32 | SEPTEMBER 5 • 2024 J
N

I

t takes hours of planning and preparation for a city 
to host the JCC Maccabi Games.
But even that is sometimes not enough. Once the 
games begin, anything can happen.
Ron Silberstein was the commissioner of the base-
ball competition at the Maccabi Games hosted by 
Detroit from July 28-Aug. 2.
He had five capable assistant commissioners work-
ing with him, making sure everything was running 
smoothly at the four sites where games were played: 
Bloomfield Hills, North Farmington and West 
Bloomfield high schools and North Hills Middle 
School.
“Those guys were responsible, took care of what 
they needed to take care of, interacted well with peo-
ple and communicated with me if they had questions,
” 
Silberstein said about assistant commissioners Adam 
Arnold, Josh Goldberg, Andy Israel, Josh Miller and 
Howard Heicklen.
Mother Nature communicated with Silberstein and 
his colleagues too, unfortunately.
Rain on the first two days of the baseball competi-
tion (July 29 and 30) gave way to heat and humidity 
on the final two days (July 31 and Aug. 1).
The hot weather took its toll on an umpire, who 
needed to be transported to a hospital by Silberstein 
so he could get treatment.
While the possibility of a heat-related issue wasn’t 
farfetched, another challenge Silberstein faced was 
totally unexpected.
Fans for a team from Mexico blew horns during 
games to cheer on their team. 
There was a possibility Mexico could face a 

team that had a player with autism. Silberstein was 
informed by that team that the blaring horns could 
bother the player. 
“Those teams ended up not playing, but I’m sure 
the Mexican fans wouldn’t have blared their horns if I 
informed them of the situation,
” Silberstein said.
There were six teams in the 14U baseball division 
and six teams in the 16U baseball division. The same 
competition format was used in each division.
“We didn’t plan to have the same number of 
teams in each division. It just worked out that way,
” 
Silberstein said.
After each team played four pool games July 29 and 
July 30, they were seeded into a bracket. The top two 
teams earned a first-round bye. 
The No. 3 and No. 6 and No. 4 and No. 5 teams 
played July 31, with the winners facing the teams with 
the bye later that day.
That set up the gold medal and bronze medal 
games Aug. 1. The 14U medal games were played at 
West Bloomfield High School. The 16U medal games 
were played at Bloomfield Hills High School.
Most of the teams were made up of players from 
multiple delegations. They were referred to by the del-
egation that had the most players on a team.
Detroit won the gold medal in the 14U division, 
defeating Los Angeles 11-8 in the championship 
game. The bronze medal in the division went to Team 
Ohio.
The 16U gold medal winner was Atlanta, which 
beat Toronto 13-2 in the division championship game. 
The bronze medal was won by Team Long Beach.
Teams played seven-inning games, although there 

was a one-hour-and-45-minute time limit in pool 
games. 
Silberstein said he was asked after the baseball com-
petition if he had fun running it.
“It wasn’t fun until it was over,
” he said, laughing. 
“But being the commissioner was absolutely worth-
while. And it was great to hear out-of-towners tell me 
how organized Detroit was, not just for baseball.
”
Chris Chesney, coach of the gold medal-winning 
14U Detroit team, enjoyed the baseball competition 
and not just because his team won the division cham-
pionship.
“It was a fantastic environment. Great competition 
and sportsmanship,
” he said. “That’s the beauty of 
baseball. You have to dig deep to beat your opponent, 
who is doing the exact same thing.
”
Silberstein and the five assistant commissioners 
were volunteers, as were about 600 others who donat-
ed their time and talents to the Maccabi Games.
Silberstein is a veteran Maccabi Games volunteer. 
He was a Detroit softball team coach from 2002-08, 
and the venue director at North Farmington High 
School and Drake Sports Park in West Bloomfield 
and an assistant venue director at Birmingham Groves 
High School in previous years that Detroit hosted the 
Maccabi Games.
Detroit has hosted the Maccabi Games seven times, 
more than any other city. It previously hosted in 1984, 
1990, 1998, 2008, 2014 and 2019.
Houston also hosted the Maccabi Games this year. 
Next year’s hosts are Pittsburgh and Tucson, Ariz. 

Send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

Diamond Doings
Diamond Doings
Diamond Doings
Diamond Doings

Take a peek behind the scenes at the 
JCC Maccabi Games baseball competition.

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SPORTS

Detroit and Los Angeles baseball 
players celebrate together after the 14U 
gold medal game, won by Detroit.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

