Bet Shemesh Blue Sox
Encyclopedia
The Beit Shemesh Blue Sox are an Israel
i baseball
team from Bet Shemesh
.
It is one of the inaugural teams in the Israel Baseball League
. They had the best regular season record (29-12, .707), and won the inaugural championship August 19, 2007, in Petach Tikva, shutting out Art Shamsky
’s Modi’in Miracle 3-0 in the championship game. Californian RHP Rafael Bergstrom pitched a complete game shutout
, downing Dominican RHP Maximo Nelson (5-3, 3.55 ERA) who pitched for Modi’in.
On February 26, 2007, it was announced that former Major League Baseball
player Ron Blomberg
would be the manager of the Blue Sox.. Team colors also reflect Blomberg's stint with the New York Yankees
, and hopes that IBL officials had of creating a rivalry between Art Shamsky
's Modi'in Miracle
(similar colors to the New York Mets
) and the Blue Sox.
The first player selected by the Blue Sox in the inaugural draft was Canadian
right handed pitcher Jason Benson.
is home to the Blue Sox as well as the Modi'in Miracle
, as neither city has a baseball stadium. However, a new field is under construction in Bet Shemesh and should be ready by the summer of 2008.
logo and the New York Yankees
logo, and its letters make out the initials of the town of Bet Shemesh
, written in diagonal from right to left (because the Hebrew language
reads from right to left), as opposed to the White Sox which goes left to right.
. The team played well for the rest of the season, taking first place in the regular season, as well as winning the championship game on August 19, 2007, in front of 2,610 fans.
The team was the best offensive team in the IBL, coming in first in the following categories: batting average (.294), runs (286), hits (325), doubles (61), home runs (60), RBIs (251), and stolen bases (115). 23-year-old Australian right fielder
Jason Rees led the league with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs in 130 at bat
s. Shortstop
Gregg Raymundo, who hit .292 in 7 minor league
seasons and played for the Texas Rangers
' and Pittsburgh Pirates
' AAA teams, was a close second for the league title in batting, with a .459 batting average
. Jason Rees was signed to a minor league contract by the New York Yankees for the 2008 season.
One of the leading pitchers was Juan Feliciano of Bet Shemesh, who had pitched for the 2005-06 Hiroshima Carp in Japan. He was 7-1, with a 1.97 ERA, and in 50.1 innings gave up only 28 hits while striking out 73. Rafael Bergstrom was 7-2, with a 2.44 ERA.
The Commissioner's Award for Distinguished Service was awarded to shortstop Eric Holtz of Bet Shemesh, a player-coach who also filled in as player-manager.http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/895154.html
Three players from the Blue Sox won season awards for outstanding play: Raymundo shared the Hank Greenberg MVP award (along with Eladio Rodriguez
of the Modi'in Miracle), Juan Feliciano was named the best pitcher of the IBL, and Jason Rees received two awards: Best Outfielder (shared with Josh Doane of the Netanya Tigers
) and Home Run Champion (17).
The Blue Sox had 11 players named to the 2007 All-Star Team: Scott Jarmakowicz(C), Gregg Raymundo(SS), David Kramer(2B), Sean Slaughter(OF), Jason Reese(OF), Johnny Lopez(DH), Rafael Bergstrom(P), Ben Pincus(P), Scott Perlman(P), Juan Feliciano(P), and Jason Benson(P). Manager for the North team was Blue Sox manager Eric Holtz, and the North defeated the South 5-4.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team from Bet Shemesh
Bet Shemesh
Beit Shemesh is a city in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of 80,000. The history of Beit Shemesh goes back to pre-biblical times...
.
It is one of the inaugural teams in the Israel Baseball League
Israel baseball league
The Israel Baseball League was a six-team professional baseball league in Israel. The first game was played on June 24, 2007...
. They had the best regular season record (29-12, .707), and won the inaugural championship August 19, 2007, in Petach Tikva, shutting out Art Shamsky
Art Shamsky
Arthur Louis Shamsky is a former Major League Baseball player. He played right field, left field, and first base from to for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. In he was the manager of the Modi'in Miracle of the Israel Baseball League.-Early life:Shamsky...
’s Modi’in Miracle 3-0 in the championship game. Californian RHP Rafael Bergstrom pitched a complete game shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
, downing Dominican RHP Maximo Nelson (5-3, 3.55 ERA) who pitched for Modi’in.
History
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player Ron Blomberg
Ron Blomberg
Ronald Mark Blomberg , nicknamed Boomer, is a former Major League Baseball designated hitter, first baseman, and right fielder...
would be the manager of the Blue Sox.. Team colors also reflect Blomberg's stint with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, and hopes that IBL officials had of creating a rivalry between Art Shamsky
Art Shamsky
Arthur Louis Shamsky is a former Major League Baseball player. He played right field, left field, and first base from to for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. In he was the manager of the Modi'in Miracle of the Israel Baseball League.-Early life:Shamsky...
's Modi'in Miracle
Modi'in Miracle
The Modi'in Miracle is an Israeli baseball team from Modi'in in the Israel Baseball League.The Miracle finished the inaugrual 2007 season 22-19 in third place, and after upsetting the # 2 Tel Aviv Lightning in the semi-finals, lost to Ron Blomberg's Bet Shemesh Blue Sox 3-0 in the championship...
(similar colors to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
) and the Blue Sox.
The first player selected by the Blue Sox in the inaugural draft was Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
right handed pitcher Jason Benson.
Stadium
Located at Kibbutz Gezer, Gezer FieldKibbutz Gezer Field
Kibbutz Gezer Field is the home ground for Israeli baseball teams Modi'in Miracle and Bet Shemesh Blue Sox in the Israel Baseball League. It is located in Kibbutz Gezer.-References:...
is home to the Blue Sox as well as the Modi'in Miracle
Modi'in Miracle
The Modi'in Miracle is an Israeli baseball team from Modi'in in the Israel Baseball League.The Miracle finished the inaugrual 2007 season 22-19 in third place, and after upsetting the # 2 Tel Aviv Lightning in the semi-finals, lost to Ron Blomberg's Bet Shemesh Blue Sox 3-0 in the championship...
, as neither city has a baseball stadium. However, a new field is under construction in Bet Shemesh and should be ready by the summer of 2008.
Logo
The Blue Sox logo is a mixture of the Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
logo and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
logo, and its letters make out the initials of the town of Bet Shemesh
Bet Shemesh
Beit Shemesh is a city in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of 80,000. The history of Beit Shemesh goes back to pre-biblical times...
, written in diagonal from right to left (because the Hebrew language
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
reads from right to left), as opposed to the White Sox which goes left to right.
Team success
The Blue Sox jumped off to a good start in the beginning of the inaugrual 2007 season, winning 9 consecutive game before finally losing one to the Tel Aviv LightningTel Aviv Lightning
The Tel Aviv Lightning is an Israeli baseball team from Tel Aviv in the Israel Baseball League.The Lightning finished the inaugrual 2007 season in second place with a 26-14 record, and lost to the Modi'in Miracle in the semifinals of the 2007 IBL championship.6' 5" lefthander Aaron Pribble was...
. The team played well for the rest of the season, taking first place in the regular season, as well as winning the championship game on August 19, 2007, in front of 2,610 fans.
The team was the best offensive team in the IBL, coming in first in the following categories: batting average (.294), runs (286), hits (325), doubles (61), home runs (60), RBIs (251), and stolen bases (115). 23-year-old Australian right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Jason Rees led the league with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs in 130 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. Shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Gregg Raymundo, who hit .292 in 7 minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
seasons and played for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
' and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
' AAA teams, was a close second for the league title in batting, with a .459 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. Jason Rees was signed to a minor league contract by the New York Yankees for the 2008 season.
One of the leading pitchers was Juan Feliciano of Bet Shemesh, who had pitched for the 2005-06 Hiroshima Carp in Japan. He was 7-1, with a 1.97 ERA, and in 50.1 innings gave up only 28 hits while striking out 73. Rafael Bergstrom was 7-2, with a 2.44 ERA.
The Commissioner's Award for Distinguished Service was awarded to shortstop Eric Holtz of Bet Shemesh, a player-coach who also filled in as player-manager.http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/895154.html
Three players from the Blue Sox won season awards for outstanding play: Raymundo shared the Hank Greenberg MVP award (along with Eladio Rodriguez
Eladio Rodriguez
Eladio Y. Rodriguez is a professional baseball player. Rodriguez formerly went under the aliases of Ivan Rodriguez and Carlos Aleman....
of the Modi'in Miracle), Juan Feliciano was named the best pitcher of the IBL, and Jason Rees received two awards: Best Outfielder (shared with Josh Doane of the Netanya Tigers
Netanya Tigers
The Netanya Tigers is an Israeli baseball team from Netanya in the Israel Baseball League.The Tigers finished the inaugrual 2007 season in fourth place, 19-21 , and were defeated by the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox in the semifinals of the 2007 championship, 6-3.-History:The team's Manager is Israeli Ami...
) and Home Run Champion (17).
The Blue Sox had 11 players named to the 2007 All-Star Team: Scott Jarmakowicz(C), Gregg Raymundo(SS), David Kramer(2B), Sean Slaughter(OF), Jason Reese(OF), Johnny Lopez(DH), Rafael Bergstrom(P), Ben Pincus(P), Scott Perlman(P), Juan Feliciano(P), and Jason Benson(P). Manager for the North team was Blue Sox manager Eric Holtz, and the North defeated the South 5-4.