The president of the Israel Baseball League said today that the league is coming back for a second season, after all!
Despite a first season that left a mountain of debts, angry vendors, a mass exodus of its advisory board, and angry unpaid players, Dan Rootenberg says the league will begin play on July 27th, about a month behind schedule and in abbreviated form.
Despite a promise to expand this year from its six teams, the league will consist of four teams, and the season is being cut in half to twenty games. This has already led some observers to say the "season" is little more than a series of exhibition games.
League President Dan Rootenberg said it's important to acknowledge and learn from last year's mistakes. But he says the season is committed to laying the groundwork for 2009 and beyond. The announcement comes the day an independent movie about the IBL's creation, Holy Land Hardball, premieres in Silver Spring, Maryland.
No comment from embattled league founder Larry Baras.
Stay tuned here for more.
I have followed your reporting on the state of baseball in Israel for a while now with a great deal of interest.
ReplyDeleteBut today is the first day I've been compelled to comment.
I find it remarkably interesting that for all your bitching and moaning about other media outlets copying your information, you blogged about the resurgence of the league without so much as a mention that the JPost reported this story around 7am... ISRAELI TIME.
For an organization that takes such pride in being "first to report" and takes such offense to others using that information, you'd think you'd have the decency to quote your sources.
THAT compelled you to comment?
ReplyDeleteWe've just opened the office. We're cutting through the smoke and mirrors covering the announcement.
As a small, independent news organization who's seen its enterprise reporting ripped off by the powerful mainstream media, we do shout as loud as we can when we're not credited.
But thanks for letting us know that the J Post ran the IBL press release. We'll get to that...
THE POST DIDN'T REPORT IT, THEY RAN AN AP STORY.
ReplyDeletehey i broke the story before everyone and TB doesn't even acknowledge that. I gave them a hint on the "sean" piece they had
ReplyDeleteJune 19 2008 what a day :-)
scooper should have calle me:-)
Joe Federman gets the prize, he had it first . Elli , go do some lectures on Israel (yeah right!!!) at one of the little junior colleges that you get yourself invited to. Oh and by the way , if you were mentioned in the Holyland Hardball documentary it probably was for the guy who did not get the job with the IBL and decided he needs to get back at them
signing off, farewell great TB lovers season 2 ready to start
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