חיים קץ נשיא Haim Katz PRESIDENT פיטר קורץ מזכיר כללי Peter Kurz SECRETARY GENERAL אפרים קרן סגן נשיא Ephraim Keren VICE PRESIDENT נתן פומרנץ גזבר Nathan Pomerantz TREASURER איריס שיוביץ מנהל אדמינסטריבי Iris Shiovitz OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR IAB President's Newsletter, January 2007 This is the fourth of our quarterly newsletters whose purpose is to keep parents, players and friends up to date on the activities of the IAB. We expect 2007 to be one of our best years ever. Membership is up and we look forward with great anticipation to the inauguration of professional baseball (IBL) this summer. You're all welcome to join in on the fun. Haim Katz, President -Israel Association of Baseball ([email protected]). Fall Junior League Standings Ra'anana PTC Wildfire Fall Senior W L T League Champs Team Israel Senior Baseball has a new Fall League Champion - Ra'anana PTC "Wildfire", which came Raanan Jr 3 1 1 all the way back from a 7-1 deficit to edge out a Gesher 2 1 depleted Israeli National Team 10-8 in a thrilling Jerusalem Jr 2 3 1 end to an engaging Fall Season. Emboldened by its semi-final playoff win over the Tel Aviv Reds, the Tel Aviv 0 3 youthful Ra'anana squad, shored up by a number of *** stalwarts from its junior program, came in eager to A special thanks to our Senior/Junior League cap off its campaign with a championship. In spite sponsors PTC, Rochester Red Wings, Lake of a difficult start the league managed to play a record 18 games with a month break in the middle Elsinore Storm, International Sports due to poor weather. Properties and Mike's Place The spring league will begin in mid March. Anyone *** wishing to join can register on our website or contact Israel Baseball League Holds Tryouts Ariel [email protected] for Israeli Players Fall League Senior Standings "The Boston Tea Party Team W L T marked the beginning Ra'anana PTC 7 4 1 of the American Tel Aviv A's 5 5 1 Revolution, the Balfour Declaration Senior NT 2 1 marked the beginning Hashmonaim Sr 2 2 of the Zionist J'rslm Mike's Pl. 1 4 Revolution and today you are witnessing the beginning of the Gezer Fall League Junior Champions Baseball Revolution Gezer took the championship, beating Ra'anana 8-4, and a new era for as Nate Rosenberg threw a seven-inning complete sports in Israel in game, and Sivan Schick led the kibbutzniks' attack General." (Haim Katz, IAB President.) with three hits. Elad Cohen had two hits out of six "You have the opportunity to fulfill a dream and I for Ra'anana, but repeated failure to deliver in the am envious of you." (Ephraim Cohen, Cultural clutch was fatal for the Sharon nine. Earlier, Attaché US Embassy- Israel.) Ra'anana had reached the finals by solidly defeating After these words of inspiration and introduction, , Jerusalem 8-4, behind Yeondray Gil-Levy's six- Former Boston Red Sox General Manager Dan innings of one-hit ball, and back-to-back triples by Duquette and his crew went to work evaluating the him and Ronen Kornberg. Jerusalem then coasted to nearly 80 hopefuls looking for a coveted spot on the an easy win over Tel Aviv 14-1, led by Yehoshua Summer 2007 Israel Baseball League roster. The Zlotogorski's six-inning complete game youngest was 16 and the oldest was 50+, all with performance, and three hits by Zvi Render. one goal in mind – to play professional baseball. Half were players in the IAB senior league, many YOUR ADD HERE were visiting students in yeshivas and universities, 2000 households in Israel and North America and a few were former IAB players who hadn't played baseball since their early teens and wanted to ת.ד. 48159 , תל אביב 61481 P.O.B. 48159, Tel Aviv 61581 EMAIL: [email protected] web: http://www.iab.org.il feel the dream. The IAB came out a big winner as well as 600 of Dan and his IBL assistants Martin Berger and Seth those baseballs were donated to help promote the Cogan, along with help from veteran IAB coaches great game of baseball in Israel. David Shenker, Bruce Maddy-Weitzman and Leon Uri Shmueli, MSH Marketing V.P.: "We are happy Klarfeld, tested the players' throwing from the to make this modest contribution to the development outfield, handling ground balls in the infield, of baseball in Israel. We hope that the IAB will hitting, pitching and catching. After 2 hours, half continue to find the solutions to make baseball a the applicants were sorrowfully sent home and the major player in the sport's scene in Israel." rest stayed to play a simulated game, as Duquette http://www.msh.co.il/migdal_capital_markets scrutinized the players before passing final judgment. IAB Coaches Course in Full Swing IBL Founder Larry Baras didn't have much time to Fifteen coaches, 11 from Baseball and 4 from view the tryouts as reporters from Channel 2, Softball,(ISA).are participating in the first Globes, Ha'aretz and The Jerusalem Post were Baseball/Softball coaches course since the new bombarding him with questions about the new Sport Law came into effect in 2002. This is a league, which he fielded at least as adeptly as the keystone program for the IAB. Besides filling the players fielding ground balls. organization's legal obligations, it will give the IAB At the end of the day 12 players were chosen, the qualified manpower to enable us to enter schools including National Team captain Dan Rothem. At and community centers to expand baseball to new least 10 are expected to sign and be present for the communities in Israel. festive opening night at Kibbutz Gezer, June 24, Senior members of the IAB and ISA, David 2007. Get your tickets now! Schenker and Ami Baran, respectively, are the Head Instructors of the course, with their able assistants, Pitch In For Baseball Goes to Bat for IAB chief umpire Leon Klarfeld and Adrianna Luchinski coach of the ISA Women's National Israel Baseball Team. Schenker, who is certified by the Wingate Pitch In for Baseball, a non-profit organization Institute and Doyle School in the U.S., is the most dedicated to promoting baseball experienced baseball coach in Israel. He has among youth, has put Israel conducted numerous baseball clinics and coached Baseball on their map. Mark and many IAB national teams over the years. Baran also Laura Solomon and their family boasts a long list of coaching and physical training personally brought 5 bags of credentials, as well as being the pitching ace for the equipment, and Jeff Siegel and ISA Men's National Team. his crew brought us an additional The coaches course is being given under the amount. "This is only the first auspices of the Seminar Hakibutzim College of installment" said PIFB founder and chairman Mr. Education in Tel Aviv, where the theoretical portion David Rhode, who sees helping Israel meet the of the course is taught. Coaches must complete both challenges of promoting baseball a strategic goal for the practical and theoretical parts of the course to their organization. They will also take charge of the obtain an official Coach's Certificate, which will be 'Mitzvah Project' by promoting and organizing the recognized by the Ministry of Sport in compliance donors in the US. See more on their website: with Israel's Sport Law. http://www.pitchinforbaseball.org. In the words of Course coordinator Ephraim Keren,"The certification program is giving our Migdal Capital Markets Teams up with coaches an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of Bear Sterns and the IAB baseball from different instructors, each with his or her own approach to the game. I think that Migdal Capital Markets participants in the course have a greater appreciation promoted its new of their role as baseball "teachers". The ability of partnership with the US coaches to carry out this role will have an impact on investment house Bear advancement of the sport in Israel." Sterns at a gala affair by passing out baseball with their logo -Migdal OUR NEW ADDRESS Capital Markets and Bear Israel Association of Baseball Sterns- a winning team. P.O.B. 48159, Tel Aviv 61481 Israel Tel/Fax: 050-8962017 email: [email protected] ת.ד. 48159 , תל אביב 61481 P.O.B. 48159, Tel Aviv 61581 EMAIL: [email protected] web: http://www.iab.org.il Global Baseball Barnstormed Israel on run inning, and his team picked up four more runs in Succoth the fourth, making the score 12-6. Yet, Kfar Bilu Jeff Siegel and Bob Alexander brought in a fresh still believed in miracles, and came right back to tie crew of baseball coaches and assistants who ran a the score, only to give up the lead again in the next new series of clinics throughout the country during inning. With Hashmonaim/Gezer leading by 2, the Hol HaMoed Succot. Over two hundred young coach decided to bring in the starter and winner from ballplayers participated in the clinics held in their semifinal game – David Tover, who earned the Jerusalem, Gezer, Modiin, Tel Mond, Raanana and save after some tense moments, leaving Kfar Bilu the Yarkon Sports Complex. We would like to just shy of another miracle. Final score: express our special thanks to his dedicated crew who Hashmonaim/Gezer 14, Kfar Bilu 12. made the effort to come all the way to Israel to help us improve baseball: JUVENILE SUMMARY Helen, Dianne Quinn.