Say what??!! Israel Baseball League is still counting down to "Opening Day," and at least one reporter is believing it's for real!

Ha! No sooner do we clear things up with the Jerusalem Post, setting them straight about taking credit for Our Man Elli in Israel's April 14th scoop that there will be no professional baseball in Israel in 2008, then we get a Google alert that Seacoast Online, "the source for the seacoast" and the online arm of the Portsmouth, N.H. Herald, is reporting this:

"Twenty-seven days until the Israel Baseball League opens its second season of pro ball. Portsmouth's own Ari Alexenberg, you may recall, pitched and coached in the league last summer for the Petach Tikva Pioneers. Dan Duquette is once again at the helm of the IBL. Hey, easy on Duquette. After all, he did bring Manny Ramirez to Boston."

That's from a sportswriter named Mike Sullivan. What planet are these people on?

Then again, those crumb bums at the IBL are still running a countdown to Opening Day on their website.

"Opening Day features a rematch of last year's Championship Game betwen the Modi'in Miracle and the Bet Shemesh Blue Son on June 29, 2008 at Gezer Field."

Mike oughta bookmark Tabloid Baby.