José Bautista

Who is José Bautista?

José Joaquín Bautista Arias is a former right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 1997. Bautista is observantly Jewish, born to a Dominican father and an Israeli mother. His mother's family was originally from Russia, as is his wife. Bautista and his wife maintain a Kosher home, as do fellow Jewish former Major Leaguers Ken Holtzman and Jesse Levis. Despite the fact that several Major Leaguers have been from the Dominican Republic, Bautista is the only player from their small Jewish community that numbers around 300 persons.