1999-2010

Friday, February 01, 2008

Order at Israel baseball meeting: "Don't tell Elli!"


In wake of the collapse of the Israel Baseball League, former officials, advisory board members, investors and would-be backers met yesterday at the Penn Club in midtown Manhattan to try and thrash out a new deal for a new professional baseball league in the Holy Land. So far, we've confirmed that Daniel Kurtzer, former IBL commissioner and US ambassador to Israel and Egypt, led the meting, Haim Katz, president of Israel's baseball governing body (who recently closed the door to the IBL) was on a speaker phone from Israel, and IBL founder Larry Baras was not invited or allowed inside.

Our Man Elli In Israel emailed a few more facts this morning:

"The meeting lasted over seven hours, right through a working lunch. Nothing was resolved, more talks to follow. Mitchell Rosenzweig, Chief Financial Officer of The Jewish National Fund, was also there.

"The room was told explicitly not to talk about the meeting to anyone, and specifically not to talk to me!

"They probably will have a press release this afternoon, but it will be Shabbat in fifteen minutes, so I won't see it till tomorrow night."

Don't talk to Elli? After all the great work he's done, they oughta be giving him an exclusive report. Meanwhile, we guess we'll be back after Elli's commune with G-d.

Still... (yawn)... developing...

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

why should anyone talk to Elli
You caused the IBL to fail

Anonymous said...

i just want to play baseball there again....figure it out!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Why do you blame the messenger? Thank YOU Elli! As a result of your reporting we can all be sure that the next foray into baseball in the Holy Land will be adequately financed and the players wil be treated with proper facilities and actually be paid the money they are owed. Short of that, you can be sure that long term good players will find other venues to play. Thanks again Elli!!

Anonymous said...

Yes, thank you Elli. Any criticism of you is coming for those individuals who can not get past their own self-interest and understand the importance of business ethics and just plain "doing the right thing".

If you had not objectively investigated the IBL more debt might have been accumulated and investors might have lost even more money.

Congratulations on a job well done.

Anonymous said...

Actually, nobody's truly done an in-depth investigation of the league's finances because nobody (not even "Our Man Elli") has bothered) to contact me. Who am I? I won't reveal but here's a hint: I am one of the ONLY two Israeli entities that handled IBL revenues BEFORE they reached Larry's pockets. The last thing I want is notoriety but I just find it incredibly perplexing that seemingly intelligent businessmen spend so much time trash talking and massaging their egos and no time looking into the cold, hard numbers of the 2007 season. If they did, they would discover that besides the feel good aspects of pro ball in the Holy Land, there was quite a bit of money made. Oh well, I guess I'll continue enjoying my anonymity and take comfort in the fact that I'm most likely the only vendor that the league doesn't owe money to.

Anonymous said...

Well good for you. Why don't you say what you know.

Anonymous said...

I already have. The interested parties have the figures, however I'm not going to reveal them here.

Anonymous said...

Who are the interested parties?

Anonymous said...

At this point in time there should be only two goals: (1) To audit the finances of the IBL and determine what money came in and what went out and (2)To find a way to compensate creditors, players and investors.

Only after these goals are accomplished should resources be put behind establishing professional baseball in Israel. My guess is that Dan Kurtzer and the other advisors want to quietly work everything out and avoid any more public embarrassments. I don't think this will be possible. The "cold, hard" numbers referred to in the previous post probably reveal things that will not only further tarnish the IBL but personal reputations as well. And, if Larry has refused this long to provide any information I don't see him suddenly being transparent in his dealings. Those who have been financially damaged by the IBL need to think of themselves and not wait for 10+ men in a room to ensure they are being taken care of.

Anonymous said...

1)The only way to compensate the players and to find out where the money went and how much was raised is to sue Larry Baras .
2)Who the hell were these great men in that room?
3)Where they G-d?
4)Being that baseball will not be played in Israel in 2008 the lawsuits should start very soon!

Anonymous said...

YOU CAN'T GET $$$ OUT OF A TURNIP!
GETTING A JUDGEMENT IS ONE THING, COLLECTING ON-IT IS ANOTHER!

Anonymous said...

Larry has money. Some squirreled away. If you sue you will get money.
Does he own his house? Car? He is personally liable!

Anonymous said...

Hey don't put down squirrels. Larry is nothing more than a rat.

Anonymous said...

Don't make fun of rats. Larry is a low level snail.

Anonymous said...

Hey,don't make fun of snails. Larry is just a plain amoeba

Anonymous said...

yeah and now the IPBL has come out with the "tryouts" and we all have to go. HA they have got to be kidding

Listen guys, don't go (yeah Leon you too) whe we do not show up and they have no players we will get another email letter from wilson and gardner (oh is he trying out also) that we will all be invited . If some go then that will be bad. Guys , let's all go back but screw the tryouts . trust me , they will not have players and we will all be asked back.