June 17, 2011 | 3:52 am

Israel’s 2013 WBC Projected Team

Posted by Jeremy Fine

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It is early, but we are already excited about 2013 World Baseball Classic that will feature Israel. Baseball is rapidly growing in Israel. The now defunct Israeli Baseball League still carries momentum with all the books being written about the experience. Also growing percentage of Jewish MLBers make the 2013 WBC a realistic and natural time to for Israel to have a team. We decided to take a quick peek at what we at TGR think will be the team and lineup for the 2013 Israeli WBC team and also what a team would look like in a perfect world.

1) 2B – Ian Kinsler (Rangers)

2) SS – Danny Valencia (Twins)

3) 3B – Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox)

4) LF – Ryan Braun (Brewers)

5) 1B – Ike Davis (Mets)

6) RF – Gabe Kapler (Free Agent)

7) CF – Sam Fuld (Rays)

8) C – Brad Ausmus (Recently Retired)

P – Jason Marquis (Nationals)

P – Scott Feldman (Rangers)

P – Aaron Poreda (Padres Minors)

RP – John Grabow (Cubs)

RP – Scott Schoeneweis (Recently Retired)

RP – Eric Berger (Indians Minors)

RP - Michael Schwimer (Phillies Minors)

RP – Craig Breslow (As)

Jason Kipnis – 2B (Indians Minors)

Josh Whitesell – 1B (Japan)

Ryan Kalish – OF (Red Sox Minors)

Ryan Sadowski – OF (Korea)

Adam Stern - OF – (Brewers Minors)

Our Dream Team looks amazing and a team that could legitimately compete for the WBC title. But here are some things to consider.

1) Braun, Youkilis, and Kinsler will very likely be asked to play for the USA team, which they will accept. Youkilis might not make the cut for the USA team. If so, he would at very least consider playing for Israel. Breslow and Grabow will also potentially get calls from Team USA.

2) Some of these players will most likely not play for an all Jewish team. In that category are Scott Feldman, Scott Schoeneweis, Sam Fuld, and Ike Davis. Davis and Fuld might consider it for the opportunity to play in the WBC.

3) There will more than likely be a few actual Israelis or Jews who have lived in Israel on the team. We will leave 3 bench spots open for them.

4) Some players might not want to play due to fear of injuries or their MLB team not allowing them to.

1B – Shawn Green (Retired) – Green has already gone on record saying he would consider playing for Israel in the WBC. Green would be more of a symbolic player and it would make a great story for his second book.

2B – Jason Kipnis (Indians Minors) – Kipnis most likely is too young for a spot on the USA team. He grew up in a Jewish area. It will be a great way for him to make a name for himself.

SS – Jake Lemmerman  (Dodgers Minors) - The highest 2010 Jewish draft pick is just in AA. By 2013 he will be peeking and will be a vital part of this team.

3B – Danny Valencia – Valencia will be heavily pursued by the Israel team. As one of the only major leaguers on this team, it would be a good opportunity for him to can some spotlight.

LF – Gabe Kapler – Kapler just loves playing baseball so it seems like a natural fit. By 2013 he will be out of baseball and this will give him one last shot to prove himself.

CF - Ben Guez (Tigers Minors) - Guez is a solid minor league prospect who will have a spot on the Israel team if he wants it.

RF - Josh Whitesell - The WBC will give him great exposure to get back to the majors.
C – Brad Ausmus – While he retired a year ago, something tells me Ausmus laces up the pads to play in the WBC.

P – Jason Marquis – Marquis is key if Israel wants to compete. I am sure Israel will ask him to play asap.

P – Aaron Poreda (Padres Minors) – Poreda grew up with a strong Jewish upbringing. I would say he is the 1st player to sign on.

P - Ryan Sadowski (Korea) -  Like Whitesell it gets him great exposure.
RP – Eric Berger (Indians Minors) - AAA prospect should see the Bigs soon. He lands on the team.

RP - Michael Schwimer (Phillies Minors) - Should have some MLB experience by 2013 but not enough to make team USA.

RP – Craig Breslow – Breslow could get be asked to play for the USA. But if he doesn’t Breslow will be approached by Israel and I believe he would welcome the opportunity.

RP - Jason Hirsch (Yankees Minors) - Helps solidify a solid rotation.

RP - Jason Knapp (Indians Minors) - While he does not have a ton of experience yet, he is a top prospect in the Indians organization.

RP - Lenny Linsky (Rays Draftee)

Ryan Lavarnway C (Phillies Minors)
Adam Stern OF (Brewers Minors)
James Rapoport OF (Cardinals Minors)

Head Coach – Art Shamsky – Shamsky will probably be the skipper. Having a little coaching and playing experience.

Hitting Coach – Ron Blomberg – The first DH of all time knows a thing or two about the art of hitting. The New Yorker had a great experience with the IBL.

Pitching Coach – Larry Rothschild – The current Yankees pitching coach will for sure be asked to coach, Why would he say no?

Honorary Coach – Sandy Koufax – Koufax will need to be honored and involved in some way. Well…he better be!

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment.
And Let Us Say…Amen.
- Jeremy Fine
For more check out www.TheGreatRabbino.com

June 15, 2011 | 1:45 pm

Meet The Illini’s Wes Braun

Posted by Jeremy Fine

Growing up in the North Suburbs of Chicago there was one athlete everyone knew, his name was Ryan Hogan. Hogan played basketball at Deerfield and was a stud. I still recall stories of Rick Pitino arriving in a limo to Deerfield High School to get Hogan to commit. I played pickup against Hogan once, right around the time he left Iowa (transferred there after Kentucky). He was awesome, although I did take him off the dribble a few times. But since Hogan athletes have been coming out of the area and making noise. Jon Scheyer and Jason Kipnis are perfect examples. Now meet Wes Braun. Wes, no relation to Ryan Braun, is the younger brother of my friend Jen. I saw on facebook what Wes and the Fighting Illini baseball team had been doing and I knew I had to get an interview. Turns out Wes is a good guy, smart, a fraternity brother of mine, and becoming quite the pitcher. Below is Wes’ story. It is safe to say TGR will be following his progress. Maybe Israel’s WBC team has found its closer.

 

1) Tell TGR a little bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in Deerfield, Illinois. I was always pretty good at baseball and played it from the time I could physically hold a bat and throw a ball. In high school I played soccer for three years and baseball all four years. I was never the greatest athlete or most talented but always worked hard to earn playing time. I didn’t receive any division one college baseball offers so I went to University of Illinois for the education. I walked on to the varsity baseball team as a sophomore. I received my Bachelor’s degree in communication, which I had finished in three and a half years and am now pursuing my Masters in Business Administration degree. I am scheduled to receive my MBA in spring of 2012.

 

2) You went to Deerfield High School, like other great athletes including Colt Cabana and Jessica Gitles. How was you High school team and when did you know you had a chance at playing college?

My high school teams were up and down. We were always the underdogs even when we were a pretty
good team, I guess that comes with being a small school. For example, my senior year we won our
conference and still had to play in a play-in game to get into the state playoffs. We ended up winning
the play-in game but then lost to Stevenson in the first round of the playoffs. Personally, it was always
an ambition of mine to play baseball in college but it never looked like I was going to. Even though I was all-conference my senior year and went to the junior all-star game my junior year, I never seemed to be in demand for college programs. When I was going through the recruiting process, I did not get a lot of interest from large programs- specifically, no division one teams contacted me. I was in talks with a few division three teams but I was trying to find a college that was a right fit for me academically as well as for baseball which was extremely difficult to find that balance. In the end, I chose to go to the University of Illinois for academic reasons instead of playing baseball at a division three school. When I got to U of I, I tried out for the club baseball team. I did not tryout for the actual varsity team my freshman year because I did not think I would make it. I was actually originally cut from the club team but then after asking for an extended tryout I got another shot and was selected to play on the team. I did not get a lot of playing time on the club team but I learned a lot and it was an incredible experience for me. After a year on the club team, I decided to tryout for the real varsity team my sophomore year and out of the fifty plus people that tried out I was the only one to be selected. From there I was lucky enough to play for four years on the team.

3) Illinois has been known for its Basketball and every 5 years its football, what is it like being a part of putting Baseball on the map?

To say that baseball is not well known or supported on campus is an understatement. Whenever I would invite people to my games the first question was always “where is the baseball field?”. Our contribution this year has seemingly already put baseball on the map because I have seen more t-shirts and collectibles that say Illinois Baseball on them than ever before. It is pretty exciting to be a part of a team that went further than any other Illinois baseball team in the previous decade and I hope that this season just serves as a stepping stone for the improvement of our program.

4) How did the team do this season? What was your role?

After an incredibly slow start, we ended the season on quite a run winning the big ten conference and then the big ten tournament. We advanced to the NCAA regional tournament for the first time in 10 years and made it to the regional championship by beating Cal-State Fullerton who was ranked top ten in the country and number one in our region before being defeated by Stanford. My role on the team was as the team’s closer for which I very much excelled. I was named third team all-big ten as a relief pitcher as I only gave up one earned run in conference. That was the only run I gave up throughout my first eighteen appearances.

5) What are you plans this summer?

This summer I am still looking to play baseball. It seems as if I have generated some interest in Major League teams and I am hoping to sign a professional contract soon.

6) Are you a part of any other clubs on campus?

Beside playing for the club baseball team my freshman year, I was also a member of Sigma Alpha Mu
fraternity.

7) What are your future plans? Is baseball a part of them?

It is difficult to fully foresee what exactly my future plans are, however, I would like to continue to play baseball as long as I possibly can. With that being said, I only have one more year to complete my MBA program and after I have received that and no longer can play baseball, I would still enjoy being able to be a part of baseball in some capacity for my career.

8) If you could start a team with Ryan Braun, Ian Kinsler, or Kevin Youkilis who would it be?

It would definitely have to be Ryan Braun. Besides having a great name, he has proven to become one of the top players in the entire league right now in all facets of the game.

9) Favorite Chicago pizza place?

Although I am bias to Papa Del’s here in Champaign, I would have to go Jake’s pizza in Northbrook
because their BBQ based pizza is unbelievable although Bella’s stuffed crust pizza in downtown is a close
second.

Thanks Wes and Good Luck.
And Let Us Say…Amen.
- Jeremy Fine
For more visit www.TheGreatRabbino.com
Photo by: Thomas Nelshoppen http://illinoisbaseballreport.com

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June 13, 2011 | 9:50 am

The Big Winner is Mark Cuban

Posted by Jeremy Fine

TGR wants to congratulate Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks on their NBA Championship in 6 games over the Mavericks. Cuban not only wins the title but officially becomes the TGR NBA Sportsman of the Year…not sure which was better.

 
Cuban was a true mensch last night on several occasions. TGR is very proud. Now its full throttle baseball season!

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
www.TheGreatRabbino.com

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June 12, 2011 | 10:33 am

Keeping Up with Jewish Sports

Posted by Jeremy Fine

Here are some articles to keep up with the Jewish sports News:

Green Open To Playing For Israel


Marv Albert to Call Football Games

Pistons (and Raptors) Interested in Lawrence Frank


Braun Passes Pujols in All-Star Voting


Dmitriy Salita Supporting Israel

And Let Us Say…Amen.
For more check out www.TheGreatRabbino.com

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June 9, 2011 | 11:55 pm

Cammalleri Wins Again

Posted by Jeremy Fine

TGR is proud to announce that Mike Cammalleri is the 2011 NHL Player of the Year. He is the first sole back-to-back winner (in any category), joining only Gabe Carimi as a two time winner. Cammalleri finished the season with 19 goals and 28 assists. He had an 18:01 Time on Ice. He also had another solid playoffs. Congrast Cammalleri, keep it up.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
For more check out www.TheGreatRabbino.com

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June 3, 2011 | 9:47 am

Kahn Finally Gets Rubio?

Posted by Jeremy Fine

In 2009 David Kahn, the General Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves, made one of the most criticized draft choices in NBA history. Even though he was told by young Spanish superstar Ricky Rubio that he would not play for the T-Wolves, Kahn took him with the 5th pick anyway. Rubio stayed true to his word and has yet to lace them up for a NBA game. It got more bizzare when Kahn drafted Jonny Flynn with the 6th pick. Flynn plays the same postion, point guard, as Rubio. Flynn who has battled injuries, has so far not panned out either.

It seems now that Rubio has decided to come to the NBA. Though he is only 20 years old and coming off a sub-par year in Spain, Rubio has Steve Nash like basketball IQ and floor sense. It is a smart move for Rubio who can still make good money off his potential. He will team with Kevin Love, a deserving All Star and rebounding machine. Also, the T-Wolves have the #2 pick in the NBA draft which will likely be Derrick Williams. Many laughed at Kahn, but his decision and future will ultimately be determined by Rubio’s next few seasons. With Rubio, Love, and Williams the future is very bright in Minnesota.

For more on the situation click HERE.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For more check out www.TheGreatRabbino.com

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June 2, 2011 | 8:08 am

New Jewish (Israeli) Wrestler

Posted by Jeremy Fine

Recently the world lost my favorite wrestler of all-time, Macho Man Randy Savage. The Macho Man happened to be Jewish. But he never embraced his Judaism in the ring. A few have. Barry Horowitz was the classic stereotypical Jew who had a solid career in the WWE(F). Goldberg never denied his Judaism. And of course former NWA champion Colt Cabana/Scotty Goldman has played on his Judaism as he rises the ranks of the Indy circuit, Ring of Honor, and even while he was in the WWE. But now there is a new wrestler using his Jewish roots to develop. His name is Ethan Levin. He is in Florida Championship Wrestling, which is the WWE’s developmental facility. Here is what they write about him.

“Self-made millionaire, Diamond wholesaler, entrepreneur, Ethan Levin is a natural born Israeli icon who possess tremendous leadership and interpersonal communication skills. Levin’s charisma, phenomenal physical abilities and remarkable political power are few of the qualities he owns. These qualities helped him to become the first male wrestler to get a developmental contract directly from beginner’s class.

Ethan Levin came to the FCW from the Diamond Bursa (Israel Diamond stock exchange). From a young age, growing without a father, Levin had to pull his strengths and helped his mother to raise his sister and himself. Do not let Levin’s gentleman elegant look deceive you. Levin spent years in studying different MMA, from Krav Maga to Muay Thai. It is better not to be on his black list. Throughout his life, Levin conquered, by force or by Money, everyone who stepped in his way. “If I cannot beat you, I will buy you” (Levin’s words of wisdom). These words of wisdom brought Levine to leave the VIP Diamond Club and follow his childhood dream of becoming a WWE Superstar.

‘In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get Ethan Levin.’”

We do not know much about Ethan Levin quite yet but we are excited for his success and hope to see him in the WWE soon. B’Hatzlacha.

And Let Us Say…Amen.

-Jeremy Fine

WWW.THEGREATRABBINO.COM

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June 1, 2011 | 10:02 pm

At Least His Arm Is Jewish

Posted by Jeremy Fine

I was watching wrestling a little while back and noticed that Tyler Reks had a tattoo on his arm. Reks came into the WWE as a surfer with dreds. He is far from a surfer dude these days. Reks was re-packaged with a new mean streak, for you 80s wrestling fans think Hercules with a tan and a fierce mean streak. Reks has since been in one pay-per-view main event and has become a monster in the ring. Currently fueding with Chris Masters, it is only a matter of time before Reks takes on some top competition.

Back to his tattoo. I noticed it was Hebrew writing. So I reached out to him to find out the deal. Turns out he is NOT a member of the tribe, but I figured after the passing of wrestling legend Macho Man Randy Savage (Jewish), I would have Reks who sports his Hebrew tattoo weekly on TV, comment on some of the greatest Jewish wrestlers in the world and his own career. Enjoy!

1) I noticed on TV once that you had a tattoo with Hebrew writing. What does it say and what inspired you to get it?

Its biblical, and is from Song of Solomon 6:3. It translates to, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”. The verse is one of mine and my wife’s favorite’s and I thought it would be more meaningful if I used the original language that it was written in. Its more personal to me this way.

 

2) Have you ever wrestled Colt Cabana/Scotty Goldman? If so, where and who won?

Yes I have, a few years ago when we were both in WWE’s developmental system. To be honest, I can’t remember who won. I just remember him being far more experienced than I was and being really good at his craft.

3) What are you thoughts on the legacy of the Macho Man Randy Savage? Did you ever meet or have any memories of him?

I never got the opportunity to meet him. However, I was a part of the generation that watched him as kids growing up. He was always one of my favorites. Randy was larger than life and to an 8 year old kid, that memory tends to stick with you.

 

4) Which Jewish wrestler had more impact on the wrestling Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Kurt Angle?

I’d have to say Angle. To this day I still study his matches. He could go like no one else. The guy never got winded in the ring and he put out more physical effort than anyone I’ve ever seen. I’ve really tried to model my aggression after him.

 

5) Your imaged has changed drastically since first appearing, why the change?

I think evolving is important in Sports Entertainment. I’m definitely not the same person I was when I debuted and I feel my character accurately reflects that. The character I was when I debuted simply wasn’t working and I needed to grow and hone in my skills. In the ring now, you see a monster, you see determination, and you see a little anger - this is who I am now. I’m focused, aggressive, and determined to stand out and make a name for myself.

 

6) What are you plans in the WWE? Anything in store for the fans?

My plans are to make a name for myself this year, above and beyond last year, and to continue growing my fan base.

 

7) Where can the TGR fans read more about you?

www.facebook.com/tylerreks
Twitter: @Tyler_Reks
YouTube: therekkingcrew

Thanks to Reks. Good luck. Would love to see another match with you and Colt.
And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For more check out www.THEGREATRABBINO.com

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