Like any sport, baseball often intersects with real-life situations. On Tuesday, the postseason will indirectly intersect with a conflict occurring halfway across the world.
Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer is slated to start Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the Rangers, but he will do so with a heavy heart. Kremer has close ties to Israel, where days of fighting has left hundreds of dead and countless wounded.
Kremer told Orioles manager Brandon Hyde that he is in the right frame of mind to pitch in Tuesday’s win-or-go-home game for the Orioles, but he acknowledged that the situation remains in the back of his mind.
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Here’s what you need to know about Kremer’s ties to Israel, his parents, and his World Baseball Classic history with Team Israel.
Dean Kremer’s ties to Israel, explained
Kremer has dual citizenship between the U.S. and Israel and has extended family who live in the nation, so the bloodshed hits close to home for him.
On Monday, the 27-year-old told reporters that he’s been thinking about the conflict and the wellbeing of his extended family in Israel.
Kremer assured reporters that he believes his family is safe at the moment and told Hyde that he wants to start Game 3, but admitted that the conflict will linger in his mind. “Is there a hesitation? No, I still want to pitch, but it’s going to be in the back of my head.”
Dean Kremer, who has Israeli dual citizenship, said his mind has been on the conflict in Israel and extended family. He still wants to pitch Tues and will be focused but said it is in the back of his mind. He said teammates have checked on him. Hyde talked with him at breakfast.
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Kremer, who is Jewish, lives in Israel for about two months each year and has numerous relatives there.
“My family’s okay,” Kremer told reporters. “I mean, obviously, it’s a very sad situation. A lot of things are being brought to light. But everybody’s okay right now.”
It’s certainly good news that Kremer believes his family in Israel is safe, and Tuesday’s Game 3 will be a test of his emotions as the Orioles try to stave off elimination in Texas.
“Obviously, he’s very disturbed and there’s a lot of things going on,” Hyde said at a news conference Monday. “But I didn’t sense that it was going to affect (him) — I think he’s really looking forward to pitching tomorrow so I didn’t think it was going to affect him.”
Dean Kremer parents
Kremer was born in California to Adi and Sigal Kremer, who are Israeli and served in the Israel Defense Forces. He is fluent in Hebrew, and his bar mitzvah was held in Israel.
In 2015, Kremer became the first Israeli selected in the MLB Draft when San Diego took him in the 38th round. He returned to UNLV and was drafted in the 14th round by the Dodgers a year later. The Orioles acquired Kremer as part of the blockbuster Manny Machado trade with Los Angeles in 2018 and he made his MLB debut in September 2020.
Baseball can be a unifying force, and Kremer will undoubtedly be motivated on Tuesday knowing his success could bring some people even a hint of joy or distraction during a time of worry.
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Dean Kremer Israel World Baseball Classic history
Kremer has a long history of pitching for the Israeli national baseball team. He pitched for Israel as early as 2014, when the nation was attempting to qualify for a spot in the European Baseball Championship, and he was a major part of Israel’s qualification for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
At just 21, Kremer pitched for Israel in the 2017 WBC. The team managed to advance out of Pool A before falling in the second phase of the tournament.
He returned as the ace of Israel’s staff for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, which the nation automatically qualified for, and tossed four scoreless innings against Nicaragua in what would be Israel’s only win of the tournament.