Team Israel was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic this morning, but the team's run to the second round of the event had fans "looking to purchase a piece of their people’s baseball history," according to Andrew Tobin of the JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY. After selling out last week, the supply of official Israel caps has since "been reupped and expanded, and the team’s 'Jew Crew' T-shirts worn off the field are a mini-sensation." Before each game, the players have "removed their caps for Israel’s national anthem" to "reveal matching kippahs." Both the hats and kippahs "feature Israeli flag colors: royal blue embroidered in white with the team’s logo, a stylized Star of David with an 'I' in the middle." The kippahs yesterday were "still sold out online." MLB VP/Business PR Matt Bourne in an email wrote that the Israel cap has "outsold those of all the other teams in the WBC" with the exception of Team USA. The “Jew Crew” T-shirts are "in demand, too." America’s Finest Apparel Owner Steve Adler, whose company makes the T-shirts, said that he had "sold hundreds since the team started winning last week." There was a "big spike" after ESPN’s Darren Rovell tweeted an image of Team Israel DH Cody Decker "wearing one at a news conference." Adler said that most of the orders "have come from the American Northeast, with a few from Canada." Tobin noted there also is a "life-size stuffed Mensch on a Bench, whom Team Israel has adopted as its mascot." The toy yesterday "was on sale." (JTA, 3/14).
