Inaugural Israel Baseball League Tryouts

Professional baseball in Israel - the Israel Baseball League - started as a dream of a Boston food corporation head, Larry Baras, but is becoming a reality this year. With Dan Kurtzer (former American Ambassador to Israel) as commissioner and Dan Duquette (former Expos and Red Sox General Manager) as director of player development, the league is preparing to start this summer! Inaugural tryouts were held in the USA in Hinsdale, Massachusetts on 27-28 Av, 5767 (August 21-22, 2006) and in Israel at the Baptist Village in Petach Tikvah on 19 Marcheshvan, 5767 (November 10, 2006). I was at the 2nd day in the USA and the tryouts in Israel. First come the Israel pictures, then the USA pictures.

There have been many Jewish Major League Baseball players in the last 136 years...

... but now the dream of a Israeli league is coming true!

Time to take the field at the Yarkon Sports Complex - the best baseball field in Israel!

There were all sorts of people in attendance, from coaches of Maccabiah baseball teams, to players from the Israeli national team, and audience from Jewish Major Leaguers, Inc. There were Yankees fans and Red Sox fans, united by the dream of playing pro ball in Israel. Reporters came too (my friend was interviewing someone for AP in right-middle). Even a Doveret Tzahal - female soldier in the army's PR department came.

First came registration - filling out forms and paying, and some practicing.

Dan Duquette and staff, and some Israeli coaches spoke to us.

Dan Duquette, 2 pictures above, wore a ב"ש hat for Beit Shemesh, some of the other coaches wore a hat with a lion logo for Jerusalem.

The first activity was running around the field to loosen up, so everyone dropped their mits and ran/jogged.

Next was the 60 yard dash. 2 people ran at a time. The best times were around 7 seconds, my run was around 8.40.

They gave us a little while have a catch and get ready for the fielding tryouts.

First fielding tryouts were for the outfielders.

Infield tryouts followed. Follow the next 5 pictures clockwise strating from the bottom right.

Here are some of my friends on the infield:

Dan Duquette and staff were keeping a close eye on every player.

Infielders watch catchers throw down to second base for their tryouts.

Pitchers were the last to tryout.

Dan Duquette called everyone in and read off the names of those who made the first cut and would get a chance to tryout hitting. The rest (like me) were thanked and dismissed.

Those on the left didn't make the cut, those on the right did, including 2 of my friends in the middle.

Batting Tryouts

HINSDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

Nothing like going to the middle of nowhere and finding a baseball field with an Israeli flag!

The man who signed Pedro Martinez while a Red Sox GM was interviewed.

I only got a chance to take pictures of hitting at this tryout. There were only 15 people (as opposed to 50 the day before) the day I tried out which meant we were always up doing something and no time to rest and shoot like in Israel where there were 80 people trying out. The hitter below is the guy who drove me to and from the tryouts and whose house I slept over the night before them.