Honus Wagner

Born Johannes Peter Wagner to German immigrants in Pennsylvania, Honus Wagner was, by all accounts, as German as sauerkraut and lederhosen. His nickname, "The Flying Dutchman," cemented this identity, not hinting at some secret Sephardic past or a particularly fast escape from a synagogue bake sale. He was a baseball titan, but religiously speaking, he was firmly outside the Tribe. No hidden gefilte fish recipes here.

Wagner's Jewish score, therefore, hovers around the same number of World Series rings the Mets have. He didn't identify as Jewish, wasn't born Jewish, and, frankly, probably wouldn't have known a menorah from a mitzvah. His contributions were to the diamond, not the diaspora.

However, his "Kvell-worthiness" is off the charts. Eight National League batting titles, 3,420 hits, and a lifetime batting average of .328. Oh, and the T206 baseball card. That tiny piece of cardboard, often considered the Holy Grail of collectibles, sells for millions. Bringing that kind of financial nachas to collectors, even posthumously, is a K-score for the ages. It’s almost enough to make us overlook the fact he wasn't a Jew at all.