Baseball: Shalom discusses new stadia with Goldklang

Plans in works to build sports fields in the Negev, Galilee, Jerusalem, Ra'anana, Beit Shemesh, and Modi'in.

By JPOST STAFF
ramat gan stadium 88 (photo credit: )
ramat gan stadium 88
(photo credit: )
Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian baseball teams could compete against each other as part of plans to reestablish professional baseball in Israel, according to discussions held between New York Yankees minority owner Marvin Goldklang and Regional Cooperation Minister Silvan Shalom in Jerusalem on Sunday. Goldklang met with Shalom to advance plans to build multipurpose sports fields that could seat up to 4,000 people in the Negev, Galilee, Jerusalem, Ra'anana, Beit Shemesh and Modi'in. "This is a welcome initiative which we should do whatever we can to encourage. This is a plan that will advance sports in Israel and familiarize our young people with baseball," said Shalom, who is also Negev and Galilee development minister. Last week plans were announced to set up a new league here, with an agreement signed between the Israel Association of Baseball and a group named Baseball Field of Dreams LLC, of which Goldklang is a representative. Goldklang said Sunday he also had a Palestinian partner interested in advancing the project. Jeff Rosen, owner of the Maccabi Haifa Heat basketball team, is also part of the group behind the proposed league.