it wasn’t until he coached his son Jack that he discovered his love for the sport.
“That really made me love baseball even more, teaching it to somebody and having to learn the ins and outs of the game,” Friedman said.
As a coach, Friedman took a particular interest in pitching. He asked a lot of questions — a curiosity he attributed to his training as an attorney — and began to learn everything he could about the craft.
“It gave me a whole new appreciation for it, and also a way to break down mechanics and really kind of teach what actually pitchers do, as opposed to what coaches say they do,” said Friedman. “I think that was the fun part, delving deep into it.”
He began posting about the finer points of pitching on online message boards around 2007. In 2014, he started tweeting.
“I wanted to share this because not everybody is fanatical like I am,” Friedman said. “So I shared the stuff that I had and just kept getting more and more, a bigger, bigger following, MLB pitchers would start following it, too and asking questions. And it just blew up.”
Before he knew it, Friedman had become the “Pitching Ninja,” a name inspired by his family. Friedman’s wife is half-Japanese, and his son was once told he looked like one of the stealthy Japanese warriors when he wore a bandana while pitching. His son didn’t love the name, so Friedman happily adopted it for himself.
“After a while it was like, you know what, I want to be known as ‘Pitching Ninja’ versus ‘internet geolocation dude,’ which was my company that I started, or ‘lawyer dude,’” said Friedman, who co-founded the tech firm Digital Envoy. “I figured it was a better way to spread the love of something in the world. And a good use of social media, because [I’m] generally staying positive on stuff and showing people that social media can be good.”
Fellow baseball analysts have noticed. Jake Mintz, a baseball writer and podcaster who makes up half of the duo behind “Cespedes Family BBQ,” a popular baseball podcast and social media presence, said he first became aware of Friedman’s work back in 2016 or 2017.
“It doesn’t take too much baseball knowledge to understand why what he’s tweeting is awesome,” Mintz told JTA. “Him doing an interview on YouTube with a pitcher is a higher-level thing, obviously. And that is interesting for people who are super into the game. But just for a casual fan, him providing a light-hearted perspective on pitching is incredibly relatable.”
Friedman is part of a group of Jewish baseball experts who have gained a following online. Mintz, who is also Jewish, collaborated with Friedman in 2019 on a baseball show called “Changeup,” where they would break down the top pitches of the week. He said Friedman is “an incredibly nice fella.”
Friedman recalled running into Mintz and his Jewish podcasting partner Jordan Shusterman at this year’s All-Star Game, along with Alex Fast, another Jewish baseball content creator. He said he’s also in touch with Jewish ESPN reporter Jeff Passan from time to time.
“There’s a camaraderie when you realize, yeah, there are guys that I didn’t know were Jewish that are, and like, ‘Oh, this is cool,’” Friedman said. “Like we talk about bar mitzvahs and stuff like that.”
Friedman also said he enjoys seeing and sharing highlights from Jewish pitchers like Max Fried, Dean Kremer and Scott Effross.
“I don’t highlight them extra-special, but I’m like, hey, it’s cool to see these guys succeed and to be carrying on the Jewish brand in baseball,” he said.
Rob Friedman, right, with Jewish pitcher Max Fried at the 2022 MLB All-Star Weekend red carpet event in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Rob Friedman)
Friedman said the current slate of Jewish talent in the major leagues — 18 Jewish players have appeared this season — is an important step toward better representation.
“There were not a lot of Jews playing when I was growing up,” Friedman said. “As a Jewish kid, you always look for somebody because everybody tells you, ‘You should be a lawyer or a doctor,’ or something like that. And seeing somebody succeed definitely gives you a connection to them. I think seeing more Jews in baseball brings more Jews to baseball.”
Though Friedman isn’t a player himself, Mintz said he’s part of the elevated Jewish presence in the game today.
“The thing with him being Jewish is, my guy’s name is Rob Friedman,” Mintz said with a laugh. “He’s carrying that in a way that is unavoidable for him. Just by existing in the baseball internet with the name Rob Friedman makes him a visible Jew in that world.”
Mintz added that there is one thing that sets Friedman apart from most content creators in the sport: his popularity among players.
“You go into any clubhouse on any given day, and you’re gonna see people wearing the [‘Pitching Ninja’] shirt in the colors of their team,” Mintz said. “And that’s just because in a way, he’s kind of like a central clearinghouse, like a town hall meeting room for pitchers.”
Friedman said he is frequently in touch with MLB pitchers — and has even helped them improve their game.
“I’m lucky enough to have pitchers that follow me, major league guys that learn pitch grips from my account, which is fantastic,” Friedman said. “I’m always excited when I hear stuff like, a guy picked up somebody else’s grip because I interviewed the pitcher.”
Friedman said one key reason that pitchers follow him is that a lot of mainstream baseball coverage places an emphasis on hitting, since a 400-foot home run can be flashier to a casual fan than a whizzing curveball on the inside corner.
“Everybody always focuses on that aspect of the game, not as much on the pitching,” Friedman said. “So [pitchers] view it as their chance to shine. And they love it when they get featured.”
Friedman said Collin McHugh, a veteran pitcher on the Atlanta Braves, once called his account the “ESPN Top 10 for pitchers” because, Friedman recalls him saying, whenever he’s featured on a highlight reel of top plays on “SportsCenter,” “it’s always because I screwed up.”
As his profile rises among players and fans, Friedman said he remains grateful that he gets to spend his days watching, writing and talking about baseball.
“There are days I wake up and I’m like, how the heck did I get that lucky to do this?” he said. “This is so cool.”
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The post How ‘Pitching Ninja’ Rob Friedman accidentally became one of the most popular Jewish personalities in baseball appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Harvard Faculty Oppose Deal With Trump, Distancing From Hamas Apologists: Crimson Poll
Harvard University president Alan Garber attending the 373rd Commencement Exercises at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, May 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
A recently published Harvard Crimson poll of over 1,400 Harvard faculty revealed sweeping opposition to interim university President Alan Garber’s efforts to strike a deal with the federal government to restore $3 billion in research grants and contracts it froze during the first 100 days of the second Trump administration.
In the survey, conducted from April 23 to May 12, 71 percent of arts and sciences faculty oppose negotiating a settlement with the administration, which may include concessions conservatives have long sought from elite higher education, such as meritocratic admissions, viewpoint diversity, and severe disciplinary sanctions imposed on students who stage unauthorized protests that disrupt academic life.
Additionally, 64 percent “strongly disagree” with shuttering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, 73 percent oppose rejecting foreign applicants who hold anti-American beliefs which are “hostile to the American values and institutions inscribed in the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence,” and 70 percent strongly disagree with revoking school recognition from pro-Hamas groups such as the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC).
“More than 98 percent of faculty who responded to the survey supported the university’s decision to sue the White House,” The Crimson reported. “The same percentage backed Harvard’s public rejection of the sweeping conditions that the administration set for maintaining the funds — terms that included external audits of Harvard’s hiring practices and the disciplining of student protesters.”
Alyza Lewin of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law told The Algemeiner that the poll results indicate that Harvard University will continue to struggle to address campus antisemitism on campus, as there is now data showing that its faculty reject the notion of excising intellectualized antisemitism from the university.
“If you, for example, have faculty teaching courses that are regularly denying that the Jews are a people and erasing the Jewish people’s history in the land of Israel, that’s going to undermine your efforts to address the antisemitism on your campus,” Lewin explained. “When Israel is being treated as the ‘collective Jew,’ when the conversation is not about Israel’s policies, when the criticism is not what the [International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism] would call criticism of Israel similar to that against any other country, they have to understand that it is the demonization, delegitimization, and applying a double standard to Jews as individuals or to Israel.”
She added, “Faculty must recognize … the demonization, vilification, the shunning, and the marginalizing of Israelis, Jews, and Zionists, when it happens, as violations of the anti-discrimination policies they are legally and contractually obligated to observe.”
The Crimson survey results were published amid reports that Garber was working to reach a deal with the Trump administration that is palatable to all interested parties, including the university’s left-wing social milieu.
According to a June 26 report published by The Crimson, Garber held a phone call with major donors in which he “confirmed in response to a question from [Harvard Corporation Fellow David M. Rubenstein] that talks had resumed” but “declined to share specifics of how Harvard expected to settle with the White House.”
On June 30, the Trump administration issued Harvard a “notice of violation” of civil rights law following an investigation which examined how it responded to dozens of antisemitic incidents reported by Jewish students since the 2023-2024 academic year.
The correspondence, sent by the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, charged that Harvard willfully exposed Jewish students to a torrent of racist and antisemitic abuse following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre, which precipitated a surge in anti-Zionist activity on the campus, both in the classroom and out of it.
“Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” wrote the four federal officials comprising the multiagency Task Force. “Harvard may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again.”
The Trump administration ratcheted up pressure on Harvard again on Wednesday, reporting the institution to its accreditor for alleged civil rights violations resulting from its weak response to reports of antisemitic bullying, discrimination, and harassment following the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre.
Citing Harvard’s failure to treat antisemitism as seriously as it treated other forms of hatred in the past, The US Department of Educationthe called on the New England Commission of Higher Education to review and, potentially, revoke its accreditation — a designation which qualifies Harvard for federal funding and attests to the quality of the educational services its provides.
“Accrediting bodies play a significant role in preserving academic integrity and a campus culture conducive to truth seeking and learning,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Part of that is ensuring students are safe on campus and abiding by federal laws that guarantee educational opportunities to all students. By allowing anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked on its campus, Harvard University has failed in its obligation to students, educators, and American taxpayers.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post Harvard Faculty Oppose Deal With Trump, Distancing From Hamas Apologists: Crimson Poll first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Balancing Act: Lebanese President Aoun Affirms Hope for Peace with Israel, Balks At Normalization
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday carefully affirmed his country’s desire for peace with Israel while cautioning that Beirut is not ready to normalize relations with its southern neighbor.
Aoun called for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, according to a statement from his office, while reaffirming his government’s efforts to uphold a state monopoly on arms amid mounting international pressure on the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah to disarm.
“The decision to restrict arms is final and there is no turning back on it,” Aoun said.
The Lebanese leader drew a clear distinction between pursuing peace and establishing formal normalization in his country’s relationship with the Jewish state.
“Peace is the lack of a state of war, and this is what matters to us in Lebanon at the moment,” Aoun said in a statement. “As for the issue of normalization, it is not currently part of Lebanese foreign policy.”
Aoun’s latest comments come after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed interest last month in normalizing ties with Lebanon and Syria — an effort Jerusalem says cannot proceed until Hezbollah is fully disarmed.
Earlier this week, Aoun sent his government’s response to a US-backed disarmament proposal as Washington and Jerusalem increased pressure on Lebanon to neutralize the terror group.
While the details remain confidential, US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack said he was “unbelievably satisfied” with their response.
This latest proposal, presented to Lebanese officials during Barrack’s visit on June 19, calls for Hezbollah to be fully disarmed within four months in exchange for Israel halting airstrikes and withdrawing troops from its five occupied posts in southern Lebanon.
However, Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem vowed in a televised speech to keep the group’s weapons, rejecting Washington’s disarmament proposal.
“How can you expect us not to stand firm while the Israeli enemy continues its aggression, continues to occupy the five points, and continues to enter our territories and kill?” said Qassem, who succeeded longtime terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah after Israel killed him last year.
“We will not be part of legitimizing the occupation in Lebanon and the region,” the terrorist leader continued. “We will not accept normalization [with Israel].”
Last fall, Israel decimated Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities with an air and ground offensive, following the group’s attacks on Jerusalem — which they claimed were a show of solidarity with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas amid the war in Gaza.
In November, Lebanon and Israel reached a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended a year of fighting between the Jewish state and Hezbollah.
Under the agreement, Israel was given 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, allowing the Lebanese army and UN forces to take over security as Hezbollah disarms and moves away from Israel’s northern border.
However, Israel maintained troops at several posts in southern Lebanon beyond the ceasefire deadline, as its leaders aimed to reassure northern residents that it was safe to return home.
Jerusalem has continued carrying out strikes targeting remaining Hezbollah activity, with Israeli leaders accusing the group of maintaining combat infrastructure, including rocket launchers — calling this “blatant violations of understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
The post Balancing Act: Lebanese President Aoun Affirms Hope for Peace with Israel, Balks At Normalization first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Peace Meals: Chef José Andrés Says ‘Good People’ On Both Sides of Gaza Conflict Ill-Served By Leaders, Food Can Bridge Divide
Chef and head of World Central Kitchen Jose Andres attends the Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 in Beverly Hills, California, US, May 5, 2025. Photo: Reuters/Mike Blake.
Renowned Spanish chef and World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder José Andrés called the Oct. 7 attack “horrendous” in an interview Wednesday and shared his hopes for reconciliation between the “vast majority” on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide who are “good people that very often are not served well by their leaders”
WCK is a US-based, nonprofit organization that provides fresh meals to people in conflict zones around the world. The charity has been actively serving Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel. Since the Hamas attack, WCK has served more than 133 million meals across Gaza, according to its website.
The restaurateur and humanitarian has been quoted saying in past interviews that “sometimes very big problems have very simple solutions.” On Wednesday’s episode of the Wall Street Journal podcast “Bold Names,” he was asked to elaborate on that thought. He responded by saying he believes good meals and good leaders can help resolve issues between Israelis and Palestinians, who, he believes, genuinely want to live harmoniously with each other.
“I had people in Gaza, mothers, women making bread,” he said. “Moments that you had of closeness they were telling you: ‘What Hamas did was wrong. I wouldn’t [want] anybody to do this to my children.’ And I had Israelis that even lost family members. They say, ‘I would love to go to Gaza to be next to the people to show them that we respect them …’ And this to me is very fascinating because it’s the reality.
“Maybe some people call me naive. [But] the vast majority of the people are good people that very often are not served well by their leaders. And the simple reality of recognizing that many truths can be true at the same time in the same phrase that what happened on October 7th was horrendous and was never supposed to happen. And that’s why World Central Kitchen was there next to the people in Israel feeding in the kibbutz from day one, and at the same time that I defended obviously the right of Israel to defend itself and to try to bring back the hostages. Equally, what is happening in Gaza is not supposed to be happening either.”
Andres noted that he supports Israel’s efforts to target Hamas terrorists but then seemingly accused Israel of “continuously” targeting children and civilians during its military operations against the terror group.
“We need leaders that believe in that, that believe in longer tables,” he concluded. “It’s so simple to invest in peace … It’s so simple to do good. It’s so simple to invest in a better tomorrow. Food is a solution to many of the issues we’re facing. Let’s hope that … one day in the Middle East it’ll be people just celebrating the cultures that sometimes if you look at what they eat, they seem all to eat exactly the same.”
In 2024, WCK fired at least 62 of its staff members in Gaza after Israel said they had ties to terrorist groups. In one case, Israel discovered that a WCK employee named Ahed Azmi Qdeih took part in the deadly Hamas rampage across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Qdeih was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in November 2024.
In April 2024, the Israel Defense Forces received backlash for carrying out airstrikes on a WCK vehicle convoy which killed seven of the charity’s employees. Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said the airstrikes were “a mistake that followed a misidentification,” and Israel dismissed two senior officers as a result of the mishandled military operation.
The strikes “were not just some unfortunate mistake in the fog of war,” Andrés alleged.
“It was a direct attack on clearly marked vehicles whose movements were known by” the Israeli military, he claimed in an op-ed published by Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot. “It was also the direct result of [the Israeli] government’s policy to squeeze humanitarian aid to desperate levels.”
In a statement on X, Andres accused Israel of “indiscriminate killing,” saying the Jewish state “needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon.”
The post Peace Meals: Chef José Andrés Says ‘Good People’ On Both Sides of Gaza Conflict Ill-Served By Leaders, Food Can Bridge Divide first appeared on Algemeiner.com.