The Yankles? New team takes new swing at bringing professional baseball to Israel!

Remember the Israel Baseball League? How could you forget? Tabloid Baby's comprehensive coverage of the disastrous 2007 season and the tragicomic failed attempts to carry on led to our editor and Our Man Elli in Israel being submitted for a Pulitzer Prize-- being cut off at the pass by gatekeeper Sig Gissler-- and given a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. Now, a new group of sportsminded US businessmen with stars-- and shekels-- in their eyes-- are ready to give it another go. Our Man Elli leads us to the article in YNetNews, noting that it "mistakes Martin Indyk for Dan Kurtzer":

NY Yankees make aliyah

Co-Owner of legendary American baseball team
promotes initiative to establish
professional baseball league in Israel

Itamar Eichner

American businessmen, including one of the owners of legendary baseball team The New York Yankees – which is worth approximately $1.5 billion – are promoting an initiative to establish a professional baseball league in Israel.

The businessmen visited Israel and held meetings with Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development Silvan Shalom and Jerusalem's Mayor Nir Barkat, in which they asked for their assistance.

As part of the initiative, the businessmen proposed to build a baseball stadium near Jerusalem's Teddy Stadium, which will serve as Israel's central baseball hub.

Following the meeting, Barkat promised to promote the project and help find a proper location for the construction of the stadium.

Minister Shalom offered the businessmen governmental aid, if they were to build stadiums in the country's northern and southern regions.

"The entrepreneurs are aware
that baseball is not
very popular in Israel,
but believe it can
gain a following."

Officials were also examining the possibility of building a stadium in Netanya, which brands itself as Israel's sports hub.

One of the men involved in the project is billionaire Jeffrey Rosen, who owns Israeli basketball team Maccabi Haifa.

The businessmen have also approached Israeli diplomats, and asked them to help coordinate meetings with Israeli officials that can help promote the project.

The entrepreneurs are aware of the fact that baseball is not very popular in Israel, but believe that with time it can gain a following. At first, they plan on catering to American expatriates living in Israel, who continue to follow the popular American sport.

Past attempts to import the sport have proved unsuccessful. In 2007, the first professional Israeli baseball league was established, and one of its managers was former US ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk.

Six teams participated in the league's first season, but the second season was cancelled after the league suffered financial loses. Despite the failure of previous initiatives, the American entrepreneurs, who enjoy the support of The NY Yankees, want to have another go at it, and believe this time they will hit a home run.

Cick here to read Tabloid Baby's entire coverage of the Israeli baseball fiasco.

E-Rod gets new shot with the Yanks; won't be one of El Presidente Solomonte's August "All-Stars"

Remember E-Rod? Eladio Rodriguez, the most prominent graduate of the Israel Baseball League, may be getting another shot at the New York Yankees' AA farm club, the Trenton, NJ Thunder.

That would mean the Dominican mystery man would not be available to star in the exhibition tourney in Israel that's meant to be a teaser for El Presidente Solomonte's Dominican Republic of The Middle East Baseball League that he promises will replace the IBL in the winter.

And too bad, because as a Dominican-born IBL vet and MLB journeyman, E-Rod would be a better face for the new league than current, retired Dominican player Chico Escuela (left).

E-Rod had been placed on the Thunder's disabled list, to make room for a right-handed pitcher, after going from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees to the Single A Staten Island Baby Bombers, back to Scranton, a step from Yankee Stadium, and down a step to the AA Trenton Thunder, all in the space of a month, before being kicked back down to the Single A NY-Penn League farm team in Staten Island and back up to Trenton at the beginning of June.

Hunterdon County Democrat beat writer Mike Ashmore writes in his Thunder Thoughts blog that Eladio may be getting a chance now that catcher P.J. Pilittere got a broken nose when he was hit in the face by a foul ball:

"...The former Israel Baseball League standout wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire down there, hitting just .095, but he was doing all right in limited action with the Thunder earlier this season, going 3-for-13 in four games.

"I don’t even think the Bo Hall move is official yet, so who knows when anything with Pilittere will be announced, but the likely move would be to place him on the DL so that a roster spot can be created.

"For what it’s worth, I haven’t understood why they won’t send Jason Brown down when a catcher is needed. Nothing against Eladio, but Brown has a similar reputation to P.J. in that pitchers really seem to like the way he calls a game, and I think he’d have a good influence on some of the guys on the staff."

"This is going to be the Dominican Republic of the Middle East"
--IBL's new "in-coming president" David Solomont

Bobby Murcer, Yankee for Life

Bobby Murcer came out of Oklahoma in 1965 with the promise of being the next Mickey Mantle, which of course he would never be, but playing mostly for the Yankees, he hit 252 home runs and had 1,862 hits and a .277 career batting average. In 1971, he hit a career-high .331, was the runner-up for the American League batting title, and he became adept at bunting. The next year, he won a Gold Glove. He was named to five All-Star teams, from 1971 to 1974 while with the Yankees and in 1975 while with the San Francisco Giants. On June 24, 1970, he hit four consecutive home runs in a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. he moved to the broadcasting booth in 1983. The All Star game takes place at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, in this final season before the House comes down. Our condolences to Our Man Elli.

Will E-Rod return to Israel as the star of the four-team, 20-game, three-week, momentum-keeping second "season" of the IBL?

Amidst the hoopla over the resurrection of the Israel Baseball League as a four-team, 20-game, three-week show (or is it one game held over at the Orpheum?), there's new E-Rod news from the New York Yankees' AA farm club, the Trenton, NJ Thunder, that's bad news for the Dominican mystery man-- but possibly good news for the new and improved management of the Israel Baseball League.

E, aka Eladio Rodriguez, the most prominent veteran of the IBL, has been placed on the disabled list-- retroactive to June 17th, to make room for right-handed pitcher Oneli Perez, who's been claimed off waivers by the Yankees from the Cleveland Indians and assigned to Trenton.

E-Rod has gotten bupkis when it comes to playing time, and in the past couple of months has gone from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees to the Single A Staten Island Baby Bombers, back to Scranton, a step from Yankee Stadium, and down a step to the AA Trenton Thunder, all in the space of a month, before being kicked back down to the Single A NY-Penn League farm team in Staten Island and back up to Trenton at the beginning of June.

And since his signing was seen to be a publicity stunt cooked up by the Yankee-connected members that used to be on the IBL advisory board in the first place-- why not give him back?!

Will he return to Israel in triumph as the star of the new four-team, 20-game three week league!

¡Viva Eladio! ¡VIVA E-ROD!

Eladio is still waiting to see some action

Eladio Rodriguez, the most prominent veteran of the Israel Baseball League, remains a mystery after close to two weeks on the New York Yankees' New Jersey AA team, the Trenton Thunder.

The Dominican E-Rod had gone from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees to the Single A Staten Island Baby Bombers, back to Scranton, a step from Yankee Stadium, and down a step to the AA Trenton Thunder, all in the space of a month, before being kicked back down to the Single A NY-Penn League farm team in Staten Island and back up to Trenton at the beginning of June.

Today, Mike Ashmore of the Hunterton County Democrat writes about Eladio on his daily Thunder Thoughts blog:

Tom Wilson On: Eladio Rodriguez

Up next in our 13-part series with Thunder hitting coach Tom Wilson is Eladio Rodriguez. The Israel Baseball League standout has seemingly been on and off the roster the entire season, and has yet to see significant playing time in Trenton.

In the third part of the series, I ask Wilson how difficult it is to get an accurate read on Rodriguez considering his lack of game action…

Wilson: “Yeah, it is. Eladio’s been catching for a while, and he’s been playing for a while. He’s got a little more experience than the other guys have. But it’s tough for him, he’s hasn’t gotten in too many games for us. I think he’s probably started maybe three games at the most for us. So I haven’t gotten to see him do much.”

Eladio is moving back up in the Yankees system

Eladio Rodriguez, the most prominent veteran of the Israel Baseball League, is again moving on up in the New York Yankees minor league operation.

The man they call E-Rod had gone from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees to the Single A Staten Island Baby Bombers, back to Scranton, a step from Yankee Stadium, and down a step to the AA Trenton Thunder, all in the space of a month, before being kicked back down to the Single A NY-Penn League farm team in Staten Island a couple of weeks ago.

But now, the catcher and slugger has been transferred back up to Trenton!

Last time around, Eladio appeared in two games for the Thunder, going one-for-eight (he went one for five against the Reading Phillies, with a double). He appeared in one other game this season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, batting one-for-three with a double against Buffalo. The Modi'in Miracle star was signed by the Yankees out of the IBL, controversially, on November 24, 2007.

Trenton plays the middle game of a three-game series tonight in Norwich, Connecticut, against the Connecticut Defenders, the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants The Thunder returns home on Friday night to face Reading, the Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

¡Viva, Eladio!

Yankees kick Eladio downstairs, again

The Pride of the Israel Baseball League has become the official Ping Pong Ball of The Yankees. Eladio Rodriguez, who's gone from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees to the Single A Staten Island Baby Bombers, back to Scranton, a step from Yankee Stadium, and down a step to the AA Trenton Thunder, all in the space of a month, has again been kicked down to the Single A NY-Penn League farm team in Staten Island.

As the third catcher on the roster, E-Rod wasn't expected to see much action to begin with, but he did appear in one game for the Thunder, going one-for-five with a double against the Reading Phillies on Wednesday. He'd been transferred from the roster of the Staten Island Yankees to Trenton on May 9th. He appeared in one other game this season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he'd landed on April 29th. He was signed by the Yankees out of the Israel Baseball League on November 24th, 2007. He caught for the Modi'in Miracle, led the league in hitting and was co-MVP.

Eladio stuck in traffic on Yankees' Thunder Road

Eladio Rodriguez, the great brown hope of the former Israel Baseball League, is languishing. The IBL’s co-MVP got a late call to the New York Yankees’ Triple-A team in Scranton Pennsylvania last month, but lasted only a day—and one great game-- before being shipped to the Yankee’s lowly Single A branch in Staten Island. And though he’s since been kicked up a notch to Double A and the Trenton Thunder-- a Yankee farm team that is not not named for the Bombers-- he’s the third catcher on the team and not likely to show off his stuff any time soon.

Mike Ashmore, a beat writer for the Hunterdon NJ County Democrat, offers daily coverge of the Thunder on his Mike Ashmore’ Thunder Thoughts blog. He lists Eladio last in his weekly team power rankings:

24 - Eladio Rodriguez, C (NR)
A catcher who converted to pitcher, then back to catcher for last year’s Israel Baseball League season. Currently serving as the team’s third catcher…highly unlikely to see anything resembling significant playing time.

The Thunder played to their largest crowd of the season last night (more than 7,700 fans) against the Portland, Maine Sea Dogs, and lost 7-1.

Maybe they can use a little help at the plate from an IBl batting champ…


Larry Baras or Jeffrey Rosen? Which big shot baseball Israel macher will man up to our charity challenge and do a mitzvah? Cast your vote... and stay tuned…

Eladio is again movin' on up with the Yankees

Eladio Rodriguez’s dream of playing for the New York Yankees and the Israel Baseball League’s dreams of validation have been jump-started back to life, as the hard-hitting catcher has again been moved up in the Yankees farm system, a step closer to Yankee Stadium.

A little more than a week ago, a perfect storm of injuries and Yankee player moves had the man they call “E-Rod” poised days away from being called up to The Big Show and The House That Ruth Built. But after playing a single game with the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Yankees, more roster shuffles sent the 29-year-old packing to the Yankees’ Single A team in Staten Island.

But the Staten Island Baby Bombers don’t open their season until June and after kicking around, Eladio has been kicked up once again; this time across the bridge to New Jersey and to the Yankees’ Double A club, The Trenton Thunder.

Apparently, Eladio has been traveling and taking batting practice with the team for days now, but has only now been added to the roster.

Once again, he steps into a crowded clubhouse, as the third active catcher on the team.

The Man from Mao Valverde, Dominican Republic played in one game this season for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Triple-A). He went one for three at Buffalo on April 29th. This is his first professional action since 2003, when he hit .227 for Sarasota (High-A) in 57 games with two hone runs and 20 RBIs in the Boston Red Sox minor league system.

He was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Red Sox on April 24, 1998—as a pitcher.

Though Eladio was last season's IBL batting champ and co-MVP, his minor league contract with the New York Yankees had been mocked as a publicity stunt to generate investment in the IBL. He played winter ball in his home country, but didn’t show up for his original call to spring training in Scranton, due to “visa problems.”

¡Oh no! Yankees kick Eladio down to Single A

Israel baseball's great hope Eladio Rodriguez has gotten a lot closer to Yankee Stadium this morning— but only geographically. The slugging catcher has been demoted from the Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees to the Staten Island Yankees— aka The Baby Bombers-- of the Single A Penn League, as injuries and player shuffles have the Pride of The Israel Baseball League bouncing around more than the 99 Bus in Jerusalem.

E-Rod, the IBL’s swing king co-MVP and mystery man won a controversial Yankees contract amid the fracas of the IBL’s post season scandals, played the winter in his homeland of the Dominican Republic, failed to show up for spring training with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre boys, and then was called up from Florida after injuries and moves in the The Bronx had him poised to make it all the way to The Big Show.

But Chad Jennings, who covers the Pennsylvania Yanks for the Scranton Times-Tribune, writes:

Got the clubhouse today and saw the guy I wrote six months ago the Yankees should consider signing to a minor league deal. Catcher J.D. Closser (left) has joined the Yankees on a minor league deal and been assigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. To make room for him on the Triple-A roster, Eladio Rodriguez was assigned to Staten Island... Given the state of the Yankees catchers, it makes sense to have another experience player in the fold.

Is the dream over? The Staten Island season doesn't start until June. We look forward to the weekend...

¡Oy, Eladio! Now the Mets get into the Israel act!

The excitement among Jewish New York baseball fans over Israel Baseball League batting champ Eladio "E-Rod" Rodriguez landing on the Yankees AAA team a step away Yankee Stadium is spilling over and everybody wants to get into the act-- including the New York Mets!

The crosstown rivals (whose Miracle alum Art Shamsky managed the Modi'in Miracle of the doomed IBL) announced today that May 29 will be Israel Day at Shea Stadium. Israel's 60th birthday will celebrated with Israel entertainment, dancing, Glatt Kosher stands-- baseball, of course-- "and other surprises."

"Other surprises?"

Like what? Eladio's bris?

Er hot nit zorg!

IBL updates website to claim credit for E-Rod

Eladio Rodriguez's overnight success and possible elevation to the New York Yankees has not only made international news, it's even worked a miracle-- waking the Israel Baseball League from the dead. The IBL's long-dormant website has been updated for the first time since Febuary 20th to make mention of E-Rod's assignment.

And yes, they misspelled the name of the city:

Eladio Rodriguez joins Scranton/Wilkes-Bare

04/29/2008 7:16 PM

The Israel Baseball League is pleased to announce that Eladio Rodriguez, this season's Co-Most Valuable Player, has been assigned to the New York Yankees' AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania minor league team. E-Rod, as he is now known, is excited about his opportunity and hopes to be able to continue his strong play from Israel this past summer and from the Dominican Republic this past winter. Eladio highlights what has been a strong group of IBL signings, which has now seen over 15 former IBL players sign professional contracts for this summer.

IBL honchos have not added any information clarifying the status of the IBL or its debts. Some mentions about a 2008 season have apparently been erased, though the site still lists games set for July 15th and 22nd and gives directions to ballparks.

Urgent! Eladio's dream could end by the weekend!

The E-Rod saga is moving faster than we can keep up. And it could be ending just as quickly! From Chad Jennings' Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre Yankees blog:

"...Chad Moeller is back with the Yankees and Chris Stewart has been optioned -- at least, the assumption in New York is that it's an option, no official word yet -- back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Triple-A team won't have to make a move because Stewart will take Britton's spot on the roster. At least, that's probably how it will be for a day or two. I doubt the Triple-A team will carry three catchers for very long.

"I also doubt the Yankees will keep five catchers on the 40-man for very long. It's worth keeping Stewart for now, especially while the team is waiting for a time table on Jorge Posada, but five catchers take up a lot of space on the 40-man."

Our Man Elli in Israel translates:

"No one picked up Moeller. He's back with the Yanks. This guy quoted above is right-- the Yanks won't and can't keep five catchers on the 40-man roster for long. That means E-Rod could be gone by the weekend-- and that could mean the end of the dream of seeing an IBL alum make the bigs. And that would be sad for everyone involved. All of us. Like you said, E-Rod united us, only this time it would be in sorrow."

Update: Eladio's AAA debut makes headlines!

The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader
April 30, 2008
Pair star

in Triple-A

debuts for Yankees

Chris Kunda has 2-run double
and Eladio Rodriguez has hit
and catches the entire game.

MIKE HAIM For the Times Leader

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Two players making their Triple-A debuts played key roles as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees broke out of their scoring slump.

Chris Kunda was a defensive replacement and stroked a two-run double in his first at-bat, and Eladio Rodriguez was 1-for-3 and caught the entire game, as the Yankees withstood a valiant comeback try by the Buffalo Bisons to claim a 10-6 victory on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez found comfort in his debut, working with starting pitcher Dan Giese, who has become the sudden stopper in the Yankees’ starting rotation. Rodriguez last year was the co-MVP in the initial season of the Israeli Baseball League.

A 29-year-old whose last experience in the U.S. minor leagues was in 2004 as a pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization, Rodriguez was signed by the New York Yankees last October and was stashed on the roster of short-season Staten Island before his promotion to Scranton on Monday.

“Our starting pitching was very strong,” Rodriguez said. “When the pitcher throws strikes, the catcher looks good.”

Giese (2-0) was quite effective despite giving up a pair of runs in the fifth inning. The two-run dent marked the first time this season he had yielded more than one run in any game and raised his earned run average this season to 1.35.

Miley was pleased not only with the win, but the progress of his two new players.

“They played well,” said Miley. “Rodriguez was fine behind the plate. I had never seen him play. Kunda’s double was the lead until we added a couple in the ninth. I’m happy the way they played.”

E-Rod doubles, walks twice in AAA Yanks debut

He’s not an Israeli. He doesn't have family in Israel. He's not even a Jew. He was in fact, a “ringer” from the Dominican Republic, brought in with several countrymen to bolster the roster of a fledgling hardball operation. But after his Triple A debut last night as catcher for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, Eladio Rodriguez is the Pride of The Israel Baseball League.

Playing against the Buffalo Bisons in Buffalo, E-Rod hit a double and walked twice in the Yankees' 10-2 win. The Bisons scored one run in the eighth off a passed ball to Eladio, but he was not charged with an error.

The hopes pinned on Eladio by both the Yankees and IBL is the most unlikely twist yet in the saga of baseball in Israel. After a knockabout journeyman career that had him on the mound and behind the plate, playing under various aliases and getting-- and losing a shot-- at The Big Show with the Boston Red Sox more than a decade ago, he went on to become IBL batting champ and co-MVP, only to have his minor league contract with the New York Yankees mocked as a publicity stunt to generate investment in the IBL. When he didn’t even show up for spring training in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the laughter intensifed.

But after a chain of mishaps starting with Yankee pitcher Jorge Posada’s injured throwing shoulder, Israel’s E-Rod is behind the plate in Scranton and looking for a possible move up to The Big Show after all.

Even more unlikely, this Spanish-speaking béisboler who's batting .333 has united all sides in the post-season Israel baseball conflict as friend and foe alike cheer him toward Yankee Stadium.

¡Viva Eladio! ¡VIVA E-ROD!

Our Man Elli in Israel checks in from Jerusalem on the surprise developments in the New York Yankees organization that could lead to the presence of Eladio "E-Rod" Rodriguez, the Miguel Tejada of the Israel Baseball League, behind the plate for the Yanks' historic last season in the House That Ruth Built (Remember, E-Rod's signing was laughed off as a publicity stunt-- and he never showed up for spring training!

Elli emails:

"I want to point out that E-Rod is the first IBL graduate to make it to Triple A. I don't think there's even one IBL vet in Double A. That's huge. Huge! Larry Baras, of course, must be crowing to all his friends-- both of them (Duquette and Berger-- about how successful the IBL was in getting a player to Triple A. Truth be told, it would never have happened if Posada hadn't gone on the DL, and the Yanks' third-string catcher wasn't released just last Friday-- but what a turn of events!

"That Peter Abraham thinks he'll be in New York soon enough is a stretch, but look at all the crazy self-fulling prophesies that came from the IBL! The way things are going-- it could happen! And THAT would be the living end!

"That's what baseball is all about!"

¡Viva Eladio! ¡VIVA E-ROD!

Eladio Update: "He'll be in New York soon!"

"Chad Jennings reported on his blog last night that the Yankees added the former MVP of the Israel Baseball League to the Scranton roster as a backup catcher. The way things are going with the Yankees, Eladio Rodriguez will be in New York soon enough."

--Peter Abraham,
The LoHud Yankees Blog, The Journal News
of New York's Lower Hudson Valley

¡Viva Eladio! IBL star & his visa make the NY Times

As we've said and keep saying, the Israel Baseball League is suddenly in play all of a sudden. Moments ago, the broken dream got a mention in tomorrow's edition of the stately New York Times, thanks to its breakout star and our new IBL poster boy Eladio Rodriguez, who wandered into a New York Yankees minor league locker room weeks after he was expected from his home in the Dominican Republic:

"CLEVELAND — Jorge Posada left the Yankees on Monday to visit Dr. James Andrews, the orthopedic surgeon in Birmingham, Ala., and it could be a long time before he rejoins the active roster. "

"...(Manager Joe) Girardi said José Molina would catch roughly four out of five games in Posada’s absence, and another backup, Chris Stewart, joined the Yankees on Monday...

"To take Stewart’s place in Scranton, the Yankees added Eladio Rodríguez, who was the co-most valuable player of the Israel Baseball League last season. Rodríguez, from the Dominican Republic, missed spring training because of visa problems."

To think: This morning he was missing, tonight he's in the NY Times! What's next? Reclusive IBL founder Larry Baras surfacing in a feature story on kosher hot dogs? Oh.

URGENT! ELADIO TURNS UP! IN PINSTRIPES!

Baseball magic is alive!

And so is Eladio Rodriguez!

Earlier this afternoon, we'd asked about the whereabouts of the venerable 29-year-old catcher from the Dominican Republic who made a hit-- (lots of hits, batting .461) with the Modi'in Miracle of the Israel Baseball League and won a contract with the New York Yankees' Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania minor league team-- but never showed up for Spring Training.

Our exact words: "Where's Eladio?"

And then... hours ago... amid talk of "visa problems" and multiple aliases... forgotten by fans... unexpectedly... ELADIO SHOWED UP !

Chad Jennings of the Scranton Times-Tribune Yankees blog has the exclusive:

"Hard to see this move coming.

"Needing a second catcher after Chris Stewart was called to New York, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on Monday added Eladio Rodriguez, the 29-year-old former Israel Baseball League co-MVP.

"Rodriguez was one of two players signed by the Yankees out of the IBL this winter. The other, Jason Rees, was released during spring training. Rodriguez, meanwhile, never made it to spring training because of visa problems. When Mark Newman told me this spring this spring that Rodriguez wasn't in spring training, I took him to mean that Rodriguez was out of the Yankees fold completely.

"Instead, Rodriguez said this afternoon that visa problems kept him out of the United States until April 4, at which point he reported to extended spring training. He's been there ever since and said he feels ready to play.

"His history is a strange one. Originally signed by Boston as a non-drafted free agent, Rodriguez was an outfielder and catcher in the Red Sox system, but this fan site and his stats in the Yankees media guide say he spent all of 2004 as a pitcher (that link has the same stats listed in the media guide). When I asked Rodriguez about pitching, though, he said he had only pitched one or two times in his career and refered to himself as having always been a catcher.

"Maybe there was some miscommunication because of the language barrier, but I didn't feel like we were misunderstanding one another. Either way, last year's stats in Israel were amazing: 34 games, 16 home runs, .461 batting average and 44 RBIs. He's not in the lineup tonight, but he could be interesting to watch once he gets in a game. Amazing that in less than a month this team has gone from Chad Moeller and Chris Stewart to Jason Brown and Eladio Rodriguez."

The story continues to unfold...

IBL's Jake Ayers trades bagels for Saltdogs

The Lincoln Saltdogs of Lincoln, Nebraska and the independent American Association baseball league have a refugee from the Israel Baseball League on the roster as they take to the field tonight for the first time in 2008 as they head to Midway Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota for a pair of exhibition games against their longtime rivals, the Saints.

Our Sports Central reports that The Saltdogs head into the pre-season with 27 players on their spring roster, including one non-roster invitee, catcher Jake Ayers. The 6’ 1’’ native of Peoria, Illinois native played in 21 IBL games with the league champion Bet Shemesh Blue Sox. According to American Association rules, The Saltdogs can carry as many as 28 players on their roster until three days before the regular season begins on May 8th, when they have to cut back to 22 active players.

And as we salute Jake on his good fortune, we ask that somebody set straight the folks behind the Selfish Teams blogsite, who report today that in a “new development” in Israel, “a new league was formed this past year that’s called The Israel Baseball League — with stadiums in places near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Among the feats accomplished during the season, catcher Eladio Rodriguez of the Modi’in Miracle (and, contractually, the New York Yankees) hit .461 with 102 at-bats…

“Interestingly, in case you wonder about the citizenry of Eladio Rodriguez, the IBL does not presently have any rules on citizenship; however, it’s their stated goal to ‘to raise the level of play throughout the country so that at least 25% of the players in the league are Israeli by Year 5’ (of the League)…”

A new development? Year 5???

Eladio, as our readers know, never showed up for Spring Training with the Yankees farm team to which he’d been assigned. And since he’s been known to travel from his native Dominican Republic to other nations to play ball under a variety of assumed names, we also ask, “Where’s Eladio?”