The title of this post comes from the famous chant of New York Jets football fans. Here is a rendition on youtube.
On Friday, September 21, the “Israeli” national baseball team, which is actually composed of mainly Americans with at least some connection to Judaism, defeated a “Spanish” team stocked with ringers from Cuba, Venezuela and the U.S. In winning, the “Israelis” advanced to the finals in one of the four qualifying rounds of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), to be played on Sunday, September 23 at 5 PM in Jupiter, Florida. The other qualifiers are being contested in Germany, Panama and Taiwan.
All games in the qualifying rounds of the WBC are being streamed live at the WBC site. The four winners advance to the main tournament which is to be held at various locations in the U.S. with the finals being played in San Francisco.
The New York Times published an insightful piece on the Israeli team which analyzed its Jewishness in a way that other articles avoided. The article was titled, “Wanted: Jewish Ballplayers” by New York Times sports writer, Barry Bearak.
I have written about what I think of this Jewish team here at Mondoweiss (1, 2) and elsewhere.
Below is letter I wrote to Barry Bearak praising his article.
Hi Barry,
As an old Jew who frankly thinks this “Israeli” team is a mishugah violation of the ethics of sports and a completely offensive use of baseball for personal and political gain, I thoroughly enjoyed your incisive and informative article. Frankly, I never would have believed the New York Times would have let it run, so good for you for getting it in the paper.
I changed the “T” on my Jets jersey to a “W” and have been rooting my brains out for these mostly faux Israelis and Jews to make it to the main tournament. At that time, it is my hope that this fakakta dèmarche will then be given the appropriate lambasting in the press that it deserves. I am not holding my breath though.
By the way, if you are watching the games, I suggest exchanging the beer and potato chips for a Dr. Brown’s and a knish.
My prediction is that if the “Jews” win on Sunday (which is no given since the Spanish team which is packed with ringers from Cuba, Venezuela and the US is almost as bogus as the Israeli one) they will be matched up early in the tournament with the American team. (This is what the promoters of the Jewish team want.) If Braun, Kinsler, [two Major League stars] et al. join the Jews, then you will really have something to write about.
Just to be clear, I do not assume that you agree with my point of view (which by the way is detailed on the Net).
Again, congratulations on the wonderful article.
L’shana tovah and best to you,
Ira Glunts
Update: Spain defeated South Africa yesterday and will play Israel in a rematch today. The winner will join 15 other teams in the main World Baseball Classic tournament in March 2013.
Update: Spain beat Israel 9-7 to advance to the World Baseball Classic.
” Spain defeated South Africa yesterday and will play Israel in a rematch today. The winner will join 15 other teams in the main World Baseball Classic tournament in March 2013.”
They’re playing on Sunday??? But observant Christians, who take seriously the Sabbath, won’t be able to play!!! Call hoppy, I’m sure he’ll have an opinion on this problem, surely.
Spain gave Israel the boot last night, but what I really want know is how can you have a “World Baseball Classic” without a Cuban national team?
how can you have a “World Baseball Classic” without a Cuban national team?
I guess it’s kind of like having a “World Series” with only one (and rarely two) countries taking part.
Or like negotiating Arab-Israeli peace without a PLO delegation (see Madrid Conference).
“what I really want know is how can you have a ‘World Baseball Classic’ without a Cuban national team”
???? The Cubans are in the tournament. What is going on now is merely the qualifier. Cuba was one of the 12 teams that got a buy.
“They’re playing on Sunday??? But observant Christians, who take seriously the Sabbath, won’t be able to play!!! Call hoppy, I’m sure he’ll have an opinion on this problem, surely.”
Christians play on Sunday all the time. Including observant ones. They usually play in the afternoon. It a difference between the religions.
Listen, it’s OK, really. Just hold another Brecht forum on Yom Kippur. You’ll remain on the margins as usual, because the only people you attract are fellow travelers.
It’s OK, Woody, I know you don’t respect my religion or the concept of minority rights.
“Christians play on Sunday all the time. Including observant ones. ”
Not the ones who pray in church and rest for the rest of the day.
“It’s OK, Woody, I know you don’t respect my religion…”
Wrong. I don’t respect any religion. There’s nothing special about yours. But, more to the point, the fact that you don’t get to do something because you’ve decided to become a shut in for 1/7 of your life is your problem. It does not obligate anyone else to invonenience themselves to relieve you of the consequences of your foolish choices.
“…or the concept of minority rights.”
Nonsense. I am the one who believes that every person, majority or minority, who resides under the power of a state should have a vote in the government of that state. You don’t.
I favor the rights of individuals to be free of bodily harm and indoctrination based on the vanity or superstitions of the individual’s parents. You don’t.
You favor your rights and to hell with everyone else.
“I favor the rights of individuals to be free of bodily harm and indoctrination based on the vanity or superstitions of the individual’s parents. You don’t.
You favor your rights and to hell with everyone else.”
LOL.
*mishugene
*farkakte
(if the -shtick- is being offended as a Jew and a knowledgeable one)
No one in NYC pronounces it farkakte or ferkaktah. It’s fakakta.
Ira, you’re questioning the existence of The Jewish People? Don’t you know of their long glorious history—in the modern period alone? In 19th c European treaties, in the Zionist legalese of the Mandate, in US civil rights law… Am Yisrael Chai!
(What’s “Home Run” in Hebrew? And “No Hitter”?)
Speaking of Jews, who among these signers of this supportive letter by neocons to Bush, is not Jewish? Thanks to MJ Goldberg for this.
William Kristol
Ken Adelman Gary Bauer Jeffrey Bell William J. Bennett
Ellen Bork Linda Chavez Eliot Cohen Midge Decter
Thomas Donnelly Nicholas Eberstadt Hillel Fradkin Frank Gaffney
Jeffrey Gedmin Reuel Marc Gerecht Charles Hill Bruce P. Jackson
Donald Kagan Robert Kagan John Lehman Tod Lindberg
Rich Lowry Clifford May Joshua Muravchik Martin Peretz
Richard Perle Daniel Pipes Norman Podhoretz Stephen P. Rosen
Randy Scheunemann Gary Schmitt William Schneider, Jr. Marshall Wittmann
R. James Woolsey
link to mjayrosenberg.com
that nyt article was a crackup!
this says as much about the hodgepodge of american jewry as any article i have ever read from the nyt.
This is disgusting. MLB should be ashamed of itself. Traitors like Ausmus, Green and the like should be run out of town on a rail.
(Like)
(Like Annie not Woody)
Gee, thanks.
Okay Woody, that was too harsh. These “Jewish by aunt’s bat mitzvah” ballplayers are in the same class as entertainers who play Israel, and should be barred from the Hall of Fame and sent back to the minors.
“This is disgusting. MLB should be ashamed of itself. Traitors like Ausmus, Green and the like should be run out of town on a rail.”
I don’t see you calling for American Latin players who play for their home countries to be run out of town.
“I don’t see you calling for American Latin players who play for their home countries to be run out of town.”
Then you must have shit in your eyes, because I’ve repeatedly stated that the same goes for whoever does this, regardless of country, and I’ve specifically name Mike Piazza and Alex Rodriquez.
I changed the “T” on my Jets jersey to a “W”
Loved that line
The use of ringers by Jews is old hat. Think of Groucho Marx’s Horse Feathers?