Go Raf!

My friend Raf (getting hugged by the catcher)
signed a minor league contract to pitch
for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League
just one week after winning the IBL Championship
and, apparently, catching a knee to the family jewels.


For those who missed it, the Israel Baseball League completed its inaugural season a few weeks ago as the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox beat the Modi'in Miracle 3-0 thanks in no small part to my new friend Rafael Bergstrom who tossed a complete game shutout. I met Raf through my Hebrew U buddy Jason (for more on Jason see the post below. Or just find a bar. He's probably there).

But the coolest part for Raf was not the gem he threw in the championship game...but the minor league contract he signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish a few days later. That's right, the IBL has sent its first player to the States to play pro ball.



Raf had a stellar first outing with his new team last week, pitching 8 strong innings and giving up 4 earned runs in a 4-3 loss to some team called the "Road Warriors."

So the crazy stories from this summer's IBL inaugural season keep rolling. Thanks to this whacky league, I appeared on national television, ate a lot of free kosher hamburgers, befriended a former U.S. ambassador, dated an Israeli TV producer, saw the league almost go under, made tons of new random friends, and saw one of them sign a pro contract to play ball in the States.

Opening Day 2008 is set for June 29. I'll probably show up.

-E