You may just see an unlikely contender emerge at the 2013 World Baseball Classic.  Israel, yes Israel is building a solid contender.

A nation dead smack in the Middle East, where baseball diamonds are surely few and far between, is competing to play in the 2013 contest. It is one of 16 countries invited to play in the qualifying round. The top four teams will advance to the World Baseball Classic.

Brad Ausmus, former All-Star catcher and manager of the Israeli team, is spearheading the effort. He already has commitments to play from former big leaguers Shawn Green and Gabe Kapler. But how does he plan to fill out the rest of the roster? This is where the Israeli team has a distinct advantage.

WBC rules state that a player can play for any country they are eligible to become a citizen of. They do not have to actually be citizens at that time. The country of Israel grants automatic citizenship to anyone who has at least one Jewish grandparent. This means Israeli can call up many Americans who have Jewish ancestry. Sure some of these players will have never even been to Israel, but so what? We need to stop the Japanese ( who have won both Classics so far.)

If this sounds unfair or not in the true nature of the tournament, just remember that it has been done before. Italy, South Africa, and the Netherlands have all had foreign players on their roster in the past. Italy has had both Mike Piazza and Nick Punto on their team before; and Andruw Jones, born in the Caribbean, played for the Netherlands because, of course, he was born in Curacao, a Dutch Caribbean Island.

So who might Israel look at to fill the voids of their roster? Some names include Ryan Braun, Kevin Youkilis, Ian Kinsler, Ike Davis, Jason Marquis, Sam Fuld, Scott Feldman, Danny Valencia and Ryan Lavarnway, a top catching prospect for the Boston Red Sox.

While it may not be enough to overtake the Dominican Republic, the U.S. or Japan, it certainly could be enough to compete; which, if nothing else, can help grow the sport in an area where it's in its infancy.

According to officials, about 2,000 people play baseball and there has been noticeable growth in the sport since experimenting with a professional league.

Israeli officials hope the WBC will generate more interest and donations for a $3 million complex being built in Raanana, in central Israel, which will become the country's central baseball hub.

Ausmus said that there will be Israelis on the team and they will mostly be pitchers.

The players already committed are looking forward to the opportunity to help spread the game. "I'm embracing the idea of being an ambassador for the sport in Israel," Ausmus said.

The Israeli team will begin their preliminary round in Novemeber in Florida against Spain, France and South Africa.