Documentary highlights Team Israel's journey to 2017 World Baseball Classic
From Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to Seoul, South Korea, Team Israel made history in 2017 by qualifying for the World Baseball Classic for the first time in its nation’s history.
The team’s underdog journey to the world stage inspired the making of a documentary “Heading Home, the Tale of Team Israel,” written by Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller and Jeremy Newberger.
The film will be shown Thursday through July 25 at the Regent Square Theatre in Edgewood.
The free screening of the film, underwritten by Pirates Charities, is sold out Thursday, but a street fair is planned from 5 to 7 p.m. in Frick Park, featuring appearances by pitcher Joe Musgrove, President Frank Coonelly and the Pirate Parrot. Tickets for the remaining dates can be purchased here.
Also, there will be a Q&A with MLB.com reporter and film producer Jonathan Mayo and Pirates play-by-play announcer Greg Brown after the screening.
The documentary charts Team Israel’s path to the international tournament where players compete against the world’s best for the first time and discover the pride in representing Israel. Team Israel’s lineup includes former Pirates Ike Davis and Ryan Lavarnway and former Houston Astros pitcher Josh Zeid. Brown’s call of a Davis home run at PNC Park is featured in the film.
The film made its world premiere in Boston in December, 2018, and will open in New York and Los Angeles on Sept. 6.
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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