I launched this blog 14 years ago today, a week after the close of the first and only season of the Israel Baseball League. I haven't posted to it since July 2009, and I can't imagine anybody's still following it. But whatever reasons I may have had then to write anonymously are no longer relevant. So allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Jason Elbaum. I was born and raised in the Washington, D.C., area shortly after the Washington Senators left town (again). I quickly became a big fan of our "home team," the Baltimore Orioles (Eddie Murray! Jim Palmer! and so many other greats), and before long I found Bill James's books in the local library. As a math and computer geek, this was heaven. I started plugging his formulas into the primitive spreadsheets available on our home computer.
Fast forward... computer science degree, marriage and job, moved to Israel... baseball fell by the wayside. Until I saw that our local youth league was looking for umps. I took the umpiring course and rekindled my love for the game.
And then, out of the blue, came the IBL.
The rest is in this blog.
By the way, my other baseball claim to fame is my Hebrew translation of Casey at the Bat. For your literary enjoyment.
Shana Tova to anyone who might be reading this. And Go Nats!
