WBC: What It Means To Me

A friend of mine recently describe the World Baseball Classic by saying, “every game is like an All-Star game, except all of the players actually want to be there. 

What the MLB and the MLBPA created with this tournament is special. The initial goal was to grow the game of baseball worldwide. It is accomplishing that goal and so much more! 

I leave for Florida to compete in my second WBC in about a week. This will be the third time I represent Israel on the world stage. Inevitably I get asked the question, “what does playing in this tournament and representing Israel mean to you?”

My answer has evolved with each new experience. 

The first time I played for Israel in the 2016 qualifier I was at a low point in my professional career. I walked onto the field unsure of my baseball future and doubting my love for the game. 

I had heard of the WBC, but didn’t think I’d ever get a chance to compete in it. Then Israel called. I jumped at the chance. The loosened tournament qualification requirements allowed me to play for a country I had never even been to. I met the country’s requirements to become a citizen, so I could play for them. 

Initially, I signed up because it was a great baseball opportunity. A chance to compete against the best in the world. It didn’t matter to me that Israel was ranked 64th in the world and no-one gave us a chance to win a game. The weight of representing a country, a culture and a people hadn’t fully register to me yet. 

Then the team brought 10 of us to Israel to see what we were playing for, and it got real for me. That trip, and the ensuing 2017 WBC tournament, changed my life. It reinvigorated my love for the game. It gave me my first taste of international baseball. And it helped me find myself as a man and as a Jew. 

As it turned out, we did win a game. In fact, we went on a magical Cinderella run and sparked the imaginations of people across the world.

That was the exact hope MLB had when they created the looser qualification requirements in the first place. They wanted to allow players to represent countries they had ties to, even without having citizenship. They hoped to give countries that are not known as “powerhouses” a team to root for. Hopefully they would fall in love with the game, just like I did all over again.

It is now 6 years later, and I have dual citizenship in Israel. As I now prepare for the tournament for a second time, it feels different. Playing in the WBC is still a great baseball opportunity. But this time, it means more. The responsibility of representing a country, a culture, and a people is something I do not take lightly. We have a chance to bring pride and joy to fans who do not have very many role models they can relate to. We have a chance to inspire and motivate young athletes and show them that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. Nothing would make me happier than to hear of a young player who sees us play in this tournament and goes on to become a superstar in their own right.

We are in a first-round bracket with other teams that would likely beat every Major League team. They are chalked full of the best talent in the world. No-one will give us a chance again. And that is ok. 

We didn’t have a chance last time. We didn’t have a chance to make it to the Olympics either. And while we were at the Olympics competing, another member of the Israeli congregation said something that will always stick with me. “We are always especially proud when we can punch above our weight.”

I know our team we will play will pride, with class, and with determination. I also know that we’ve put together a pretty talented roster ourselves. 

Once again, we will have to punch above our weight. 

See you in Miami.