Last Friday, we took Zach to his first baseball game. He didn’t have any clue where he was, but it was fun for us.
Midland Rockhounds 11
San Antonio Missions 0
We’re Not Raising Grass!
May 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Famed Minnesota Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew has decided to end his battle against esophageal cancer and enter Hospice care.
As a kid, I had the opportunity to see Killebrew and the Twins play against the Texas Rangers at (the old) Arlington Stadium more than once. And, while I don’t remember a specific occasion of seeing him play, I do remember something that I heard said about him.
He is quoted as saying: “My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, ‘You’re tearing up the grass’; ‘We’re not raising grass,’ dad would reply. ‘We’re raising boys.'”
I’ve always thought that was one of neatest things a father could say, and locked it in my memory bank in case I ever needed to use it. Now, that I have a boy, I just might get to use it.
Farewell Israel Baseball
December 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Twelve years. That’s how long I was intimately involved in the activities of the Israel Association of Baseball: umpire, umpire trainer, club team coach, national team coach, fitness instructor, board member, peace envoy, guidance counselor and who knows what else.
Mine was an unlikely beginning: As I was walking down King David street, I heard the sound of a ball hitting a bat come from behind the YMCA. Curious about that sound, I went around the building to see, to my utter surprise, a baseball practice. I stood around watching, making mental notes of things that could be improved, and when the players took a break, I asked the coach if he would mind if I made some suggestions. He was receptive to my input and asked if I wanted to umpire the scrimmage game that was about to start.
That’s how it started. A twelve year relationship that has taken me to places like Cyprus; Moscow; north, central and south Italy; and Philadelphia, Omaha, Kansas City and Pittsburgh for various competitions. A relationship that gave me the opportunity to participate in two Jewish Olympics, once as an umpire, once as a coach. A relationship that gave me the opportunity to travel to Jordan as a peace envoy in a failed effort to forge a relationship between Israel Baseball and Jordan Baseball. A relationship that gave me the opportunity to meet Major League Baseball owners, players, scouts, and executives.
But most importantly it was a relationship that gave me the opportunity to invest in the lives of young men, to see boys mature into men who will one day move beyond baseball to be soldiers and university students and build careers and families. And hopefully do those things better because of something they learned in one of my programs.
I’m thankful to those who offered any type of support to my efforts whether it was a financial gift, a kind word, friendship, a word of wise counsel, or by running interference for me with my adversaries.
Now, it’s time for my four-month leave of absence to officially become a resignation. Thank you Israel Association of Baseball, it’s been a great ride.
Here are a few pics of my last act as Israel Baseball national team coach.
Bronze Medal: Team Israel
July 22, 2009 By 1 Comment
Here’s a group of guys that I’m very proud of. We finished the tournament with a 4-4 record and received the bronze medal. Two of our victories came in extra innings, 0ne against Canada, the other against Mexico.
