By Jack Borenstein
Tribune Correspondent
Few would have thought that hockey and figure skating could slowly evolve as sports in the land of ‘milk and honey’ – but they did. Now, it looks like baseball is on the verge of unprecedented growth in Israel, thanks to Larry Baras.
The 53-year-old Boston resident is founder and president of the Israel Baseball League (IBL). The IBL has plans to build baseball fields in the country and develop an Israel national women’s softball team, which will attempt to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
During 2005 Baras, an entrepreneur of specialty-baked products (like ‘the UnHoley Bagel’) researched various ways to help the Jewish state but could not come up with a definitive project. Born in Brooklyn and having played baseball in school, then moving to Washington, DC, at a young age and watching the baseball Senators, he came up with the idea of furthering baseball in Israel.
Baseball was first introduced by the governess at a Sephardic orphanage in Jerusalem, according to a July 1927 newspaper report. The children, not knowing any differently, dropped baseballs to the ground and kicked them like soccer balls.
Baras said that an acquaintance introduced him to officials of the Israel Association of Baseball (IAB) who work in tandem with the Israel Softball Association (ISA). After some diligent research, Baras determined there were approximately 2,000 people in Israel who regularly play baseball in various leagues and international tournaments.
“There would be more players but for a lack of proper fields, equipment and instruction,” he said. “In North America, almost anyone can be a kids’ coach. In Israel, one has to pay a fee to be certified for coaching by The Wingate Institute (the country’s national centre for physical education and sport).”
The largest contingent of youth players reside in Jerusalem, but their main field is an empty lot full of refuse, thorns and stones. Tel Aviv has one diamond but no lights, which puts them one up oncities like Haifa and Beersheba, who have none. In Bet Shemesh, players have to run up a slope to reach first base.
Baras said, “When it comes to tournaments, players have to pay hourly fees at a soccer stadium with no defined baselines, outfield or specified dimensions. Adult ball players travel over an hour from Jerusalem to Yarkon Sports Complex, but also have to pay to use it.”
Baras saidd in mid-March that the IBL has been joined by the US Jewish National Fund (JNF), in what is being dubbed ‘Project: Baseball’. (Go to www.jnf.org/baseball for more details.) Developing community baseball fields across the Israeli landscape, will be the subject of a far-reaching and philanthropic capital campaign throughout the US.
“Not only will the population benefit from these new baseball fields, but also the proliferation of baseball in Israel can be a new bridge between North American Jewry and Israel, especially its respective younger-aged groups,” Baras said.
JNF has obtained three parcels of land – in Netanya, Tel Aviv, and Beersheba – designated for future conversion to baseball fields using ‘fake grass,’ much like at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Plans are also in the works to build new fields in Jerusalem and Ra’anana.
“With new fields kids who stopped playing at a young age will return, and adults can continue with a game they played as a kid,” he said.
The IBL will be holding a pair of events to help promote Israeli baseball.
From July 2 to 9, the inaugural Baseball Barnstorming Tour Extravaganza – a seven-day tour in Israel that will provide visitors the chance to play a three-game series against the Israeli National Men’s team. The July 4th game will include a North American barbecue, followed by fireworks after the game. “Former pitchers Bob Tuft and Elliott Maddux will be part of a group of former Major League players who will participate in the exhibition games,” Baras said. “Both Tuft and Maddux have expressed interest in increasing awareness of baseball in Israel.”
From July 4 to 18 a summer baseball camp, sponsored by the IBL, will be held for overseas visitors and a day camp for Israelis.
“There will be baseball clinics run by professional instructors, including former Major Leaguers, who will work one on one with campers. Participants will be transported to Jerusalem for the Israel Baseball Expo (occurring the same day as MLB’s All-Star Game), and will have free admission to the festivities.
Baras added the tours would be a different way for people, who would never think of visiting Israel, to connect with the country.
“Individuals will have the opportunity to visit Israel’s version of ‘Field of Dreams’, otherwise know as the country’s first baseball diamond built at Kibbutz Gezer in 1979,” he said.
The field’s groundskeeper was George Toma, renowned former groundskeeper at Arrowhead and Royals stadiums in Kansas City, who also looked after fields at 35 Super Bowls.
The IBL is creating buzz and support to place an Israeli national women’s softball team at the Beijing Olympics. Since 2002, the ISA has been involved with women’s softball, with the goal of developing a team for international competition.
“They are trying to pattern themselves along the lines of European teams – with a core of 10 Israelis alongside 10 North Americans. Any North Americans (including Canadians) would have to take out dual citizenship, to represent Israel,” he said.
Hallie Cohen, a 27-year head softball coach in NCAA Division III, including the past 12 at William Paterson located in New Jersey, was selected earlier this month as Israel’s National Softball Coach. Baras said the IBL selected her because she could “relate to the players and coach them, while making them into a team. Hallie had all the qualities we were looking for.”
Cohen was honoured being named the team’s head coach, as well as being a Jewish woman representing Israel.
“I am proud of my heritage and would love to bring national recognition to Israel, by inspiring young female athletes to participate in the growing sport of softball,” she said. “I believe we can put together a team that can compete with the best teams from around the world.”
The team will train this summer, and compete this July in the Canadian Cup in Surrey, BC, and the USA Cup in Irvine, CA. The tourneys will serve as preparation for the 2007 African-European Olympic qualifiers, which Israel would have to win outright to proceed to Beijing. Baras said with softball being dropped for the 2012 Summer Olympics “2008 may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these women, to represent Israel in softball.”
He added there have been preliminary discussions to possibly have an Israeli men’s baseball team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
“If the ‘Law of Return’ is allowed to convey citizenship, Jewish baseball players, like Boston Red Sox’s 1B Kevin Youkilis and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jason Marquis, would be eligible to play for Israel. Seeing the excitement with teams from South Africa, the Far East and Caribbean countries in the current WBC, imagine how it would be for Jews around the world to see a baseball team from Israel competing,” Baras said.
Larry Baras has started the ball rolling for Israel, and will be fascinating to see how far it can all go over the next couple of years.
For more information about the fantasy baseball tour and summer baseball camp in Israel, fundraising, sponsorship, supplying baseball equipment or any other matters, email info@israelbaseballleague.com. Email olympics@israelbaseballleague.com, for more information about trying out for the Israel Women’s Softball team.
Jack Borenstein can be emailed at j_borenstein@hotmail.com.
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