Ben Guez

Benjamin James Guez (born January 24, 1987) was drafted by the Tigers in 2008, and has played in Detroit's organization from 2008 to 2014. He played in the Milwaukee Brewers organization from 2014 to 2016. In 2012, he was named an MiLB.com Organization All Star for the season, and the Scout.com Toledo Mud Hens Player of the Year. Guez also played for the Israel national baseball team in the Qualification Round to the 2013 World Baseball Classic, playing under the team's manager Brad Ausmus.

Early and personal life Guez was born in Houston, Texas, where he resides during the off-season. He is Jewish, was Bar Mitzvah at Congregation Or Hadash in 2000, and says his Jewish upbringing "definitely made me more disciplined as a person." Guez played Little League at West U during his childhood. There, he played center field for the baseball team, lettering twice, and was first team All-District in 2004 and 2005. He was also selected to the pre-season All-Houston All Star team, and played in the All-Greater-Houston All Star game. That season, he squeeze bunted for the district championship.

During the summer of 2006, he played for the Covington Lumberjacks in the Valley Baseball League, batting .272 with 2 home runs, 18 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases in 42 games.

In June 2008, after being recommended by Bill Buck, he was taken by the Tigers in the 19th round of the draft. In 104 appearances, he batted .275 with 12 homers and 64 RBIs, and tied for fourth in the Midwest League with a .483 slugging percentage. Guez's performance during August, a month in which he hit .355, homered 4 times, and drove in 16 runs, led to him being named the Tigers Minor League Player of the Month.

2011–present Guez split the 2011 season between Erie and Toledo.

As was the case the year before, Guez played with both Erie and Toledo in 2012. He was named an MiLB.com Organization All Star for the season, and the Scout.com Toledo Mud Hens Player of the Year.

He played in the 2014 season for the Toledo Mud Hens. In December 2014, the Milwaukee Brewers signed him and invited him to major league spring training. He began 2015 playing for the Brewers' AAA club in Colorado Springs.

In his minor league career he has played all three outfield positions, but mostly played right field and center field. Team Israel, under the Classic's rules, was entitled to have non-Israeli citizens of Jewish heritage play for the team. Guez said that when Ausmus called him up and asked him to play for Team Israel, "it was like a shoo-in. I was honored that he would ask to play for his team. It was kind of a no-brainer." Israel lost to Spain in extra innings in the Pool Finals, missing out on a spot in the World Baseball Classic. During the second game Guez went 1 for 4, with a run scored and a strike out. During the third and final game, Guez went 1 for 4 with a double, scored a run, with a walk and a strike out.