Now we have twenty questions for Presidente Solomonte of the Dominican Republic of the Middle East Baseball League

Our Man Elli in Israel originally posed the following questions to Dan Rootenberg, the player-turned-"incoming-president" of the new and improved Israel Baseball League. Since Dan was not given the information to answer them, we turn them over to David Solomont, AKA "El Solomonte" of the IBL's successor, the DROTMEBL (Dominican Republic of The Middle East Baseball League):

Here are Our Man Elli's 20 questions. As a matter of fact, we;ll take answers from anyone who feels they can answer:

1) How much of the $1.5 million in IBL debts from last year has been paid?

2) Has Kfar Hayarok been paid? If not, will it be? What about Gezer?

3) Does the IBL owe money to the JNF for the roughly half million dollars given last year by the JNF to the IBL?

4) Is it true that most of the money being used to pay players now came from Israeli VAT refunds relating to last year's activities, and the proceeds from the sale of Maximo Nelson to Japan-- in other words, not from new investors?

5) How many investors have signed on to the new season?

6) When will the private placement memorandum necessary to raise most of the money needed by the IBL be available?

7) Is it true that the IAB is requiring the IBL to make a security deposit ($200,000) in order to be re-licensed, which the IBL hasn't been able to make?

8) If the IAB doesn't acknowledge a license with the IBL, will the IBL try anyway to conduct a league?

9) Who is controlling the finances of the new league - Baras? Duquette? You?

10) Will your brother, Jay Solomont, have any involvement in the league?

11) Is it true that Larry Baras still has a large ownership stake in the IBL?

12) Will Dan Duquette be the CEO of the revamped league? If so, would you be reporting to Duquette, or to someone else?

13) Have plane tickets for this year's players been purchased?

14) Where will the players be staying during the summer? Have there been any payments made reserving those arrangements?

15) Have the player's uniforms been ordered and paid for?

16) Is the league supplying bats or will the players have to bring their own?

17) How many players have committed to playing this summer, and what percentage is from last season?

18) Who are the managers and coaches?

19) What is the drop-dead date for declaring that there is no season this year?

20) If there is no season this summer, are there plans to continue efforts to create a season in 2009?

"This is going to be the Dominican Republic of the Middle East"
--IBL "interim president" David Solomont