Documentary ‘The Tale of Team Israel’ a true underdog story

Two years ago, one of the most surprising stories from the World Baseball Classic was the Cinderella run by Team Israel.

Led by a group of lesserknown Jewish ballplayers, Israel — ranked 41st in the world — defied expectations, finishing pool play undefeated and advancing to the next round before eventually falling to topranked Japan.

“Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel” chronicles the journey of the team, featuring an inside look at not only the World Baseball Classic, but of the players visiting and touring Israel — many of whom were experiencing it for the first time.

The documentary, directed by Daniel A. Miller, Seth Kramer and Jeremy Newberger, hits select theaters this weekend across South Florida.

Miller said the initial idea for the project came MLB.com reporter Jonathan Mayo, who he had attended Jewish sleep-away camp with as a kid.

“So many Jewish ballplayers [Mayo] had encountered had never been to Israel and weren’t so familiar with their faith or didn’t have an upbringing or traditional background, so he wanted to take a bunch of ballplayers to Israel and mark their transformative experience.

“[Once the team qualified for the World Baseball Classic] suddenly we had a real story that was possible. Jewish American professional baseball players re-discover their faith by partaking in Team Israel’s baseball team at the World Baseball Classic.”

In the World Baseball Classic, any player who can qualify for citizenship in their respective country is eligible to compete, meaning any Jewish athlete could play for Team Israel.

Before the tournament, the film spends time with the players in Israel as they visit a number of historic sites — from the Wailing Wall to graffiti tour in Tel Aviv.

“I think baseball being America’s pastime can be a way people think of not only Judaism, but faith in general,” Miller said. “What Israel means to people why it means that way and use that window and prism of baseball to introduce a positive Israel story that makes people re-examine their preconceptions.

“I thought to tell the story in a way that was a big underdog baseball story, but also made people think about what Israel means and what Judaism means is essential.”

After winning a qualifier to advance to the World Baseball Classic, not much was expected from Team Israel on the global stage. But with the cameras rolling, Israel put together a special run for the world to see.

“We said if we lose [the first] game, we’ll have a really good short,” Miller joked. “We’ll at least have Team Israel was able to compete for the first time on the world stage. As a filmmaker, you choose your subjects and you just hope and pray that something happens with the subjects you chose. Nothing is preordained with how well they’ll do, especially in competitions.

“I think that it took on this international worldwide dimension where this team was supported by the Jewish people in mass was something that was almost beyond our wildest dreams.”