KING OF JEWISH BASEBALL

It’s Monday, Sept. 17th.  Two days until the opening game against South Africa.  All the other teams have arrived, and official WBC business begins today – we head to the park at 1:30 for team and individual pictures then we have practice from 4-6pm.   It’s the first time we’ve had free time in a while, so let me get you caught up to speed.  We practiced yesterday in the morning.  And then a game against Palm Beach State College in the afternoon.  After the game, we were issued our team gear.  Appropriately, as the Greatest Jewish Baseball Team of all tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime, the baseball gods rained gear down upon us like manna from the heavens.  Check it out…  All praise due to the man, the myth, the legend, the Shlobot, for the steady camera work.

Team Israel played it’s first game yesterday.  A scrimmage against Miami-Dade College.  We won 5-2.

There is a lot going on.  We are in the midst of a small media frenzy, a PR storm if you will, thunder and lightning, cameras rolling, flashes flashing.  There are reporters from the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and Details Magazine, and a documentary film crew with the team all the time, on the bus, in the clubhouse, and at the games.  It is madness.  And there will be a streak of stories coming out soon about the team.  Not the least of which is this blog.  KOJB over 7,500 readers!  And the team has made it a mission to get 1 million views before the end of the tournament.  Again, because I do not have much time to write, I will mostly show you what we are doing using magic and video as opposed to telling you with what were once called “words”…

Game time was bumped back to 1pm because of rain.  I caught in the bullpen until the 7th inning, and then it happened, Brad told me to go into the game.  I was not expecting to play.  But all of a sudden there I was, on the field, playing 3rd base, my old position before I became the World’s Greatest Bullpen Catcher.

My spot in the batting order came up in the 8th inning and I, the King of Jewish Baseball, after 8 months of imagining this moment, well, almost this moment (my fantasy it is a bit more grandiose, as fantasies have a tendency of being), walked to the plate.  The at-bat felt a bit rushed.  The count went to 2 and 2.  I stepped out of the batters box and reminded myself to be present, and then I lined the next pitch back up the middle.  A single.  Base knock.  Here’s the video…

So we are officially rolling forward towards Wednesday.  Opening night.  Jews– nay, all mankind, will dance in the streets.  Children will sing.  Birds will fly high in the sky.  And, if only for a moment, all human and plant and animal life on earth will exist in perfect harmony as Team Israel, the Greatest Jewish Baseball Team ever assembled, takes the field…

opening night wednesday the 19th against south africa

I almost cannot believe what I am about to to tell you…I made the team… sort of.  I am the 3^rd string catcher, the bullpen catcher.  There are 28 roster spots.  But according to WBC rules, each team can carry a 3^rd catcher that can be activated if one of the first two catchers gets hurt, a 29^th spot, an extra man if you will, an exception. And I am that exception.

What could be more fitting? – I ask you. – A unique position, a roster spot that is not a roster spot for a man that is not a man, but the King of All Jewish Baseball.

4 players from the initial camp have been brought onto Team Israel for the WBCQ.  Shlomo Lipetz, Dan Rothem, and ALon Leichman – the three Israelis to ever play college baseball in the US, and me, again, sort of.  The rest of the guys on the team are American Jews currently playing pro baseball.  Here is the full roster.  You will not see my name.  But you will see Shlo and Dan and Alon listed on there right next to Green and Kapler and all the other guys…

our roster

Here is what Baseball America just a couple hours ago wrote about the team…

…Israel’s roster includes two ex-big leaguers in Shawn Green and Gabe Kapler; three players from Israel, all pitchers; and a team of minor leaguers that includes Josh Satin, who got 28 at-bats over the last two seasons with the Mets; top Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson; 2011 Rule 5 draft pick Brett Lorin; and 14 players overall who were in Double-A or Triple-A in 2012.

Israel’s offense should have some thump if Green and Kapler can flash a bit of their big league form; Green hasn’t played in the majors since 2007, Kapler since 2010. Pederson brings pop (18 homers this season) and athleticism after batting .313/.396/.516 as a 20-year-old at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga this season. He’s the team’s top prospect and arguably the best on any of the eight teams playing next week.

Minor league first basemen Cody Decker and Nate Freiman, teammates with the Padres’ Double-A San Antonio club this season, combined for 49 homers—Freiman 24 while hitting .298/.370/.502, Decker 25 while batting .263/.367/.540. Decker could play some outfield as well.

The rest of the infield includes Satin, listed as a second baseman, who is a career .303 hitter in 580 minor league games; middle infielders Jake Lemmerman (Dodgers), who was Freiman’s teammate at Duke, and former UC Irvine stalwart Ben Orloff (Astros), a .281/.361/.328 hitter as a pro; and former UCLA star Casey Haerther (Angels), listed as a third baseman. Haerther played first base while batting .271/.288/.380 at Double-A Arkansas this season.

Ben Guez (Tigers) and Robbie Widlansky (Orioles) join Pederson in the outfield, though Widlansky also could play some third base for manager Brad Ausmus (Padres). Ausmus’ catchers include Charlie Cutler (Pirates), Jack Marder (Mariners) and Nick Rickles (Athletics). Marder, also an infielder, had a big year at high Class A High Desert, hitting .360/.425/.583, and the Oregon alum will be an intriguing prospect if he can be a full-time catcher and hit for any power away from the Cal League.

Israel’s pitching staff is frankly less impressive. Its most experienced starting pitchers are Lorin, who went 3-10, 6.40 at Double-A Mobile this season; and lefty Eric Berger (Indians), 2-9, 5.27 between Double-A and Triple-A. The other starters are lefty Max Perlman (Athletics), who made 10 starts at two A-ball levels, and righthander Justin Schumer (Giants), who was 7-4, 4.87 at high Class A San Jose.

Israel has some intriguing relief options, such as righthander Josh Zeid (Astros), who had 66 strikeouts in 56 innings this year at Double-A but also had a 5.59 ERA;  lefty Jeff Urlaub (A’s), who had 58 strikeouts and just nine walks in 65 innings between two A-ball stops this year; and righty David Colvin (Mariners), who was 5-3, 3.15 with four saves in low Class A Clinton this season.

Here is a link to the full article which includes write-ups about the other teams in the tournament…

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2012/09/israel-spain-among-final-wbc-rosters-released/

And now we set off on the real mission – to win the World Baseball Classic Qualifier, and get Israel into the 2013 WBC, and complete blog world domination, of course.  Keep following KOJB, bullpen catcher for Team Israel, as we navigate our way through the jungle that is the WBCQ…

We’ve been here for 4 days now.  And it’s about time you get to meet the guys.  Right now, 17 Israelis are here, 4 Americans including me, and a slew of staff member.  Brad Ausmus who will manage Team Israel arrived last night, and the rest of the guys will be landing in the next couple days, so, before all the American players arrive and the inevitable frenzy that comes along with the tournament ensues, here are the members of the Israel National Team plus staff beginning with none other than…

Nate Fish, the King of Jewish Baseball

Dan Rothem, RHP, the King of… A Two-State Solution

Omri Modiano, OF, The King of Lawn Darts

Tal Erel aka Baby Griffey, C, The King of the Future of Israel Baseball

Orr Gottleib aka the Israeli Babe Ruth, OF

Chanoch Berman, 3B, the Young King of Raanana

Guy Peled, 1B, the King of Jewish Piracy

Yuli Tsypin, OF, the King of Laughter

Adam Gladstone, equipment manager/BP pitcher, the King of All Baseball Gear

Steve Hertz, manager, the King of All Baseball Knowledge and Sun Screen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IL8UV7de18

Richard Kania, coach, the King of Inventive Baseball Drills

Peter Kurz, Secretary General of the Israel Association of Baseball, the King of e-mails pertaining to Israel Baseball

Oren Gal aka the Israeli Dustin Pedroia, 2B

Eitan Maoz, C, the Greatest Canadian/Israeli Catcher of All Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime

Asaf Rothem, 2B/Israel Baseball Documentarian, the King of Pain and Predictions

Dan Rootenberg, trainer, the King of Creative Tape Jobs www.spearcenter.com

David Klein, C/roommate, the King of Northern California Baseball www.menloparklegends.com

Josh Weiss, OF, the King of Jewish Hair

Dani Goldring, SS/2B, the Ultimate Destroyer of Wood Bats

Alex, team coordinator, Inventor of the Radar Gun Clip http://radargunclip.com/

Sam, bus driver, the King of Safe Bus Driving (great job so far Sam!)

Jesse Sultanik, OF, King of the small clan of Tall Blond Handsome Jews

Yoni Alter, LHP/1B, the King of The Corner Locker

Shlomo Lipetz, RHP/Baseball Bandit, the King of Kings

Ally Recht, team coordinator, the Queen of All Baseball

David Leichman aka Leich Cream, the King of Ice Cream

Alon Leichman aka The Shalom, RHP, King of Reggae Ton

Yoandy Gil-Levy, OF/RHP, the King of unintelligible statements

Now meet them all with the magical new technology known as video…

Rained out today.  The game was scheduled for 3pm at Miami-Dade College.  We got to the clubhouse early, changed, and got on the bus for the hour-and-a-half ride to Dade.  On the bus we had a team interview on Israel Sports Radio.  And Barry from the New York Times was along for the ride.  But it was all for not, because we never got to the good stuff, the baseball.  We got warmed up.  We hit in the cage and talked about hitting with Orlando Palmeiro who played for 11 years in the Big Leagues.  We took BP on the field, we threw, we took infield/outfield.  Then it poured.  And as the plot thickens getting closer to tournament time, I’m realizing the weather is a player.  September in Florida is unpredictable.  Check it out…

We’re at it again tomorrow.  Bus to the field early for practice.  Game at Palm Beach State College at 6:30.  Hope it doesn’t rain…

It’s 9:43.  We’re back at the hotel.  Another full day at Roger Dean Stadium,  our new home.  With our schedule, there’s not much time to write, so I had to come up with a solution.  And that solution is video, a far superior technology to the the old-fashioned and antiquated written word.  I, King of Jewish Baseball, have a very important announcement to make… No one ever has to write again.  We can all just walk around with video cameras. It this new world not perfect?  Instead of telling you with these clumsy words, I can virtually bring you here using only the magical power of the moving picture.  So come with me now on a wild golf-cart ride around Roger Dean Stadium, and see for yourselves what it is like to be on what may be the only and is definitely the best all-Jewish baseball team of all tiiiiiiiiiime!

Game at Miami-Dade College tomorrow.  Day 3, Israel National Team training camp, coming to you, tomorrow, live in video.  Prepare accordingly.

We’re here – Jupiter, Florida.

miami

I arrived at 11:30.  The guys from Israel, the coaches, the trainers, everyone, trickled in throughout the day hungry and tired after variously long and painful flights.  I will introduce you to them all, in time.  For now, we met and ate pizza in the team hospitality room, a lounge on the first floor of the hotel full of food and drinks for us.  We had 4:30 uniform pass-out, a quick team meeting, and our first practice.  A few of us went over to the field early to check out the facility and hit in the cages.  “The facility” is really two facilities.  One side for the Marlins.  One for the Cardinals.  We are on the Marlins side.  The easiest way to explain, in this case, is to not explain, so instead of carrying on, I will simply give you a tour…

After 32 years, I am finally in the Big Leagues… for two weeks.  A hotel room, a locker full of gear.  The bus to the field leaves at 8:30 tomorrow.  Practice in the morning.  Intra-Squad in the afternoon.  Lunch in between in the clubhouse.  I never want to leave…

israel national team gets ready for practice

I leave tomorrow morning.  We have a light workout on the field tomorrow night.  And we begin our full schedule Monday.  I just got my final workout in.  And I am going to begin packing now.  The time has come to put away the crown and the cape and the gold jewelry and just be Nate Fish again– just one of the guys trying to make the team.  It is time to shut-up and play baseball.  Serious matters are at-hand.  Guys will get hurt.  Guys will get cut.  For all I know, I may be one of them.  Home-runs will be hit.  There will be a winner.  And there will be many losers.  I know that I am ready, ready as I can be.  And I thank you for joining me thus far.  I will continue writing every day from Florida, letting you know what’s going on with the team and the tournament.  For now, I will stop writing, I need to go the pharmacy for a big bottle of extra-strength Advil…

hangin’ up the cape and crown… for now

See you in Florida.

And now, ladies and geetles, I– nay, we, present to you, the single greatest achievement in recorded human history, a cinematic masterpiece, our generations Citizen Kane, except more important, more revolutionary, more daring, more impactful, and much, much better, an entire new genre if you will that we will likely not fully understand for many thousands of years, “Fake Superhero Sports Fantasy Tragi-Comedy Action Romantic Documentary” we will call it.   Using only the power of magic and cameras and several geniuses including the one-and-only Shlomo Lipetz playing himself, a sick and criminal-minded warlord, Danny Dwyer aka The King of All Slovenian/Irish Filmmaking has accomplished what no other director in the hundred year history of moving pictures has been able to, that is, capturing the King of All Jewish Baseball on film.  Until now, he was believed to be a myth, a fable, like Sasquatch, or maybe a hologram projected from room 403 of the Pentagon.  But I digress, for it is now clear that he exists, and is more powerful than any of us could have imagined.  Without further ado, The King Of Jewish Baseball, the film…

visit…

http://www.dannydwyer.com

I had jury duty today.  It is understandable that I, King of All Jewish Baseball, would be asked to judge the public and restore order to our society.  But I don’t have time for this.  I am in the throws of preparing for our trip to Jupiter.  Thankfully, I was released at the end of the day and told I will not be asked to rule the land again in the form of jury duty for at least 8 years.  But I will maintain, before moving on, after having spent so much time this summer in the holiest of holy governmental institutions– namely the DMV and the Kings County Courthouse – Where are the rich people?

Everyone at jury duty appeared to be poor, and not from America.  Does Janet Jackson, as a citizen of the United States, dutifully serve on a jury of her peers every 8 years?  Where, exactly, does Donald Trump go to renew his license?

Today, like at the DMV, it was like a poor-man’s (literally) United Nations.  Granted, Brooklyn– New York City in general, is a diverse place– maybe the most diverse, but we the [poor and freshly arrived] people, always, not without irony, seem disproportionately represented at what can be society’s shittiest landmarks; hospitals, courts, the dreaded DMV.

We arrived at 8am and neatly and nervously shuffled through metal detectors into the jurors room on the 2nd floor, our holding pen, a cathedral to red tape, an ergonomically sound but unexciting wooden room the size of a high-school gym lined with rows of suprisingly comfortable leather seats and large TVs high on the walls.  By mid-afternoon, just 6 hours later, what started out as a house of order, the very home of the well-oiled machinery of our justice system, looked more like a refugee camp, or the Springfield Bus Station.  Exhausted with boredom, representatives from every nation on earth were sitting, laying, and propping themselves up against whatever they could find.  A man slept on the floor under his seat using a copy the the New York Times as a pillow.  A muslim woman sat against the wall staring at the ground probably wondering if she would ever get out of there and see her family again.  A spontaneous black market had formed and Cheeze-Its from the 3rd floor vending machine were clandestinely being sold at 40 times their normal value.  I was 107 pages into Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion, when my will finally gave-out and I joined the meek and went vertical on the bench I had been until then sitting on and I fell asleep for a bit.

Minutes, maybe hours, later, suddenly, without explanation, at 4pm, after a grueling day of waiting, the few of us still living, the survivors, were dismissed.  I will say this, lastly, before moving on to matters of baseball and radio broadcasts, after witnessing the daily operations first-hand of our judicial system, I have no better understanding of it than I did before.  Also like at the DMV, it seems to be the singular intention of those in-the-know, the people who work there (god bless ’em – it could not be easy), to control you with confusion and give you as little information as possible.  I do not know why I was dismissed.  I am just happy that it is so.

And now, onto things more relevant to this blog than civic duty: Baseball.

It is Tuesday, Sept. 4th.  We congregate in Florida in 5 days.  What I normally convey to you with words and images, that is, what is going on with the team and with my life, I will today share with you in the form of noises.  Specifically, the audio from my radio appearance on Israel Sports Radio last week.  And also the audio of Youk’s interview the week before where he announces towards the end that he will play for Team Israel in the 2013 WBC if we can win the qualifier.  And also of Coach Green’s and Ausmus’ interviews on the same show.  All told, nearly 2 hours of all the Jewish Baseball talk you can handle.  Big thanks to the guys at “Louis Live” on Israel Sports Radio for the MP3’s.

Nate Fish

http://soundcloud.com/king-of-jewish-baseball/nate-fish-israel-sports-radio

Kevin Youkilis

http://soundcloud.com/king-of-jewish-baseball/louis-live-with-kevin-youkills

Shawn Green

http://soundcloud.com/king-of-jewish-baseball/shawn-green-on-israel-sports