Sunday, September 02, 2007

Israel Baseball League founder ignores Elli's exposé


Our Man Elli in Israel's no-holds-barred report on the potentially-fatal failures of the just-completed first season of the Israel Baseball League has reverberated around the world. As it is reposted and published in various forms online and in newspapers, there has been outrage from diehard fans of baseball and Israel-- and praise from observers like this Tabloid Baby commenter:

"Elli has just 'scratched the surface' of the problems with the IBL. The IBL is intended as a profit making enterprise and the positive spin is also designed to attract investors. Many of the issues have nothing to do with 'typical start-up' problems but have to do with a lack of experience, common sense, and professionalism of management-- regardless of good intentions."

So what impact has the expose had on the ones who ran the league long-distance from the east coast of the United States? Elli's article and sidebar debuted on this site on Tuesday. This weekend, league founder Larry Baras sent out an urgent post to supporters, investors and subscribers.

"A Message from the Founder Larry Baras" doesn't refute a single word in Elli Wohlgelernter's exposé. In fact, Mr. Baras' message makes no reference at all to the story that laid out the mistakes and was full of warnings for the future:
A Message from Larry Baras
Greetings once again.

It is so hard to believe that the first season is now in the books. We have already held our first tryouts for next season and have already selected five new players to join us next year. We hit the ground running upon our return from Israel and look forward to improving upon what we accomplished this past year.

This missive is meant to be a note of thanks to those who contributed so much to the launch of the IBL. But I find myself re-writing it over and over again, trying to find the right words, hoping not to omit anybody. It is proving to be impossible. How do you sufficiently show appreciation to people who worked doggedly day after day, week after week, at little or no pay, to make this all happen? You just can’t.

This union of two distinct concepts – Baseball and Israel – is one that has been resonating for over a year now. I have been trying to make sense of it all, and now that I have personally witnessed a whole season unfold, interacting with fans and meeting with players, I think I finally have gotten it.

Last summer in Israel, it was the Summer of the Lebanese War. The summer before that was the Summer of the Disengagement. In the three summers before that, it was the Summer of the Intifada.

For the baseball fraternity, it has also been a period of turmoil, dominated by Barry Bonds’ quest for home run supremacy under the cloud of steroid abuse. The game has become as much a business as it is a sport in many ways, with ticket prices often serving as a barrier to entry for the most avid fans.

What Baseball in Israel became was a return to innocence and idealism for both Israel and for Baseball. If you were lucky enough to go to a game, especially at the magical Gezer Field in Kibbutz Gezer, what you experienced was a throwback to earlier times for both baseball and Israel. Parents were there with their kids, explaining the game or sharing the nuances. Once a week, I noticed two men well into their twilight years, sitting together and watching the games, clearly reminiscing about times and players past. They probably hadn’t seen a ballgame in 40 years. You saw kids gawking at their new role models -- sports heroes resplendent in their uniforms, displaying physical prowess the likes of which dreams are made.

There is a popular phrase in Hebrew that has become the refrain for many different tunes. Hineh Ma Tov Uma Naim, Shevet Achim Gam Yachad. How good and sweet it is, brothers sitting together. That wistful phrase became personified at the baseball field in Israel. Grandparents and grandchildren, Americans and Israelis, religious and secular, men and women…it didn’t really matter. Everyone was there as one community, regaling in the splendor of baseball being played in Israel.

Thanks to everyone -- those who worked tirelessly, those who played the games, those who watched, those who cheered from afar. You made this summer the Summer of Baseball in Israel. It was good and it was sweet.
Stay tuned for more exclusive coverage of the Israel Baseball League fallout here. And send your comments to the founder Larry Baras at info@israelbaseballleague.com.

9 comments:

  1. Larry Baras must think that he can continue this charade because everyone is stupid. Why not give up or let someone who is capable and honest run the league.

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  2. You must know the same Larry Baras I know.

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  3. What is Larry Baras' goal? He can not be serious about baseball in Israel?
    Is he trying to keep all the money and fame for himself? I heard that people offered him over 10 million dollars to run the league the right way but he turned them down!

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  4. There is no way that Larry was offered $10 million. He would take the money and run.

    No, the goal is to make money and make a name for himself in the Jewish community. The PR spin has been impressive and has done a good job of keeping away negative press. Sadly, it sounds like the players have not been treated well and vendors have not been paid.

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  5. Only with this crowd could people who worked 24/7 to the best of his ability (ies) be skewered like this. Some of you call yourselves religious? The ibl brought such good things to many people's lives this summer. The players who became instant celebrities. The coaches who felt like pros. The moms who watched their kids having a blast not having to pay for their admission....the kids who had all kinds of great experiences. find me a photo of the IBL management having a relaxing afternon this summer ( not even approaching a blast) and I will eat my computer. They clearly knocked themselves out to get this going and to have kept going this first summer. There can be an expose on anything. A first year of marriage, setting up even a small office. Obviously some of you who made these comments started and built a baseball league -- and did a better and perfect job before. What happened to the words
    THANKS. It was an awesome first step seaon. Why be mean and attacking and disrespectful? What is your beef> See how it plays out. Baseball in Israel will blossom and the mistakes and the shortcomings will be corrected and taken care of Guess those being critical feel fine about their own "blast of a good time" while others ate their guts out with 10,000 details others were unaware of.

    Move on from this subject and be constructive.

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  6. Calm down anonymous (above). Elli has provided a very balanced view. The problems with the IBL are serious ones, including failing to pay vendors and players. This is not a mis-step, it is just plain wrong. Hard work, which no one is denying, does not compensate for a lack of professionalism, poor management, and bad judgment.

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  7. Kids are not free.
    There was nobody to collect the money
    at most games so people just walked in
    Very dishonest!

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  8. Sure some people had fun.Fans loved it. Some players loved it. But does that mean that it is ok not to pay players or vendors. You mention that there are religious people out there. What does that mean? Only religious people have to pay debts? The IBL management has alot of explaining to do.

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  9. The IBL must pay its debts and fully account for where all the money went-- and there was a lot of it!

    No one should support the IBL until it proves to be a responsible and ethical organization. Although warranted, internal criticism of the IBL has been suppressed preventing much needed changes from being made.

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