Elie Kligman, an Orthodox Jewish high school baseball player who was ranked as the 14th best prospect in Nevada, said in a recent interview that his goal of playing in the majors will not compromise his observance of Shabbat.
The top prospect, who plays for the team at Cimarron-Memorial High School in Las Vegas, told the New York Times that he wants to become the first Shabbat observant player in pro baseball.
“My goal is to become the first Shabbas observant player in Major League Baseball,” he said in an interview with the newspaper.
He doesn’t play during his high school team’s Friday night and Saturday afternoon games. Nonetheless, multiple college coaches who know about his Jewish observance have already expressed interest in recruiting the 18-year old to their teams.
Kligman has decided to focus his attention on becoming a catcher. The position is a taxing one with catchers regularly given days off during the week. Such a schedule would allow for him to be a Major League baseball player and observe Shabbat if he could be given Fridays and Saturdays as rest days.
His father, Marc Kligman, is himself a former catcher and also outfielder. He now works as a baseball agent.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)