As we await word on the future of the new and improved Israel Baseball League that will probably drop shortly after the end of Shabbat, the man on whom the future seems to hinge is David Solomont, the controversial Boston businessman who's stepped in with promise of being the IBL's financial saviour but more likely was handed off Larry Baras' top hat and cane in what appears to be an attempt to raise money from other investors, while keeping hope alive and appearances up.
We were the first to bring up Solomont's past troubles in the form of a well-publicized 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.
We indicated that Solomont's past may not bode well for the IBL's future.But a different take comes from the Israel Matzav site ("Israel is treated unfairly by much of the mainstream media... Our own self-hating Jewish and Israeli left has not helped. This blog aims to tell you what's really going on Israel..."), written by a blogger who identifies himself as Carl in Jerusalem (a neat twist on Our Man Elli in Israel):
"I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for twenty-six years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 4 to 24 years and one grandson..."
Carl read our David Solomont coverage on our Baseball in Israel archival site (where you can find all of our Israel baseball coverage, uninterrupted), and gave his insider's view in a post entitled, "The 'new' Israel Baseball League: Is it different from the old?":"The league plans to play a 20-game season this year with only four teams, beginning on July 27. Obviously, the league needs funding. "To raise money for the league to continue, Baras turned to another Boston businessman, 56-year old David Solomont (Hat Tip: Lance K.). (That last name may ring a bell with some of you). David Solomont was the defendant in a nasty lawsuit four years ago. The lawsuit was settled, but it is not clear whether the settlement was ever carried out. In any event, David Solomont did not - as far as I can tell - face criminal charges. Blogger Baseball in Israel has a problem with Solomont doing the fundraising.
"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.)
"Honestly, that's irrelevant. Like hundreds of other entrepreneurs, Solomont was caught in the downdraft of the dotcom implosion of the early part of this decade. The existence of lawsuits and paying money to settle them doesn't prove anything in the real world. There's not a failed startup in the world that hasn't led to lawsuits (except for the ones that never reached the point of raising money from outside investors). And if Solomont is willing and able to raise money from others (which is what he is doing according to my sources) to bring baseball back to Israel, more power to him. Does Baseball in Israel wish to kill the reason his blog exists?
"In sum, I say give the League a chance to get its act together. It's just about the only clean fun we have in this country.
"I should note my connections to some of the people in this story (so that some genious doesn't go searching the web to find them and claim that I am biased or hiding something). I know David Solomont from my childhood - one of his brothers went to school with me from Kindergarten through 12th grade. In the past, I have done some legal work for that brother, some of which was unpaid. I met Larry Baras a year and a half ago in Boston. His brother went to college with me. I did a small amount of legal work (as an American lawyer working for an American law firm, and not as an Israeli lawyer) for the Israel Baseball League in its early days."
"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.)
"Honestly, that's irrelevant. Like hundreds of other entrepreneurs, Solomont was caught in the downdraft of the dotcom implosion of the early part of this decade. The existence of lawsuits and paying money to settle them doesn't prove anything in the real world. There's not a failed startup in the world that hasn't led to lawsuits (except for the ones that never reached the point of raising money from outside investors). And if Solomont is willing and able to raise money from others (which is what he is doing according to my sources) to bring baseball back to Israel, more power to him. Does Baseball in Israel wish to kill the reason his blog exists?
"In sum, I say give the League a chance to get its act together. It's just about the only clean fun we have in this country.
"I should note my connections to some of the people in this story (so that some genious doesn't go searching the web to find them and claim that I am biased or hiding something). I know David Solomont from my childhood - one of his brothers went to school with me from Kindergarten through 12th grade. In the past, I have done some legal work for that brother, some of which was unpaid. I met Larry Baras a year and a half ago in Boston. His brother went to college with me. I did a small amount of legal work (as an American lawyer working for an American law firm, and not as an Israeli lawyer) for the Israel Baseball League in its early days."
There will be no baseball in Israel this year.
ReplyDeleteSo far no credible interest has identified itself with this cause with the proper financing in place.
Until such an entity comes forward there will be no baseball in 2009 either.
Any baseball that has fat Larry Baras out in front is a non starter right from the beginning.
Rootenberg should demand transparency or resign.
ReplyDeleteIf he stays at the helm without answering questions he is perpetrating the fraud of Israel Baseball.
Tabloid and others should let him know that his credibility is down the drain associating himself with criminals like Baras and Berger.
How come the IBL website still misleads people into thinking Dan Kurtzer is involved as well as Art Shamsky and others.
ReplyDeleteThe site is perpetrating a fraud.
I hope Larry BARE ASS comes to Israel and is thrown in jail.
If Rootenberg does not resign he is the biggest dumby going.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Larry Baras' end game here.
ReplyDeleteTo con more people out of money.
He says he wants to do something good for the State Of Israel.
I think by the fact that he can never come back to Israel he has accomplished his goal.
I think the word is dummy not dumby.
ReplyDeleteBut , yes if Dan has a brain cell he should resign. He was conned just like Dan Kurtzer ,Marv Goldklang, the whole board before him ,not to mention a bunch of DUMB investors.
True ,Dan should have been wise enough to know who he was playing with but he should resign immediately to save some face!
there indeed will be no baseball in Israel this summer. Dan has tried diligently to get the ship "righted" and this guy Solomont is a pathological dirtbag!!!!!!! Dan tried to do this for several reasons: Love of Baseball, love of Israel and trying to "do the right thing" for everyone that was involved.........
ReplyDeleteSo Let Dan come out with a statement saying exactly that.
ReplyDeleteIf he does not he is just as much of a ditbag as the rest of them.
Solomont a dirt bag? Do you mean he fooled Larry into believing that he was going to save the IBL?
ReplyDeleteWhat goes around comes around.
Larry got screwed by his own kind!