With the Olympics right around the corner, athletes from around the world are beginning to make their way from all parts of the globe including Israel as they ready to do battle in Tokyo. The blue-and-white will be sending close to 100 athletes in a variety of disciplines but one sport that stands out amongst all the others for Jews especially in North America is baseball. <\/p>\n
The Israel Baseball Team will be one of six that will compete for a medal along with Mexico, South Korea, the Dominican Republic, host Japan and the United States, the same United States that also happens to be the birth country of many of the Israeli sluggers and flame-throwers. This in itself makes the sport standout as one that has the unique ability to unite Jews in America with the country and game they love.<\/p>\n
Just as training camp gets underway, not only are the fans excited about this special opportunity, but the players are as well including Chicago, Illinois native Mitch Glasser. The utility man who currently plays with Sioux Falls, starred with Israel at the European Championships and then the qualification round becoming a mainstay for Israel after having been part of the 2017 World Baseball Classic squad. <\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up Jewish and loving Israel,\u201d Glasser who is named for former Chicago Cubs star reliever Mitch Williams. \u201cIt was always part of my identity and it\u2019s amazing that I was the token Jew on the baseball teams when I was growing up. But wherever I would go, there would be a Jewish fan who would cheer for me. Baseball has allowed me to become an Israeli citizen and that merges the identity. It\u2019s unique to see in baseball a team of Jews, that we are all together and that is why I am so proud to be on this team.\u201d<\/p>\n
The manager for the blue-and-white squad Eric Holtz also spoke about the special connection Jews have to the Holy Land and how the game of baseball will bring those together at the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s one of the most important components,\u201d the skipper began. \u201cI was raised in New York but spending time in Israel, the love for Israel and being a Zionist is amazing. When you take that, the process, excitement and look towards the future, we are trying to show the Israeli kids that this may be me one day. As well as the pride to do so. It\u2019s the first time in 45 years that Israel has a team sport being represented. My parents are not here anymore, but when HaTikva is being played, chills go down my spine and I am so proud that I can do this for the Jewish people.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the Israeli born players on the team is Alon Leichman who is currently a pithing coach in the Seattle Mariners farm system. The Sabra understands well how important the Tokyo Games will be for his hometown of Kibbutz Gezer and children around the country who dream to one day be playing professional baseball. <\/p>\n
\u201cI have been in the United States for ten years after having been an exceptional athlete in the IDF and I\u2019ve been part of the National Team program for over twenty years. For us that grew up on Kibbutz Gezer, making the Olympics is huge. I hope that this will continue to help the sport grow in the Israel and the next generation will know what the sport of baseball is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the players who Israel will face are going to be familiar to them explained Glasser who also believes that despite the country not being a baseball power the game is played on the diamond and on any given day one team can top the other. <\/p>\n
\u201cI know a couple of guys on the Mexican team and played against them and the catcher on the Dominican Republic team I know am very familiar with as we play together with Sioux Falls. Everyone would call us the underdog on paper but the beautiful thing is that it\u2019s baseball and anything can happen. It\u2019s not always the best team that wins. We have the right guys and the coaching staff who will pick the right guys. All we have to do is play the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holtz agreed that Israel has a good a chance to take home a medal as any other team in the tournament as the world\u2019s heavyweights in the sport await. \u201cI don\u2019t get nervous and I don\u2019t worry. Let\u2019s put this out front, I\u2019m going to be out-coached but at the end of the day the guys have to execute and if we execute that attack plan I\u2019m not worried about anything. If the guys play loose and have fun we will be prepared. Japan will be a formidable opponent as they shut down their league. I don\u2019t worry because we have a hell of a coaching staff and a helluva baseball team here. I love when there\u2019s not a lot of attention on us. I hope the press will keep pushing Japan and the US and that will allow us to do what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leichman looked at one advantage that Israel has over any other team, \u201cI think the team we have has played a lot together and we know each other. In the case of the other teams, they haven\u2019t and that is an advantage for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not about the name on the back of our jersey, but for the name on the front,\u201d Glasser commented. \u201cIt\u2019s refreshing to be a part of team that can play to their peak of their abilities and that\u2019s what we hope to show in Tokyo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holtz can\u2019t wait to get going and with that shared an important message, \u201cThis has been two years in the making and everyone is excited to get out onto the field. We need to know that Israel is behind us so we can do what we have to for Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With the Olympics right around the corner, athletes from around the world are beginning to make their way from all parts of the globe including Israel as they ready to do battle in Tokyo. The blue-and-white will be sending close to 100 athletes in a variety of disciplines but one sport that stands out amongst […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":38196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4074],"tags":[4247,4246,29,4245,1229],"class_list":["post-38189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jews-in-sports","tag-alon-leichman","tag-eric-holtz","tag-israel","tag-mitch-glasser","tag-olympics","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n