Watched and played primarily by American immigrants, the new league has 120 players from nine countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Israel and Dominican Republic.
The league is the brainchild of Larry Baras, a Boston-based businessman, who has appointed Dan Duquette, a former general manager of the Boston Red Sox, to be the league's director of player development.
The opening day’s game will be broadcast on a delayed basis on PBS in major US markets, while Israeli channel Sport5 will broadcast nine Sunday night broadcasts throughout the season.
The six teams slated for the inaugural season are: the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox, Modi'in Miracle, Netanya Tigers, Petach Tikva Pioneers, Ra'anana Express, Tel Aviv Lightning.
The teams play at three ball parks: The Yarkon Sports Complex, outside of Tel Aviv, seating 15,000, Gezer Field, about 25 minutes from Jerusalem, and Sportek Baseball Field, in southern Tel Aviv.
Israel has launched a six-team professional baseball league with more than 3,000 fans turning out for the inaugural match.
