(Hat Tip: Life in Israel)
After being previously canceled in 2008 due to lack of funds, it looks as if the Israel Baseball League has decided to briefly dust off the plates in order to play a quick season this summer.
(Israel Baseball League) This year, our menu will be a little different, but we think you will enjoy it all the more. The season will begin on July 27th and end on August 17th. The Bet Shemesh Blue Sox will be returning to defend their title and will be joined this year by three other teams - the Modi'in Miracle, the Netanya Tigers, and a new entrant, the Jerusalem Gold. Each time will play a 20-game regular season, culminating in a championship series. The set-up this year will be akin to the College World Series that is played each year in the U.S. Each day, there will be two games played, accompanied by on-field clinics, catch with the players, and softball games. Nonetheless, the competition and level of play at the pro level will be the same as last year, with the Blue Sox being public enemy number one for the other three teams. [...]
The IBL remains committed to bringing the highest level of professional baseball to Israel and also to developing the sport within the country itself. Its stated goal is to eventually have the majority of the players in the league be home-bred. By working with such organizations as the Jewish National Fund, the Jerusalem Foundation, Maccabiah, the Israel Association of Baseball, and the Israel Softball Association, along with local community groups, the IBL hopes to support the programs in Israel that already exist and to generate excitement throughout the country as only baseball can.
The Israel Baseball League (or IBL for short) has already impacted the global baseball league, with several players getting picked up for the major leagues already.
Note: While its good to see a new team enter the ball field (Jerusalem Lions, which may have been renamed to Jerusalem Gold), this author is still rooting for the Blue Sox!!!
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Being that I was an investor in the IBL and a coach of the Blue Sox, nothing would bring me more joy than a second championship!
ReplyDeleteMichael Rollhaus