Jewish MLB players to visit Israel ahead of World Baseball Classic

Ten current and former Jewish Major League Baseball players will visit Israel in preparation for the World Baseball Classic.

The players, who will be part of Team Israel, will practice on baseball fields in Israel and meet with local Israel Association of Baseball players. They will visit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and its holy sites, an Israeli Air Force base, Masada and the Dead Sea.

The players are eligible to play on Team Israel based on World Baseball Classic rules that state that players who are eligible for citizenship of a country may play on that country’s team. This will be the first time that American Jewish baseball players will represent Israel in a world championship.

Josh Zeid pitching a game for the Houston Astros. (screen capture: YouTube)

The visiting players are former New York Met Ike Davis; Ty Kelly of the New York Mets; Ryan Lavarnway of the Oakland Athletics; Sam Fuld of the Oakland Athletics organization; Josh Zeid of the New York Mets organization; Cody Decker of the Boston Red Sox organization; Jon Moscot of the Cincinnati Reds; Corey Baker of the St. Louis Cardinals organization; Jeremy Bleich of the Philadelphia Phillies organization; and Gabe Kapler, Los Angeles Dodgers Director of Player Development.

The players’ wives, parents and children will accompany them on the trip, whose co-sponsors include JNF Project Baseball and Jeff Aeder, founder of the Jewish Baseball Museum.

The World Baseball Classic is scheduled for March 2017 in Seoul, South Korea.

— JTA