IBL Press Conference

Hi everyone! Just wanted to tell everyone a little about what has been going on here in New York regarding the Israel Baseball League. Many of you may know that there was a press conference here last week to introduce three of the IBL's managers to the media - former MLB stars (and Jews) Ron Blomberg, Art Shamsky, and Ken Holtzman. Blomberg was stuck out of town due to the crazy weather in the Midwest and couldn't make it, but Shamsky and Holtzman appeared at the event and spoke to the media about their history (did you know they grew up together?), expectations, and hopes for the league. I got to speak with both on a personal level, and was impressed with their collective savvy and expertise. I'd love to play for either of these guys.

I was also asked to speak, and I talked about my experiences in the past as a professional athlete and how I saw the IBL as a second chance to play baseball, a chance most people don't even get the first time. (That quote made it into several write ups!) I also talked about the impressive talent level of the IBL, both at the tryout in Hinsdale, MA I attended, as well as what I've heard from tryouts held around the globe, and while I fully expect to be one of the league's top pitchers this season (hey, if you don't have confidence in yourself, who will?) I definitely think we're going to see some amazing plays and great talent thrown into the mix on the field in Israel this year.

The press conference was very well attended and I wound up doing one-on-one interviews for another half hour with news outlets from both Israel and the United States, and I was definitely enjoying myself. I've since received congratulations from friends all over the world who read about or saw on TV information about the IBL and my role in it - I'm obviously very excited. All I can do now is make sure I get myself into top game shape before the season starts in June, and I'm doing my running, lifting, and throwing here in Manhattan as the opportunities permit. If anyone in NYC thinks they can keep up, I'm always looking for new athletic friends to train with...