\u201cIt\u2019s nice not having to root against him in these at-bats coming up,\u201d C.J. Stubbs said in Miami, of his brother Garrett Stubbs.<\/p>\n
(JNS) Growing up near San Diego, Garrett and C.J Stubbs used to play baseball in the backyard. Then the brothers, who are both catchers, played against each other. Now they\u2019re teammates on Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic.<\/p>\n
Garrett, who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies, said at a press conference at the World Baseball Classic on Saturday in Miami that the brothers have talked about growing up together \u201cquite a bit\u201d that week, \u201cwhich has been really fun for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThose backyard games growing up as a kid, getting to actually do it on a stage that you dreamt about is a pretty incredible feat,\u201d he said. \u201cI think both of us have just discussed the backyard dream finally coming true on a big World Baseball Classic stage. It\u2019s pretty awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garrett and C.J., who is part of the Toronto Blue Jays organization, are sharing catching duties in addition to last names in this year\u2019s tournament.<\/p>\n
The brothers faced each other once they both became professional ballplayers, and C.J. said that he didn\u2019t like that he had to hope that his brother lost.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve played against each other a couple times now in the past couple years, and it\u2019s nice not having to root against him in these at-bats coming up,\u201d C.J. said at the press conference.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though I hit a homer,\u201d Garrett responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did hit a homer, and everyone thought I told him the pitch, so that wasn\u2019t good,\u201d C.J. said. \u201cBut yeah, it\u2019s a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both brothers had bar mitzvahs, as their mother, Marti Gellens-Stubbs, who is Jewish, made her religion part of their upbringing. Their father, T. Pat Stubbs, is Catholic, and Garrett said that they celebrated Christmas and Easter in addition to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.<\/p>\n
Playing on Team Israel is an \u201copportunity that we\u2019re given to be Jewish Americans and represent that heritage that we grew up with,\u201d Garrett said. \u201cWe get to represent being Jewish and go out there and have some fun on a baseball field with other baseball Jewish Americans, so it\u2019ll be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
C.J. recalled \u201cshowing up to Hebrew school in my baseball uniform and just looking back on those times and seeing how far we\u2019ve taken being a Jewish American.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow playing in the WBC and working then and now\u2014it\u2019s something special,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure the other kids in class didn\u2019t like it when we showed up stinky and sweaty to Hebrew school,\u201d Garrett said.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that most Jews are not renowned for their ball-playing abilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not necessarily known as the most athletic bunch,\u201d he said. \u201cSo getting to be on the same team on a field full of Jewish players is really fun, getting to know each other, getting to see the different backgrounds of where everyone grew up.\u201d<\/p>\n
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