Playboy enlists Tabloid Baby against TMZ & Levin

Don't think that our watchdog posts about corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com and its shaved bronzed midget frontman Harvey Levin go unnoticed. A few months ago, the Tabloid Baby office was contacted by an editor from Playboy magazine, asking editor Burt Kearns to submit a letter to the editor in response to the magazine's "20 Questions for Harvey Levin" feature in its June issue.

Burt sent along the requested response to Harvey's less-than-forthright answers in his Playboy Q&A (nattering about journalism, "good stories," "trust" and other vomit-inducing lies through his capped teeth) and, after several rounds with Playboy attorneys and space limitation edits, a "letter to the editor" appears in the September issue that should be on the stands any day now.

Here it is, on page 16:

Is Levin serious? TMZ and its inconsequential, whitewashed TV sister are built on conglomerate financing from Time Warner, the promotion of coprophiliac "celebrity" sex videos, the perversion of justice through checkbook journalism, the provocation of artists by felons and rent boys with video cameras, the elevation of shameless celebutards and a creepy obsession with Matthew McConaughey's bare chest. TMZ is a tabloid without a moral compass; it's not doing anything that wasn't done better 15 years ago during the golden age of tabloid television.
Burt Kearns
Los Angeles, California
Kearns, former managing editor of A Current Affair and Hard Copy, edits tabloidbaby.com.

Ray Richmond, the television columnist known as the conscience of the industry (and proprietor of the Past Deadline website), also was asked, and contributed an editorial response that appeared in a somewhat truncated form:

It's funny you would ask Harvey Levin, of all people, about journalistic ethics. I'd respect Levin a little more if he didn't try to defend the indefensible. Instead, he has the gall to claim his gossip site, TMZ, turned down a video of a drunken David Hasselhoff taken by Hasselhoff's daughter, because it "was not meant for the public," while asserting that Alec Baldwin's leaked phone message to his 11-year-old daughter somehow is our business, Sleaze merchants like Levin attempt to capture the famous on their worst day-- and if they can't, they manufacture a worst day for them.
Ray Richmond
Los Angeles California
Richmond, a columnist at The Hollywood Reporter, runs pastdeadline.com.

Though Harvey and his smarmy, subliterate boycrew are more likely to read Blueboy than Playboy (not that there's anything wrong with that), they'll get these messages loud and clear.

Check out page 16 at the newsstand.

Also today in Israel Baseball League history

From the Israel Baseball League website:

Petach Tikva, August 19 (2007) – Following the winning of the first Israel Baseball League championship today by the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox, Commissioner Daniel Kurtzer has announced award winners as determined by league officials.

The Hank Greenberg Award for Most Valuable Player will be shared by Eladio Rodriguez of Modi’in and Gregg Raymundo of Bet Shemesh. (Greenberg, a Hall of Fame player in the Major Leagues, is considered the greatest Jewish hitter of all time).

The Commissioner’s Award for Sportsmanship and Character goes to Aaron Pribble (Tel Aviv) and Brendan Rubenstein (Ra’anana).

The Commissioner’s Award for Distinguished Service goes to Eric Holtz of Bet Shemesh, a player/coach with the team who also filled in as a player/manager during the course of the season.

The award for best pitcher goes to Juan Feliciano of Bet Shemesh.

The award for Most Valuable Israeli player goes to Dan Rothem of Tel Aviv. (Both his hometown and his team). Nokona, a league sponsor presents three defensive awards: best outfielder: a tie between Josh Doane (Netanya) and Jason Rees (Bet Shemesh); best infielder: a tie between Nate Fish (Tel Aviv) and Hector De Los Santos (Netanya); and best catcher: Eladio Rodriguez (Modi’in).

The league’s batting champion in its first year was Eladio Rodriguez, who hit .461 in the regular season.

The home run champion was Jason Rees with 17.

Aaron Pribble won the league’s ERA title, 1.94.

Full season statistics are available at www.israelbaseballleague.com/stats.

The Israel Baseball League is the first professional baseball league in the Middle East. Players from nine nations, including a dozen Israeli players, competed in the league’s initial season. The first tryouts for the 2008 season were held today in Hinsdale, MA, at the Dan Duquette Sports Academy.

Today in Israel Baseball League history

From the Israel Baseball League website:

Bet Shemesh Blue Sox win inaugural IBL Championship!

Petach Tikva, August 19 (2007) - In front of a crowd of 2,610 fans at Yarkon Field, it was the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox shutting out the Modi’in Miracle, 3-0, to win the inaugural IBL Championship.

The pitching match up of Modi’in’s RHP Maximo Nelson and Bet Shemesh’s RHP Rafael Bergstrom lived up to expectations as both pitchers engaged in a classic pitchers duel. Bergstrom dominated the Miracle offense earning the victory, pitching a complete game shutout, striking out eight batters allowing no walks.

Although, Modi’in out hit Bet Shemesh, it was the Blue Sox who manufactured their runs throughout the night. Bet Shemesh jumped out on top in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by OF Jason Rees, scoring OF Sean Slaughter from third base. The Blue Sox scored their second run in the bottom of the fourth inning, on a sacrifice fly by 1B Ben Pincus. The Blue Sox added their third run of the night in the bottom of the fifth inning, when SS Gregg Raymundo (2-for-3) singled driving in Sean Slaughter from second base.

Modi’in threatened in the top of the top of the sixth inning with runners on first and third base and two outs. However, Bergstrom struck out Adalberto Paulino (2-for-4) to end the inning.

Ron Blomberg’s Blue Sox truly personified a championship team. Bet Shemesh never fell below first place throughout the entire season.

For the boxscore from the Championship game click here.

Following the game, Commissioner Dan Kurtzer presented the championship trophy to the entire Bet Shemesh team. Manager Ron Blomberg spoke during the trophy ceremony saying, “I’ve been in two World Series with the New York Yankees, and this championship lives up to both.” The Commissioner also presented the individual season achievement awards to the IBL’s top players.

The IBL announced that the first game of the 2008 season will be played on Sunday, June 29, at 6:00 p.m. at the Yarkon Sports Complex in the Baptist Village in Petach Tikva.

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.

"BULLSHIT!"

The Israel Baseball League has canceled its five-day show fest scheduled for Yarkon Sports Complex in Baptist Village and instead are spinning a campaign of lies and deflection for a "premeditated" "scam," according to our exclusive sources.

While word is spreading that the Israel Association of Baseball has stopped the Israel Baseball League from playing its so-called "festival" show, sources say that's not the case at all, but that IBL officials sent players to Israel without a real plan, and asked the IAB on Thursday to help organize something at the last minute.

The IAB, our sources say, decided it was not its responsibility to assist an organization whose rights it had previously terminated.

Further, an anonymous commenter to this website prints what he claims is a Facebook message from IBL veteran and Solomont "All-Star" Leon Feingold, and what sources say is part of this deception.

Feingold, who usually comments on this site under the name "bringheat," allegedly sent out this "apology":

"Yonatan - wow, that's awful. I can't believe they didn't make an announcement or anything! To the best of my knowledge, they are still trying to fight with the IAB to allow us to play. I mean, we're all here! But the IAB won't allow the IBL to play unless ALL the debts from last season are paid-- and so we're just sitting here, trying to stay in shape, and hope everyone stops trying to blame someone else, so we can play ball.

"Please accept my personal apologies, and pass them along to everyone you meet who was inconvenienced."

The spin from this writer, our source says, is "false.

"The IAB can't prevent anyone from hitting a ball. They can only ban a formal league. Festivus was not a formal league, but a 'show.' Haim Katz had already said his group can't regulate that.

"Now the IBL is trying to pin the blame on the IAB, perhaps as a setup if it is taken to court-- and certainly as an excuse to investors, that they tried, they even came to Israel, but the IAB wouldn't let them play.

"It's all a lie!"

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.

Bernie, Bernie & Bertie: They didn't Die in Threes

Last week, we reported that the Die In Threes phenomenon had taken a Weekend at Bernie's twist with the deaths of Bernie Brillstein, Bernie Mac and, as the New York Times announced, producer and bon vivant Bernard Castelli.

The Times has since corrected its story.

The guy's name was Bertrand, not Bernie.

Feel free to substitute Isaac Hayes.

"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

Dingo stole my sequel!

The one and only Justin Cardinal

We stumbled upon an eerie and amazing coincidence regarding Israel Baseball League veteran Justin Cardinal last week, after the former outfielder for the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox stood up publicly to the IBL’s elusive executives after a series of bounced paychecks.

A cursory Google search revealed there were two Justin Cardinals, both ballplayers from Canada, both born in 1982-- "was," because one of them, a pitcher, had his career and life cut short in a tragic highway accident in 2002.

Much had been written about the late Justin Cardinal. Of the one who turned 26 on Thursday, not so much, leading some of our more imaginative followers to suggest that one may have taken the name and credentials of the other (just like you see in the movies).

We got in touch with the IBL’s Justin Cardinal and he filled us in:

What an eerie coincidence! I understand you're from Ottawa; the other Justin was from Alberta. Have other people brought up the coincidence before?

No one I know ever talked to me about it except those that I brought it up with once I found out about it randomly some day a couple of years ago.

What's your story?

I was born here in Ottawa, Ontario Canada.

I went to Sir Wilfrid Laurier S.S., but they didn't have a baseball team.

Before the IBL, I played men's league here in town for a few years after coming out of AAA midget ball when I was 18-19.

This AAA team was really the highest quality of ball I had ever played in, and it took me on many different trips to cities as far as 13 hour drives (West Virginia). This coach was really the only one to ever take a chance on me. That year, in 111 plate appearances, I hit .370 with an on-base average of .550 and four home runs. It was by far the season I'm most proud of, mainly because I was basically on a team of all-stars, and was still top five in those offensive categories.

The reason I know I did so well that season was because of how many games I ended up playing in. Every single year, I start off poorly, but once mid-July comes, or a lot of at-bats early, I really start to go on fire.

Last year though, I’m glad to say I was on the championship team. I'm also pretty upset because of my lack of playing time. I don't blame them for thinking I couldn't hit; they just didn't realize what I could do with enough opportunities.

If you ask some of the guys like Gregg Raymundo, Sean Slaughter, Alan Gardner or Johnny Lopez I bet they'll praise what I did in batting practice towards the end of the season. (Manager Ron) Blomberg won't, though He gave up on me right before I started crushing the balls.

For me, it really sucks, because here in Canada, we can go eight months between baseball games, so ya, I just end up forgetting what I have to do to hit line drives. Right now is a great example: last week in my league after about 32 at-bats I was hitting .180, but in my last two games I've hit five-for-eight with two doubles and four RBIs.

Does that sound like a typical .180 hitter???

The two seasons before I went to Israel, my batting averages were .455 in 2006, and .470 in 2005. Bottom line is I get so much better as the season moves on.

Fortunately for me this year, I'll have an opportunity to play for my University in my first year, so this will be the real test of how I can do after having a substantial amount of games during the summer time.

How'd you get to the IBL?

Martin Berger found my baseball profile online, I think, and sent me an e-mail to come for tryouts in Miami.

I took a thousand dollars out of my own pocket to do it, and on January 1, 2007 I got a contract by way of e-mail.

At the time, it was the greatest day of my life. It was what I worked my whole life for.

Are you playing now or are you hoping to hook up with another league?

I wish I could play in a league where I got to play every day, all-year-round, but right now I'm with my men's league again, which just clinched first place with four games to go-- and then hopefully university ball.

Las Vegas

Bizarre News! Dr. Ruehl meets Harry Houdini!

The Realm Of Bizarre News 31: Houdini's Enemies

Tabloid Baby pal, contributor, columnist and TV, movie and music video star Dr. Franklin Ruehl, Ph.D. reveals the secrets and unleashes new mysteries of Harry Houdini in this week's Realm of Bizarre News.

And keep an eye on Comedy Central's new Gong Show. Dr. Ruehl should be appearing as a contestant any week now...

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.

While everyone else sang the outro to "Hey Jude," these two guys were singing "Shangri-La"...

Brett Hudson and Neil Innes at the Fest for Beatles Fans in Chicago. Lots of photos and videos of the big weekend where The Seventh Python, the new Neil Innes biopic produced by Brett and the gang at Frozen Pictures, are beginning to show up online.

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!