Okay, you explain it to us. All of a sudden, "from out of nowhere," personal and homegrown blogsites from around the world are making mention of the Israel Baseball League and its troubles. As we've shown in past days, sites like Carry On, Citizens, The Bleacher Report, and My World of Baseball have checked in with various levels of spin and optimism about a league and dream that have been crushed under the weight of greed, mismanagement and debt.Yet none is as straightforward as this selection from a post today on Around The Island-- "No, not a tropical island (wouldn't that be nice...). My kitchen island, where my life happens"--("musings from a WAH mother of 2, loving and working just outside of Tel Aviv"), a site from a NY expat named Robin:
"What's the deal with an Israeli baseball team? We had a professional league (the Israel Baseball League) for the first time last summer! I even took Itai to a game (think slightly better than high school baseball and much more relaxed) but there were some financial scandals and I don't know if they're going to return for a second season. He'll be terribly disappointed if they don't. (By the way, the (very small) crowd at the game was almost entirely American. It was a real taste of home.)"Robin's take on the game shows how all the shenanigans affected the most important component of any baseball league: the kids in the bleachers, and almost makes us look beyond the question of why all these IBL posts are showing up with the frequency of faintings at Obama rallies and they reflect only partial-- or selective-- knowledge of the facts unearthed in the reportage of Our Man Elli in Israel-- all of which can be found on our Baseball in Israel archive site.
11 comments:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ig0UqHvVavI
i just got paid in full from larry
$30,000
good luck to the others
To the last poster ie (Jeremy Baras) Good for you but don't spend it because when there is a full accounting you will be asked for the money back with interest. You can't pay some and not pay others.
It is further evidence of the fraud.
Only $979,000 in payments to go...
So how much did Larry pay Jeremy and himself over the past two years in salary and other benefits?
All the spin in the world will not get the IBL to a second season. There is absolutely nothing Larry can do to salvage his reputation but tell the truth. That would be the only decent thing...but alas, it is not to be
Selling Maximo Nelson's contract must have gotten them some money, but I doubt it's enough to pay everyone back.
The IBL had the chance to bring a small slice of Americana to a group hungry to pass on some of its childhood memories and collective culture - and they blew it. If they don't play this year I'll be stuck explaining financial improprieties to a confused 7 year old who just wants a chance to use his brand new baseball glove to catch a foul ball. Thanks IBL, I appreciate it.
And thanks for the link Tabloid Baby, and for the interesting read.
Robin - On behalf of the players, I hope we all get to return to play in 2008 !
I aint giving anything back
That money is mine Who is going to take it away from me? Elli? And my name isnt Jeremy The only fraud is that I was ready to sue so they coughed up the money See ya
funnnnnyyyy! $30,000 yeah right , stop kidding your selves and 'robin' they blew it? a new glove , go play catch with your kid and tell me you did not have fun, what do you have anything to do with the problems. you came out , had a hamburger and watched some great players , what else do you need? If they cme back the you will have some more fun and if they don't then you are back to what you have been doing for so long in Israel, complaining about how everyone is screwing you.
I know for a fact that guy did not get any money
If he got paid 30,000 cents he is lucky, otherwise he is merely lying and has no idea what he is talking about. I can assure you no player here was contracted to make 30K.
95% of the guys that played here weren't good enough to start on good high school baseball teams.
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