2013 World Baseball Classic – Qualifier 1

The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament in which players compete for national teams, with eligibility determined by whether a player qualifies for a country's citizenship.[1] That rule opened Team Israel's roster to Jewish baseball players around the world, creating an opportunity that the Israel Association of Baseball moved quickly to pursue after being invited in June 2011 to compete in the qualifying rounds.[1]

At the time, baseball in Israel was still a developing sport. The country had only one baseball field and was ranked 64th in the world, yet the Israel Association of Baseball reported that approximately 1,000 players were practicing and competing under its auspices, and Israel had already hosted European Championship qualifiers in 2011.[2][1] The association recruited coaches and players internationally, prioritizing those with an existing connection to Israel or an interest in a long-term relationship with the country.[1][3]

Qualifier 1 was held in Jupiter, Florida, and featured four nations: Israel, Spain, France, and South Africa.[4] The broader 2012 qualifying round consisted of four separate tournaments staged between September and November, with the other three held in Regensburg, Germany; Panama City, Panama; and New Taipei City, Taiwan. Each site was scheduled to host six games under a modified double-elimination format.[4]

Israel's squad was composed largely of Jewish-American players drawn from the U.S. minor leagues and included former Major League personnel.[5] Former Major League outfielder Shawn Green was among the veterans committed to Team Israel, and pitcher Josh Zeid took part in the campaign.[6][3] Joc Pederson, later a prominent major leaguer, was the youngest player on the team.[7]

Kevin Youkilis announced in August 2012 that he intended to play for Israel in the qualifying round, while former major-league catcher Brad Ausmus managed the squad.[6][8] Ryan Lavarnway, recruited because his mother was Jewish, was unable to join the qualifier because he was active in the Major Leagues at the time.[2] Ausmus managed Team Israel during its preparations and qualifying campaign from May through September 2012.[8]

Israel opened the tournament on September 19, 2012, against South Africa, with a second scheduled game on September 21 against either France or Spain and further games if the team advanced.[4] Israel won its first two games, setting up a final against Spain for the right to advance to the March 2013 tournament.[9]

Israel took an early two-run lead in the deciding game, but Spain battled back to tie the contest and force extra innings.[5] After ten innings and roughly five hours of play, Spain's Yunesky Sanchez delivered a two-run single up the middle to complete a 9–7 victory.[5] The game was played before a largely Jewish crowd at Roger Dean Stadium.[5]

Player Nick Rickles later recalled that champagne and a qualification sign had already been placed in Israel's locker room before the loss.[10] In the tenth inning, Israel's senior catcher was ejected, requiring Rickles to enter from the bench.[10] Spain advanced to the main tournament, while Israel was eliminated.[5]

The defeat left a lasting impression on several participants. Pitcher Josh Zeid, who had surrendered Israel's lead in the decisive game, described the loss as the "lowest of lows" of his career and said in 2016 that it was still eating him up inside.[2] Rickles likewise described the loss as a source of motivation and said he only fully grasped the magnitude of the opportunity after it had slipped away.[10]

Manager Brad Ausmus characterized the tournament as a positive experience despite the outcome and expressed hope that it would contribute to the growth and prosperity of baseball in Israel.[5] Peter Kurz and Zeid later recalled that the painful defeat increased motivation and public awareness around the Israeli baseball project.[3] Israel had come within one victory of reaching the main tournament.[3]

When Israel returned to qualifying in 2016, Zeid and Rickles both described the 2012 loss as motivation. The team then qualified for and competed in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.[2][10]

The qualifier was associated with the 2013 World Baseball Classic, but Israel's campaign itself took place in September 2012, a distinction that has caused inconsistent dating in later accounts.[2][10] Advance coverage described the broader qualifying competition as using a modified double-elimination format, while the report on the decisive Israel–Spain contest called that game a single-elimination qualifier.[4][5]

A later Ynet report says Israel reached a qualifying final in 2013 and lost to France, but it supplies no score, venue, or other identifying details.[11] By contrast, ONE identifies the 2012 final opponent as Spain, and Sport5 describes the same dramatic, approximately five-hour loss to Spain.[3][10] The account that Spain defeated Israel is therefore used throughout this article.