Israeli baseball begins Sunday night

League’s business operation director says droves of North Americans have scheduled visit to Israel to coincide with opening game

Ynet
Published: 06.18.07, 18:45 / Israel Culture

The Israel Baseball League is to double the seating capacity of the Yarkon Field on Sunday night to accommodate the expected 2,000 spectators for the league's Opening Night.

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“Ticket requests have been awesome,” said IBL’s business operations director Bob Ruxin in a press release. “Israeli communities, youth teams and companies are organizing group outings, droves of North Americans have scheduled visit to Israel to coincide with the Opener, and we even have a fan coming in from India just to catch the first game,” Ruxin continued.

The opening game of Israel’s first professional baseball league will be televised live by the Channel 5 sports channel, with Hebrew commentary. The game will be aired in English in the US on a delayed basis on PBS affiliates in major US markets on July 1 and will be available on the IBL’s website afterwards.

“We urge spectators to come early, starting at 4:00,” Ruxin said. “Pre-game ceremonies will begin at 5:15 with the ceremonial first pitch due to be tossed at six."

Seating at the game will be unique for baseball — designed as part of the branding of baseball Israeli-style. “We will have 100 tables and umbrellas, sort of like al fresco dining. We will have bleachers; we will have individual chairs. We even have some unused dugouts outside the outfield foul lines that will serve as seating for the game,” Ruxin said.

There are six teams in the league, playing a 45-game schedule. Players from nine nations have been drafted, while about a dozen of the 120 players are Israeli citizens.

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