THE LOUDEST SOUND WAS SILENCE
The World Baseball Classic is loud. Very loud.
Fans of Team Venezuela, Team Dominican, and Team Nicaragua packed loanDepot Park in Miami to bang drums and cheer for their teams. The players returned the affection by playing inspired baseball. You will rarely see Juan Soto or Ronald Acuna Jr. running the bases that hard in March. But perhaps no statement was louder than the one made by Team Israel fans and players saying… nothing at all.
My name is Nate Fish. I am the CEO of Israel Baseball Americas and the manager of the Israel National Team. I have been with Israel Baseball for 20 years as a player, coach, and executive. This was my fourth WBC, and our first since October 7th.
Different This Time
The previous WBC was played in March of 2023. Back then, we brought Jewish people pride, no doubt, but we were mostly just another team trying to win games in a tough tournament.
Later that summer, in late-September, we competed at the European Championships. Team Israel always has unique contours - more security and start up ideas than other teams, but again, mostly just another team trying to win ballgames. Two weeks later, we know what happened.
Since the war, being a member of Team Israel is different. The world is different. At the 2025 European Championships, two long years later, protests outside the stadium were so bad we could not leave our hotel. Same tournament. Different world.
What I’ve Learned
Running a hybrid Jewish non-profit/professional baseball organization post-October 7th has taught me a lesson many ethnic minorities have had the misfortune of learning - how to live in a world that does not want you, and if you can muster it, how to live with some grace in that world.
Considering my job title, I am sure I am on my fair-share of mental and literal lists, and that’s okay with me. I would of course prefer it to not be true, but quickly banishing that wishful thought from my mind, I am more proud now of myself and of my people than ever before, because we need it more than ever before.
Team Israel’s Unique Impact
We are all familiar with the myriad of Jewish organizations directly or indirectly combating anti-semitism - an alphabet soup of initialisms and mission statements of which we are just one.
But without saying a word about anti-semitism, Team Israel has the unique opportunity to make a positive and enduring cultural impact for Jews and non-Jews alike. We make our statement by simply putting on our uniforms and competing in front of millions of people. Our lifetime record at the WBC is now seven-and-seven. Not bad for a bunch of Jewish boys.
The Loudest Sound
But wars don’t stop for baseball tournaments.
As we prepared for Miami, rockets rained down from Iran. Five of our people couldn’t get out of Israel and had to watch the games from bomb shelters instead of from the dugout. 72-hours after we beat the Netherlands in our final game of the tournament, a Jewish day school in Amsterdam was attacked. The day after we returned home, a driver rammed a truck into a synagogue in Michigan.
Fans for Venezuela and the Dominican Republic rightfully roared for their nations, but the loudest sound at the WBC was made by Team Israel standing shoulder to shoulder in the stands and on the baseline in silence.