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NEW YORK -- It has been said that baseball is religion, and this belief might be especially true after what occurred at MCU Park in Brooklyn this past weekend. China NFL Jerseys .Team Israel clinched its first berth in the World Baseball Classic by sweeping three games at a qualifying tournament, beating out Great Britain, Brazil and Pakistan to earn the last spot in the 16-team tournament for 2017.Of the 28 players on Israels roster, 21 are currently affiliated with major league organizations, eight have MLB experience, and all are Jewish by heritage, if not also by faith. Former MLB pitcher Jason Marquis, who qualifies for Team Israel based on his ancestry, described his motivation to join even though hes a native New Yorker.I was excited that they gave me an opportunity to get on the mound and compete and pitch for my heritage and tradition -- something that played a vital role in my upbringing and shaped who I am today, said Marquis, who grew up on Staten Island, just a few miles from MCU Park, and at 38 is the oldest player on the roster. I still have the itch. I still love it. I still love competing.Marquis will get at least one more chance to compete when Israel enters round-robin pool play March 7-10 against South Korea, Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. Veteran reliever Craig Breslow and first baseman Ike Davis almost certainly will be asked to return from the qualifier roster, alongside lesser-known players with MLB experience, such as third baseman Cody Decker, catcher Ryan Lavarnway and pitcher Josh Zeid.Current major leaguers with Jewish heritage, such as Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun and Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar also will likely be invited to join the Israeli team in Korea.We know what youre thinking. Why is a de facto Jewish-American all-star team representing Israel?WBC eligibility rules are more flexible than those which govern most federated international competitions, including the Olympics. By WBC rules, a player is essentially allowed to compete for a nation if he fulfills the criteria whereby he would be eligible to become a citizen of that country. Israel isnt the only country that benefits from this rule, but its religious status makes for a unique situation among WBC teams. The nations Law of Return allows anyone with a Jewish parent, grandparent or spouse to become a citizen.MLB established this policy with the idea of growing the game globally. After all, a tournament where a handful of established teams crush inexperienced competition would serve as an insincere invitation to nations where MLB has growth interest.The heritage exemption greatly expands the talent pool available to the Israeli team, but Israel Association of Baseball president Peter Kurz said he went to great lengths to prove player eligibility to MLB, which operates the WBC in conjunction with the players union. He presented birth certificates, marriage certificates and, yes, even circumcision certificates to bring players aboard.Israel, like Great Britain and Brazil, relied heavily on minor leaguers who werent available until their seasons ended earlier this month. Despite coming together only days before the qualifier at a brief minicamp in upstate New York, Davis said Team Israel had little difficulty connecting right away.A lot of us played organized ball together or against each other, said Davis, a seven-year MLB veteran who was released by the Yankees organization in August. Theres definitely some age gaps and experience level differences, but everyone here is a pretty good player. ... Its unique to play in situations like this. Stats dont really matter. If you go 0-for-4 and you win the game, thats all that matters.Israel made sure to tap 20-year-old Dodgers minor leaguer Dean Kremer, the teams youngest player, to join its bullpen. Kremer was born in Stockton, California, to Israeli parents and holds dual citizenship. He was the first Israeli citizen to be selected in the MLB draft. He was picked in the 38th round in 2015 by the Padres but didnt sign. Instead, he played a season at UNLV and joined the Dodgers organization after they took him in the 14th round this year.Previously, Kremer competed for the Israeli national team in European championship qualifying in 2014 and 15. In addition to advancing to the WBC with Team Israel, he won the Class A Midwest League championship earlier this month with the Great Lakes Loons.Ive been dreaming about playing for this team since I first saw them in 2012 and heard about the WBC and representing Israel, Kremer said. Being able to play with them is definitely a dream come true.Jerry Weinstein, a longtime coach who has been with the Colorado Rockies organization since 2007, is manager of Team Israel. He has visited the nation twice in a baseball capacity and said he was pleased with how seriously his players took the qualifying competition despite teaming up only recently.Theyre approaching this just like a playoff game or a World Series -- just the intent with the way they work and the professionalism, Weinstein said before the tournament. Theyre not half-stepping. Theyre doing it the right way.The results proved Weinstein correct. Israel opened with a 5-2 win over Great Britain, followed by a 1-0 victory against Brazil, and then defeated Britain a second time, 9-1. Decker and Lavarnway each homered and drove in three runs during the tournament. Marquis struck out six and allowed one earned run in seven innings. Zeid struck out nine and allowed one earned run in 6 2/3 innings.Kurz is the architect of the operation. Hes a native New Yorker who became a Mets fan after the teams improbable run to the 1969 World Series title, but he has lived in Israel for the past 28 years. Kurz became involved in baseball in Israel in the late 1990s, when he was asked to help coach his sons team in Tel Aviv. He hesitated, having never played the sport seriously, but he was convinced to step in because he knew the rules of the game.A month later, he took over as the teams head coach, and not long after that he was taking an Israeli youth team to an international competition in the Netherlands. A coach who joined him on that trip was Shlomo Lipetz, who happens to be the only Israeli-born member on the WBC qualifier roster, and one of the players was Alon Leichman, now a coach for Team Israel.Kurz later served as the secretary-general for the IAB and as general manager of Israels 2012 WBC qualifier team. He became IAB president three years ago.You rise very quickly in the organization, Kurz said with a grin.Meantime, the ultimate goal of Team Israel is to increase participation, improve the level of play, and create a bigger footprint for baseball in a nation where soccer and basketball are far more popular. Kurz said baseball participation increased by more than 30 percent the year after the 2012 WBC qualifier, and he expects the current teams success to provide even larger growth.The heightened awareness that this win brings, and just this whole competition, the whole concept of the WBC, can only help baseball in Israel, Weinstein said. [Im] hoping theres more heightened awareness relative to people that are going to provide resources for the program, which is a very fledgling program. We need fields. We need more participants. We need more coaches over there.The conversations have already begun regarding the addition of major leaguers to the 2017 roster. There is an existing relationship with Pederson, who played for Team Israel in 2012. Kurz said he will ask Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, who managed Team Israel in 2012, to speak with Kinsler. Kurz will also tap current Jerry Narron, an Israeli coach, to contact Braun, whom Narron knows from previously serving as Brewers bench coach. Pillar has already expressed interest through mutual friends.Davis is currently a free agent, and his baseball future is up in the air. Hes intrigued by the possibility of representing Israel again in March but is unable to commit until he knows where he will sign -- and how that organization will feel about him traveling to Asia for a week or two during spring training.I dont know what next year will bring or where Im going to be, Davis said. But I think it would be pretty cool.With all that in mind, Kurz vows that Team Israel wont be satisfied by just making an appearance in Korea. A rare opportunity is there for the taking, with the top two teams in that pool advancing to the second round, March 12-15 at the Tokyo Dome. The semifinals and championship game will be held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on March 20 and 22.Our goal is to come in first or second place in our division, Kurz said. And you can print that. Cheap Jerseys 2020 . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Wholesale Authentic Jerseys . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. https://www.cheapjerseysfromchinareview.com/ .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf. ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Tyler Bray and Kevin Hogan strolled side-by-side toward Scanlon Hall, their home for the next few weeks of training camp, almost as if they had already formed some sort of alliance.Maybe they intend to vote Aaron Murray off in the Chiefs version of Quarterback Survivor.All three of them arrived at Missouri Western on Tuesday, along with rookies and some other select veterans, to begin the true audition to be Alex Smiths backup. Murray may enter the race as the slight favorite, but all of them will have an opportunity to get on the field.This is a great three days for the quarterbacks to get re-acclimated to the offense, the terminology, the situational offense, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. Its a great week for them.Reid acknowledged that training camp is a better barometer in the quarterback race than the voluntary workouts and minicamp that marked the summer. But he also said that nothing is likely to be decided until his young quarterbacks get on the field for some preseason games.The first of those isnt until Aug. 13, when Seattle visits Arrowhead Stadium.Smith has been a durable starter during his time in Kansas City, somewhat assuaging the fear of an unproven youngster under center. But the Chiefs had also had the comfort of a veteran in Chase Daniel if something should go awry, and that security blanket left for the Philadelphia Eagles.Its possible the Chiefs could still add a veteran quarterback in camp, especially once the first round of cuts happen. But they are strapped for salary cap space, so its likely that one of the three quarterbacks who arrived at Missouri Western will have to earn the job.Handicapping the race is about as difficult as learning Reids offense.Bray has the strongest arm and biggest frame of the bunch, and the former undrafted free agent out of Tennessee has been in the system the longest. But he has also dealt with a number of injuries that have held him back the past few years, and he has yet to take a meaningful snap.Asked to judge the competition, he replied: You know as much as I know.Its what you have to live for in the NFL, Bray continued. Theres always going to be a guy coming in thats going to be just as good as you are.Murray was thee first person brought in after Bray, a fifth-round draft pick a couple years ago out of Georgia. China Jerseys 2020. He may be the most polished off the three options, but he is somewhat undersized and some wonder whether he has enough arm strength to make the deep throws.Still, he did have last season to absorb the offense, and the meticulous notes that he took while serving as the third backup behind Smith and Daniel will no doubt have paid off.Its a big, open competition, he said. I have to keep showing the coaches what I can do. I didnt sit back the past couple of years. I paid attention and learned a lot from Alex and Chase.Then there is Hogan, the biggest wild card. The Chiefs thought enough of him to select him in the fifth round of this years draft, despite a somewhat funky throwing motion, and he played in a similar-style offense at Stanford that could help him with the steep NFL learning curve.I think competition is good, Hogan said, no matter where. Its healthy.In other news, Reid said that star pass rusher Justin Houston would attend camp but would not participate in any of the football activities. Houston has surgery in February to repair the ALC in his left knee, and the Chiefs hope he will be able to play at some point this season.Reid also said he was unsure how much Jamaal Charles will participate after surgery on his ACL last season. Charles attending the mandatory minicamp in July and should be ready for the regular-season opener Sept. 11 against San Diego.The biggest question heading into Fridays full-squad report day is whether safety Eric Berry will show up. Negotiations on a long-term contract broke down and Berry, who was designated Kansas Citys franchise player, does not need to report until he signs his contract. The one-year deal, at about $10.8 million, would make him the NFLs highest-paid safety.Theres our feeling for him as a football player and theres a business side of it, and they are two different things, Reid said. Im hoping hes here. If hes not, I understand that, too.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '