SPORTS

Expanded Maccabi

Baltimore steps into the venue void.

Steve Stein
Special to The Jewish News

I is been a tumultuous 25th anniver-
sary for the JCC Maccabi Games,
an Olympic-style competition for
Jewish athletes ages 13-16.
Last summer, Atlanta and Washington,
D.C., two of the four host cities for the
2007 Games, decided to withdraw as
hosts because of financial issues and JCC
management turnover in their communi-
ties.
But, Detroit JCC board secretary Karen
Gordon said Baltimore has volunteered
as a 2007 host on a small scale, offering to
provide competition for younger athletes
from previous host cities. So Detroit is
hoping to compete in boys soccer for the
first time in several years. The Baltimore
Games will be from Aug. 5-9.
Houston (Aug. 5-10) and Orange
County, Calif. (Aug. 12-17) remain as
2007 hosts. Softball will be played in
Houston, and swimming events will be
held in Orange County.
The Detroit JCC Maccabi Club is still
seeking athletes to fill out its boys soc-
cer (ages 13-14), girls softball (13-16)
and boys and girls swimming (13-16)
rosters. Those interested should contact
Gordon at (248) 432-5482 or kgordon@
jccdet.org .
This was to have been the last year
for Maccabi softball, but coaches and
other supporters convinced officials at
the national Jewish Community Centers
Association in New York to continue the
sport beyond 2007.
"I don't think the news about drop-
ping softball affected us," Gordon said.
"We often have a difficult time getting
softball players because the Games are
played at the end of a long summer of
softball for many interested girls."
Detroit had planned to send 12 swim-
mers to Orange County. "Now they want
us to bring 20, which is a big group for
us," Gordon said.
Detroit will be a host city for the 2008
Maccabi Games.

Batter Up!
A new book, Jews and Baseball,
Volume 1: Entering the American
Mainstream, 1871-1948, could pro-
vide some interesting reading in the
on-deck circle.
Written by Burton and Benita

Boxerman of St. Louis, the book
examines the interrelated histories of
professional baseball and American Jews
through 1948, the year that Israel became
a state and former Detroit Tigers great
Hank Greenberg retired.
Jewish players, managers, owners,
executives, writers, statisticians, manu-
facturers and others are profiled, and
the authors demonstrate how Jews and
baseball have benefited from their rela-
tionship.
The book sells for $39.95. It can be pur-
chased on the McFarland & Company Inc.
Publishers Web site, www.mcfarlandpub.
corn.
Here's another baseball note: The new
Israel Baseball League has announced
the names of its six teams. They are the

Bet Shemesh Blue Sox, Modi'in Miracle,
Netanya Tigers, Petach Tikva Pioneers,
Ra'anana Express and Tel Aviv Lightning.
Former major leaguers Ron
Blomberg (Bet Shemesh), Art
Shamsky (Modi'in) and Ken
Holtzman (Ra'anana) are among the
managers. Blomberg, Shamsky and
Holtzman are Jewish, but there are many
non-Jewish players and managers in the
league.
IBL Director of Baseball Operations
Dan Duquette predicts the level of play in
the league's first season will approximate
an independent or Class A league in the
United States.
Play in the IBL begins June 24 with
a 45-game schedule and playoffs. Go to
www.israelbaseballleague.corn. E

Noah's Arc
Frankel Jewish Academy of Metropolitan
Detroit basketball players Noah Curhan
and Max Eisenberg
were honored by the
Catholic League Coaches
Association. Curhan
was named to the C-D
Division All-League Team
and Eisenberg earned an
All-Academic selection.
The Jewish Academy
Curhan
finished 3-7 in C-D corn-
petition, good for fifth place in the seven-
team division.

Please send sports news to

sports@thejewishnews.com.

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March 8 2007

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