Team Israel kicked off its preparations for the World Baseball Classic (WBC), which opens this weekend in Miami, with an impressive 1-0 exhibition victory over the Miami Marlins at their spring training home in Jupiter, Florida.
The blue-and-white pitching staff dominated the Marlins’ lineup, combining for a four-hit shutout in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Roger Dean Stadium as Israel fine-tuned its roster ahead of Group D play, which begins Saturday night in Miami.
Big leaguer Robert Stock was lights out, striking out three over three scoreless innings while flashing a fastball that touched 97 mph. Stock ran into a bit of trouble in the fourth inning, but Jupiter native Justin Alintoff entered with two runners on and nobody out and promptly bailed out both Stock and Team Israel. Alintoff needed just 10 pitches to record three outs, including a strikeout, halting the threat and preserving the shutout.
Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs – whose dramatic extra-base hit keyed Israel’s 2023 WBC victory over Nicaragua to secure the team’s return to this year’s tournament – picked up right where he left off. Stubbs crushed a triple off the top of the right-field wall to drive in the game’s only run.
Colorado Rockies minor league prospect Cole Carrigg electrified the crowd with his speed and chutzpah, swiping two bases after reaching in his first two plate appearances.
Brad Ausmus's expectations for Team Israel
Israel manager Brad Ausmus liked what he saw from his club in its first outing and outlined what he expects as Israel opens Pool D play in Miami.
“Robert Stock was great today, throwing that hard this early in the season,” Ausmus said. “We can use him as a starter or out of the bullpen if we need him in a close game. It was also great to see Alintoff’s energy. He was fired up, changed the game’s momentum, and finished his outing by pumping his fist in front of his hometown fans.”
The following day, the blue-and-white proved they could compete with another MLB club, taking a 2–1 lead into the eighth inning against the New York Mets before ultimately falling 5–2. Despite the loss, Team Israel showed grit, clawing back from an early deficit. Cardinals minor leaguer Zach Levenson went deep, while Carrigg continued to showcase his speed, swiping another base and legging out a triple.
Both games provided Ausmus valuable opportunities to evaluate his roster and shape his lineup.
“I’m very excited to return to Team Israel,” said Ausmus, who first joined the program in 2012 and famously autographed a baseball for President Shimon Peres during his visit to Israel. “In my first experience, we had only minor league players. But we felt a special spirit of camaraderie, which has characterized Israeli teams over the years.”
Ausmus, a Gold Glove and All-Star catcher during his 18-year MLB career, is widely respected for his baseball IQ and leadership skills, which later guided him as manager of the Detroit Tigers and now as bench coach of the New York Yankees. He is enthusiastic about the talent assembled for this year’s squad, though he acknowledges Israel will enter as an underdog in a formidable bracket.
“I look forward to having players like Dean Kremer, Harrison Bader, and Spencer Horwitz on the squad,” Ausmus said. “But we’re not going to sit back and wait for three-run homers. We’re going to be aggressive, go after wins, and push the envelope. We’re going to take it to them.”
Symbolically, a Zoom interview conducted from Israel to Ausmus in Florida was briefly interrupted by Iranian missile attacks, underscoring the gravity of the moment. The interruptions provided Israel’s manager an opportunity to express his hope that he and his players can represent the country with pride during these difficult times and offer Israelis and Jews around the world a welcome respite – and a reason to stand tall.