In Israel, baseball has not historically been a popular sport. Founded in 1985 by Randy Kahn, the IAB is one of six nations to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in baseball. There are approximately 1,000 players in 16 cities across the country. Volunteer coaches and donors are instrumental in growth and development since baseball resources are very limited, Israel currently ranks 19th in the world of sport, but this does not reflect its performance in 2019 when it qualified for the 2020 Olympics.
contents
- 1 story
- 2 Israeli Association of Baseball
- 3 Israel Baseball Academy
- 4 Israel Baseball League
- 5 World Baseball Classic
- 5.1 2013 tournament
- 5.2 Tournament 2017
- 6 European Baseball Championship 2019 – B-Pool
- 7 European Baseball Championship 2019
- 8 qualifying games for the 2020 Olympic Games in Africa / Europe
- 9 Major League Baseball
- 10 stages
- 11 See also
- 12 references
story
See also: History of baseball outside the US
Baseball was first played on July 4, 1927, in the British Mandate of Palestine. The first field in Israel was built on Kibbutz Gezer in 1979, and the country now has a baseball field at the Yarkon Sports Complex in Petach Tikva. Every year Israel sends national teams of different age groups to international baseball tournaments. The best show in the international game (Pool A) so far was the 1st place of the Israeli youth (10-12 years) at the European Championship 2009 (CEB). Between 500 and 1,000 Israelis play Regularly baseball in the amateur league. Baseball is growing faster, with a much larger baseball identity associated with the country.
Israeli Association of Baseball
Founded in 1986 by Randy Kahn, the Israel Association of Baseball (IAB) is a not-for-profit organization based in Israel whose goal is to promote and develop baseball in Israel by teaching baseball to youth, organizing national tournaments, and supporting them to achieve this Israeli teams participate in international competitions and procure the necessary equipment, help organize the league, make sure they have an adequate field, train the coaches, referees and players.
The IAB is a member of the Olympic Committee of Israel, the Confederation of European Baseball and the International Baseball Association. The above-mentioned organization recognizes the IAB as the only governing body for baseball in Israel, alongside the Israel Sports Authority.
Notable players playing at the IAB include Alon Leichman and Dean Kremer.
The following clubs are registered to participate in the IAB; these are mostly youth clubs (senior teams have a star next to their name 🙂
- Wette Shemesh Blue Sox
- Bet Shemesh Comet
- Wette Shemesh Mavericks
- Gezer Fledermause
- Ginot Shomron wild boar
- Hashmonaim Aztec Flames
- Jerusalem lions *
- Lev Hasharon Nationals
- Modes in wonder *
- Ra’anana Raiders *
- Rehovot Raptors
- Enjoyed from Tel Aviv *
- Zofit warriors
Israel Baseball Academy
The Israel Baseball Academy was launched in October 2014 under the supervision of the IAB. The first year program began in mid-October at the Yarkon Sports Complex in Petah Tikva.
Academy players participate in weekly training. This gives them the opportunity to participate in the Israeli national team program to be recognized as elite athletes in the IDF. The program is also recognized by, and provides access to, programs by Major League Baseball designed for the best young players in Europe.
Former IAB national director Nate Fish and national coach David Schenker were the academy’s first coaches. Dan Rothem, a former college pitcher and Israeli national team player, will be the pitching coach. The program has 10 children ages 14-21 each year. In addition to the first year participants, there are 20 children who to be scouted for the second year.
There are currently 24 players, ages 14-18, in the Israel Baseball Academy. National coach Ryan Willen, a former Division 3 Washington amp; Jefferson College, directs the academy. In addition, the former Japanese professional coach and player, nicknamed “KAZ” helps operate and maintain the high-quality product offered to the nation’s best players.
Israel Baseball League
See also: Israel Baseball League
The Israel Baseball League played its only season in 2007, with six league teams being Tel Aviv Lightning, Netanya Tigers, Bet Shemesh Blue Sox, Petach Tikva Pioneers, Modi’in Miracle and Ra’anana Express. All games in the league were played in three stadiums. The Yarkon Sports Complex, Gezer Field, and Sportek Baseball Field.
In November 2007, it was announced that a new six-team league, the Israel Professional Baseball League, was taking shape and would have its first season in 2008. Behind the new league was billionaire Jeffrey Rosen, a major IBL investor who also owns the Maccabi Haifa basketball team, which he bought in the summer of 2007, and chairman of Triangle Financial Services in Aventura, Florida; Andrew Wilson, who presides Place worked for the IBL and now works for Rosen; Alan Gardner, a New York attorney who was the midfielder for the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox; and Michael Rollhaus, a Queens businessman and major IBL investor.
World Baseball Classic
Main article: Israel at the World Baseball Classic
Tournament 2013
Israel entered Qualification 1 with Spain, South Africa and France.
Israel contested its first on September 19, 2012 Qualifier for the 2013 tournament. In this game they defeated South Africa 7: 3. Nate Freiman had two home runs in victory.
Israel’s second qualifying match took place against Spain on September 21, 2012. Israel won the game 4-2. Nate Freiman faced Israel twice again in the win.
Israel’s third qualifying match took place again against Spain on September 23, 2012. Israel lost that game 9-7 in 10 innings, winning Israel out of the tournament and Spain moving on to the next round. Although Israel won the first two games, they were eliminated due to the modified double elimination format of the tournaments. This meant that the last game was a winner.
Tournament 2017
In September 2016, Israel participated in Qualifier 4 2017. The coach was Jerry Weinstein, coach of the Colorado Rockies. Israel’s roster included 20 MLB-affiliated minor leaguers, making up 86% of the team, more than any other team in qualifying before the youngest major leaguers were included.
Israel won all three qualifying games, beating Great Britain twice and Brazil once, and with the win, Israel will play in Pool A in South Korea against South Korea, Taiwan and the Netherlands in March 2017. In the first round, Israel swept the round again to advance into the second round in Pool E.
European Baseball Championship 2019 – B-Pool
Team Israel won all five of its games in the 2019 European Baseball Championship – B-Pool in early July 2019 in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. At the end of July 2019, it reached the playoffs against the Lithuania team in the 2019 playoff series for the last qualifying place for the 2019 European baseball championship. Israel won the best-of-three playoff series 2-0 and thus qualified for baseball -European Championship 2019.
European baseball championship 2019
In Round 1 of the 2019 European Baseball Championship, Israel went 4-1, advancing the team to the championship playoffs with eight teams. In the championship playoffs, Israel defeated team France in the quarter-finals, lost to team Italy in the semi-finals to finish fourth .
Qualifier for the 2020 Olympics in Africa / Europe
By finishing in the top five of the 2019 European Baseball Championship, Team Israel was granted the right to participate in the qualifying tournament for the 2020 Olympics in Africa / Europe. As the winner of this tournament, it qualified as one of the six national teams that will compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Every member of the 24-man Israel team that competed to qualify for the Olympics was Israeli, with four of the players being native born; the others made aliyah to Israel under the Israeli Return Act, which is granted to anyone with a Jewish parent or Grandparent or a person married to a Jew the right to return to Israel and receive Israeli citizenship.
Major League Baseball
In June 2015, Dean Kremer became the first Israeli ever to be selected in Major League Baseball draft when it was drafted by the San Diego Padres. On July 22nd, it was announced that he would be honoring his engagement and playing for the UNLV Rebels, who at that time had three years with plans to play professionally after college. Kremer won in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft selected in Round 14 by the Los Angeles Dodgers, 431 total. His signing was announced by the Dodgers on June 16, and he made his professional debut on July 3 for the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer Baseball League.
Stages
There are currently three main baseball stadiums in Israel.
In January 2017, the list of Israelis for the 2017 World Baseball Classic Team traveled to Beit Shemesh to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for Israel’s first dedicated baseball field, which is expected to take 2 to 3 months to plan and will be available by the end of 2017 .
See also
References
.
