View source for Israel Baseball League

{{short description|Professional baseball league in Israel}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox sports league
| current_season  =
| logo            = Israel Baseball League.jpg
| pixels          = 150px
| sport           = [[Baseball]]
| founded         = 2007
| folded          = 2007
| teams           = 5
| champion        = [[Bet Shemesh Blue Sox]]
| country         = [[Israel]]
| inaugural       = [[2007 Israel Baseball League season|2007]]
| website         = [http://www.baseball.org.il/en/ baseball.org.il/en/]
}}

The '''Israel Baseball League''' ('''IBL'''; [[Hebrew]]: ליגת הבייסבול הישראלית, ''Ligat ha-Beisbol ha-Israelit'') was a five-team [[professional baseball]] league in [[Israel]]. The first game was played on June 24, 2007.<ref>[http://www.ibaf.org/en/nation/ebcc9784-ed5b-4471-8b1b-42fb474e9511 Israel Association of Baseball] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709093840/http://www.ibaf.org/en/nation/ebcc9784-ed5b-4471-8b1b-42fb474e9511 |date=July 9, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="israelibaseball.blogspot.com">{{cite web|url=http://israelibaseball.blogspot.com|title=Baseball in Israel|website=israelibaseball.blogspot.com}}</ref> The league was discontinued following its debut season.

== League structure ==
The league's teams were the Team Misgav, [[Bet Shemesh Blue Sox]], [[Ra'anana Express]], [[Tel Aviv Lightning]], Tel Aviv Academy. Former teams included [[Netanya Tigers]], [[Petach Tikva Pioneers]], and [[Modi'in Miracle]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/122272#.VZBcu-1Viko |title=Sandy Koufax Drafted to Israel Baseball League|last= HaLevi |first=Exra |date=April 29, 2007 |newspaper=Arutz Sheva |access-date=June 28, 2015}}</ref>

The teams played games at four [[ballpark]]s. The [[Yarkon Sports Complex]], seating 15,000, in the [[Baptist]] Village in [[Petach Tikva]], just outside [[Tel Aviv]], was home to the Ra'anana Express and the Tel Aviv teams. [[Gezer Field]], halfway between [[Jerusalem]] and [[Tel Aviv]], ws home to the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox. The Misgav Sports Complex was used for the Misgav team. Previously, [[Sportek Baseball Field]], in Tel Aviv, was shared by the Tel Aviv Lightning and the Netanya Tigers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lipowsky |first=Josh |date=2007-04-27 |title=Batter up |url=https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/batter-up/ |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |work=Jewish Standard |location=New Jersey}}</ref>

{{Image label begin|image=Israel map.png|width=262|float=right}}
{{Image label small|x=-130.0|y=-297|scale=-1|text=[[Bet Shemesh Blue Sox]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-140.0|y=-100|scale=-1|text=[[Team Misgav]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-106|y=-230.0|scale=-1|text=[[Ra'anana Express]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-10.0|y=-240|scale=-1|text=[[Tel Aviv Academy]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-5.0|y=-250.0|scale=-1|text=[[Tel Aviv Lightning]]}}
{{Image label end}}

== Players ==
The IBL had 120 players from nine countries in 2007: the United States (77 from 19 states), the [[Dominican Republic]] (16), Israel (15), Canada (9), Australia (7), [[Colombia]], Japan, New Zealand, and [[Ukraine]]. The league had hoped to be made up of at least 25% Israelis by its fifth year. About 40% of the league was Jewish.<ref>Wohlgelernter, Elle. [http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Articles%5El1690&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Culture "Israel baseball takes the field"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928042338/http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Articles%5El1690&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Culture |date=September 28, 2007 }} ''Israel21c'', 2007-06-27. Retrieved 2007-07-09.</ref>

The league held tryouts in 2007 in Los Angeles, [[Massachusetts]], [[Miami]], Israel, and [[The Dominican Republic]]. Those selected were current and former U.S. [[Minor league baseball|minor leaguers]], [[professional baseball]] players from other countries, and starting [[college baseball|college]] players.

The first pick in the draft was [[infielder]] Aaron Levin, 21, who played for [[Cuesta College]] and was selected by Modi'in.<ref name=ynetnews>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3392926,00.html|title=Israeli league team drafts Koufax as tribute |publisher=[[Ynetnews]] |access-date=June 15, 2008}}</ref> The first players signed were outfielder Dan Rootenberg and pitcher [[Adam Crabb]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/first-two-players-sign-up-for-israel-s-fledgling-pro-league-1.201369|title=First two players sign up for Israel's fledgling Pro league|date=October 13, 2006|work=[[Haaretz]]|access-date=28 June 2015}}</ref>

former pitcher [[Sandy Koufax]], then 71 years old, was the last player chosen in the draft, by the Modi'in Miracle. "His selection is a tribute to the esteem with which he is held by everyone associated with this league," said team manager [[Art Shamsky]].<ref name=ynetnews />

After the one IBL season, nine players went on to other professional leagues. These nine players were:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/10629-israel-baseball-league-ibl-players-entering-mlb-and-international-leagues|title=Israel Baseball League: IBL Players Entering MLB and International Leagues|first=Mitch|last=Gold|website=[[Bleacher Report]] }}</ref>
*[[Eladio Rodriguez]], who was signed by the [[New York Yankees]], and in 2008 played for their A+, AA, and AAA teams
*Jason Rees, who also was signed by the [[New York Yankees]]
*[[Maximo Nelson]], who signed with the Japanese champion [[Chunichi Dragons]]
*[[Juan Feliciano]], who turned down Triple-A offers from the [[Washington Nationals]], [[Houston Astros]], and [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] to sign with the [[Sultanes de Monterrey]] of the [[Mexican League]]
*[[Adam Crabb]], who signed and played with the [[Adelaide Giants]] of the [[Australian Baseball League]]
*Rafael Bergstrom, who signed and played with the [[Bridgeport Bluefish]] of the [[Atlantic League of Professional Baseball|Atlantic League]]
*Jason Benson, who signed and played with the [[Newark Bears]] of the Atlantic League
*Josh Doane, who was invited to spring training to try out for the [[Boston Red Sox]], and in 2008 hit .278 for Texas of the [[Continental Baseball League|Continental League]]
*Michael Olson, who signed with Red Sox but retired due to shoulder injury

== 2007 season ==
{{Main|2007 Israel Baseball League season}}
The league<ref name="israelibaseball.blogspot.com" /> had an eight-week, 45-game season. Games were seven innings, with a home run hitting contest (a "[[home run derby]]") to decide a tie. There were two umpires per game, with three on Sunday nights. Most of the umpires were international, although some were Israeli.

Bet Shemesh (29–12; .707), led by hitters Gregg Raymundo and Jason Rees,<ref name="stats">{{cite web |title=Statistics |url=http://www.israelbaseballleague.com/stats/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218062049/http://www.israelbaseballleague.com/stats/ |archive-date=February 18, 2007 |access-date=June 15, 2008 |website=Israel Baseball League |publisher=}}</ref> had the best regular season record in the league, and finished with a 2.5 game lead over Tel Aviv (26–14; .650), led by pitchers Aaron Pribble and Daniel Kaufman.<ref name=stats />

On August 19, in Petach Tikva, Ron Blomberg's Bet Shemesh Blue Sox shut out Art Shamsky's Modi'in Miracle 3–0 in the IBL's inaugural championship game. Californian RHP Rafael Bergstrom (7–2, 2.44) pitched a complete-game shutout for Bet Shemesh, downing Dominican RHP Maximo Nelson (5–3, 3.55 ERA) who pitched for Modi'in.

=== Hitting ===
Catcher and former [[Boston Red Sox]] [[minor league]]r [[Eladio Rodriguez]] of Modi'in was the league batting champion (.461) and had 16 home runs in 102 at bats, and 23-year-old Australian [[right fielder]] Jason Rees led the league with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs in 130 at bats.<ref name=stats /> Rodriguez, 28 years old, and Rees, 24 years old, were both subsequently signed in October to minor league deals by the [[New York Yankees]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Kepner |first=Tyler |author-link=Tyler Kepner |date=October 25, 2007 |title=Yanks' Manager Pick Not as Easy as 1, 2 or 3 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/sports/baseball/25yankees.html |access-date=May 5, 2010 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Jason Rees And Eladio Rodriguez |url=http://www.waswatching.com/archives/2007/10/jason_rees_and.html |access-date=June 17, 2008 |website=WasWatching.com}}</ref> Third baseman Gregg Raymundo, who hit .292 in 7 minor league seasons and played for the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]' and [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]' AAA teams,<ref>{{cite web |title=Gregg Raymundo Statistics |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/21017/ |access-date=June 17, 2008 |website=The Baseball Cube}}</ref> was a close second in batting with a .459 batting average.<ref name=stats />

=== Pitching ===
One of the leading pitchers was [[Juan Feliciano]] of [[Beit Shemesh]], who had pitched for the 2005–06 [[Hiroshima Carp]] in Japan. He was 7–1, with a 1.97 ERA, and in 50.1 innings gave up only 28 hits while striking out 73. 6' 5" lefthander Aaron Pribble of Tel Aviv was 7–2, with a league-leading 1.94 ERA. Rafael Bergstrom was 7–2, with a 2.44 ERA. Daniel Kaufman, who pitched for [[Emory University]], held opposing batters to a .170 batting average. And 6' 6" [[Maximo Nelson]] from [[San Pedro de Macorís]] in the [[Dominican Republic]], led the league with 85 strikeouts; he pitched for the [[Gulf Coast Yankees]] in 2004 (posting a 6–5 record, with a 2.63 ERA). Israel native [[Shlomo Lipetz]] (3–1) 1SV 0.98 ERA of Netanya, Mike Etkin (4–0) 2SV of Tel Aviv, and [[Scott Perlman (baseball)|Scott Perlman]](3–2) 1SV 1/13 P INH Rr of Bet Shemesh were the league's top relievers.

=== Awards ===
The [[Hank Greenberg]] Award for Most Valuable Player was shared by Eladio Rodriguez and Raymundo. The Commissioner's Award for Sportsmanship and Character went to Pribble and infielder Brendan Rubenstein (Ra'anana Express). The Commissioner's Award for Distinguished Service was awarded to shortstop Eric Holtz of Bet Shemesh, a player-coach who filled in as player-manager. The award for best pitcher went to Feliciano, and the Most Valuable Israeli Player was pitcher Dan Rothem of Tel Aviv.<ref name="awards">{{cite web |date=August 20, 2007 |title=Award Winners Named for First Season of IBL |url=http://www.israelbaseballleague.com/news/pressreleases/index.html?article_id=145 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070915185416/http://www.israelbaseballleague.com/news/pressreleases/index.html?article_id=145 |archive-date=September 15, 2007 |access-date=June 16, 2008 |publisher=www.israelbaseballleague.com}}</ref> In a leaguewide vote of the players (referred to as the 'Schnitzel Awards'), Player of the Year was awarded to Leon Feingold.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 18, 2007 |title=Schnitzel Awards |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPOkWVp2ejk |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/aPOkWVp2ejk |archive-date=2021-12-19 |access-date=March 15, 2011 |website=Israel Baseball League |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref name="israelibaseball.blogspot.com" />

== Managers ==
Among the first [[Manager (baseball)|managers]] of the IBL were three of the best-known Jewish former major leaguers: [[Ron Blomberg]] was the manager of Bet Shemesh. Due to other commitments, Blomberg turned over managerial duties to [[Player-coach|player/coach]] Eric Holtz, while [[Scott Perlman (baseball)|Scott Perlman]] took over as [[Coach (baseball)|bench coach]] for several weeks during the middle of the season. [[Art Shamsky]] managed Modi'in and [[Ken Holtzman]] managed Petach Tikva until he resigned a week before the season ended, and was replaced by Tony Ferrara.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 14, 2007 |url=http://www.jpost.com/Sports/IBL-Holtzman-leaves-Pioneers-with-one-week-to-play |title=IBL: Holtzman leaves Pioneers with one week to play| work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=April 7, 2015 |last=Last |first=Jeremy}}</ref> In addition, [[Steve Hertz (third baseman)|Steve Hertz]] managed Tel Aviv, Shaun Smith, an Australian, managed Ra'anana,<ref>[http://www.israelbaseballleague.com/about/managers/index.html?staff_id=36 Shaun Smith Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515222248/http://www.israelbaseballleague.com/about/managers/index.html?staff_id=36 |date=May 15, 2007 }}, ''israelbaseballleague.com''. Retrieved 2007-07-09.</ref> and Ami Baran, an Israeli originally from Chicago, managed Netanya.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070515222710/http://www.israelbaseballleague.com/about/managers/index.html?staff_id=39 Ami Baran Profile], ''israelbaseballleague.com''. Retrieved 2007-07-09.</ref>

== Management ==
[[File:Israel Baseball League Original Logo.jpg|thumb|right|The original [[logo]] of the Israel Baseball League]]
The League was the brainchild of Larry Baras, a businessman from [[Boston]].

President and chief operating officer Martin Berger was a [[Miami]] trial attorney. The league's director of baseball operations was [[Dan Duquette]], former [[General manager (baseball)|general manager]] of the [[Boston Red Sox]] and [[Montreal Expos]]. Berger and Duquette were involved in selecting the inaugural season players. Bob Ruxin was director of business operations; Ruxin has served as vice president of a sports products and management business. Leon Klarfeld was director of Israeli operations; he is a resident of [[Even-Yehuda]], and had been involved in Israeli Baseball for over 20 years, was the president of the Israel Association of Baseball (IAB) between 1994 and 2002, and is a certified [[umpire]] for the [[Confederation of European Baseball]]. Jeremy Baras was the director of game (fan) experience.

The Commissioner was [[Daniel C. Kurtzer|Dan C. Kurtzer]], former [[U.S. Ambassador]] to Israel and Egypt. The league's Board of Advisors included: [[Bud Selig]] (Major League Baseball Commissioner), [[Wendy Selig-Prieb]] (former [[Milwaukee Brewers]] owner), Marshall Glickman (former president of the [[NBA]] [[Portland Trail Blazers]]), professor [[Andrew Zimbalist]] (baseball economist), [[Marvin Goldklang]] (minority owner of the [[New York Yankees]] and principal owner of four minor league teams), Randy Levine (Yankees president), and [[Marty Appel]] (former Yankees public relations director).

On November 15, 2007, Kurtzer and nine advisory board members, including Zimbalist, Goldklang, Levine, and Appel, resigned.<ref>{{cite web|title=Israel baseball league Commissioner Kurtzer leads flurry of resignations|url=http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/other_sports/general/view.bg?articleid%3D1045607|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603181411/http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/other_sports/general/view.bg?articleid=1045607|archive-date=June 3, 2008|access-date=November 18, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-11-21 |title=Scandal Tarnishes Holy Land Baseball Diamonds |url=https://forward.com/news/12081/scandal-tarnishes-holyland-diamonds-00835/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=The Forward |language=en}}</ref> They commended Baras for having the vision to bring professional baseball to Israel. However, in their letter of resignation, summing up the concerns of all, Goldklang and Zimbalist wrote that: "it has become apparent that the business leadership of the league has ceased to perform in an effective, constructive or responsible manner and has failed to manage its capital and other resources in a manner likely to produce successful results." The advisers who resigned said the league was unwilling to provide financial information. Berger, the league president, said: "They were asking us for things that we didn't have yet. We haven't done our financials for this year. We are upset and disappointed that they're leaving, but we are going ahead for next year. We have been talking to people who potentially are going to purchase the teams."<ref>{{cite news |last=Chass |first=Murray |author-link=Murray Chass |date=November 18, 2007 |title=Rumors of Drug Use Have Damaged for Decades |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/sports/baseball/18chass.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906051644/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/sports/baseball/18chass.html?_r=2&pagewanted=2 |archive-date=6 September 2012 |access-date=May 5, 2010 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2007-11-15 |title=Israel Baseball's Black Thursday: letter of resignation |url=https://tabloidbaby.blogspot.com/2007/11/israel-baseballs-black-thursday-letter.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411140709/http://bp0.blogger.com/_UURsFGI0ahk/Rz0NiK1pNlI/AAAAAAAAEDw/gobZcjDsc-s/s1600-h/Resignation-Marv-Zimb.jpg |archive-date=2025-04-11 |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=tabloid baby}}</ref>

== Media coverage ==
[[PBS]] aired the opening game, which had attendance of 3,112, on a one-week delay (July 1, 2007), in Boston, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Miami. [[MLB.com]] carried coverage of the league's games.<ref>{{cite news|last=Berkman |first=Jacob |url=http://www.stljewishlight.com/topstories/12348156495807.php |title=Israel Baseball League starts in June |location=St. Louis |work=Jewish Light |access-date=2007-07-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927214233/http://www.stljewishlight.com/topstories/12348156495807.php |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>

Aaron Pribble, who pitched for the Tel Aviv Lightning, kept a journal of his summer in the league. He later wrote a book about his experience, ''[[iarchive:pitchinginpromis0000prib|Pitching in the Promised Land]]''.<ref>{{cite web |author=Bailey |first=James |date=April 27, 2011 |title=Book Review: Pitching In The Promised Land |url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/book-guide/2011/2611636.html |access-date=April 7, 2015 |publisher=Baseball America}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Baseball in Israel]]
* [[Israel national baseball team]]

== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==

* {{cite book |last= Pribble |first= Aaron |title= Pitching in the Promised Land: A Story of the First and Only Season in the Israel Baseball League |publisher= [[University of Nebraska Press]] |year= 2011 |isbn= 978-0-8032-3472-7}}

== External links ==
* Documentary, "Holy Land Hardball". https://web.archive.org/web/20090824082445/http://www.hulu.com/watch/91195/holy-land-hardball
*[http://www.holylandhardball.com/ "Holy Land Hardball"] (film). 24/6 Studios Productions LLC. Retrieved 2010-08-20
* [http://www.israelbaseballleague.com/ The Israel Baseball League]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061029071213/http://www.iab.org.il/ibl.htm Israel Association of Baseball]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PGlpA35dEE "Israel Baseball League: An Idea Who's (sic) Time Has Come"]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080603190109/http://yankees.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/nyy/y2007/m10/d24/c2280813.jsp Announcement of NY Yankees signing of two IBL players after first Israel Baseball League season]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110919212855/http://www.jewishledger.com/articles/2007/03/13/news/on_the_cover/news02.txt "The new ball game", interview with Dan Kurtzer, 3/13/07]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927214233/http://www.stljewishlight.com/topstories/12348156495807.php "Israel Baseball League starts in June", 4/11/07]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927214212/http://www.stljewishlight.com/news/323220028089783.php "St. Louisan plays big role in IBL", 4/11/07]
* [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/122702 "The Dream Comes True: Israel Baseball Season Starts in 2 Weeks", 6/10/07]
*[[Nate Silver]], "L'Chayim to the IBL", [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927215428/http://baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=432 BaseballProspectus.com, 7/2/07]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080905101656/http://www.jewishpress.com/page.do/22161/Hardball_In_The_Holy_Land.html "Hardball in the Holy Land", by Marty Appel, 7/11/07]
*[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/894474.html "Baseball, kosher-style", 8/17/07]
*[http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/sports/content/sports/stories/2007/09/0927/Dickerson.html "Shalom, Y'all. Local Ump Spends Summer In Israel", 9/28/07] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105035135/http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/sports/content/sports/stories/2007/09/0927/Dickerson.html |date=November 5, 2018 }}
*[http://biblemetrics.blogspot.com/ Biblemetrics—Blog for Israel Baseball League Statistical Analysis]

{{Baseball in Israel}}
{{Professional Baseball}}

[[Category:Israel Baseball League| ]]
[[Category:Baseball in Israel]]
[[Category:Sports leagues established in 2007]]
[[Category:Baseball leagues in Europe]]
[[Category:Defunct sports leagues in Israel|Baseball]]
[[Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 2007]]
[[Category:Defunct baseball leagues]]
[[Category:2007 establishments in Israel]]
[[Category:2007 disestablishments in Israel]]