Where Are the Fans for Israel’s National Baseball Team? In New York.

The Tokyo-bound Israeli national baseball team has more supporters in New York than in its home country.

Shortly before the start of a recent exhibition game, the members of Israel’s national baseball team assembled along the third base line at Maimonides Field in Coney Island and replaced their baseball caps with yarmulkes in preparation for the singing of the Israeli national anthem. But only a few players knew enough Hebrew to sing along. The team, currently on tour in New York, only has four players native to the country. The rest of the 24-player roster mostly consists of American players whose Jewish roots allow them under Olympic rules to play for the team.