Last update - 00:00 30/08/2007
IBL: The untold story
By Elli Wohlgelernter
A potentially serious injury in a practice session, a high-profile team manager being given his walking papers in mid-season, and numerous unprofessional incidents marked the inaugural season of the Israel Baseball League - incidents that the management of the league worked to keep hushed up.
The near-fatal accident occurred on July 11 at the Kibbutz Gezer field, when Reynaldo Cruz, a 24-year-old star outfielder from the Dominican Republic playing for the Petah Tikva Pioneers, was struck in the back of his ear by a line drive during batting practice. Cruz was knocked cold for a couple of minutes and lay on the ground shaking, which gave the surrounding players a fright.
He was taken to Assaf Harofeh hospital, where he stayed for two weeks, was released, and went back in complaining of dizzy spells. Cruz's season was done, but he was alive.
The manager who went home in mid-season was Kenny Holtzman, a former Major League pitcher who won more games than any Jewish pitcher in history.
His disgust with the league led to an explosion of critical comments against the league, the players, the fields, the Israeli players, and the Israeli fans. Holtzman and the league came to an understanding shortly thereafter, and he left to go back to the U.S.