‘Take High Road, Laugh, Have Fun With It,’ Team Israel Coach Says of Criticism of Jewish Players

Jonathan D. Salant | JNS

Assaf Lowengart, the primary Israeli-born skilled baseball participant and the one sabra on Team Israel within the World Baseball Classic, was wanting to have his dad and mom come from Timorim to see him in motion in 2023.

But he broke his ankle three weeks earlier than the event started and his dad and mom stayed house.

Lowengart healed, got here again to Team Israel and ready to welcome his dad and mom to Miami for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. But then battle broke out with Iran, and his dad and mom canceled their baseball journey for a second time.

Instead, he talks together with his household earlier than taking the sector as a result of time distinction.

“I’m healthy, I can play and they can’t come because of the war,” Lowengart instructed JNS after ending battling observe. He wore cleats inscribed with am Yisrael chai, Hebrew for “the nation of Israel lives.”

He described having a variety of feelings on the identical time: “special” and “awesome,” but additionally each “happy” and “sad.”

Lowengart received into Monday’s game, enjoying middle area towards the Dominican Republic. He snagged a protracted fly ball off the bat of outfielder Juan Soto (New York Mets) within the last inning of the 10-1 loss.

“When you play, obviously when you get between the lines—it’s baseball,” he instructed JNS. “So you gotta clear the head, focus on the task at hand, win the game.”

Players stated that they had been conscious of the continuing battle with Iran, at the same time as their fundamental focus all week remained on baseball.

“We obviously are in support of Israel,” outfielder Zach Levenson (St. Louis Cardinals) stated, responding to a JNS query at a press convention.

“I try not to look at it that way,” he instructed JNS. “I try to just keep my eyes on the field and do what we can to play winning baseball on the field and to raise awareness for Israel.”

Dean Kremer (Baltimore Orioles), the profitable pitcher in Sunday’s game towards Nicaragua, was born in California to Israeli dad and mom, usually visits the Jewish state and acknowledges what’s happening in his ancestral homeland.

“It’s not the first time that they’ve had to deal with this and probably won’t be the last time,” Kremer stated at a unique press convention in the course of the World Baseball Classic.

“But they’re a strong group of people,” he stated. “We’re a very resilient group of people—my family over there holding tight as best as possible. They’re just staying strong.”

Others had completely different experiences. Outfielder RJ Schreck (Toronto Blue Jays) stated that he hasn’t skilled a lot Jew-hatred.

“I have been lucky enough not really to feel much antisemitism in my life,” he instructed reporters. “I grew up in L.A. around a lot of Jews. Went to a couple of colleges that you meet some people that have never met Jews before, but there’s still a large Jewish population at both colleges.”

“I’m lucky to have not experienced it, and just really excited to play baseball here,” he stated. “That’s been fun.”

Team Israel’s bench coach and former Red Sox, Kevin Youkilis, pushed back not too long ago on social media towards a critic who instructed he was extra loyal to the Jewish state, since he wasn’t on Team USA within the event. (A Boston Herald reporter famous that he wasn’t requested to be a part of the American group.)

“It’s kind of interesting how people just want to put stuff out there and you just gotta correct the record and just let people know that you’re proud of your heritage, you’re proud to coach this team,” Youkilis instructed JNS.

“Online is just online,” he stated. “That’s their real world. We’re living the real world on the field, and we do this for a living because we love it.”

“Social media is a whole other world in itself where people are living a whole different kind of life,” he stated.

Youkilis, who spent 10 years within the main leagues, primarily with the Red Sox, instructed JNS that he made no apologies for embracing his late father’s heritage.

“I’m not gonna not stand up for our Jewish heritage and our pride,” Youkilis stated. “So for me, I don’t shy away from it. It’s never going to get me down, because I’m just gonna keep living my life, loving baseball, loving my family and loving my heritage.”

“With all the criticism normally directed at players at the ballpark, you develop a thick skin,” he stated.

“I’ve gotten a lot of things directed at me. You can either let it bother you, or laugh,” Youkilis instructed JNS. “So you either have a choice to get angry and let it take on that energy, or you can just take the high road and laugh and have fun with it.”

Team Israel supervisor Brad Ausmus (New York Yankees) stated that he wouldn’t have stated something, however Youkilis is a unique sort of animal.

“That’s Youk being Youk. Youk likes to engage,” Ausmus instructed JNS throughout a press convention. “I tend to be a little more private on social media. But Youk is—I mean this in the best possible way—unique and fun to be around and fun to have around.”

“It’s unfortunate in this world and in an age where there’s anonymity on social media, people say stuff that they wouldn’t say to someone’s face,” Ausmus stated. “He enjoys the back and forth. Others don’t.”

JNS requested Ausmus, who served as bench coach on Team Israel three years in the past earlier than turning into supervisor this 12 months, about operating the group at a time of peace and amid battle.

“Well, obviously the state of the world is different,” Ausmus stated. “But at the end of the day, this is baseball. And truthfully we’re all the participants in the WBC. We’re representing our heritage and hoping to bring some joy to people even in tough times, which these are—tough times.”

“I remember that’s what happened in the United States when 9/11 occurred and baseball came back and brought joy to people across America,” he instructed JNS. “We hope in some of these tough times we can do the same thing.”

Ausmus has been concerned with Team Israel since 2012, together with two stints as supervisor and one as a bench coach.

“I have enjoyed it so much that I’ve continued to come back,” he stated. “I still have good friends from the 2012 team, and some of those people are in Israel right now.”

A group from Venezuela additionally participated within the World Baseball Classic. In January, U.S. forces invaded the nation and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro, who’s now standing trial in New York City.

Veteran main league participant and supervisor Dusty Baker, supervisor of Nicaragua, described the World Baseball Classic as a “sanctuary” from violence elsewhere.

“It’s all baseball right now,” he instructed JNS at a press convention. “There’s not a whole bunch that we can do about the political scene in the world. I mean, there’s a lot going on. But hopefully baseball is a sanctuary away from the problems at least for a few hours, which I’m hoping that we have peace, keep peace, at least through this classic.”