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The Jewish Sport Report: Your guide to Team Israel and the World Baseball Classic
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Good morning!
This week, we’re talking all things Team Israel. The World Baseball Classic is just days away, and we’ve got you covered with a full tournament preview.
If you want to keep up with all the Team Israel news between now and our next newsletter, be sure to follow our brand new Jewish Sport Report Twitter account, where I’ll be providing updates throughout the WBC. I head to Miami in just a couple days and I hope you’ll come along for the ride.
Everything you need to know about Team Israel and the WBC
From left to right: Dean Kremer, Richard Bleier, Ian Kinsler and Joc Pederson. (Photos from Getty Images; Design by Mollie Suss)
The World Baseball Classic is back next week after a six-year hiatus, and Team Israel is looking to recreate the magic from its unexpected 2017 run.
Israel’s 2023 roster features the most big-league talent it has ever had — with All-Star outfielder Joc Pederson and pitchers Dean Kremer and Richard Bleier among the many players currently in the MLB or with big-league experience. Israel will also face its toughest competition yet, including the star-studded Dominican Republic.
Ian Kinsler, Israel’s manager and a retired four-time MLB All-Star, told me he is feeling good about his team’s chances.
“In baseball, anything can happen,” Kinsler said. “This isn’t a five-game or seven-game series. This is one game [at a time], and if we can put together a really solid game, solid nine innings against these other teams, we have just as good a chance as anybody. I know the guys are fired up and ready to go and compete, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
So who’s on Team Israel? Who do they play, and when? How exactly does the WBC work?
All of that and more in our WBC preview right here.
Halftime report
UGH. In case you missed it last week, Boston Red Sox top baseball executive Chaim Bloom told the Boston Globe that he’s faced death threats and an antisemitic slur as his team underperforms.
NEW DIGS. After weeks of rumors, the Arizona Coyotes finally traded Jakob Chychrun on Wednesday, sending the defenseman to the Ottawa Senators for three future draft picks.
WINNING. Duke University men’s basketball coach Jon Scheyer had a tall task this year, stepping into the role after Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski, who led the team for 42 years. Turns out, Scheyer’s up for it: he made history this week as the first head coach in the ACC to go undefeated at home in his first season.
NOT IN COMMAND. The Dan Snyder saga continues in Washington, where ESPN reports on a secret $55 million loan Snyder secured without the knowledge of his co-owners, which could amount to bank fraud. With a federal probe underway alongside the team being sold, this episode is sure to drag on well into 2023.
THE BUCK STOPS HERE. Speaking of Jewish team owners selling, Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry has sold his stake in the team to the owners of the Cleveland Browns for a reported $3.5 billion. Lasry joined the ownership group in 2014. His son Alex Lasry, a Bucks executive, briefly ran for the U.S. Senate in 2021.
YEESH, YEEZY. When a team loses a championship, all the premade merchandise often gets donated to underprivileged communities. But what happens when a sportswear giant unexpectedly has to cut ties with a massively lucrative but apparently antisemitic business partner? Adidas is trying to answer that question — and they have $500 million worth of Kanye West’s sneakers to deal with.
MIND YOUR MANORS. Manor Solomon’s star is rising at Fulham F.C., where the Israeli soccer player — likely the only Jewish player in the English Premier League — has been excelling lately. According to some reports, Solomon may be on the verge of a £100 million contract.
Join us online and in Miami for an exciting event about Jews and baseball!
Our event “Jews on First: A Celebration at the World Baseball Classic” is just days away, but it’s not too late to get tickets to join us in person in Miami or online.
I’ll be sitting down with an all-star panel to talk Jews and baseball, Team Israel and the WBC.
You’ll hear from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, veteran reporter and podcast host Meredith Shiner, trivia guru Scott Rogowsky and former Team Israel players Jonathan de Marte and Mitch Glasser.
Jews in sports to watch this weekend
IN FORMULA ONE…
The F1 season gets underway this weekend, with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday at 10 a.m. ET. Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll begins the season as the only Jewish racer on the grid, though Ferrari reserve driver Robert Schwartzman, who was born in Israel, isn’t far from the action.
IN HOCKEY…
The Detroit Red Wings and Jake Walman, who just signed a three-year extension, take on the New York Islanders tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. ET. Over in Beantown, Adam Fox and the Rangers face the Boston Bruins, who are on a historic winning pace this season. And Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, Jack Hughes and the Devils play Chychrun’s former team, the Coyotes.
IN BASKETBALL…
Deni Avdija and the Washington Wizards host the Toronto Raptors tomorrow at 5 p.m. ET and the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Ryan Turell and the Motor City Cruise return to New York on Tuesday for an 11 a.m. game on Purim that, as we reported in January, is sure to be a festive matchup.
IN BASEBALL…
Spring training continues! Tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. ET, Richard Bleier and the Boston Red Sox face Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros, while Max Fried and the Atlanta Braves take on Dean Kremer and the Baltimore Orioles. Atlanta fans will also want to keep an eye on Jared Shuster, who was named the organization’s top prospect and will likely reach the big leagues this season.
IN GOLF…
Max Homa looks to continue his excellent 2023 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend. Homa remains a vocal defender of the PGA.
WBC you later
Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you in Miami!
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The post The Jewish Sport Report: Your guide to Team Israel and the World Baseball Classic appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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US Strikes More Than 90 Iranian Military Targets on Kharg Island, CENTCOM Says
A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. Photo: 2026 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS
United States forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island in Iran on Friday night, the US Central Command said on Saturday.
“US forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure,” CENTCOM said.
The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, the US military said in a post on X.
President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to strike the oil infrastructure of Iran’s Kharg Island hub, unless Tehran stopped attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
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North Korea Fires Ten Ballistic Missiles Toward the Sea of Japan
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and wife Ri Sol Ju inspect an honour guard before leaving Pyongyang for a visit to China, this January 7, 2019 photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang January 8, 2019. Photo: KCNA via REUTERS.
i24 News – North Korea fired roughly ten ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday, the South Korean military reported, marking a new act of defiance amid Seoul and Washington’s annual joint military exercises.
The launches, originating from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, were detected around 1:20 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The missiles were directed toward the East Sea—the Korean name for the Sea of Japan—though details on their range or trajectory were not immediately available. Earlier, the South Korean Ministry of Defense had already confirmed the launch of at least one unidentified projectile in the same area.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense also verified the incident, noting that a suspected ballistic missile had been launched from North Korea.
The launches come amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Since Monday, the United States and South Korea have been conducting their annual joint exercises, which will continue through March 19 and involve approximately 18,000 South Korean troops alongside an unspecified number of U.S. forces.
Pyongyang has sharply criticized the drills, calling them a rehearsal for invasion. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned this week that the exercises could trigger “terrible and unimaginable consequences.”
The missile tests also coincide with fading prospects for inter-Korean dialogue. Kim Jong-un recently dismissed outreach efforts from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, labeling Seoul “the most hostile enemy.”
The show of force occurred just hours after South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, during a visit to the United States, mentioned a potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un—a meeting Washington still considers possible.
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Dutch Authorities Investigate Explosion at Jewish School Claimed by Extremist Group
Police outside a Jewish school following an explosion that caused minor damages, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 14, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
i24 News – An explosion struck a Jewish school on Zeelandstraat in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert during the night between Friday and Saturday, Dutch authorities confirmed. Emergency responders, including police and firefighters, acted swiftly, and officials reported that the building suffered only limited damage. No injuries have been reported.
Mayor Femke Halsema described the incident as a deliberate attack against the Jewish community in the city, emphasizing that the authorities are treating the case “very seriously.” Security camera footage showing the individual who detonated the device is under investigation.
In an unverified online video, previously little-known group identifying itself as Ashab Al Yamim later claimed responsibility for the blast. The group released online footage appearing to show the small explosion followed by a fire outside the school. Its logo was also seen in videos related to an attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam earlier this week.
Dutch investigators are coordinating with the judiciary to determine the full circumstances of the attack and whether additional suspects were involved. Authorities noted that the organization had not been previously known to security services.
The explosion comes amid rising security concerns for Jewish institutions across Europe, following heightened tensions in the Middle East. The group behind the claim has also alleged responsibility for previous incidents targeting Jewish sites in Europe, including attacks in Liège, Belgium, and Rotterdam, though these claims remain unverified.
Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centers across the continent have stepped up security measures in recent weeks amid fears of potential threats to Jewish communities.