They did it again!
They've amended their promise for summer baseball in Israel again! The day before they were supposed to shout, "Play Ball!" And now there's real doubt whether David Solomont's contract-satisfying, photo-op fulfilling Israel Baseball League "show" festival is happening at all!
The week-long show, pitting a team of IBL "All-Stars" against some native Israeli players, was set to begin tomorrow.
But now, after weeks of no publicity and the usual wall of silence from the IBL businessmen, a cleverly-backdated press release on the IBL website pushes the fest back to Sunday-- and shortens it from seven to five days:
"IBL Summer Baseball Festival to Commence Sunday, August 17th
07/24/2008 9:44 AM
"The Israel Baseball League, which inaugurated the first season of professional baseball in Israel last summer, has officially announced its plans for this summer season, a week-long baseball festival starting on August 17th that will pit an IBL All-Star team against a team made up of premier Israeli players.
"Details of the baseball festival, which will run from August 17th through August 21st, will be announced on this site in the upcoming days.
"Players have already begun to arrive in Israel for the event, which will also feature clinics during the week in Hashmonaim and Bet Shemesh. Photograph sessions will be available before and after every game with your favorite IBL star. Tickets will be sold at the door with all proceeds to benefit JNF's Project Baseball. "
"Players have already begun to arrive?"
"Premier players?"
"June 24?"
Do we believe them this time?
07/24/2008 9:44 AM
"The Israel Baseball League, which inaugurated the first season of professional baseball in Israel last summer, has officially announced its plans for this summer season, a week-long baseball festival starting on August 17th that will pit an IBL All-Star team against a team made up of premier Israeli players.
"Details of the baseball festival, which will run from August 17th through August 21st, will be announced on this site in the upcoming days.
"Players have already begun to arrive in Israel for the event, which will also feature clinics during the week in Hashmonaim and Bet Shemesh. Photograph sessions will be available before and after every game with your favorite IBL star. Tickets will be sold at the door with all proceeds to benefit JNF's Project Baseball. "
"Players have already begun to arrive?"
"Premier players?"
"June 24?"
Do we believe them this time?
What garbage. If any player shows up now they should have their head examined!
ReplyDeleteWhat are the consequences legally ,putting out a press release with a wrong date on it?
ReplyDeleteCan these IBL guys really look at themselves in the mirror?
i word on the street is that some guys had tickets and missed their flights
ReplyDeleteAccording to the 7/24 press release the players started arriving already .That means that they have been here 3 weeks!
ReplyDeleteWhat flight did they miss?
The flight to Disneyland?
Sad sad joke!
"Tickets will be sold at the door with all proceeds to benefit JNF's Project Baseball."
ReplyDeleteMaybe this isn't about satisfying the IAB at all - it's about satisfying the JNF?
Well, why is the JNF in bed with such criminals?
ReplyDeleteMaybe the JNF will have to answer to its contributors where the money went! It does not look very good that $480,000 went into the pockets of criminals. And it also could be that the JNF gave the money to Baras who then gave a portion back to somebody in the JNF. (Under the table) Why else would Baras be so afraid to open up his books?
to irs: thats the best thought yet. that would have kept the JNF partnered with the IBL for a while, which looks good for both in principle. And it starts to explain why small finances weren't taken care of, like players who were owed a mere $2k.
ReplyDeleteTo anonymous 7:59
ReplyDeleteWhat the heck is the JNF doing with this bunch of crooks?
The IBL by their own admission claim that they owe $1.5 million.
They have been bouncing checks for a year.
It is not only the players salaries which are in default but also the Kfar for $170,000
the bus driver the umps the travel agent ... Get the idea? This is a scam! What part has you confused?
hahaha....why is the JNF involved with these crooks? well, if someone does some searching on the internet you will find out that the JNF is not a squeaky clean organization everyone makes it out to be. it has had its fair share of fraud. So to IRS and those who have asked questions, just do some research on the JNF's fraudulent activities and you will get your answers. And it will soon make sense why the JNF and the IBL are teamed up. IRS is probably right, there probably was some kind of kickback scheme. Now that the IBL festival "seems" to be happening, something really does NEED to happen in the States in order to save would be investors from being scammed of their hard earned money!
ReplyDeleteHas any player actually arrived in Israel?
ReplyDeleteIs the festival really happening?
Does anybody know for sure?
Does anybody in Bet Shemesh or Modiin know any details of the youth clinics?
Let me know!
@ curious, I'm not in the loop, but a friend of mine heard that there were players in NY ready to leave, but no word on whether they did. Same info as the 3rd down from the top, saying people missed their flights.
ReplyDeleteSomeone else posted that arriving players were shown on the news in Tel Aviv, but no one else has corroborated that story.
Let us know if any news from Israel pops up.
Players have boarded planes tuesday and wednesday and today. They are there staying somewhere near Judean hills, between jerusalem and tel aviv.
ReplyDeleteI ehar there aren't enough Israeli IBL vets to put a team together so they are holding tryouts at kibbutz gezer on friday
ReplyDeleteword from a player was that they were supposed to stay at the Baptist Village in Petach Tikwa, where the games are rumored to be played...players missed their flights? think maybe some guys got a conscience? if so, too bad their round trip $$ got wasted...could have paid a player or two...but better late than never to figure out being involved in this sad excuse for a baseball league is a mistake...proof would be that they don't even have an israeli squad yet...heard a bunch of youngsters are trying out, but want to make sure that they can get a ball as a souvenir if they get cut...
ReplyDeletereally, has anyone ever followed something as half-assed as this ever before?
there was nothing on TV
ReplyDeleteThat was a hoax just like this league
EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!
ReplyDelete1ST IBL TRYOUTS FOR 2009 FESTIVUS TO BE HELD HERE....
http://www.jhappening.com/event_details.aspx?guid=d18af6bc-1f00-4e87-abb3-7e44f820b07d
Home run for that last post.
ReplyDeletecould u post that link again? its not coming up
ReplyDeletehow can you have tryouts the day after the festival is suppose to start?
ReplyDeleteFeingold, Pinchuk, Bumphus, Kramer, Doane are in Israel. Spoke with one just a bit ago.
ReplyDeleteRodriguez and Lyons didnt make their flights.
This has been confirmed.
Who cares?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the purpose of their trip?
Are they going to pay off the salaries due their fellow teamates?
the press release on the IBL website that they dated in July, but really posted 3 days ago is so pathetic.
ReplyDeleteThe IBL is pathetic.
ReplyDeleteThe questions remain.
Why is the JNF still involved with these people?
What is Solomont's end game?
"Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteWho cares?
What is the purpose of their trip?
Are they going to pay off the salaries due their fellow teamates?
Friday, August 15, 2008 4:36:00 AM PDT"
I'm sure the players who are there, the Israeli fans and the families of the players care that they are there. You post anonymously. How are these guys supposed to stand up for you if they don't know who you are? Its hard to show loyalty to just words from an anonymous poster.
Wouldn't you choose to go back to play if you were offered the chance? These guys just want to play ball in Israel. If you are really a player then you truly know how much fun it was last summer.
Excellent enquiry!
ReplyDeletewe thank you ,
broward college kenpo club
www.bcckenpo.com
The Israeli fans care that they're here? The Israeli fans don't even know they're here. There's been absolutely zilch publicity in Israel. Not an ad, not an article, nothing.
ReplyDeleteI'll probably show up out of curiosity, but I'd be stunned if more than a handful of Israeli fans are even aware of this event.