Israel Baseball

Originally appeared in Israel Baseball News on August 27, 2026

Israel Baseball hosted its Inaugural U-12 National Baseball Tournament on July 9-10 at Sportek Tel Aviv, bringing together nine teams from across the country – including Modi’in, Efrat, Jerusalem, Beersheva, Tel Aviv, Ra’anana, Carmei Gat, Tel Mond and Bat Hefer, with Tel Aviv and Ra’anana fielding a combined team – for the largest coordinated U-12 baseball gathering Israel has ever staged. Over the two-day championship weekend, clubs from the north, center and far south of the country competed at one venue for the first time, with Efrat emerging as Israel’s first U-12 national champion, Modi’in finishing second, and Tel Aviv-Ra’anana taking third.

At the tournament’s peak, four games unfolded simultaneously, and the weekend delivered real competition throughout: crisp hits, sharp defensive plays, costly errors, dramatic upsets and tight finishes decided on the final play. The championship game itself stayed close until the end, before Efrat capitalized on a late-inning lack of pitching depth for Modi’in to open up the gap and win, 12-3. Efrat General Manager, Jeff Oshin, credited the team’s pitching depth for the title. “It came down to depth of pitching – ten of our players out of 14 on the team could pitch if they needed to!”

Israel U-12 Baseball: Alive, Well, and Changing Lives

Nine teams of Israel baseball players, 12 and under, gathered at Tel Aviv’s Sportek in Yarkon Park as Modi’in and Efrat faced off in a Friday morning U-12 National Championship game. The newest team came from Beersheva, where parent and organizer Jonathan Leiman has been working to grow baseball in Israel’s south.

While all nine clubs made their mark on the weekend, the tournament’s story crystallized on Friday (July 10), when Modi’in and Efrat – two of the programs that have shaped Israel’s baseball landscape for years – met for the title.

Ari Varon, president of the Israel Association of Baseball, addressed the teams lined up along the baselines prior to the singing of Hatikvah (The Hope), Israel’s national anthem. He also shared with the crowd his own long-term hope for Israel Baseball: “Competition on the field, community after the field, teammates in life.”

Varon took pride in the growth of baseball in Israel. “Our main goal here is to build up a group of people throughout the country that have a common identity that work together… and give ourselves values and a break from the craziness (of life) by playing baseball.”

From Modi’in to Beit Shemesh to Gezer, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and beyond, baseball has been taking root in Israel. The common feature, as Varon noted, has been growing the game — and a community of teammates — for life. This included players, coaches, managers and family members. Yet, the unique ta’am (flavor) of the sport has been a bit different in each town and city.

Interviews with coaches and parents affiliated with the Modi’in and Efrat teams revealed that U-12 baseball in Israel is about so much more than winning and losing games and tournaments. Baseball has had an incredible impact on the lives of their children, teaching them useful skills on the field and life skills off the field.

A Modi’in Coach Shares His Insights on Baseball’s Growth and Impact on Youth

Tani Glazer, 24, an accounting student by day and lifelong baseball enthusiast and coach for the Modi’in team, spoke movingly about the impact baseball has had on his life and those of Modi’in children. Glazer played on and off as a child, went to Poland to play on the U-12 national team, and returned as a coach.

Glazer humbly felt “I was more fit to be a coach,” a role which he has taken very seriously. He has strived to teach baseball skills as well as life skills and menschlichkeit (human decency) behavior. “I want them to deal with bad calls and cope with mistakes — as a player and as a person.”

As a coach, he had the opportunity to accompany the team this past February to a three-day tournament in Eilat, which took place over Shabbat. He especially liked seeing his players meeting people from other cities and connecting with them as they played together and stayed in the same hotel.

Having players from all over Israel competing and watching the games together at the recent U-12 national tournament helped players from around the country begin to get to know each other. “Hopefully it will serve as a breaking the ice for the future — next year they will say, ‘I know you’ and they will get to know each other a little better.”

Glazer noted that the background of the players varied by community. In Efrat, he observed the team members were mostly olim (immigrants to Israel) or children of olim — some with parents who continued to play baseball in the adult Premier League. In Modi’in, it was “more integrated,” with a nice mix of Americans and Israelis in recent years — a change he observed from when he played 10 to 15 years ago. “Now, word of the game is getting more spread around.” In Bat Hefer, the players were almost exclusively native Israelis.

While Glazer would have liked to have won the tournament, he was pleased with his team’s second place finish. “We got lucky with the schedule,” he noted playfully. Following a “tough, low scoring” game against Jerusalem, Glazer felt they had two easy games against newish teams from Carmei Gat and Tel Mond, and a game against a “young team” from Bat Hefer.

“Efrat is a whole different program,” Glazer observed somewhat longingly, noting unique features of the champion-winning program that include their field, a pitching machine and a batting cage. “They take the league to a new level!”

Modi’in Parent Sees Baseball as a Game Changer

Ely Cole’s 11 1/2-year-old son, Nadav, was hooked on everything baseball: he loved to play, watch and talk baseball at every opportunity. Father Ely, who served as a coach, shared that baseball “is the one thing that Nadav looks forward to — even if he is sick on a Wednesday, he prays that he will be okay for practice on Friday!” Nadav dreams of playing in Major League Baseball (MLB) or at least on Israel’s national team.

Like coach Glazer, Ely saw baseball’s impact firsthand. “Baseball has been the biggest influence on Nadav’s life. Through baseball, he has learned so many life skills — like patience, teamwork and supporting someone else.” He proudly recounted a time a friend struck out and cried — and Nadav supported him.

Ely reported, “His social group has totally changed from baseball.” This past year, Nadav and his friends spent hours playing baseball every Shabbat. And he made friends from other cities through baseball — at games, at tournaments, and especially through their participation in the three-day Eilat tournament. Ely shared that he and his friends stayed up late one night in Eilat to watch an MLB Spring Training game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees. “Baseball is a catalyst to make everything happen!”

Modi’in Mom Sees Baseball Ease Aliyah, Become Central for Her Son

Shira Greenspan, a Modi’in parent who made aliyah (immigration to Israel) nine years ago, had not initially imagined that baseball would become so important in the life of her family — especially for her son, Akiva. “It is so much more than we could have hoped for!”

While Greenspan noted the commitment of time and resources including practices and games three times a week and the financial investment, she believes the immense benefit it has on children’s physical and mental health makes it worth the expense. “If you consider the costs of OT, therapy and more, you can’t put a price tag on it!”

Greenspan especially appreciated coach Glazer’s approach to the game — as well as educating her son and his peers about much more than the technical aspects of the game. “At the end of the game, they all reflect on something they have learned, and they compliment each other. They have become open to discussing feelings, vulnerabilities and reflecting.”

Glazer also helped Akiva break down goals. Greenspan shared that the coach observed Akiva’s reluctance to swing and worked on the youngster’s self-trust. “Your goal is NOT to get a hit — but to get out with three strikes swinging,” he told Akiva. Mom recounted, “At his first at bat, when he got out swinging, he was so proud. Then, he came to bat, got a hit and won the game for his team!” Greenspan added, “Tani (Glazer) is amazing! He shows what real coaching means!”

A Baseball Parent’s and Coach’s View from Efrat

Andrew Stein grew up as a self-described “big time baseball nerd” in Kingston, Pennsylvania. He followed the New York Mets, collected baseball cards, and played lots of catch, but noted, “There was no baseball for a shomer shabbat (Sabbath observing) kid.” When Stein made aliyah 20 years ago and began to build a family in Efrat, all of that changed — his children all had the benefit of a well-oiled baseball program.

When members of the Efrat baseball league noted that Stein “never missed a game” and exhibited a “love of the game,” he noted, “they sucked me in” and recruited him to become a coach.

For Stein, baseball in Efrat gave his children “a way to have something similar to their dad.” He described with pride the “culture of baseball in Efrat,” which has fed many players into the Israel national team. “Kids in Efrat know that being on the Wild Pups is something to work for. Being a Wild Pup is something special!” Stein was proud of the team’s seriousness and its desire to win.

For one of Stein’s children, Matar, baseball taught “real person responsibility.” Matar has enjoyed traveling with the team to other countries and was pleased to have friends in such places as Rotterdam (Netherlands). Another son, Netzach, learned about accountability through the sport.

Stein, like other parents interviewed, spoke about the skills learned that would benefit his children on and off the field. “Matar has a sense of pride of being a Wild Pup — and a confidence that translates outside of baseball. He will bring this to his daily life.”

Jeff Oshrin, manager of the Efrat team, enjoyed watching baseball grow and thrive in Efrat. Oshin said, “We are immensely proud of what we have brought to Efrat. Baseball is our rock — and it has helped ease the aliyah stresses for many who have moved to Efrat. There are currently programs for all ages and batting cages, bleachers and a lit field. We play for the love of the game. We have built something very special.”

Beyond the physical amenities the Efrat fields offer, Oshin saw the opportunities for friendships and meaningful relationships that Israel Baseball provides — both with fellow Efrat players and those who play baseball in other towns. “Along the way, our kids have seen each other as opponents on the field, competing against each other, and they have also been on Team Israel together and walked out as friends.” He noted that, during tournaments, players often ate pizza together, or used the batting cage together, and they became friends.

It was exciting for Oshin to see the growth of baseball in Israel, and to see slight differences in each program. “In Gezer, they play baseball in Hebrew!” And he noted that, in Misgav and Gezer, more native Israelis were playing. “There are Israelis teaching Israelis how to play baseball!”

Back in Efrat, the players and families have been celebrating their U-12 title. But across all nine towns, players headed home with something bigger than a final score: new friends from cities they had never visited, phone numbers traded on the field, and a shared sense that Israeli baseball is now a national community, not just a handful of separate clubs.

Some of these clubs have fielded teams for more than a decade without ever facing one another, and this tournament changed that in a single weekend. The friendships formed at Sportek now form the foundation for what could come next — future tournaments, mixed-team play, and a stronger baseball culture stretching from the north to the far south.

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Originally appeared at jns.org on July 8, 2026.

From Cuba to Estonia, immigrants to Israel proudly compete under their former homelands’ flags while celebrating their shared Jewish identity.

The Maccabiah Games bring together thousands of Jewish athletes from across the globe to compete under the flags of their home countries. But among this year’s competitors is a unique group of athletes who now call Israel home while proudly representing the countries they left behind.

At last week’s opening ceremony in Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium, delegations from Finland to South Africa and Taiwan marched into the arena before the largest delegation of all—Israel’s 2,200 athletes.

For some Israeli olim (immigrants), however, the Games offer a rare opportunity to compete for the countries where they were born while living permanently in the Jewish state.

Michael Raichman lives in Haifa and proudly represents Estonia in the Maccabiah Games, July 7, 2026. Photo by Howard Blas.

For Michael Raichman, who made aliyah years ago and now lives in Haifa, representing Estonia is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Wearing a “Maccabi Estonia” shirt while attending a hip-hop dance workshop with his 4-year-old daughter at Maccabiah City in Expo Tel Aviv, the fencer smiled as he explained why he continues to compete under Estonia’s flag.

“I have been here for a long time—since before she was born,” he told JNS. “I represent Estonia and the Jewish community. If not me, no one!”

Raichman said he is the only Estonian competitor at this year’s Games.

A few pavilions away, Alexis Chavez wore a dark blue Cuba T-shirt alongside four teenage teammates who had just finished competing in the 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

Chavez, who has lived in Hadera for the past 15 years while the younger players still reside in Cuba, said the Maccabiah represents something much larger than sport.

“It brings all Jews together—like brothers,” he said. “It is all sababa.”

Bela Himelfarb (left), who leads the Colombian delegation to Maccabiah 2026, splits her time between Bogota, Colombia and Harish, Israel, while weightlifter Judith Gaon (right) lives in Jerusalem and represents Colombia, July 7, 2026. Photo by Howard Blas.

Remembering where they came from

For Colombian weightlifter Judith Gaon, representing her birthplace is deeply personal.

The 27-year-old second-year medical student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem made aliyah in 2012 and is a three-time Israeli national champion. Yet at the Maccabiah she chose to wear Colombia’s colors.

Speaking to JNS after advancing to the next round with a successful 50-kilogram lift, Gaon said the crowd’s encouragement helped her recover after two failed attempts.

“I heard lots of cheering,” she said.

Gaon first discovered weightlifting seven years ago at the Jerusalem CrossFit center, where she works. She credits the sport with helping her overcome insecurities while coping with a medical condition.

Although proud to represent Israel internationally, she said competing for Colombia at the Maccabiah allows her to honor her roots.

“It is amazing to represent Colombia,” she said. “So I don’t forget my roots and what our amazing people went through.”

Drawing a parallel to the Passover story, she added: “It is like Pesach. We always remember our roots and where we are from and where we are headed. I like to remember where we came from.”

Her father and many other relatives still live in Colombia.

Nearby, Colombian delegation manager Bela Himelfarb reflected on the shrinking size of her country’s team.

Unlike previous Maccabiah Games, when Colombia sent delegations of 150 athletes in 2022 and 80 in 2025, only five competitors arrived this year, most of them juniors.

She attributed the smaller delegation partly to scheduling conflicts with school trips to Israel and the FIFA World Cup.

Himelfarb, who divides her time between Bogotá and Harish, said Colombia’s Jewish community continues to view Israel as a refuge during periods of uncertainty.

“People want to come to Israel when they feel in danger,” she said.

She believes the election of Colombia’s new president, who is viewed as more supportive of Israel, has temporarily eased those concerns.

“Maybe there will be no necessity for now,” she said, while acknowledging that “most of the young people are trying to move and make aliyah.”

Representing Israel from abroad

U.S. resident Jonah Weissmann and his family spent four years in Israel and returned to represent its U19 baseball team in Maccabiah 2026. Photo by Howard Blas.

Not every athlete’s story follows the same path.

Jonah Weissmann, 18, now lives in Miami but returned to Israel to play for Team Israel’s baseball squad.

His family moved from Boulder, Colo., to Israel in 2018 intending to stay for one year.

“We planned to stay for one year and stayed for four,” Weissmann told JNS before Team Israel’s game against the United States at Ezra Schwartz Memorial Field in Ra’anana. “Our parents wanted us to have a stronger Jewish identification and get out of our bubble.”

After returning to the United States in 2022, Weissmann assumed his opportunities to represent Israel had ended.

“When they were putting a team together, one of my teammates asked Freddie [manager Freddie Bain] if I could play,” he said. “They invited me to join. I am so happy to be playing with the guys on the team.”

More than a sporting event

Before Tuesday’s game, players from both Israel and the United States gathered to hear Yoav Schwartz speak about his nephew, Ezra Schwartz, the 18-year-old American who was murdered in a terrorist attack on Nov. 19, 2015, while volunteering in Israel during his gap year.

Schwartz told the players that just one day before he was killed, Ezra had emailed the Israel Association of Baseball asking whether he could join a local team. Today, the field where the Maccabiah baseball tournament is being played bears his name.

The teams had also heard the previous day from Debbie Ziering, who shared the story of her son Aryeh, among the first Israeli soldiers killed defending southern Israel during the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.

Moments like those underscore how the Maccabiah extends well beyond athletic competition.

For nearly two weeks, athletes compete in more than 40 sports while forging friendships across continents, sharing experiences of Jewish life in vastly different countries and strengthening their connection to Israel.

For competitors like Raichman, Chavez and Gaon, the Maccabiah Games also provide something increasingly rare: the opportunity to celebrate both the countries that shaped them and the country they now call home.

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Original Article Published On The JNS

For 24-year-old, Minor League pitcher Daniel Federman, the trip via Uber and airplane from the Baltimore Orioles spring training camp in Sarasota, Fla., to Team Israel’s facility in Jupiter three hours east across the state provided much more than just a chance to play baseball in another Florida city. It affords him the opportunity to reconnect with his Jewish roots and with fond memories of his paternal Jewish grandparents.

Federman, who grew up in the backdrop of Chanukah, Passover and Christmas, had two paternal Jewish grandparents and his mother Amy’s father is Jewish.

“My father’s Jewish side was not extremely religious, but holidays were family times. We got together as part of our heritage,” he told JNS.

The family’s Jewish connection “died out” largely when Federman’s grandparents died. “My father wishes he could but didn’t know how to do it, so it’s been a while,” the pitcher said of his father’s connection to Jewish ritual.

Federman’s father was kicked out of Hebrew school, so he opted not to subject his son to it, and Federman did not celebrate his bar mitzvah. His parents let him decide about his own religious affiliation and supported his decisions.

He played baseball and basketball at his local JCC in Davie, Fla., and almost played Maccabiah basketball before baseball took priority.

Federman said that he first learned about Israel’s World Baseball Classic team as a student at the University of Miami. His fellow baseball teammate at the university, Ben Wanger, pushed him to go on Birthright and to live a more Jewish life, and told him about the Israeli team. Federman has not been able to visit Israel yet, as he has been busy with college, the baseball draft and then his signing.

“I spoke to my mother, and she has been dying to go,” he said of an Israel trip. Ironically, they had decided to go before he got involved with Team Israel. He anticipates that they will make the trip after the baseball season.

Federman, No. 99. Credit: Team Israel.

‘Oh man, you are actually doing it!’

Peter Kurz, general manager of the Israeli team, told JNS that Federman is “definitely a pitcher with potential.”

Wanger’s recommendation of Federman to the team is the sort of thing that has been happening more after the team’s success at the last World Baseball Classic and at the 2020 Olympics.

“Many players came to us upon recommendations of others,” said Kurz. “That’s a major source of our players—simply word of mouth and recruitment by ex-players.”

Federman found out on Feb. 7 that Team Israel invited him to join the 30-member roster for the World Baseball Classic. The team’s first game is on March 11.

“It hit me: Oh man, you are actually doing it!” he said.

He has already had a chance to reaffirm his Jewish identity. The day after arriving at the team’s training center, Federman joined teammates to hear the Megillah on Purim.

With the blessing of the Orioles, he will spend two weeks with Team Israel before joining his Baltimore teammates for spring training.

“There are lots of great guys out there, and I am excited to meet them,” he said of his Team Israel colleagues. The teammates had communicated via group chat, which is par for the course in baseball. When Federman joined the Orioles organization, he also didn’t know anyone.

“The good thing about the baseball community is that there are a lot of mutual connections. You will always know guys you grew up with, and we are all there to play baseball,” he said.

He obviously hopes that he will make it to the major leagues someday, but even if he doesn’t, he thinks what he is experiencing with coreligionists is more than enough.

“Millions would trade with me. It will be unbelievable!” he practically gushed, adding that the World Baseball Classic is “the highest level of competition most will play in front of.”

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Original article published in the JNS

“It was the moment you dream about for so long,” said the 27-year-old of being told by Marlins manager and Major League Baseball legend Don Mattingly that he was being activated. “You know you are forever a big leaguer—whether you ever pitch or not.”

The Miami Marlins baseball team has a good sense of humor and loves a good fish story. When Jewish player Jake Fishman was called up to the majors from the triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp organization, the Marlins tweeted, “Last name says it all. Newest FISHman,” with a photo and caption “Jake Fishman: Welcome to the Show.”

The 27-year-old left-hander from Sharon, Mass., known for his sidearm delivery, threw mostly sinkers and sliders in his recent three-and-one-third-inning debut against the first-place New York Mets on July 31. While most of the pitches came in under 90 miles per hour, Fishman threw 33 strikes in his 49 pitches. Yet despite his successful appearance, Fishman was designated for assignment the next day to make room for lefty pitcher Jesus Luzardo, who returned to the team as he came off the 60-day injured list.

When self-described “huge Miami Marlins fan” Michele Lobovits heard that Fishman was sent down to the minors, she was disappointed. Lobovits said that she and other Jewish members of a diverse baseball chat group “were so excited for Fishman. Unfortunately, he was kind of a pawn. He pitched in one game and was DfA’d. That means another team could pick him up. Or we could get him back.”

Fishman spoke by phone with JNS while relaxing at his parents’ home in Sharon. He doesn’t share Lobovits’s disappointment and is relentlessly positive as he recounts the story of his Major League debut and shares tales of his baseball career to date.

“It was the moment you dream about for so long,” said Fishman of being told by Marlins manager and Major League Baseball legend Don Mattingly that he was being activated. “You know you are forever a big leaguer—whether you ever pitch or not.”

Jake Fishman as a young pitcher. Credit: Courtesy.

‘My first pitch was a strike’

Fishman recalled that he got called to the manager’s office while on the road in Georgia. “It really happened quickly. He told Nick Neidert and me that we were going to the Marlins, but didn’t know [at the time] if we’d be activated. The next day, we flew to Miami and spoke with Mattingly, and he told us he’d keep us posted.”

Fishman called his parents, Hutch and Cindy, at 10:30 p.m. on July 29 and told them: “I may get called up.” His parents began searching for flights to Miami. They were not successful but did manage to get one to West Palm Beach and then drove two hours, arriving just in time for the Friday-night game.

Cindy gave a television interview as she watched from the stands along with a small entourage that included Jake’s girlfriend, a lifelong friend and his trainer. She recounted that “we had to really scramble to get a flight down here. All the flights were booked; we had to fly into West Palm Beach. You know all the airports are crazy and the car-rental places are crazy, but we managed to get here. And ever since, we’ve been here [at the ballpark] every day, and it has been great!”

Fishman, who wore No. 94, didn’t play that night. He says he watched the games on Friday and Saturday from the Marlins bullpen.

On Sunday, he was following pitcher Pablo Lopez closely as the Marlins trailed 6-0 in the third inning. “His pitch count was going up, and I was getting ready. In the third inning, they called down to the bullpen and said, ‘Get red hot,’ ” a sign that he might be called in to pitch. When he finally got the nod, Fishman ran out to the pitcher’s mound.

“It was a surreal feeling!” he recalled.

Mattingly tried to put Fishman at ease. “He told me there were guys on first and second, and two out, and said, ‘Go get ’em!’ He made it feel like a regular baseball game.”

Fishman came on with the Marlins trailing the Mets 6-0 in the third inning. He had to come to terms with the fact that he would be facing Mets shortstop and four-time all-star Francisco Lindor. “I didn’t imagine I’d be going up against Lindor as my first batter. I was freaking out a bit! My first pitch was a strike, and I said, ‘I think we got this.’ ”

“He grounded out to third on a sinker, and it helped me calm down and know I’d be fine,” said Fishman, who faced each batter in the Mets lineup at least once and gave up one run on four hits in the Marlins 9-3 loss at Loan Depot Park.

He learned that his time at home with his parents would soon come to an end. He cleared waivers and flew to Jacksonville to rejoin the Jumbo Shrimp, but remains upbeat.

Hutch Fishman said his son was born into a baseball family: “What helped his baseball enormously was that his brother, who is four-and-a-half years older, let Jake play with him and his friends. … He was 8 playing with 12-year-olds.”

Fishman attended Hebrew school and celebrated his bar mitzvah at Congregation Klal Yisrael in Sharon. “It was a lot of work learning to read from the Torah, but it felt rewarding,” he said. Fishman acknowledged that his Hebrew-school attendance and temple involvement “tapered off” a bit after his bar mitzvah so he could focus on baseball.

Despite a successful high school baseball career, he was not recruited by Division 1 schools for college baseball. Hutch said, “He was 5 feet tall when he was a freshman in high school. … He grew late, so no D1 schools were interested.” Fishman was reportedly 5’7” until he had a seven-inch growth spurt in his junior year. He now stands 6’3” and weighs 215 pounds!

Fishman went on to pitch at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., where he led all of college baseball with a 0.41 earned run average. He was selected in the 30th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. As he was still in college, he negotiated a contract that would include paying his tuition. Fishman returned to Union in 2018 to complete his degree in managerial economics with a minor in digital media. He spent six years in the minors with the Blue Jays organization before being selected by the Marlins in 2020.

Win against Mexico ‘a very special moment’

Fishman was also on the roster for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Peter Kurz, general manager of Israel’s Olympic and national teams, noted that “Jake Fishman was on our extended pitching roster in the 2017 WBC, but unfortunately, was not needed by the team. He has come a long way since then, and making his debut in MLB this past week was wonderful to see. He played for us in the Olympics and is a big side-armed lefty who pitched in three critical games for us. He was a wonderful teammate and really loved to be around the guys. He fit in perfectly with the team, and I hope that he’ll be on our 2023 WBC team as well.”

In order to play on Israel’s Olympic team, Fishman needed to obtain Israeli citizenship by formally making aliyah in 2019. “Traveling the country and competing in the Olympics were definitely highlights,” he reported. He was struck by the “amazing food” in Israel and was surprised by just how modern Tel Aviv was, saying with gusto: “I want to go back!”

Fishman observed that “competing in the Olympics is different than regular professional baseball—in Minor League Baseball, the team is focused on development. In the Olympics, all that matters is winning and getting the job done!”

In 2021, Israel defeated Mexico 12-5 in the double round-robin phase of the Olympic baseball tournament. Fishman said that “winning versus Mexico was a very special moment.”

The Fishman parents were proud of Jake for playing for Team Israel in the Olympics. “We woke up early and stayed up late to watch all of the games. Watching Jake play with former Major League players with good careers was cool,” said Hutch.

After years in the minors and a stint with Team Israel, Fishman finally saw Major League action. While his stint with the MLB Marlins was short-lived for now, he said he is pleased to remain in the Marlins’ system. He may even get the second chance that will make Lobovits and other fans happy.

Jake Fishman and his parents, Hutch and Cindy Fishman. Credit: Courtesy.
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