Palestinian You Should Know: Tarik El-Abour
The following is from the special “Baseball Edition” of Palestine in America. The print edition of this magazine is exclusively for our subscribers. The digital version is available to the public for $2.
Tarik El-Abour is the first and only Palestinian to be signed by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team.
Back in 2018, with the help of team advisor Reggie Jackson, El-Abour was signed by the Kansas City Royals to a minor league deal with the opportunity to earn a spot on the major league roster. He is currently a free agent and has been staying in shape by training daily and playing for the Palestinian national team.
El-Abour told Palestine in America why he will always love the Royals, and he discussed his expectations for the national team.
Palestine in America [PiA]: Who introduced you to baseball?
Tarik El-Abour [TA]: When I was 10 years old I saw a Dodgers and Giants game playing on a TV in a local L.A. restaurant and instantly fell in love with the game.
PiA: How would you compare playing in the Royals system to playing internationally representing Palestine?
TA: Playing baseball professionally is a marathon as they play every day anywhere from 3-6 months on average. International competition is mostly tournaments of 3-4 days, which makes it a sprint.
PiA: What are your expectations for the team the rest of this calendar year?
TA: The more games we play together as a team, the [more] we will continue to build on chemistry, which will continue to make us build for more success in tournaments.
PiA: Where do you see the Palestinian national team in 5 years?
TA: The more tournaments we play and continue to establish ourselves in international competition and tournaments, we will continue to rise in rankings. An overwhelming majority of the players on our team are of college age and are prospects for professional levels, which will be the reason our team will continue to rise in the rankings. And in 5 years [we] will be a team that everyone looks at as a team that will be in the talk to win any tournament with WBC [World Baseball Classic] and Olympic potential.
PiA: What is your favorite team, and who is your favorite player?
TA: I love the Kansas City Royals for believing in me as a player and for having a well-run organization, and my favorite player is Reggie Sanders for finding me and providing the opportunity to play for the Royals. They are tied with the Dodgers, which is my hometown team.
