With the announcement of plans to charge full speed ahead with a second season of the Israel Baseball League, president Martin I. Berger has once again done a brilliant job of changing the headline while ignoring the fury and controversy that swirls around the league. The IBL even managed to pull off a team move to Jerusalem with the backing of the nonprofit Jerusalem Foundation (but be advised, the Foundation says it "provides full accountability and open reporting to its donors by maintaining ongoing contact with and supervision of all its projects"-- something the IBL apparently did not).Miami attorney Berger has proven himself adept setting his own agenda despite the flames around him, as he showed on Novermber 15th on when, an hour after we posted the exclusive story on the resignations of the IBL 10, he posted a comment on this site that the resignations "will have no effect on the incredible things going on right now with the League."
The president has also done a fine job of keeping embattled IBL founder Larry Baras out of the spotlight. The news on the IBL website yesterday made no mention of the IBL-related fraud lawsuit against league founder Lawrence Baras, nor the complaints from players and vendors thatthey have not been paid for the the 2007.So is the announcement of the IBL 2008 season the real thing? Many questions, incuding the ones below, remain:
What players will return for a second season?
Will the IBL cover the debts from 2007?
Will Larry Baras continue to be involved with the league?
Will there be an advisory board consisting of American sports-related bigshots?
And, in the interest of keping things clean in '08... will Our Man Elli in Israel be offered the job of league commissioner?
We've got our calls out, seeking comments. Answers, please!
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