Ausmus worked with the Israel Association of Baseball to manage the Israel team that ‎played in the 2012 World Baseball Classic tournament qualifiers

Tel Aviv, November 3, 2013: The Israel Association of Baseball (IAB) congratulates ‎Team Israel Manager Brad Ausmus on his new position as Manager of the Detroit Tigers. ‎Ausmus is due to finalize the deal today, and will step into the position following the ‎resignation of 68-year-old Jim Leyland.‎

Ausmus, 44, served as Manager of Team Israel in our most recent bid to reach the World ‎Baseball Classic tournament in 2012. Ausmus came to Israel in 2012 to conduct ‎numerous clinics and travelled around the country to meet and work with players from ‎the IAB. One of the highlights of his trip was a meeting with President Shimon Peres in ‎Jerusalem. ‎

‎"Brad was a great Manager and a big mensch," says Peter Kurz, President of the IAB. ‎‎"He was a huge help in putting the WBC team together, recruiting players from the minor ‎leagues in the US and talking with Jewish Major League players. He also assisted with ‎the fundraising efforts for our new facility in Ra'anana, met with young players in Israel ‎and helped everyone he could. He will make a great Major League manager and the ‎Detroit Tigers are very fortunate to have a manager like Brad. We look forward to seeing ‎Brad in a Tigers uniform, and hopefully he will continue to support Israel baseball in ‎whatever capacity he can in the future."‎

Ausmus played catcher for 18 seasons with four teams during his Major League career ‎from 1993-2010, including three years with the Tigers (1996, 1999-2000). He has most ‎recently been serving as a special assistant for the San Diego Padres. He is married and ‎a father of two daughters, who joined him on his trip to Israel last year. ‎

Bud's Boys Modi'in Miracles finally cracked the win column on Sunday, besting Tel Aviv 7-5 in Premier League play at the Baptist Village field on Sunday October 20.

The Ra'anana Raiders are leading the league with a 4-2 record, followed by the Jerusalem Lions at 3-2 and Tel Aviv Comrades at 2-2. (Jerusalem and Tel Aviv also ended one game in a tie.) Modi'in, now at 1-4, will try to make it two in a row on Thursday in a rematch against Tel Aviv.

Modi'in struck quickly on Sunday, taking advantage of some wildness by Tel Aviv starter Amit Kurz to plate the first three batters. Pasha Ryabtsev delivered one of the runs with the first of his two infield hits of the game. Tel Aviv countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the first, but Modi'in surged ahead with another three runs in the second, as Sammy Tover blasted a triple to right-center and Yoni Schwartz followed with a towering double to left-center.

Tel Aviv player-coach Dan Rothem took over mound duties and shut down Modi'in during the second half of the game, with the exception of a leadoff double in the fourth by Albert Levy, who came in to score his team's fifth run.

Binyamin Mor pitched brilliantly for Modi'in, surrendering just four unearned runs over five innings. Zach Schneider was also very sharp in recording a six-out save for Bud's Boys. Mor and Schneider combined to twirl a two-hitter, with Daniel Meltzer and Tal Erel recording the only hits for Tel Aviv, both singles.

The national enrichment program started on a high note on Wednesday night. A total of ‎over 70 players – Juveniles, Cadets and Juniors - showed up for the 16-week intensive, ‎high level coaching program. ‎

IAB National Director Nate Fish was on hand to co-ordinate and welcome the players to ‎the program. "This is a program where you'll be trained by the best coaches ‎in Israel," Nate said, introducing head coaches Amit Kurz, Juniors; David Schenker, Cadets; ‎and Louie Miller, Juveniles. "Be ready to play a lot of baseball!"‎

The players responded to the enthusiasm and had an excellent first practice. "It was a ‎great first practice," said Dolev Bassin, a Junior from the Ra'anana Raiders. "This is the ‎second year I am participating in the Enrichment Program, and I came back because of ‎the high level of coaching and the chance to play with guys from other parts of the ‎country."‎

This year, for the first time, a satellite program is being run in the North by coach Yaniv ‎Rosenfeld and a third location will be added at Gezer on Tuesdays for Juveniles and Cadets ‎from 17:30-19:00 – register on the website!‎

Practices at the Baptist Village are on Wednesday evenings - for Juveniles from 17:30-‎‎19:15; and for Cadets and Juniors from 19:00-21:00. Practices in the North take place at ‎the field in Ya'ad from 18:45-20:30. For players still wanting to join the program, it's not ‎too late. Sign up now on our Registration page.‎

This is the week! The Israel Association of Baseball's annual Enrichment Program begins on Wednesday, ‎October 16. ‎The Enrichment Program is part of the IAB's Elite Training ‎Programs.‎ 
All participants in the Enrichment Program will be invited to try out for the ‎Israel National ‎Team at the conclusion of the program. ‎

Who is the enrichment program for?‎
The enrichment program is for any player who wants an extra day of baseball and ‎the ‎opportunity to work with our knowledgeable Israel National Team coaching staff. ‎The ‎program is available for Juvenile (10-12 years old), Cadet (13 and 14 years old), and ‎Junior (15 and 16 years old) players.‎
The program will take place at Baptist Village.‎

Cost‎ 
‎650 shekels for any IAB player who is registered and paid. ‎
‎850 shekels for any non-IAB players. ‎
‎4,000 shekels for a team to register (350 shekels per player). ‎

Schedule 
Every Wednesday beginning October 16.‎
Juveniles - 17:30 – 19:15‎
Cadets and Juniors -19:00 – 21:00‎

Coaches 
Nate Fish, National Director; Louie Miller, Juveniles; David Schenker, Cadets; Amit Kurz, ‎Juniors.‎
Assistant coaches from the Israel Senior National Team will be at each session as well.‎

Registration 
All players must register and pay online through the IAB website registration page - ‎Enrichment Program.‎

Don't miss the excellent opportunity to play more baseball and to play better baseball!‎

Ra’anana edged Bud’s Boys Modi’in 10-9 on Thursday, completing a sweep of their two-game series last week. Both teams failed to score during the first three innings: Modi'in's player-coach Ira Moskowitz worked out of bases-loaded jams twice to keep Ra'anana from scoring, while Ra'anana ace Orr Gottlieb fanned seven during the first three frames to stifle Modi'in's offense.

Netanel Silbermintz came in to pitch for Ra'anana in the fourth inning, and Modi'in greeted him with a three-run outburst, sparked by a double by Yoni Schwartz. Ra'anana countered with an unearned run in the top of the fifth and then exploited a string of Modi'in errors to plate nine runners in the sixth inning to cruise to a 10-3 lead. Hadar Sugarman drove in two runs with a double down the left-field line and Steve Buck laced an RBI single to sustain the Ra'anana rally.

But Bud's Boys were not ready to capitulate and scored five times in the bottom of the sixth on doubles by Schwartz and Zvi Herman, a sacrifice fly by Lukas Brenowitz and an RBI single by Tomer Moskowitz to close the gap to 10-8. Modi'in's pitcher Dima Ryabtsev held Ra'anana scoreless in the top of the seventh (and last) inning. Herman scored the ninth run for Modi'in after leading off the bottom of the seventh with a single, but Ra'anana closer Maor Mamaa was able to set down the next three batters to secure a hard-fought 10-9 victory.