Update: Israel Baseball League's controversial "interim president" and twittering, money-seeking huckster David Solomont files Chapter 11

David Solomont has filed for bankruptcy protection.

Solomont is the well-known and controversial Boston area investor who took over as frontman for the Israel Baseball League from disgraced Boston bagel baron Larry Baras amid the financial disarray that followed its disastrous first season, intimated that he would rescue and restart the league with his own personal fortune and connections, then promised an eleventh-hour 20-game second season that was eventually downgraded to a five-game show weekend that never took place but was never officially canceled. When last heard from in these parts last December, Solomont was still attempting to raise money from US-based Zionists and Jews for a 2009 Israeli Baseball season that had already been blocked by Israeli government sports officials.

Solomont filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Boston.

Solomont, who was a pioneer in announcing his business intentions and daily activities on Twitter, reportedly was a founder of the Massachusetts Software Council and a founder of CommonAngels, a top angel investment firm based in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Solomont listed his assets as being between $1 million and $10 million. His wife, Joan Solomont, is listed as a fellow debtor.

An attorney for Solomont refused to comment on the case.

Solomont has faced legal troubles in the past. In 2004 he was accused in civil cases of diverting money from a startup he presided over to a holding company he ran. The outcome of those allegations is still unclear.

Solomont's Israel baseball shenanigans and the entire exploits of the Israel Baseball league were documented here in coverage led by Our Man Elli in Israel. The entirety of our Pultizer Prize-nominated coverage can be found at our Baseball in Israel archive site.

Exclusive! Boston businessman continues raising funds for 2009 Israel Baseball League season that sources say won't be allowed to take place

Yes, we went cold turkey on coverage of the scandal of the Israel Baseball League after a solid year of intense, exclusive, controversial and Pulitzer Prize-nominated reporting. And in light of that Pulitzer nod, we’ll be checking in occasionally with updates provided by the tenacious and world-beating reporter Elli Wohlgelernter—known here as Our Man Elli In Israel-- who carried this story singlehandedly and reported recently that there will be no professional baseball in Israel until 2010 at the earliest.

Our Man Elli’s reportage apparently stirred up a reaction from the Boston-based businessman who's now heading the putative league-- and apparently still drumming up money from American investors for the battered IBL. He sends along this latest, exclusive report:

It appears it ain’t over for the non-existent Israel Baseball League, which continues to squeeze the American Jewish community for money and solicit unsuspecting American Jews and Zionists for an Israeli baseball season that’s already been blocked by Israeli officials.

I obtained an email sent by David Solomont, who took the reins of the IBL from embattled Boston bagel baron Larry Baras (and was immediately tagged with the sobriquet “El Presidente of the Dominican Republic of The Middle East Baseball League”) stating his intention to play professional baseball in "the summer of 2009 and have a winter season Nov to Jan 2009/2010”:

From: David Solomont
To: ***** ****************
Cc: ****…
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 7:39:24 PM
Subject: Re: Baseball In Israel
Unfortunately, there is no baseball next week.
We expect to kick off the 2009 season in late June and play the summer of 2009 and have a winter season Nov to Jan 2009/2010.
David Solomont
(617) ***-****

As I reported on December 3rd, sources tell me that one thing is for sure: the Israel Association of Baseball, which governs the sport in the nation, will not negotiate with David Solomont.


The controversial Boston businessman and de facto head of the IBL is persona non grata, ever since he announced a twenty-game 2008 IBL season ... make that seven-game… er, six-game... would you believe a five-game "festivus" that never took place?

Even so, the front man for disgraced IBL founder and former president Larry Baras continues raising cash for a pro baseball league in Israel in 2009.

Every source close to the Israel sports establishment tells me that Solomont may have a chance kicking off a 2009 season in Santo Domingo starring Chico Escuela, but has little chance of running a season in the Holy Land.

There will be no sequel to the rousing documentary Holy Land Hardball, because the Israel Association of Baseball is not, and will not, negotiate any deal with the league that survived a single season in 2007.


Solomont is also urging potential investors to sign up on the IBL website for news. When we last looked, there hadn't been a new posting since the infamous July 24th, 2008 announcement that stated explicit plans for:

"…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."

As of today, December 20th, there is no update on the now-legendary Festivus.

And speaking of Larry Baras-- remember my report of December 3rd, I asked:

“Why is the JNF in bed with the IBL? “And how much money is stuffed inside the mattress of that bed?”

Now, it turns out they've pulled up the sheets to snuggle even closer:

Larry Baras is now on the board of the New England branch of the JNF.

Stay tuned…

(And catch up on all our coverage of the Israeli Baseball saga here, at our Baseball in Israel website.)

Remember professional baseball in Israel? Well, fughedabout it for 2009! And maybe 2010!

Remember the Israel Baseball League?

Remember how we spent an entire year covering the fallout from the inspirational, fun, yet disastrous 2007 inaugural season of the Israel Baseball League, and followed every lawsuit, liar, layabout and lunkhead as they schemed, blathered, promised, fought, sued, threatened, begged and bullshat until by the same time 365 days later, we had to throw our hands up and walk away?

We ended our intense coverage on that first anniversary, but not before starting up a special Baseball in Israel companion site-- and not without regret, as we wrote:

"...The story grew on its own... with all its intrigue, deceit, betrayals and bizarre and unintentionally comedic twists. And the characters-- including a bagel baron, a champion competitive eater, a fast food defector, a ballplaying attorney, an overgrown Peter Pan, a mysterious Dominican, a toymaker, a billionaire, a US ambassador, a neglected wife, a controversial web mogul-- only made the saga richer.

"In the past twelve months and more than 300 posts, this site-- a tabloidcentric site of pop culture and media criticism and satire, became the meeting place and sounding board for ballplayers and sports fans around the world-- not mention a place where anonymity allowed key players in the story to float rumours and leads.

"All credit goes to Elli Wohlgelernter..."

We also said we’d report back when there was something worthwhile to report. So Elli Wohlgelernter, the top Jerusalem-based journalist known in these parts as Our Man Elli In Israel-- the man whose reportage, hard work and expertise our comprehensive coverage was built upon-- has this report:

Professional Baseball in Israel rained out for 2009

by ELLI WOHLGELERNTER
Special to TabloidBaby.com

JERUSALEM - Forget about professional baseball in Israel in 2009.

Sources tell me that the current economic meltdown is making it difficult to jumpstart a professional league of any kind in Israel in the foreseeable future.

"The economic climate is not the most conducive for these kinds of ventures,” says a figure close to the Israel Association of Baseball (Israel’s governing body for baseball and the only group authorized to run a pro league here). “But hopefully by 2010 there will be some kind of pro league here.”

The source adds that the IBA “hopes we’ll have something concrete to say this month, but it ain’t over till its over”—which seems to imply there are some serious negotiations being conducted.

Other sources tell me that one thing is for sure - the IAB is not negotiating with David Solomont. The controversial Boston businessman, who installed himself as the de facto head of the Israel Baseball League is persona non grata ever since he announced a twenty-game 2008 IBL season ... make that seven-game… er, six-game... would you believe a five-game "festivus" that never took place?

Even so, the frontman for disgraced IBL founder and former president Larry Baras continues to try and raise cash for a pro baseball league in Israel.

His “Twitter” page-- his preferred means of announcement-- states:

"Solomont
Getting ready for a hectic week with 3 deals to close! 12:28 PM Nov 28th from web


"working on several transactions -- Electric Vehicle Propulsion Systems is "hot". Of course, baseball is right up there as well:) 11:46 AM Nov 18th from web

"Working on Electric Vehicle Propulsion Systems, Solar Powered iphone Charger/Carrying Case, and Baseball! 8:26 AM Oct 13th"

The problem is that Solomont’s public displays are hindering others from moving forward.

Another insider who doesn’t want his name used:

"Solomont is going around telling people that all he has to do to get a license from the IAB is to pay debts of the IBL, and that the IAB's reluctance to deal with him is simply a matter of money, and not of trustworthiness. That's been complicating anyone else's efforts to get serious traction on an alternative approach."

That complaint is exactly what was written here on the Tabloid Baby site on August 22nd:

As long as the people leading the alleged IBL (Larry Baras, David Solomont Martin Berger and the gang) hang around, it will be tougher to get anyone else interested in taking a new approach. Even if the IAB puts the IBL out of our misery by deciding it will no longer deal with its "executives," any other group stepping forward will have to deal with the baggage.”

Sources also tell me that "Solomont reportedly has been claiming that he has the ability to raise $ 5million. I'm not sure anyone believes him, but the Jewish National Fund apparently has maintained contact with him."

We’ve asked it before and we'll ask it again:

Why is the JNF in bed with the IBL?

And how much money is stuffed inside the mattress of that bed?

Stay tuned…

It’s good to be back on the hunt. Not that I ever left.

EW

-30-

What the f***?

What the f*** was that all about?

The Israel Baseball League's promised expanded second season was reduced to four-team, three-week, 20-game "momentum-building" mini-season, truncated to a one-week "show" festival, reduced to a five-game "show" festival, cut to a one-night stand-- and ended with nothing.

NOTHING.

For all the lip-flapping and free-lunch-acceptance from IBL apologist Shoeless Leon Feingold, for all the deceptive posts on the IBL website, and for all the twitterings of "in-coming President" David Solomont, the supposed saviour with pretensions of installing himself as Presidente of the Dominican Republic of The Middle East Baseball League-- for all the abuse that anonymous commenters heaped on Our Man Elli in Israel's accurate and groundbreaking and award-deserving coverage (and you can find your own links this time, because we're disgusted)-- they never played a f***ing game!

It never happened!

Our Man Elli reports that Shoeless Leon and the other IBL "All-Stars" who got a free trip from the States to Israel have headed back home (hopefully without any transmitted diseases, which could be a possibility if our spies are correct-- Neve Ilan ain't the Olympic Village, boys).

Russell Robinson of the Israel National Fund has checked out of his five-star hotel without ever throwing a first pitch. And David Solomont has also fled the country.

Israel Association of Baseball President Haim Katz, whose group was falsely accused of stopping the tournament that was ever advertised, insured or manned, told Elli today:

"This week changed nothing; It did not affect any change in their (the IBL's) status or in their license to play baseball. No matter what they would have done, it wouldn’t have affected that status.

"It was irrelevant if they played one game or two games or no games. Nothing was coordinated with us beforehand, so it didn't have any bearing on the future."

Mr. Katz, we must disagree. We'd say that a lot has changed.


As long as the people leading the alleged IBL (Larry Baras, David Solomont Martin Berger and the gang) hang around, it will be tougher to get anyone else interested in taking a new approach. Even if the IAB puts the IBL out of our misery by deciding it will no longer deal with its "executives," any other group stepping forward will have to deal wit h the baggage.

Bottom line:

Who will buy their bulls*** now?

And what the f*** was that all about?

Where's the Associated Press coverage of all this?

Oh, right. They only refashion press releases.

Where's bigtime Jerusalem Post sports editor Jeremy Last and his team? Watching the Olympics on television? Or because of the embarrassing publicity, has he gotten the order not to use this site as a source?

Does Jeremy Last still think the IBL failed because there was no promotion among Israelis?

Stay tuned here for a major announcement on the future of coverage of the Israel Baseball League and its fallout.

"This is going to be the Dominican Republic of the Middle East... Our players are going over to put on a show!"

--IBL's new "in-coming president" Solomont

"Players, coaches... interested parties should become the league": Scott Cantor, the Israel Baseball League's oldest player, offers a modest proposal

No, there are no games scheduled in the Israel Baseball League's promised show fest. It never happened and "in-coming president" David Solomont, for all his promises, remains silent on the latest fine mess (except that Our Man Elli in Israel has word that Solomont has indicated to people that Larry Baras and Dan Duquette are still in equity control of the IBL).

But Scott Cantor, who, as a 51-year-old pitcher with the Petach Tikva Pioneers was the oldest player in the Israel Baseball League,has offered this proposal to bring some sort of resolution to the chaos and mountain of debt that have been left in wake of the first and so far sole season of the Israel Baseball League:

1. All of last year's players should pool what ever we were paid and distribute the pool evenly to all the players.

2. The IBL players, coaches, managers, baseball administrators, and former trustees, plus all honestly interested parties should team together and become the league.

3. The people and institutions that are owed money would have to be negotiated with and brought in as partners or work out a settlement.

Feasible? Possible?
What do you think?

FIASCO! SOLOMONT SCRAMBLES FOR 1 GAME!

Our Man Elli in Israel reports that the Israel Baseball League's "in-coming president" David Solomont is trying frantically to recoup the disaster of the canceled IBL show fest by arranging a a "one night only" game for Thursday, which he will attempt to have videotaped so that he can "broadcast" the game in the United States in order to attract investors.

While there are a number of Israel Baseball League "All-Stars" languishing in Israel after traveling from the States, there is no word where Solomont plans to to find the players for an opposing second team unless the Israel Association of Baseball decides to help (an eventuality that IAB president Haim Katz told us exclusively is not in the cards unless "certain requirements"-- like paying past debts-- are met), or how Solomont will arrange for insurance, which he and his "league" apparently did not acquire in anticipation of the baseball show festival.

Solomont is accusing the IAB of persuading Baptist Village, site of the announced show festival, to not to deal with him, a claim Katz denies.

"This is going to be the Dominican Republic of the Middle East... Our players are going over to put on a show!"

--IBL's new "in-coming president" Solomont

IAB'S KATZ: "WE DIDN'T STOP IBL SHOW FEST... THEY SENT GUYS OVER WITHOUT COORDINATION, INSURANCE OR TEAM TO PLAY... BELATEDLY ASKED OUR ASSISTANCE"

"The IBL sent these
guys over here without
any coordination
with us, no insurance
and didn't arrange
to have a team
for them to play."

--Haim Katz, Israel Association of Baseball

As soon as it was clear that the Israel Baseball League's show festival was not going to happen, so began the spin that the well-intentioned executives of the IBl were stopped from playing by the Israel Association of Baseball, the sport's governing body that had withdrawn the IBL's certification and canceled its contracts back in January because of the massive debts it had left behind from the first season.

We went directly to IAB president Haim Katz, who replies to our questions this morning:

TABLOID BABY: Why did the IBL cancel opening day of its festival? Did the IAB stop them?

HAIM KATZ: You'll have to ask the IBL. The IAB was not involved in their planning of this festival. As you stated correctly, if some tourist show up and want to play a pickup game, it's not for the IAB to stop them. The IBL sent these guys over here without any coordination with us, no insurance and didn't arrange to have a team for them to play.

It's not surprising that they had to cancel their game.

We've heard that IAB won't let them play until all the debts from last season are paid. Is this true?

HAIM KATZ: While the IAB is recognized by the Israel Sport's authority as the governing body for baseball in Israel, that doesn't mean that anyone who wants to pick up a bat and hit balls to his kid needs our permission. This authority refers to those who want to run an organized program.

They did, however, very belatedly request our assistance with this event. For this assistance they need to fulfill certain requirements which they state they will fulfill, but to date have not.

Will the "show" go on at all?

HAIM KATZ: While Israel is the land of prophets, to my knowledge none have been spotted for several millenniums.

URGENT! ISRAEL BASEBALL FEST CANCELED!

Our Man Elli in Israel reports that the entire, though shortened five-day show festival promised by new Israel Baseball League "in-coming president" David Solomont at the Baptist Village sports complex has been canceled.

Still no word from the IBL bunker. Details to follow.

"From Baptist Village: IBL not expected tomorrow"

Our Man Elli in Israel has an update from the ballpark where the Israel Baseball League had promised to launch its five-day show festival today, but canceled without warning or explanation:

"Local softball players played at Baptist Village tonight: In the former the Ra’anana softball league which moved to Baptist Village, Mel’s Men beat the Chipsters, 26-22, in a nine-inning slugfest.

"A few fans who'd arrived to see the IBL, stayed to watch a little softball.

"The word from someone at Baptist Village is that the IBL is not expected tomorrow."

EXCLUSIVE! ISRAEL BASEBALL LEAGUE'S SHOW FESTIVAL OPENER IS CANCELED!!! NO WARNING!!! NO WORD FROM SOLOMONT!!! ISRAELI BASEBALL FANS OUTRAGED!!!

THEY CANCELED THE OPENING OF THE SHOW FEST WITHOUT WARNING!

Fans showed!

The Israel Baseball League didn't!

Our Man Elli in Israel reports exclusively that David Solomont and his new and improved Israel Baseball League (AKA the Dominican Republic of The Middle East Baseball League) have, without notice, warning, or a word from their bunker, canceled the opening game of their five-day show festival that was scheduled to take place today at the Yarkon Sports Complex in Baptist Village.

The IBL didn't merely cancel-- they simply didn't show up! But fans did!

"Because they failed to inform their fans-- or at least fans of baseball-– people started showing up a half hour ago, only to discover they'd come for nothing," Elli reports. "They are sorely disappointed, to say the least. No. Put it this way:

"They are pissed!

"I spoke to one such baseball lover. Uzi Amit is forty-seven. He's a lawyer who came down from Jerusalem with his four kids. He's not happy. And he's a lawyer. Uzi told me:

"'We came because there might be a ballgame. I had some doubts, after watching these people update their web site-- they don’t seem very serious about informing people on what’s going on. They said they were starting on the 14th, and then starting on the Sunday the 17th. I sent an email; I got no answer. So now we’re here, and we wasted our time and gasoline [an hour and a quarter one-way --Ed.), and now I have four disappointed family members.’

“Amit told me he could see other families who'd arrived and promptly left when they saw there was no game," Elli reports. "They were 'also disappointed.' Someone had told him that other families came and went. He sounded very disgusted with the whole thing.

"Said Amit: 'If these guys were serious and had more respect for their fans,they would tell them what’s going on and not send them on some wild goose chase. It’s unfortunate that people who have such disregard for baseball fans are the guys trying to set up baseball in Israel.’

"Frankly, this is a real embarrassment, because word will spread among the Anglo community here that the league dissed the fans," Elli says. "What they can expect to pull off the rest of the week is anyone’s guess.

Our Man adds: "There are weeds growing in the outfield at Baptist. Apparently the caretaker has been sick, and no one is looking after the field. The IBL didn't spruce it up for the big show fest. And by the way, there was a softball game being played: the regular Sunday night, 9-inning, 30 shekel-per-man pickup game, open to all players over age 24."

Stay tuned...

Our favorite Israel Baseball League story yet

Our Man Elli in Israel tells us:

"On July 24th, the day originally scheduled for Opening Day of the IBL's second season, a woman arrived with her four children to watch the game.

"She stayed to watch the softball league game taking place-- and had the best seats in the house."

Elli's favorite comment of the weekend:


Sunday, August 17, 2008 12:49:00 AM PDT Anonymous said...
"Where's that money, you silly stupid old fool? Where's that money? Do you realize what this means? It means bankruptcy and scandal and prison. That's what it means. One of us is going to jail-- well, it's not gonna be me."

-- George Bailey, yelling at Uncle Billy, "It's a Wonderful Life"

The Israel Baseball League's five-day show festival is set to begin today and run through Thursday at Baptist Village. The IBL promised that details, like game times and ticket prices, would appear on its website, but they've yet to be posted.

"This is going to be the Dominican Republic of the Middle East... Our players are going over to put on a show!"

--IBL's new "in-coming president" Solomont

Alan Gardner sounds off on IBL show fest

Israel Baseball League veteran and elder statesman Alan Gardner, a New York City attorney and one of the prime movers in the rival Israel Professional Baseball League that never quite got off the ground, comments on our interview with fellow vet and player activist Justin Cardinal, and slams the IBL's elusive executives on the eve of its five-day show festival featuring a handful of IBL “All-Stars” versus a pickup team of Israeli nationals:

“Justin definitely did start leaning on the ball as the season progressed. Just ask my forehead. And in addition to spraying line drives about during bp, he also dropped one or two over the fence at the Geez.

“Was a tough outfield to crack, what with Rees, Slaughter and Lyons out there. Not a soul can argue with the prowess of those guys, defensively, at the plate and on the base paths. Would have been nice if he could have got a bit of late inning PT when games were already decided or the more occasional start. But hey, guess that's just baseball.

“What really sucks is that this solid, generally unassuming, soft-spoken young man dropped a G out of his own pocket to get to the Miami tryouts, made it, went to Israel and has now been stiffed out of $1,500 plus whatever fees his bank has charged him for the bad checks and any checks he may have written on his account thinking the checks were good. I wonder how much the IBL spent for a round trip ticket for the ‘festival.’ A good rate these days is about... $1,500.

“And how many other guys that have been stiffed could have been paid out of funds used for this sad excuse for a professional baseball tournament?

“Or maybe they're doing the travel the good old IBL way... buying the tix on credit and then stiffing the travel agency, too.

“Or did everyone forget that last summer's travel agent threatened to pull all of our return trip tickets because the IBL owed them LOTS of money? That's right, apparently if Baras had not been lucky enough to persuade at least one of the investors to loan him something like $40G to make the travel agent happy, we all might still be in Israel working off the IBL debt at the Kfar Hayarok and getting our meals at the gas station...

“Most importantly, good luck to our mate Justin in Ottawa. I think he's going to have a stellar career at the university level.”

"This is going to be the Dominican Republic of the Middle East... Our players are going over to put on a show!"

--IBL's new "in-coming president" Solomont

JNF macher, IBL vets arrive in Israel for show fest

Russell Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish National Fund, was spotted today sitting in the lobby of the five-star fancy-shmancy King David Hotel in Jerusalem late Friday afternoon, prompting speculation that he may be throwing out the first pitch in the delayed, and shortened to five-days, Israel Baseball League show festival now set to begin Sunday evening.

The close relationship between the JNF and the IBL, now led by controversial and mysterious Boston businessman David Solomont, has begin to whip up even more controversy since it was claimed in the latest controversial IBL press release:

"Tickets will be sold at the door with all proceeds to benefit JNF's Project Baseball."

Our Man Elli In Israel has also confirmed a reader's comment (thank you!) that IBL veterans (Solomont's "All-Star" team) Shoeless Leon Feingold, Bryan Pinchuk, Willis Bumphus, David Kramer and Josh Doane are in Israel while, for some reason, Ray Rodriguez and Mike Lyons didn't make their flights.

IBL pushes back baseball show fest to Sunday!

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?

Israel Baseball League show fest set for tomorrow

The Israel Baseball League’s weeklong “show” festival is set to begin tomorrow and Our Man Elli in Israel is off doing live TV reports for the Israel Broadcasting Authority!

We’ve got to get this guy on the hotline!

Our Man Elli: Hello?

Tabloid Baby: The Olympics?

Huh?

You’re off covering the Olympics when our Olympics is about to launch?

I’m not in Beijing, schmuck. I’m making a living.

Well, we don’t have the plug-in to see your reports.

They’re very good.

If you must say so yourself. So what’s going on with the Dominican Republic of The Middle East League.

Before I begin, do me a favour. Don’t post photos of naked ladies with this. It’s degrading.

Too late.

Schmuck.

We’re a day away. Any protests?

None I’ve seen or heard of. They may not announce the festivus, hoping no one comes. And they don’t need anyone to come. They only want to have photos of something going on, which they’ll post on their web site to attract investors.

It's looking like a game of fungo.

Is (embattled league founder) Larry Baras or David Solomont going to get arrested at the airport?

Baras isn’t coming, because he could get arrested if he shows up. It’s not clear if Solomont is in same position.

So this isn’t exactly turning into a national holiday.

Let’s just say it could be Israel’s best secret weapon, equal to the Stealth. It’s so far under the radar, not a single person in Israel is aware of the Grand Festivus that’s supposedly happening tomorrow night.

But why not?

Sources tell me there’s real dissension inside the IBL brain trust.

Rats scurrying on a sinking ship?

Not quite; but I hear that the head of the IBL-–

El Presidente David Solomonte of the Dominican Republic of the Middle East Baseball League!

If you insist. Anyway, Solomonte— now you’ve got me saying it— Solomont is freezing out Ami Baran, who’s director of Israeli operations, and was manager of the Netanya Tigers last summer. He’s telling people they shouldn’t work with Baran. There seems to be a lack of mutual trust issue. One insider described the situation as a balagan, which is—

Israeli slang for “chaos.”

Hey! That’s right! Nice one!

So why the freeze-out?

For one, there’s been a real fight within the IBL on whether the Festivus event should be held-- which makes sense, because it doesn’t appear there are any Israeli professionals around for the IBL players --

Those 12 veterans—are they despised by their brothers?

Not by all. Sure, some say they’d be playing on the backs of the players from last season who haven’t been paid. But you see from the traffic on your comment boards that they’re still debating that.

Like the comment last night asking how the IBL can pay for players to come over to play and not pay the players from last season.

Right, but let’s get back to the Festivus.

Please, continue.

Apparently, Solomont insisted on the Festivus going forward, because he felt it was necessary to show movement—

So he can raise money.

Right. He also wants to make it more difficult for the Israel Association of Baseball to ignore him.

Isn’t the IAB having an executive board meeting today?

As we reported. It’s this evening, Israel time. But get this: I spoke to Haim Katz, the head of the IAB, and he said the IBL is not on schedule of items to talk about.

So what is?

The issues of any organization taking care of business : A few fields they’d like to invest in, a new regional director in Jerusalem, and how they’re going to organize the Fall league. Katz told me, quote: “We have more pressing issues that need to be discussed. I don’t expect any decisions on the IBL - the IBL is not on the agenda.”

I asked Katz if the IBL is likely to come up for discussion in any case, and he said, “Not that I know of.” But I would imagine that after pressing business is taken care of, someone’s going to bring it up.

Yeah, it’s a bit of an elephant in the room.

Right. But meanwhile, it’s the same situation I told you last week. The IAB’s not involved in the Festivus in any way. Katz even told me-- quoting again: “I know of no game scheduled for Thursday, or next week-- nobody talked to me about any games this week or next week.”

Is the IAB a for-profit organization?

Nope. I’s a non-profit entity, dedicated solely to advancing the good cause of baseball in Israel.

Is it a cause worthy supporting? I mean the IAB.

Oh yeah. For sure. What could be a better cause for the readers of this site who want baseball to succeed in Israel? No matter what side they are on.

How can they help?

I asked Katz, and he said the IAB has a working relationship with the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh. People can make a tax-deductible donation to their web site. Just to be sure to mark it for “Israel baseball.”

So the IAB is the real Israel baseball?

They’re the official sanctioning governing body of baseball, there is no other.

And they haven’t sanctioned the IBL.

They haven’t even been approached by the IBL. So far, Solomont and company have been working around them.

Anything else?

Just one thing. Remember that fan poll on the IBL site? Still not a single vote registered.

Keep us updated.

I’ll report tomorrow on whether the Festivus begins.

Yeah, try to take a few seconds away from the Olympics.

Israel’s tennis players just got eliminated.

Baseball!

Let the (Dominican Republic of The Middle East Baseball League) games begin (in Israel) (on Thursday) (after all) (with a stand-in or two)!

The show will go on!

Our Man Elli in Israel reports tonight that the Dominican Republic of The Middle East’s one-week baseball “show” festival, will indeed begin on Thursday, August 14th, replacing the Israel Baseball League’s once-announced four-team, 20-game, three week “mini-season.”

Well, maybe. You know how it goes with these guys. It's only Sunday, so things could collapse before Thursday.

At last word, “In-coming” El Presidente David Solomont will be arriving with twelve players for his "All-Star" team. But Our Man Elli has learned that not all of the athletes can really be considered "All-Stars" of the Shoeless Leon Feingold stature. As it now stands, some of the "IBL All Star" team have never played in the IBL.

One, we hear is the brother of an IBL player who has not heeded the call. Others, for all we know, could be Leon's colleagues from the International Federation of Competetive Eating.

Elli has learned that despite the furor of the past weeks, two more IBL veterans-- Bryan Pinchuk and Josh Doane-- have decided to join Leon, Willis Bumphus, David Kramer, Mike Lyons and Ray Rodriguez, heading to Israel to face Israeli players on the field. Other names will follow.

The festival, known un-affectionately among other IBL vets as “Festivus,” will be played at Baptist Village. The players will be sleeping in cottages at Baptist Village.

The baseball show has so far not been advertised among Israelis.

The Israel Association of Baseball has not sanctioned or authorized the group to play in Israel. The IAB has scheduled an executive board meeting for Wednesday.

Elli quotes a source: "Whether a team comes or not won't affect the longer term decision on whether they'll ever be able to operate a league."

Details to follow.

"This is going to be the Dominican Republic of the Middle East... Our players are going over to put on a show!"

--"In-coming" El Presidente Solomonte