Baseball

From Little League to Team Israel: Baseball takes root across the Holy Land

The number of teams and players gathered in Tel Aviv on that sunny Friday was a testament to just how far baseball has come in Israel. It was not always this way.

|ByHOWARD BLAS
Young Israeli baseball players take part in a practice session as the sport continues to grow, with youth programs expanding into communities across the country.
Demonstrators gather near a barricade they created during a protest against a U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine plan on the establishment of a 50-bed facility at a Kenyan air force base that was intended to host Americans exposed to Ebola, in Nanyuki town, in Laikipia County, Kenya June 1, 2026.

Kenyan police fire tear gas during protest against US Ebola quarantine facility

Two people were killed in protests last week in Nanyuki, and the US continues its activities defying Kenyan court orders.

|ByREUTERS
Mar 28, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels players line up before the game at Oakland Coliseum

Your Investments: Opening day, leaving Egyptian exodus with great wealth, and financial optimism

When the Israelites left Egypt, they carried more than gold and silver. They carried a new financial reality. After generations of limitations, they stepped into a future where growth was possible.

|ByAARON KATSMAN
Israeli pitcher-catcher duo, Ben Simons and C.J. Stubbs.

Israel closes out WBC campaign with statement victory over Netherlands

With the victory, Israel improved its record to a very respectable 2–2 and took sole possession ahead of the Dutch of third place in Pool D.

|ByDANNY GROSSMAN

The Jewish Sport Report: A Jewish comedian makes his pitch for baseball history

Jewish comedian Eitan Levine seeks to break the record for most ceremonial first pitches thrown by one person in a baseball season, in the hopes of raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

APRIL 12, 2024ByJACOB GURVIS/JTA
Eitan Levine threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Hartford Yard Goats game, April 10, 2024, in Hartford, Connecticut.

This Jewish comedian hopes to set a new baseball record

Comedian Eitan Levine aims to break a record with 50 ceremonial first pitches at baseball games nationwide, raising funds for Make-A-Wish.

APRIL 12, 2024ByLUKE TRESS/JTA
Eitan Levine, a rising Jewish comedian.

Israeli-born Cincinnati Reds coach stands firm amid conflict, sports 'Bring Them Home' gear

MLB’s lone Sabra stands strong with Israel from near and far as Reds’ assistant pitching coach.

APRIL 11, 2024ByHOWARD BLAS
ISRAEL’S ALON LEICHMAN wears a “Bring Them Home Now” T-Shirt in his role as a pitching coach with the Cincinnati Reds. Inset: Leichman’s custom designed glove.

Baseball is back - and so is financial optimism

Let’s use optimism, before reality strikes, to get our children on the path to financial independence. It’s a win-win: They become financially secure, and we don’t need to support them.

MARCH 29, 2024ByAARON KATSMAN
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Scott Feldman works against the Toronto Blue Jays into the eighth inning to pick up his first win as an Oriole during their MLB American League baseball game in Baltimore, Maryland July 14, 2013.

The Jewish Sport Report: A Jewish guide to the 2024 MLB season

A record 18 Jewish players appeared in an MLB game in 2023. The number could be even higher this season.

MARCH 22, 2024ByJACOB GURVIS/JTA
A BASEBALL team will never win a game by everyone only trying to hit home runs.

9 Jewish college basketball players and coaches to watch during March Madness in 2024

Here are four players and five coaches to watch as fans follow their brackets.

MARCH 21, 2024ByGREG LEVINSKY/JTA
Left to right: Yarden Garzon, Todd Golden, Danny Wolf and Lindsay Gottlieb

All the Jewish MLB players to watch in 2024

The 2023 MLB season represented a watershed moment for Jewish players and fans, as a record 19 Jewish players appeared in at least one big league game.

MARCH 20, 2024ByJACOB GURVIS/JTA
Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Baseball - Men - Opening Round - Group B - Israel v South Korea - Yokohama Baseball Stadium, Yokohama, Japan - July 29, 2021.

Team Israel launches American organization to support baseball’s growth in Israel

The new US-based nonprofit, which officially launches Monday, will focus on building a pipeline of American Jewish baseball players who may one day take the field for Israel.

MARCH 18, 2024ByJACOB GURVIS/JTA
TEAM ISRAEL won a silver medal at the European Baseball Championships in Torino, Italy, after a heartbreaking 9-4 loss to the Netherlands in the final.

Israeli ballplayer Assaf Lowengart signs with MLB-affiliated independent team

“I’m trying to break as many ceilings as I can for Israeli players,” Lowengart told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

FEBRUARY 9, 2024ByJACOB GURVIS/JTA
I’M THE ROOKIE: Outfielder Assaf Lowengart is the latest generation of Israeli-bred baseball players.

Jewish billionaire David Rubenstein buys his hometown Baltimore Orioles

The deal is valued at $1.725 billion, and Rubenstein will be the lead decision-maker.

FEBRUARY 2, 2024ByJACOB GURVIS/JTA
Baltimore Orioles batter Adam Jones (10) celebrates with Baltimore Orioles Matt Wieters in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers in their first game of a doubleheader during their MLB American League baseball game in Baltimore, Maryland, May 10, 2012.