The 2017 World Baseball Classic is well underway, and the biggest story so far revolves around Team Israel. This is the first time Israel has qualified for the WBC, and they’ve made the most of it so far by sweeping through their first-round pool and advancing at the expense of perennial contender South Korea.
Even better, Team Isreal’s offense is currently powered by a trio of players with strong Oakland A’s ties — current minor league catcher Ryan Lavarnway, and former A’s first basemen Ike Davis and Nate Freiman.
Lavarnway led the way in the first round as Israel topped Korea, Chinese Taipei, and the Netherlands, and the catcher was rewarded with the MVP Award for the whole four-team pool.