SPORTS

C

oach Josh Birnberg’s 
West Bloomfield 
High School baseball 
team experienced a season 
that had a little of every-
thing.
Big victories in arguably 
the toughest high school 
baseball league in the state. 
A season-long state ranking 
in Division 1. A crushing 
season-ending defeat. And 
an opportunity to play in a 
big-league ballpark.
For West Bloomfield 
junior catcher Max Gross, 
son of Daniel Gross, cantor 
at Adat Shalom Synagogue 
in Farmington Hills, it was 
a season that began with his 
recovery from a compound 
dislocation of his right pin-
kie finger suffered in late 
February while playing bas-
ketball with friends.
It ended with him becom-
ing the Lakers’ everyday 
catcher and one of their top 

hitters, slotted in the No. 5 
spot in the batting lineup.
No. 14-ranked West 
Bloomfield lost 1-0 in 11 
innings to Lake Orion on June 
3 in a Division 1 district semi-
final game on the Lakers’ home 
diamond. The game ended 
with a walk-off walk (Lake 
Orion was the home team).
Gross caught all 11 innings 
of the game and was solid 
defensively. He also had two 
of West Bloomfield’s eight 
hits, both singles, and finished 
the season with a .365 batting 
average and a .490 on-base 
percentage.
“The finger injury really 
didn’t affect Max as a baseball 
player,” Birnberg said. “He 
ended up catching about 25 of 
our 38 games.”
That’s remarkable consid-
ering the injury was on the 
pinkie finger of Gross’ throw-
ing hand and the bottom 
hand when he’s batting (he’s a 

left-handed batter).
Gross loves his time behind 
the plate. Apparently, it’s not 
as dangerous as basketball.
“You’re always doing some-
thing during a game,” he said. 
“You always have an impact on 
what’s happening. I enjoy that.”
West Bloomfield (27-11, 
11-7) tied with Lake Orion for 
second place in the Oakland 
Activities Association Red 
Division, two games behind 
champion Rochester Adams. 
Clarkston, Oxford, Rochester 
and Rochester Hills Stony 
Creek also were in the division.
“We beat Lake Orion in two 
of three games in the league 
season, so I consider us the 
second-place team in the 
league,” Birnberg said.
After losing their first league 
matchup with the Dragons 8-1, 
the Lakers beat Lake Orion 
10-0 and 4-2. The games were 
played May 15, 16 and 18.
Lake Orion got its revenge 
in the district game against 
West Bloomfield and went on 
to stun three-time defend-
ing state champion and No. 
1-ranked Orchard Lake St. 
Mary’s 3-2 in the district 
championship game.
Another highlight of the 
season for West Bloomfield 
was a May 7 game the Lakers 
played at Comerica Park vs. 
South Lyon.

“We treated it 100% as an 
exhibition game,” Birnberg 
said.
That’s because the game 
had a time limit, there were 
tarps placed in front and 
behind the batters’ boxes, 
everyone on each team batted 
(21 players suited up for West 
Bloomfield), players batted 
out of order, there was free 
substitution, and top pitchers 
didn’t throw.
“It’s more of a once-in-
a-lifetime experience to 
play (a non-league game) at 
Comerica than a real game,” 
Birnberg said. “The Tigers set 
up those games after you tell 
them you want to play there. 
They select the date of the 
game and who you play.”
For the record, South Lyon 
beat West Bloomfield 6-2.
Besides their Jewish coach 
and Gross, there were four 
other Jewish players on West 
Bloomfield roster.
They were senior catcher 
Jacob Mills, senior utility 
player/pitcher Quinn Lewis, 
and junior pitchers Ari 
Klinger and Andre Landau.
Birnberg, a former star 
shortstop for West Bloomfield, 
has been the Lakers’ coach for 
four years. 

Send sports news to 
stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

Catcher Max Gross’ strong season is 
a highlight for the state-ranked West 
Bloomfield High School baseball team.

Ups and Downs 

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

56 | JUNE 15 • 2023 

That’s Max Gross behind the plate at Comerica Park.

Max Gross soaks in the big-league atmosphere from 
the visitors’ dugout at Comerica Park.

JODI MILLS

JODI MILLS

