World Baseball Classic: Team Israel and its five Floridians hope to shock opponents

WEST PALM BEACH — Red Sox new reliever Richard Bleier pitched two innings and gave up a run against the Astros in a spring-training game Wednesday at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

Bleier is a 36-year-old southpaw, West Palm Beach resident and former Broward County high school star. He once pitched in relief for the Yankees and Marlins.

As much as he enjoyed the sunny afternoon in his hometown, it will not compare to when he dons Team Israel’s blue-and-white jersey this week.

Israel will play two World Baseball Classic tune-ups when it faces the Marlins in Jupiter Wednesday and the Washington Nationals in West Palm Beach Thursday. Team Israel gathers for a brief training camp Monday at the Jupiter facility.

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"It’s a great honor — something I’m proud to be doing," Bleier said. "Growing up Jewish, I got bar-mitzvahed. It’s always been part of my family’s upbringing. My dad is very proud to be Jewish, makes it a point to tell me when I face a Jewish player."

Unlike the Olympics, players for the Israeli WBC team can be eligible by having just one Jewish grandparent. They’re good even if just married to a Jewish woman. Twenty-nine of the 30 players on Israel are Jewish, including five Floridians.

Another South Floridian is MLB veteran third baseman Danny Valencia, 38, who played for Spanish River High school in Boca Raton. Valencia was born in Miami and moved to Boca in elementary school. His final season in the majors came in 2018 with the Orioles, his seventh MLB club.

But playing for Israel’s European Championships team in 2019 and 2020-21 Olympic team will forever be enshrined on his baseball resume. Valencia had to obtain Israeli citizenship to play in the Olympics.

This World Baseball Classic is likely Valencia’s “shalom" to competitive baseball. He’s a full-time real estate man in Delray Beach, specializing in finding South Florida homes for Marlins players, MLB retirees and short-term rentals for players in spring training.

"Raised in a Jewish household, my mom made sure we observed the high holidays," said Valencia, who played at Spanish River for coach Don Thrasher in the early 2000s. “When the opportunity arose for the Olympics with no  invite for spring training, it was a more spiritual thing for me. I’m not the most religious person. I’m definitely Jewish, but it’s been a chance to extend my playing career. There’s a good sense of pride putting on the Israeli jersey with my teammates. who I’ve known now for years."

Team Israel competing against Nicaragua, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic

Israel will compete in Pool D in Miami and opens on March 12 vs. Nicaragua. Other countries in its rugged bracket are Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Valencia says Israel “shocked the world’’ by qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics with wins over superior baseball programs, Netherlands, Italy and Spain. Then the Holy Land eliminated Mexico and took the Dominican Republic to the final inning in Tokyo.

“On paper, you would say we have no chance," Valencia said. “Anybody who knows baseball would say the same thing. But our team for some reason plays together, plays hard and definitely embraces the underdog. I wouldn’t be surprised if we go in there and win a couple of games, play some close games where it comes down to one play. I wouldn’t be surprised if we shocked some teams."

Israel’s baseball journey has been aided by the Jewish National Fund-USA, the leading philanthropic organization that raised money to build the official home playing field for Team Israel in Bet Shemesh, about 20 miles west of Jerusalem.

“Being able to cheer for the Israeli baseball team as they compete in an international tournament is such a moving experience," said Addison Shuster, Jewish National Fund-USA’s president of the Palm Beach board of directors. ”Seeing the Israeli flag waving, hearing Israel’s national anthem played — it’s an incredible source of pride for Jews around the world."

The roster’s architect is a former Manhattanite who moved to Israel 35 years ago, GM Peter Kurtz. He visited Israel as a 10-year-old in 1967, just after the Six-Day War, and fell in love with the Holy Land’s “incredible enthusiasm." He’s been part of the Israeli Association of Baseball (IAB) for 25 years and constructed the 2017 WBC roster that finished a solid sixth among 16 countries.

“It has been a challenge," the Israeli GM said of fielding the 2023 squad made up of major leaguers, former major leaguers and minor leaguers.

Kurtz got turned down by MLB’s two most prominent Jewish players, Alex Bregman (Astros) and Max Fried (Braves).

But Kurtz said the interest was still heavy.

“Playing for Team Israel is different than playing for Team USA," Kurtz said. “As a Jewish-American growing up, it’s your heritage, it’s in your blood. They come together as a team after being in the minors, majors and maybe with no Jewish teammates.

“Kevin Youkilis (former Red Sox star) used to tell me when he faced (Team USA manager Ian) Kinsler and he got to first base, he’d always say 'Good Shabbos' or 'Shabbot Shalom,'" Kurtz added. “That would be the connection. Now you have a team of all Jewish ballplayers."

Gordon, Kravetz, Federman are three other Floridians on the roster

Colton Gordon of Bradenton, Miami’s Evan Kravetz, a 2019 Reds draft pick, and Miami’s Daniel Federman, who played for the Hurricanes, are the other three native Floridians.

Gordon, who attended Lakewood Ranch High and Central Florida, is rebounding from Tommy John surgery. The 24-year-old pitcher was a 2021 eighth-round pick of the Astros, where he’s slated for a minor-league season.

Bleier, 36, played seven MLB seasons, including with the Yankees in 2016. He was teammates with Aaron Judge when the record-setting slugger was a rookie. It was also A-Rod’s final season.

“I got to the big leagues for the first time with the Yankees after nine minor-league seasons,’’ Bleier said. “To go from repeating levels of minors to those Yankees was quite a turnaround."

Bleier will face Judge when the Yankees-Red Sox soon resume baseball’s best rivalry but he won’t see Judge in the WBC. Judge became the biggest star to decline.

Team USA still owns a star-studded roster of big leaguers while Israel has just nine major leaguers or ex-major leaguers. Center fielder Joe Pederson (Giants), catcher Garrett Stubbs (Phillies) and pitcher Dean Kremer (Orioles) are Israel’s studs.

Manager Kinsler, who retired in 2019 after a solid career as a second baseman, is in the Padres’ front office.

It’s a long shot, but if the Red Sea once parted, maybe Israel gets out of Pool D.

“We have good players, younger guys, some older guys," Bleier said. “You know anything can happen."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Team Israel's Richard Bleier, Danny Valencia in World Baseball Classic