I was a part of history.
The first-ever professional baseball league in Israel is off and running. Last night was Opening Day of the Israel Baseball League and, for those who aren't aware because you managed to escape my incessant reminders, I called the game for the English-language TV broadcast which will air in the States on July 1 on PBS. (Unfortunately, only a few PBS affiliates are picking up the game, but New York's Ch. 13 will have it).
Well, after my first day back in the broadcast booth after a 5-year hiatus, 5 words come to mind:
Don't. Quit. Your. Day. Job.
Haha, what can I say? There have been smoother Opening Day broadcasts in the history of the world, but to be honest, my performance fit the mood of the evening: organized chaos. Wildly successful...yet slightly chaotic. It really was an evening of firsts and now that 24 hours have passed, I'm pretty happy and extremely proud to have been a part of this.
First pro baseball game in Israel (Modi'in Miracle beats the Petach Tikva Pioneers 9-1), first ever professionally-hit homerun, first concession stand to sell peanuts, cracker jacks, AND falafel...basically there were a lot of firsts. The broadcast was a lot of fun and, who knows, maybe one day I'll be the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question.
The Field at the Baptist Village in Petach Tikva. Yes, it's a little
ironic that the first-ever pro baseball game in Israel was played
at a place called the "Baptist Village."
This is exactly why I LOVE Israel: the concession stand workers
praying a few hours before the game. Only in Israel.
My cage. Me calling the action from behind home plate.
And behind a chain-linked fence.
Opening Day ceremonies marking the first-ever professional baseball
league in Israel. The Commissioner of the IBL is Dan Kurtzer, former
US Ambassador to Israel and Egypt. Just out of the picture is a guy
Boston Red Sox fans may remember: Dan Duquette. He's the IBL's Director of Baseball Operations.
The IBL Broadcast Crew (l-r): Executive Producer Gary Rubin,
Associate Producer Michael Klein, "Talent" Erik Levis, and our
buddy Dave who preps the fields.
The thing about these last two insane weeks (ever since I got the call from the league asking me to anchor the TV coverage because Bob Costas didn't want to and Jeremy Schaap couldn't commit) is that I NEVER, in a million years, thought something like this was possible. When I left NY, I thought that was the end of the TV part of my life. And I was cool with the idea of sacrificing that business; "Israel" was the new driving force in my life.
And now, here I am, able to combine both loves. This is one of the weirdest and most surreal experiences I've ever been a part of.
Thanks to Gideon Cohen for helping make this happen.
Niiiiiiiiice!
Anyways, if you watch the game on PBS, try to have some pity on my goofs and flubs. Remember...Bob Costas said no.
-E
4 comments:
Erik,
Mazal Tov!
You are an incredible asset to this new "Israeli venture."
Have fun!!!!
M
I'll be catching your performance on Sunday man. Took me twenty minutes to program this device called a "VCR" but i'll have a fantastically mediocre copy of it! Yaaayy!!
-q-
Wow! That is incredibly cool! Israel has been on my mind a lot lately since this is the anniversary of our Birthright trip! I somehow feel this sense of being connected to all this since you were on the trip with me! Talk about living vicariously.
Mazal Tov!
-Genny
Erik,
You sent me the link to your blog... er, 9 months or so ago I guess. I'm just now getting around to reading it. (That's what happens when you have two kids less than two years apart. You forget stuff.)
Anyway, this is so cool! I kicked myself for not reading this a few weeks ago. But then I saw that SF PBS hadn't picked up the game anyway so I didn't miss it. Ah well.
Take care and I'll be reading (if I remember).
- Chief
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