Experiences in Israel

Shalom Shalom, boker tov! Yeah I am fluent in Hebrew, not too mention fluent in Australian and Canadian. I have now been in Y’srael for 4 weeks and I have so much to share with you wonderful people. Let me begin with a blanket statement, Israel is exactly like South Dakota. The only difference I have noticed are in the toilets; I swear in Israel you could flush a bowling ball and tucks pads with no problems – oh you bet I tried this experiment the other night. When I arrived to Israel I really had no concept of what it was going to be like. My friends and family both told me that life is not that much different from life in the states, which I am finding to be very true. There is grass just like in the states. There are buildings, some are tall like in the states and there are walls where hundreds of religious men and woman go to pray everyday, except on Saturdays, which is just like the states. In fact in Chicago I think there is a similar wall in Cabrini Green where adolescents go and write very spiritual notes after sundown.

In all honesty Israel is nothing like I have seen before. Negotiating the cab fare is mandatory, even if it’s a fair deal. Paddleball is the national pastime, not baseball. Salads do not consist of lettuce, rather tomatoes (which must be in excess because no matter what I’m eating there are tomatoes. This might gross some of you out, but my ice cream the other night had tomato skin in place of the sprinkles, what!!!). While driving it is perfectly acceptable to hit the car in front of you if it means gaining position on the driver next to you.

Now that I have shared Israel, it’s time to share with you my experiences of the IBL leading up to this point. The baseball so far has been very enjoyable. The games are every day. Side note for those people back home, there was a mistake with the game televised on PBS. Someone manipulated the film and had me striking out three times, which is just wrong. I bet it was Big Bird, he is such a practical joker. Sorry for going on a tangent, but I need to clear that up. Ok, back to the baseball. Every day, except for Saturday we are at the baseball field. Both teams ride to and from the field together. Interesting dynamic, imagine calling your parents to tell them that you beat the crap out of an opposing team, while sitting next to the starting pitcher. This hasn’t happened to me yet because my team is 3-17, but I have a good feeling about our new team strategy. Because the format has changed and all teams make it to the playoffs, we are going to rest all our starters for the next 22 games, so they are fresh and then make a strong push to be the first ever IBL champs. Laugh, but you will be singing the PT Pioneers praises when it pays off.

My team is actually very talented; we have just had some unfortunate breaks. The experience up to this point has been fantastic. I have met some incredible people, I have seen some magical places and I have been able to play baseball in front of hundreds young children. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and I will be sure to update you lovely people in the very near future.

My Travels

Hi fans, I am writing this blog from O’Hare Airport in Chicago, IL, approximately 1hr before I board the plane. Man is it exciting! It truly is amazing how I went into Terminal 5 and I felt like I entered the United Nations. For all of you that cannot afford to go over-seas just go to your international airport and step into the international terminal. It is just as good as a visit to whatever country, for a fraction of the cost. I ask you, how is Spain any different from the terminal, the people don’t speak English and there is a McDonalds?

As I am sitting here looking at the Chicago skyline I want to take a moment to reflect on my past two weeks in the United States. Many of my fans (and by many, I mean my mom) asked me how have I prepared for this journey. It is very simple; everything I have done over the past two weeks has been a complete replication of what it will be like for the trip out to Israel.

My first form of preparation was training for the flight. I went out and hired three people; a heavy set man named Frederick, a mother named Betsy and her two year old daughter Misti. These people were hired solely for the fourteen-hour flight. The four of us would meet two times a week for exactly fourteen hours. Frederick would sit to my right, but because of his enormous size he was pretty much in my lap and Betsy and Misti sat to my left, where Misti spent exactly twelve hours crying, complaining, touching me, touching my seat, and pooping. Frederick and I worked really hard on having the same conversation and I believe with his teachings I can now tell you my name, where I’m from and then fake asleep. Betsy and Misti taught me even more – first was how to stay sane and second was to appreciate “bogger hands” touching your hair. Another form of training that I worked on was with my roommate, Noah Gottlieb (aka Perma). He has been amazing through this whole process and I will accredit most of my successes to this young man. Every night, right after I fell asleep, Perma would sneak into my room, turn off the air-conditioning, and then speak through a loud speaker, “This is your captain speaking, sorry about the delay, it seems that our engine has a minor problem, but we will be off the ground in no time.” I think I am ready for all the elements.

The next part of my preparation was getting ready for the three-hour layover in Milan. Yes it seems like a very short time, but it is an interregnal part of the training. I prepared for this by having my friend from middle school, Mario, speak to me in Italian as fast as he possibly could and then he would point to things that didn’t apply to my flight or life. Did he teach me a lot, no, and now Mario and I are no longer friends.

The final part of my preparation was simulating Israel. This was a little trickier, but I think we got it close enough. I moved to the beach on Lake Michigan and built a Kibbutz. On this Kibbutz I gave up all worldly possessions and I lived off the land. I caught four-eyed fish from the lake and I carried a Machine Gun for protection. I want to thank the Chicago Police for posing as Insurgents and for allowing me to fire rubber bullets at them. Everyone on the beach was so kind.

I truly believe that I am ready for this experience. I am very excited and I look forward to spending time in Israel. To my teammates – opening day is around the corner (fans in Chicago, New York, Miami, Boston, LA please tune to PBS on July 1st to watch us dominate), lets have a little fun and make the league proud.

Freshman Year

Hello and Good Afternoon

In this blog I am going to speak about my freshman year of playing college baseball. I would like to take a quick moment to congratulate my Alma Mater, Emory University, on finishing 2nd in the Division III College World Series. To Coach Mike Twardoski and all the Emory Eagles you fought so hard and played so well to make it to the championship game. You guys made me really proud and I know you made your professors proud; most of which don’t even know Emory has a team.

My college baseball career began in the fall of 2001. A little background on Emory’s baseball… they were good, really good. In the previous years they had participated in the College World Series, they had produced Honorable Mention Jewish All-American’s and they even had a young man get recruited by Bank of America to do Ibanking. The team had a reputation and it was very intimidating.

The first test was just to make the team, even though the coaches heavily recruited me and I was nasty on the diamond, they still held tryouts. It was a rigorous tryout that consisted of 60-yard dash (dominated), arm strength (dominated), bat speed and power (dominated) and lastly the LSAT (dominated). Final cuts were made and I was fortunate enough to stick around - side bar: there were some very good players who did not make the squad, so if you read my blog – I’m sorry, if you don’t read my blog, what I said a minute ago is a lie, you really weren’t that good.

So the team was set but the next test was to become a starter. This was going to be a little more difficult because there were several upper-classmen that had proved their excellence. But I had the x-factor, something that they didn’t have; it was called the “P & Rally”. Few posses this ability, but I guess the big guy, G-d, was looking out for me. I discovered the “P & Rally” during “Parents Weekend” that fall of my freshman year…

We were playing in an intra-squad, my team, the gold team was up to bat in the 5th inning. Let’s take a step back really quick to the night before… My lovely parents Lynn and Steve took me out to a very nice dinner in Atlanta. I was feeling great about having my family in town so I decided to get the Chicken Parmesan, yes I’m lactose intolerant and yes it gives me the _____ (Please fill in the word of your choice). Dinner was great, but the next morning was not. I felt off, my head, my neck, my back, my stomach and my left quad. Now please revert back to the 5th inning, my team is up to bat and I’m standing in the on deck circle. At this point everything that felt off had come together into a cyclone of epic proportions and sent me sprinting into the dugout to find a trashcan. Fortunately I found the trashcan; unfortunately my Chicken Parmesan did not. I’m pretty sure that over 15 teammates were sitting on the bench and they really did not appreciate my gift. Needless to say, I could not play anymore and me having the x-factor of the “P & Rally” is a sham – I did not rally.

Don’t worry, everything turned out all right for me. My teammates and coaches were able to look past it; all I had to do was graduate and move to Chicago for them to not bring it up anymore. If there is a moral to this story it’s that no matter how excited you are to see your parents, don’t eat things that your body cannot tolerate. And if you do in-fact decide to eat something that doesn’t agree and has never agreed with your body, make sure you get it in the trashcan.

Until next time – much love to my people.

Draft Night

The date was April 26th, 8:30 a.m. and I was standing in front of the mirror looking at the future of the IBL. My mind began to wonder, for all I could think about was how I am a part of history and that when little children in Israel open their history books, my picture would probably sit right next to Prime Minister Golda Meir as having major socio-economic influences over the country. My daydreaming was ended when the light from the Chicago sunrise hit a pimple forming on my forehead. I was shaken up, some would say devastated. This zit would have huge implications on my draft pick. With my boyish good looks and ability to pull off the sweater vest; I was confident in a top 20 pick, but now I would be lucky to fall in the top 120. You ask, what is a man to do? Well, I did what any sensible person would do, the comb down.

After handling the mild crisis I was ready to fly into Manhattan for the Draft. My personal chauffer Gerardo was late, so I took the “el” (Public Transit) and I arrived just in time to upgrade my seat from row 27 to row 3. The life of a pro… It has its perks. When I landed in New York, I could sense the energy. In fact when I got through security I was bombarded with chants of, “White Chocolate Thunder, White Chocolate Thunder!” and I could barely see in front of me because of all the flashes. My grandma really is the best; she was able to gather 3 of her girlfriends to pick me up. In return I wrote her a check for $6 dollars and $0.25 cents.

I hung out in the city for several hours and then around 6:00 p.m. I went to Cardozo Law School to attend the greatest IBL draft in the past 5 years. The event was top notch and the entire evening was handled so well… I cannot verbalize how great of a job everyone did. From the young women, Emily Posner and Alicia Post, who set up the event, to the lovely young woman in the white shirt who kept replenishing the kosher snacks, to my main men Martin Berger, Dan Duquette and Larry Baras who have made all this possible. I look up to these three men and not because I’m only 5’9”, but because I have no doubt they will develop this league into one of the most reputable leagues in the world. I was honored to be drafted by the Petach Tikva Pioneers (Projected record 45-1) and I cannot wait for opening day.

To my fans – I will be in touch with you soon.

IBL PLAYER DRAFT COMING SOON!

Ladies and Gentlemen it is good to have you back. I hope that everyone is getting excited for the Israel Baseball League because I am. For all of you who don’t know, next week is the IBL draft. My agent, Toucan Sam (yes the cartoon character), has spoken to a couple teams and believes with my unique skill set, I will be chosen in the top 120. Am I nervous? Absolutely! Is there a lot of pressure going top 120? Of course there is! Leading up to April 29th at 8EST, (the day the IBL Player Draft can be viewed on www.israelbaseballleague.com), I have been working extremely hard to get my body in shape. I will give you a behind the scenes tour of what it’s like to be a potential top 120 pick…

Every morning I wake up around 7:00am, look at my clock and say to myself, “I am going to be the best ever”, then I turn off my alarm clock and go back to bed. See one of my personal philosophies is that to be the best, you have to imagine you are the best. That is why I wake up at 7:00am because for the next three hours I dream about being the best. At 10:00am I pull myself out of bed and go straight to the computer. The first website I look at is www.israelbaseballleague.com, which is something every one of you should do. I am confident in saying that this website is more important than your online bank statement or even email. After thoroughly reading through the site, I then click on our sponsor’s websites to see what amazing things they are doing in the world. Again, do what you please, but I think these sites are also more important than anything else you can find on the Internet. At 11:30am I fix myself a sensible meal, which typically consists of fried chicken wings, French Fries and a side of iceberg lettuce drenched in creamy ranch. Oh and a liter of cola to wash it down. I am a firm believer in the fried diet and will attribute a majority of my success to the extra crispy wings from my local market.

Around 1pm is when the hard training begins. I take the elevator twelve floors down to my lobby, I walk one city block and then I get back into my elevator and ride it twelve floors up. I then do eight sit-ups and two push-ups and then I flex in my mirror for sixteen minutes. Shortly after this rigorous workout I take a two-hour nap, in which again I dream about being the best. When I wake up, it’s time for hitting and throwing. I have a great gig with the local middle school team. They throw me BP and in return I inspire them to become better individuals. After 8minutes of BP I head home and have more fried foods.

In all honesty I have spent the last couple of weeks working extremely hard to get my mind and body in shape. Every morning I work on my cardio along with my speed and agility. After a healthy and hearty meal, I go back to the gym and train a specific muscle group for two hours. In the early evening I drive to Bash Sports Academy, which I think is a top-notch facility in the Chicagoland area, and I spend about forty-five minutes hitting. I can feel my game coming back nicely and I can’t wait for June 24th.

Don’t miss the IBL Draft which can be seen on April 29th on the IBL website. I look forward to writing to you soon!

Bat Boy

Hi there folks! It is good to be back writing again. So last blog I took you on a trip of my entire life, but there are so many details that I left out. I feel like it is my civil duty to delve into a specific period and give you a little more insight into my life. Since there are several key moments in my life, I will only choose one for this blog. I will write about the end of my senior year of high school leading up to my departure to The Emory University.

Close your eyes and date back to the year 2001. Picture a 5’10" 158lb man, with no facial hair, small biceps and a huge nose. This was me in high school if you were wondering where I was going with this. The date was May 19th (Give or take a week) and my team, Cherry Creek, was playing for the 5A State Championships. The first round of the tournament was against a very strong team out of Arvada and word around the stadium was that a very influential member of the Colorado Rockies front office was in the building. This was nothing new for me. Scouts were always at the field watching my teammates, looking for the next Ken Holtzman, Art Shamsky and Ron Blomberg, but we all new it would be close to impossible. Not enough Jews in Colorado. I always thought of myself as a major league caliber player – I had 4 out of the 5 tools that were essential to make in the bigs. I could run, I could throw, I could hit and I could go weeks without showering.

I can remember that day everything was going my way and man did I look good. I am a modest guy so I went tell you the niddy griddy details, like how I went 2-4 with a squeeze bunt for a hit, but man was it a good day. So after the game, the gentleman from the Rockies approached me with an opportunity that every kid dreams of. He said to me, "Aaron, we love how you carry yourself on the field and we think you would be an asset to the Rockies organization." I was in awe; all the summers of playing ball and missing the opportunity to go to Jewish sleep away camp with Long Island kids had finally paid off for me.

That night I shared the amazing news with all my friends and family, I was going to be the Bat Boy for the sub .500 Colorado Rockies. The training was crazy hard, but on August 14th (Again – not sure of the date, but it was close) it all came to reality. The Rockies were playing the Atlanta Braves in a meaningless game. On that day I hustled and I worked like it was my last game in the Rockies Bat Boy uniform because in fact it was. My skill to retrieve the bats was unparallel. Some people think it was because I was 8 years older than every other Bat Boy in the league, but I believe it’s because I had more drive and passion. The Rockies did not retire my jersey or have a parade for me, but I know they miss my tenacity and ability to organize the helmets at the end of a long game.

I will end with this...I hope for all you little guys who want to be Bat Boys you follow your dreams. It is not an easy journey, but with some heart and a family connection to a professional team, you too could be a Bat Boy.

Intro

I was born September 10, 1982 in Denver, Colorado. I was 7 lbs 6 ounces and my head weighed 6 lbs. At the ripe age of one, I took my first steps and at the age of two I was able to recite the "Star Spangled Banner", boy genius, maybe. When I was three my family packed up and moved to a suburb called Englewood. We were living the good life then; a three bedroom house with a door, a window and a welcome mat. I think I really hit my stride at five years old when I became valedictorian of my Kindergarten class and I had my first leg hair.

Around seven was when I found my love for baseball. I remember my dad taking me into the backyard to teach me the fundamentals of this lovely game. He spoke to me for hours, but honestly I don't remember the conversation at all. In fact, I am pretty sure I was thinking about how my dad had a weird shaped head and didn't hear one thing he said.

So then the practice began. My dad threw me a bunch of "fly balls" and I did not catch one and come to think of it I didn't even open my eyes because I was so afraid. But that fear soon dwindled and I found a passion for the game. I can remember that all I wanted to do was play baseball. But there came a point when I wanted to walk away from the game that had taught me so much. When I was 10 years old I felt like baseball was taking over my life. I had no time to feed my pet lizard Jerome and my girlfriend was starting to complain because I was always on the road. So I told my parents that I was going to retire.

My mom sat me down and said, "You can quit, but you have to go to practice and tell everyone on your team." I went to practice that day with every intention of quitting, but when push came to shove, I couldn't do it. I loved the game, I loved the smell of fresh cut grass and I loved the taste of bubble gum. I played baseball throughout middle school and did very well. I played for a competitive travel team, which allowed me to see some of the most beautiful places in all the world. Next time you are in the United States you need to visit Farmington, New Mexico; La Junta, Colorado; and Watts, California because they truly are special places.

My baseball career continued to thrive and my senior year, I was making the decision on whether I go to college and play baseball or go to college and play intramural sports. So I chose to play baseball at Emory University. This was the first time in my life that there was another Jew on the team. And everything you have heard about Jews not being good athletes was incorrect.

These Jews would have made Abraham and Isaac proud, or at the very least their Nana's and Bubbies proud. College was a challenge for me. When I wasn't playing baseball and attending social functions, I was trying to get my education in business. See my feeling was that if baseball didn't pan out, I would go into the corporate world and after 3 years become the CEO of Wal-Mart. I figured that was a modest 3 year plan.

College baseball was amazing; my team was one of the best in the country and we made it all the way to the College World Series in 2003. You might not recognize some of the teams we played, but it was still a very big deal. When I graduated Emory, I thought my dream of being a professional baseball player was over with, so I went into the next best thing; telemarketing. I moved to Chicago to work for The Chicago Bulls as a cold calling season ticket salesman. I was making 70 phone calls a day and my typical phone call went like this, "Hi my name is Aar___" hang up and then silence.

After almost a year with the Bulls, I switched jobs and began working for a start-up company. I have been at the company for over a year and have helped it move into high growth. But now I am ready for the next adventure in my life, professional baseball in Israel. I can't wait to move to Israel because I hear the people are amazing and the culture is even better. I look forward to sharing more stories with you in the near future and if you have any questions - please don't hesitate to post a comment.

Seriously, I look forward to being in touch with all of you.