Name: Robert Bash

Profession: Medical device executive

Team you coach: Lev Hasharon Nationals Cadets

Years as a coach: 7‎

Your first baseball experience: Can't remember that far back

You're a fan of: The Washington Nationals

The player you most admire and why: Cal Ripkin Jr., consistently played hard

Your most memorable baseball moment as a coach: Coaching with Eliyahu Jackson z"l ‎and watching the horses and goats run across our make-shift field in Tel Mond.‎

If you weren't coaching baseball, you'd be...: Getting a lot of sleep on Friday afternoons

Your top coaching tip: Run towards the base you are throwing to

Your coaching mantra: Catch the ball, you [expletive deleted] kid!!‎

Name: Steve K. Walz

Profession: Journalist and Strategic Media and Marketing Consultant

Team you coach: Modiin Miracles Minors

Years as a coach: 2nd year

Your first baseball experience: 7-year-old day camper (Eagle Day Camp) in Monsey, NY, ‎hitting a pitched whiffle ball over the coach's head into the camp pool!‎

You're a fan of: Yankees and Mets

The player you most admire and why: There are several: Bernie Williams ex-Yankee ‎outfielder who exhibited poise and dignity on and off the field. Ditto for Shawn Green. ‎Jewish ballplayer Hank Greenberg, who dealt with on and off the field prejudices but ‎never gave in to them and deserved all of the accolades.‎

Your most memorable baseball moment as a coach: Taking a "Bad News Bears" team ‎last year and transforming into an over .500 playoff team, working tirelessly with our ‎talented coaches - Head Coach Manson Ho and Assistant Coach Gedaliah Werblowsky.‎

If you weren't coaching baseball, you'd be...: If I had the money, I'd buy a minor league ‎team ‎

Your top coaching tip: Stay focused, listen to the coaches

Your coaching mantra: Ears, legs, eyes: Ears=listen; Legs=move fast; Eyes=watch and be aware

In the latest IBAF (International Baseball Federation) ranking of international federations, ‎the Israel Association of Baseball has moved to 26th place in the world from 28th place in ‎‎2012. This is a major accomplishment for Israeli baseball and is due to the efforts of all ‎the national teams who have placed so high in recent tournaments, including the second ‎place finish for Team Israel in the WBC Qualifiers to the second place finish of the Junior ‎National Team at the PONY tournament last year. ‎

According to Peter Kurz, the IAB President, "This is simply validation of the IAB's ongoing ‎efforts to elevate the level of baseball in Israel. This is currently being reinforced by the ‎change in the Board, the hiring of Nate Fish as our National Director, the increased play ‎in every region, and the successful local tournaments and clinics we are running. Our ‎goal in three years, after the next WBC tournament in 2016, is to reach at least the 18th place in the world rankings, a very fitting place for Israel baseball!" ‎

Name: Reuben Schechter

Profession: Program Manager at Cisco

Team you coach: Ra'anana Raiders Minors

Years as a coach: 5‎

Your first baseball experience: Winning the "Mr. Error" award at Camp Dora Golding

You're a fan of: New York Yankees

The player you most admire and why: Joe D and Derek Jeter. Both are great ball ‎players who have brought tremendous grace and class to the game while being under the ‎unrelenting spotlight of being an iconic Yankee.‎

Your most memorable baseball moment as a coach: Any time (but preferably at a key ‎moment in a real game) you see a player suddenly accomplish something he's never ‎done before. It's all about the "naches".‎

If you weren't coaching baseball, you'd be...: Playing softball

Your top coaching tip: Rotate Batting Orders. Set a single batting order at the beginning ‎of the season and use it all season long. In each game, the leadoff hitter is the guy who ‎was on deck during the last at bat of the previous game. Players are happy because they ‎feel it's fair. Coach is happy because he doesn't have kids arguing over who leads off or ‎bats cleanup and his players quickly learn their place in the order based on the same kid ‎always batting in front of them. This works great for the minors.‎

Your coaching mantra: Keep your eye on the ball. Always watch the ball

The field at Aviezer, which serves a large number of Bet Shemesh teams, has been given a major upgrade. The IAB funded the field renovations, which include the installation of a batting cage, repairs to the backstop, the leveling of right field, building of a fence and a hit-away post. Aviezer is the home field for the three Beit Shemesh Junior teams, and is also used throughout the year by three Beit Shemesh Cadet teams, and is also a back-up home field for the Efrat Junior team.