Mike Hochman cannot wait till the first match of the new Israeli professional baseball league on Sunday
My name is Mike Hochman and I'm a player in the new Israel Baseball League. This league is the brainchild of Larry Baras, from Boston. He had the dream to create a professional baseball league in Israel years ago and, on June 24th, 2007, his dream comes to fruition.  
Players from all over the world were scouted and drafted in to this league. The hope is the talent level will be on par with 'A' Minor-league baseball. When I was perusing some of the other players and their bios I was a little taken aback.  
There are players from the Dominican Republic that are the "real-deal". Some of these guys have howitzers attached to their shoulders, jet-packs for legs, and the "pop" to crank out homers to all fields. I'm sure I'm going to see some fantastic athletic feats in the next couple of months.  
Why am I keeping this diary? Because I think the idea of pro-baseball in Israel is worth sharing. Baseball is unique to other sports; there is no clock, so the game unfolds at its own pace. Baseball allows the fan to "take-in" the game as opposed to watching it. Israelis are used to watching edge-of-your-seat sports, where everything hangs in the balance.  
Baseball offers them an experience to relax and enjoy the smells and sounds of the ballpark. I also think the average Israeli will warm up to the nuances of rules and strategy of baseball. Many are skeptical as to whether this league will survive or not, but baseball is the "thinking man's game," as Yogi said, "90% of the game is mental, the other half physical."  Based on this pure logic, how can this league not be a success?  
I grew up around the game, playing amateur for the last 20 years, now here I am on the cusp of a pro career. I'm still pinching myself at the prospect of actually getting paid to play the game I love. Growing up in Toronto, I never thought anything like this would happen, much less in Israel. Now at the age of 32, I finally get my "cup of coffee".   
I get to go to the ballpark everyday, dig in against a tough pitcher, try to stretch a double into a triple, and argue with the ump over a bad call. What a wonderful opportunity this is for me to play the game I love in the country I love. It will be a pleasure sharing my experiences with you.  
I'll get back to you after the opening day. Take care and get ready to Play Ball!
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