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(JTA) — Assaf Lowengart’s introduction to American baseball didn’t go effectively: A fan by chance doused him in beer when his household, having relocated from Israel to Milwaukee for a yr, attended a Brewers sport. Then in first grade, he cried.
But Lowengart quickly caught the baseball bug, rising within the ranks of Israel’s nascent baseball scene. And regardless of setbacks and accidents alongside the best way, he’s now making historical past as the primary Israeli-born place participant to signal an expert baseball contract in america.
Lowengart, 25, is about to affix the New York Boulders within the Frontier League, an impartial league that’s affiliated with Main League Baseball however not a part of the official minor league system. Taking part in in Rockland County, simply north of New York Metropolis, he’ll have the prospect to win over a closely Jewish native fan base, in addition to the MLB scouts who routinely scope out independent-league expertise.
“I’m making an attempt to interrupt as many ceilings as I can for Israeli gamers,” Lowengart informed the Jewish Telegraphic Company.
Lowengart was born and raised in Timorim, a small village in central Israel, and he primarily performed soccer and basketball rising up, “as each Israeli child does,” he mentioned.
Even at present, he mentioned, Israelis stay confused about what baseball is. “Oh, the one with the pads? You hit one another? That’s a really aggressive sport,” Lowengart mentioned, imitating exchanges he’s had with fellow Israelis. “To at the present time, though we’ve made the Olympics, we’ve performed within the European championship, we acquired second place, all this stuff, nonetheless, folks don’t know.”
Lowengart himself caught the bug at round 11, when he noticed an MLB sport on tv and determined to present the game a strive. He started taking part in in an under-12 little league at Kibbutz Gezer, residence to Israel’s first baseball subject — the identical subject the place fellow Crew Israel alum and MLB coach Alon Leichman acquired his begin.
His rise was uneven. He recalled that on his first day making an attempt out for the Israeli nationwide staff as a young person, the coach informed his father, “Don’t convey him again. There’s no cause.”
He made the nationwide staff the subsequent yr and was on surer footing by the point he headed to america after his military service. He performed on school groups — 5 of them in complete — whereas sustaining his spot on Israel’s senior squad. His stint on the College of San Francisco this yr makes him more likely to be the primary Israeli-born place participant to play Division I baseball.
Peppered in among the many school tour have been tournaments: Lowengart performed for Israel within the European Baseball Championship in 2019, 2021 and 2023, in addition to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Within the 2021 championship, by which Israel gained the silver medal, Lowengart led the match with 4 residence runs and 13 RBIs.
It was throughout these tournaments that Lowengart met quite a few American gamers who additionally performed for Crew Israel, both by acquiring Israeli citizenship or by eligibility guidelines that allow Diaspora Jews to characterize Israel.
A type of teammates was Ty Kelly, a veteran of Crew Israel who performed elements of three seasons within the MLB together with a prolonged minor league profession. For the previous three years, Lowengart has visited Kelly in Los Angeles to coach throughout the offseason.
Kelly mentioned taking part in with Lowengart has added a brand new dimension to his relationship with Crew Israel.
“I believe it’s at all times a superb reminder of why we’re taking part in on the staff and what the title on the entrance of the jersey really means,” Kelly informed JTA. “To have any individual who grew up within the nation and continues to dwell there when he’s not right here taking part in baseball and finding out, it’s good for everyone to have that reminder.”
Assaf Lowengart, middle, high-fives fellow Israeli-born participant Shlomo Lipetz. (Courtesy Assaf Lowengart)
Lowengart acknowledged that being one of many solely Israeli natives on Crew Israel was a bit odd, however he mentioned the gamers at all times bonded over their shared Jewish backgrounds. His circle of relatives, he mentioned, celebrated Shabbat and different Jewish holidays and saved kosher; he now considers himself “culturally Jewish.”
“The camaraderie round being Jewish, it’s at all times just a little bit totally different than every other staff you play on,” Lowengart mentioned. “You’re representing a much bigger factor than your self. It’s at all times enjoyable being in that environment with these guys.”
Crew Israel alum Mitch Glasser, a Chicago native who was drafted by the White Sox in 2012 however performed principally in impartial leagues, has additionally hosted Lowengart for offseason coaching. He mentioned they celebrated Hanukkah collectively, and referred to as Lowengart “a lifelong pal.”
“He’s the perfect Israeli-born place participant to come back out of Israel,” Glasser mentioned. “He’s setting a bar for these younger Israeli gamers that wish to be on the nationwide staff and wish to play in school or play professionally.”
Lowengart really sat out the 2023 World Baseball Basic, the place Crew Israel made a watershed exhibiting, following an damage incurred final yr as a graduate scholar on the School of William and Mary in Virginia. Lowengart broke his ankle within the fifth inning of the primary sport of the season. He hit a house run two innings later — then was sidelined for a number of months.
After Oct. 7, he returned residence to be along with his household. Lowengart mentioned they haven’t been straight affected by the Hamas assault or Israel’s subsequent battle, however he has a number of mates who’re serving within the IDF in Gaza and on the Lebanon border, and his sister’s greatest pal misplaced her husband on Oct. 7, simply six months after their marriage ceremony.
Lowengart mentioned the help his Crew Israel teammates have proven since Oct. 7 — together with high-profile gamers like Houston Astros star Alex Bregman — are essential indicators of solidarity.
“What occurred on Oct. 7 was larger than simply the Palestine-Israel battle, a Gaza Strip factor, a Hamas vs. Israel factor,” Lowengart mentioned. “It was terrorism in opposition to Jewish folks.”
Lowengart mentioned almost each considered one of his teammates has reached out for the reason that battle began to examine in on him and his household, and that the Israel Affiliation of Baseball held a Zoom name for present and former Crew Israel gamers to be taught concerning the battle and ask questions.
Lowengart additionally participated within the Maccabiah motion’s on-line marketing campaign to lift consciousness for the hostages, the place Israeli athletes shared images of themselves alongside those that have been taken captive by Hamas.
The help Lowengart has felt from the Jewish group is one cause he’s wanting ahead to becoming a member of the Boulders, who play in a county the place roughly a 3rd of the residents are Jewish, lots of them Orthodox.
Throughout their pre-Olympics U.S. tour, Crew Israel performed an exhibition sport in opposition to the Boulders. Lowengart recalled that dangerous climate delayed the sold-out sport by a few hours — and that 3,000 followers waited out the rain to see Crew Israel in motion.
“Having the ability to come again there with the massive Jewish group, it’s going to be fairly wonderful,” Lowengart mentioned. “I’ve been in lots of faculties, and the Jewish communities normally weren’t that massive. So it’s going to be a fairly cool expertise being related to the Jewish group this time, having them behind me, having them help me and having the ability to contribute again to them.”
Shawn Reilly, the staff’s president and normal supervisor, mentioned the chance to have an Israeli participant be a part of the Boulders is “very significant,” notably due to the realm’s robust Jewish group.
“Now we have a particular relationship with the group, as a result of they’re our neighbors,” Reilly informed JTA. “They love the Boulders, and to have the second Israeli-born participant taking part in for the Boulders, it’s fairly particular. I believe the group will rally behind him.”
The Boulders, whose “Jewish Heritage Day” sport final July drew tons of of Jewish followers, had one other Jewish participant final season, outfielder David Vinsky, who Reilly mentioned might return for 2024.
Marvin Fier, a dentist and Touro School professor who lives in Rockland County, and his spouse are season ticket holders who’ve supported the Boulders since they have been based in 2011.
“As a NY Boulders fan since they began, it’s nice information to listen to concerning the historic signing of Israeli Assaf Lowengart,” mentioned Fier, who attended the 2021 pre-Olympics match and in addition serves because the staff’s dentist. “He’ll be a significant asset to the staff whereas representing our Jewish group. He stands on the shoulders of Jewish baseball greats like Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg.”
Past the fan help, the Boulders characterize Lowengart’s greatest shot but to advance his profession.
The Frontier League, the oldest impartial baseball league in North America, incorporates a 96-game season that runs from early Could by early September, adopted by a postseason. Pay is proscribed — as a rookie, Lowengart expects to make roughly the league’s minimal wage, which is $1,200 per thirty days. (For comparability, the minimal annual wage for a Triple-A participant was raised to $35,800 final yr.)
Reilly mentioned Lowengart is more likely to play within the outfield, however famous that his capability to play a number of positions will give him a leg up within the impartial league, the place rosters are two spots smaller than on MLB groups.
“He looks as if only a fantastic particular person and he’s a very good baseball participant,” Reilly mentioned. “We’re doing this as a result of I believe he’s going to be a very nice participant. If he wants an opportunity to play, that is going to be his shot.”
Although uncommon, some gamers — like Crew Israel pitcher Robert Inventory — have used the Frontier League as a launchpad for a profession within the MLB, or not less than as a stepping stone to the minors. Some, like Kelly and Glasser, have performed in these leagues after an MLB profession didn’t pan out.
As Lowengart joins the Boulders, whose season begins Could 9, simply how historic his signing is depends upon whom you ask.
Technically, there was one different Israeli-born participant signed to the league. Shlomo Lipetz, who’s revered as an icon within the Israeli baseball group and has saved pitching effectively into his 40s, joined the now-defunct Bridgeport Bluefish within the Atlantic League for every week on the finish of the 2007 season, however he didn’t seem in a sport. (He was considered one of three Jewish gamers on the roster.)
However Lipetz says Lowengart deserves his place within the historical past books.
“You bought my full backing to name Assaf the first-born Israeli to signal an expert contract,” Lipetz informed JTA by way of electronic mail. “Assaf is one hell of a participant and somebody who I think about a detailed pal. That’s all that issues.”
To Jonathan Mayo, who covers prospects and the draft for MLB.com and has adopted Crew Israel intently for years, Lowengart’s signing signifies an essential milestone within the improvement of Israeli baseball.
“I believe it’s a step within the course that everybody has been hoping Israel baseball might head in the direction of, with all of the work that’s been completed to lift consciousness to play in worldwide competitors, with virtually solely American-born gamers,” he mentioned. “The purpose has at all times been to construct a baseball affiliation that might produce homegrown expertise.”
Lowengart is aware of he has a tricky hill to climb to advance to larger echelons {of professional} baseball. For now, he’s centered on enhancing his sport and provoking others.
“I’m making an attempt to create a path for different gamers,” Lowengart mentioned. “Hopefully I’ll attain a really excessive stage in some unspecified time in the future, however then I hope any individual else will surpass me.”
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