Mike Epstein
The original 'Super Jew' who slugged 30 homers in 1969 and won a World Series with the A's.
Mike Epstein is a former MLB first baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators / Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, and California Angels from 1966 to 1974.
Lore & Background
Epstein was born in the Bronx, New York, on April 4, 1943, and is Jewish. He was nicknamed 'Super Jew' by a rival manager during his minor league MVP season in 1965. He attended UC Berkeley on a football scholarship and played college baseball, graduating in 1964. He was an All-American and holds the school record for career batting average (.381). He represented the United States in baseball at the 1964 Summer Olympics as a demonstration sport in Tokyo. In 2023, he was inducted into the California Athletics Hall of Fame.
Reader's Guide
Epstein's best season was 1969 with the Senators, when he hit 30 home runs (ninth in the AL) with a .278 average, .414 OBP, and .551 slugging. He led the league in hit-by-pitch in 1971 and was third in home runs in 1972 with 26 for the world champion Athletics. He was traded to Oakland in May 1971 and later to Texas in December 1972 after a clubhouse altercation with Reggie Jackson, though the details are disputed. He finished his career with 130 home runs and a .244 average over 907 games.
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