The Israeli baseball team, fueled by a roster mostly filled with Americans, is seeking to qualify for next year's World Baseball Classic.

Shlomo Lipetz, left, a native of Tel Aviv who lives now in New York, got hooked on a baseball as a child during a trip to see the New York Mets.

Former Major League Shawn Green, a two-time All-Star who's now 39, is one of several ex-big leaguers playing for the squad.

Bullpen catcher Nate Fish delivered the blessing when the team gathered for Rosh Hashanah dinner on Sunday.

Fish bills himself as the "King of Jewish baseball" and has a blog where he documents the team's path to the WBC.

The team must win a qualifier to make it to the March tournament. Oren Gal was thrown out trying to score in a scrimmage.

Lipetz and the team have been training in Florida, where they recently took in a Marlins game as a team-building event.

Ex-big leaguer Brad Ausmus, the team's manager, officiated this footrace between outfielder Josh Weiss, left, and his nephew.

Ausmus, left, has commitments from major leaguers such as Kevin Youkilis to join the team in March if it qualifies for the WBC.