Lipman Pike was the first Jewish ballplayer, Howard Goldstein explains.

Befitting this status, a painting of Pike is at the center of a wall of paintings in Goldstein’s home office in Southwest Portland. This wall – and every other wall of the room and the hall leading into it – are packed with art depicting Jewish figures from the history of America’s pastime. All the names that history knows are there; Hank Greenberg, Al Rosen and Sandy Koufax among them. But Lipman, who led his league in home runs on four occasions without ever hitting more than seven in one year, debuted for the Troy Haymakers of the National Association in 1871, five years before the founding of the modern National League.

Baseball fan (Yankees and Phillies) Howard Goldstein has spent the better part of a lifetime collecting baseball memorabilia concentrating on the subject of Jewish participation. Parts of his collection have been spotlighted in museums around the nation including Cooperstown’s Baseball Hall of Fame…