Move over, Boston bagel baron, here comes the Boston business bigshot brother. Our Man Elli in Israel reports that the new bright and shiny Israel Baseball League, crouched behind its player-turned president Dan Rootenberg, is being bankrolled to a large extent by controversial businessman David Solomont, best known in Boston for a 2004 lawsuit in which he was accused of siphoning more than a million dollars in funds from a software firm while he served as its CEO.In an uncanny similarity to a federal lawsuit filed against IBL founder Larry Baras, the start-up scandal lawsuit stated: “Solomont has become overextended, and is robbing Peter to pay Paul..." (See our teaser story.)
Our Man Elli reports that his sources have mentioned the 56-year-old Solomont as the "money "behind the league. And that Solomont has been contacting some IBL creditors, telling them they won’t be seeing any money for a month. “This could be another syndication deal, with Solomont fronting a little money to make some payoffs needed to get off the ground or licensed by the IAB,” says a source .“And he could be raising the bulk of the money from other investors.”
Solomont himself has been hinting at his involvement online for weeks, on his “Twitter" page:
working on the "best" deal ever, other than my family:) 02:10 PM May 20, 2008 from web
Humming, "take me out to the ballgame" 10:16 AM May 25, 2008 from web
Humming "Take me out to the ball game", and soon you will know why:) 06:27 PM May 30, 2008 from web
Planning to be in the big apple tomorrow, Thursday, still humming "take me out to the ballgame" Can't wait to share:) 12:47 PM June 04, 2008 from web
working on a baseball deal, if you hadn't already figured this out from my humming:) 03:32 PM June 11, 2008 from web
Holy Land Hardball, http://holylandhardball.com, engaging documentary telling amazing story about IBL, http://israelbaseballleague... 0:36 PM June 19, 2008 from txt
Solomont’s brothers have also made the news. Younger brother Jay Solomont was reportedly in jail in Israel for misappropriation of funds. Other brother Alan Solomont is a wealthy businessman and major Democratic fundraiser-- in fact, he's the former finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee, which is yet another link between the IBL and the next President of The United States.
45 comments:
Who cares what he did 4 years ago.
If this guy is serious about baseball in Israel,he should pay debts NOW!
If he is full of sh-- then he should crawl back under the same rock he met Larry Baras. I hope Dan knows what kind of guys he is dealing with.
yeah who cares get baseball back in israel!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you tb
no matter what the anonymous i b l people write,
YOU
GUYS
ROCK
nobody else covers this
Looks like Larry has met his match!
I cant wait to see that fight.
J.benson/ Does it bother you that your teammates have not gotten paid?
How about the Kfar?
The bus driver?
The grounds keeper?
No J Benson doesn't care as long as their is baseball in Israel.
Its like Germans during WWII. As long as the trains are running on time it doesn't matter who gets hurt.
Just look the other way.
Hey baseball bunny - How come the silence regarding new crooks joining the IBL party.
Do you still think that we should just look the other way?
Do you still feel bad for Larry ( I mean yourself?)
why dont gutless wonders write their names with the hardass comments they write.......great to talk shit about people when you can hide behind a computer screen, and what the hell are you guys the payment faries. yeah it bothers me but i assume all debts willbe paid....so no if that happens i dont care! They said they would take care of it and im sure that they will i was never withheld any money or lied to, so i just want to vouch for them as they didnt do everyone wrong like you all think. You guys have nothing better to do than bash people for trying!!!!!!!!
Hey J Benson
The Nazi's paid some people on time too.
And there were a lot of people that were pleased with the way they ran the country.
You got paid with other peoples money while others were lied to and cheated.
It must be nice just to say they told me they were going to do the right thing so I accept that.
If you look around and use your head however there is evidence all around that people have not been paid, have been lied to repeatedly.
So keep assuming the best and not paying attention.
I lot of people in Europe tried that excuse as well.
Whoa, comparing Nazi's and baseball in Israel?
Can you say disturbed?
Benson rocks!!!!!
Do you know that the people at the David Inter-Continental (the place where the IBL executives stayed because the Kfar was not good enough)skipped out without paying that bill.
They are looking for Larry and gang.
That by the way is a 5 star hotel.
The Kfar is also looking for money so J. Benson the food that you ate all summer was stolen.
By not asking any questions and saying you got paid does not relieve you of the responsibility to find out if the people that took care of you were made whole.
Wake up!!!!
We were under contract, not the people writing and signing deals. Players have no obligation for due-diligence if they aren't management. Not sure why you are so obsessed with placing blame on Benson or anyone else who was UNDER CONTRACT, but you wouldn't hold the fans or a supplier responsible, so stop getting on the case of players. They just want this to succeed for Israel.
Hey Ty-
Just because you're under contract does not free you from obligation.
It certainly does not explain why you are such an apologist for the IBL's bad behavior.
People that lie and cheat people and don't pay their bills certainly should not be supported by the players.
By the way that contract that the players were under was violated and many were not paid.
So I really don't understand why you are not leading a charge in saying you know what you are right.
EVERYBODY that provided a service should get paid and until there is a full accounting you should not be such an apologist for this group that has outright stolen with a shameful disregard for who they have hurt.
By the way fans and suppliers don't seem to be apologizing for the IBL's behavior.
It seems just some of the players who want to play baseball no matter what.
Everyone is for having baseball in Israel (nothing special about that) they just want it run by honorable people who are not crooks.
I agree -
The fact that Larry has refused to explain himself is proof that he is guilty.
Do not put words in my mouth. I'm telling you to stop criticizing people you know nothing about.
I have yet to apologize for anything the league has done, and I will not because I am in no position to. I have no knowledge of the management workings of the league. The same goes for Benson and any other players who are playing a GAME for the benefit of the fans in Israel.
No player (that I know of) from last year was responsible for breaking any contracts with suppliers of the league! Why are you insisting that the players are negligent! Like you said, they are also owed money, but that doesn't mean that they can't support the idea of baseball in Israel.
Find a legitimate arguement and stick to it.
I guess the 5th Amendment doesn't exist in Israel. Too bad...
WE ALL WANT BASEBALL IN ISRAEL!
Nobody says that we should blame a player for debts. But to support an organiztion who stole from Israelis (Kfar,hotel,busdriver,....)
and just say I will play in Israel because it is fun , is not right!
Jason ,you are lucky that you were never lied to and you are very naive if you believe that all debts will be paid just because they say so. Wake up and smell the CHUMUS!
Have any debts been paid?
What are they waiting for?
After season #2?
Hey Ty you moron-
It is because players have not been paid that you should be speaking out against the management of the league.
You and other players should be saying although we love the idea of baseball in Israel there is no way we can play unless the
1. Kfar
2. Bus Drivers
3. Travel Agent
4 Hotels
ete. ete.
are paid in full.
The example that is being set for children of Israel is that people can come to their country and take advantage of their parents by not paying their bills.
No use fighting a battle that people find the next excuse or reason to argue about. And nazis holy shit your twisted mate !! We just want baseball in israel great experience for players to see the holyland and people of israel or wherever they come from for a little baseball entertainment....thats all folks!! Your right everyone owed should be paid and im sure if they are gonna do this thing they will do it right and pay all debts and make it right. Please guys why the heck would you not want the premier international league in the holyland its MAGIC!!! Hope all works out and for gods sake leave the nazis out of it!!!!!
Everyone wants a league in Israel.
But the current management is not going to bring it here because they are matchstick men!!!
J Benson -
You want baseball in Israel there is one way to do it.
Call current management to come clean with what money was raised and how it was spent.
Once there is transparency THERE WILL definitely be money that will come forward to put this show on.
What's really holding things up is not money but the lack of credibility.
Without this no one knows what to make of the whole situation and is therefore staying away.
Elli, it's pretty lame that you are replying as anonymous
credibility amongst who nobody gives a shit you runs the damn league they want to see baseball in israel man get it straight!!!! You act like satan himself is running the F n league man lighten up and give these guys a little credit for trying to pioneer something special man. I hope it all works....and step up with names on your statements IF YOU WANT CREDIBILITY!!!!!!!!!!
If anybody cares it has been a year since opening day when Modiin beat Petach Tikvah. Seems like eons ago!
The American T.V channel was not paid either.
J Benson -
I give Larry Baras and group no credit for bringing baseball to Israel because what they have insured is it is not coming back any time soon.
And because you don't care who runs the league is the reason you don't have a league and won't have one.
So J Benson keep apologizing for people who have done the wrong thing at every turn and there is no way to get this league off the ground.
It is dead on arrival.
The 200+ kids that registered to play baseball over last year tell me that you couldn't be any more wrong. Only adults with nothing better to do worry about who did and did not get paid, and way to set a precident for the youth of Israel by comparing Larry Baras to the Nazis... sweet move on your part. Instead of spending the time picking apart everything that is wrong, why don't you make a suggestion how to make it work. The answer is you can't because all you have in you is hate, and arrogance.
JB is right on. Baseball is coming, maybe only in drips at first, but the wave is coming, and it's going to swallow up selfish self absorbed pricks like you whole - and please, don't tell me you give a crap about the Israeli people because if you had any respect for them at all, you would never ever bring up a Nazi reference in a situation such as this, unless you equate dollars to Jewish lives... and that right there tells me all I need to know about your character.
Blue Sox-
The kids play baseball in Israel because it's a great game and it has nothing to do with there being a professional league.
They play and will continue to play.
You want to look the other way as people are thrown under the bus or on the train for that matter than I can see why the Nazi analogy bothers you.
When people get hurt and you don't do anything to stop it than you are by definition a Nazi.
And it isn't a matter of worrying about who got paid and who didn't get paid.
It is pointing out the outright theivery of the ibl and the apologists such as you Mr. Blue Sox.
GO BLUE SOX.....thats it and thats all folks hope to see you all there later this summer!!!!!!!!
I'm not apologizing for anyone, and you are still an uneducated looser. Kids play baseball becuase it's fun and more kids play baseball when they get to see the game being played. Nazism is generally considered a form of fascism, and I believe that the word you are looking for is a conformist, not Nazi.
Conformism is a term used to describe the suspension of an individual's self-determined actions or opinions in favor of obedience to the mandates or conventions of one's peer-group, or deference to the imposed norms of a supervening authority.
I'm sorry that your family was a bunch of conformist, and that you feel the need to take it out on everyone around you, but if you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem, so just keep your mouth (and keyboard) shut.
Go get some therapy to deal with those issues, get an education, and then we can talk intelligently about the problem.
Hey Blue Sox-
I love the fact that I have vexed you so much that you write me back and try to prove how smart you are.
I am smiling ear to ear knowing how I have gotten under your skin.
Blue Sox-
Your point is so dumb. One of the many reasons the IBL failed is that nobody actually went to the games (Kids or adults).
So don't take any credit for kids playing baseball in Israel!!!
One is not conforming when they have unethical business practices that pattern lying to vendors over and over again.
That is just pure evil!!!
Blue Sox( I mean Larry you have so many alias')
I guess your the one who has been shut up!!!!
Ummm no. Not under my skin at all, and it doesn't bother me a bit that you are such a moron. Call me, darling, and we'll do lunch. You of course will be buying.
Oh, and attendance was on the upswing, so check out the IBLMetrics blog, since you wouldn't know a fact if it hit you in the arse.
P.S. Mommy and Daddy still loved you.
Blue Sox-
Are you taking credit for North American immigration to Israel being on the rise as well.
You are such a dope. More kids are playing baseball because more Americans are coming every year.
The IBL has nothing to do with it.
Nice try for taking credit.
Just pay your bills.
By the way I already know I'd be buying because you guys don't pay your bills.
Solomont is as dishonest as they come. A real shyster. anyone who associates with him is asking to be lied to and screwed. He will do nothing other than to find a way to line his own pockets.
Really - a 70% increase in one year in the number of Israeli children playing ball, and you think that it is a reflection in the number of Americans that have immigrated? I didn't know that there was a 70% increase in the number of Americans since last year. Thanks for pointing that out.
Obviously you flunked math as well.(and they say ballplayer are dumb!)
Listen, you better let me pay since you would screw up the tip anyway, and then some poor waitress would call you a Nazi, and we can't have that now can we.
Here is the scoop: Larry has said that he wants to continue baseball in Israel for season #2. He figures the IAB or the IPBL or somebody will stop him. He then claims that he wanted to make amends but his worthy endeavors were thwarted by evil people . Well, surprise! Nobody has stopped him.
Everyone is sitting back with a wait and see attitude. It is now the Solomont/Baras/Rootenberg Show.
We are still waiting for real stuff on the IBL website such as new merchandise , a roster with new players,and a schedule would be nice!
Whether kids play ball in Israel has nothing to do with the IBL paying their bills.
They were playing ball before Larry and will play ball after Larry.
It would be nice if the kids saw proper people running a baseball league who are fiscally responsible.
Blue Sox-
Just be honest with yourself I've pissed You off.
Keep responding - I own you.
You are my little pissed off baby!!!
Blue Sox-
I want to see you try to pay the bill.
That would be a laugh riot. You guys with IBL have alligator arms.
YOU would try to pay and your arms can't reach your pockets.
You own me??? You can't even afford to cover the tip since poor Larry hasn't paid you yet. Go ahead though, keep on typing, or are they going to shut off your electric too.
The funny thing is, since you can't go on with your life until the IBL pays everything off, then I guess it's me who owns you, so who's pissed and who's smiling now baby!
Not one bill has been paid.
The website has not been updated.
Players ,non announced except Leon Feingold if he is taken back.
Fields? Gezer has not been paid to date.
IAB certification ? Non yet.
Balls? Yes these guys have big ones.
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