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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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Some Tankers Cross Strait of Hormuz Before Shots Fired, Ship-Tracking Data Shows
A satellite image shows the ship movement at the Strait of Hormuz on April 17, 2026, in Space. EUROPEAN UNION/COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2/Handout via REUTERS
More than a dozen tankers, including three sanctioned vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after a 50-day blockade was lifted on Friday, shipping data showed, before Iran reimposed restrictions on Saturday and fired at some vessels.
Reopening the strait is key for Gulf producers to resume full oil and gas supplies to the world, and end what the International Energy Agency has called the worst-ever supply disruption.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday Iran had agreed to open the strait, while Iranian officials said they wanted the US to fully lift its blockade of Iranian tankers.
Western shipping companies cautiously welcomed the announcements but said more clarity was needed, including on the presence of sea mines, before their vessels could transit.
IRAN RESUMES RESTRICTIONS
The ships that passed through the strait on Friday and Saturday via Iranian waters south of Larak island were mainly older, non-Western-owned vessels and included four sanctioned ships, according to ship-tracking data.
Iran arranged passage for a limited number of oil tankers and commercial ships following prior agreements in negotiations, a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.
Other ships have been seen approaching the strait and turning back as Iran said it would maintain strict controls as long as the US continues its blockade of Iranian ports.
The UK Navy reported on Saturday that Iranian gunboats fired at some ships attempting to cross the strait.
Some merchant vessels received radio messages from Iran’s navy saying the strait was shut again and that no ships were allowed to pass, shipping sources said on Saturday.
Ship-tracking data showed five vessels loaded with liquefied natural gas from Ras Laffan in Qatar approaching the strait on Saturday morning.
No LNG cargoes have transited the waterway since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28.
Hundreds of ships have been stuck in the Gulf since the conflict started and Tehran closed the strait, forcing Gulf oil and gas producers to sharply cut production.
Top producers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq and Kuwait say they need steady tanker flows and unrestricted passage through the strait to resume normal export operations.
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Trump Greenlights Russian Oil to Ease Strain on Global Markets After War with Iran
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington, DC, US, March 27, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
i24 News – The Trump administration has authorized a 30-day emergency waiver allowing the maritime purchase of Russian oil, reversing a hardline stance in an effort to stabilize skyrocketing global energy prices.
The Treasury Department announced Friday that the license for crude and petroleum products will remain in effect until May 16, 2026, responding to intense pressure from international partners struggling with the fallout of the war with Iran.
This policy pivot comes as a surprise after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested earlier this week that no further exemptions would be granted:
“As negotiations with Iran accelerate, the administration seeks to ensure oil availability for those who need it most. We must prevent a total price collapse for consumers while the geopolitical situation remains volatile.”
Ensuring global oil availability is paramount for the US as over 80 energy facilities in the Middle East have been damaged by recent war with Iran. With the November midterm elections approaching, record-high fuel prices at the pump remain a primary vulnerability for the Republican party. By allowing Russian oil back into the maritime flow, the administration hopes to neutralize “pain at the pump” before voters head to the polls.
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UK: Islamist Group Claims to Attack Israeli Embassy with ‘Drones Carrying Radioactive, Carcinogenic Materials’
A UK man has been arrested for allegedly threatening a group of Jews while wielding an ax on Rosh Hashanah. Photo: Tony Webster / Wikimedia Commons.
i24 News – British police officers in protective clothing were seen investigating a “security incident” near the Israeli embassy in London on Friday, after a jihadist group put out a video showing it launching two drones allegedly carrying radioactive and carcinogenic materials toward the embassy.
“There is an increased police presence in Kensington Gardens and officers are assessing a number of discarded items. As a precaution, some of the officers who have been deployed are wearing protective clothing. We recognize this may concern local residents and the wider public,” police said in a statement.
“Counter Terrorism Policing London are aware of a video shared online overnight in which a group claims to have targeted the nearby embassy of Israel with drones carrying dangerous substances,” the statement further read. “While we can confirm that the embassy has not been attacked, we are carrying out urgent inquiries to determine the authenticity of the video and to identify any potential link between it and the items discarded in Kensington Gardens.”
The incident comes amid a steep hike in antisemitic attacks in Britain targeting Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions.
The group that released the video was identified as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, a shadowy entity with suspected ties to Iran. It has already claimed seven attacks against Jewish institutions, including an arson attack in London where four ambulances owned by the Hatzolah charity were torched.