Chicago Cubs slugger Matt Mervis sells Hebrew merch to 'help grow' baseball in Israel

(JTA) — Chicago Cubs first baseman Matt Mervis is selling T-shirts and hats emblazoned with his nickname spelled in Hebrew to raise money for the Israel Association of Baseball.

“It’s a great cause to help grow the game in Israel,” Mervis told MLB.com on Thursday, “and try to build some fields over there.”

Mervis, who is Jewish and a hotly anticipated addition to the Cubs this year, played for Team Israel at the World Baseball Classic in March. He is nicknamed “Mash” because of his homerun hitting power, a moniker that some fans and retailers spell out with asterisks, the way the 1970s Korean...