IJAPA 1988, thanks for coming on to try to explain the other side
of the story. I would like to ask you to supply more specifics,
however, if you be so kind.
First, you list as one of your grievances that as a professional
jai-alai player, your contract prohibited you from riding motorcycles
or playing other sports. However, Major League Baseball contracts
contain the same prohibitions, and they have the strongest union
in the United States negotiating their contracts. This is why
Jeff Kent said he broke his hand washing his truck a couple years
ago when he actually broke it in a motorcycle accident. And the
Yankees were able to void Aaron Boone's contract last year because
he tore up his ACL playing a pick up basketball game. It seems
fair that a professional athelete should not engage in risky activities.
Second, you cite the constant threat of losing your contract from
year to year. I can only base my conclusions on watching the players
at the CT frontons from year-to-year, but it seemed there was
very little turnover in those rosters except due to retirements.
In fact, the greatest change was when 17 of the best players in
Bridgeport, including Bolivar and Cachin and Lasa, decided to
leave Bridgeport in 1983 to go play in a fronton in Madrid that
never opened. Can you give us examples of players who got the
shaft and were sent home to Spain or fired? How many of the 500
players did this happen to?
The Players Managers at each and every one of the frontons were
Basque. Were they the ones responsible for imposing 'unfair
labor conditions' on their fellow countrymen and American
players as well? Up until the strike, only a very small minority
of American players were ever offered a contract.
As for players having to go home after leaving the fronton if
they played in the early or middle games, I know for a fact that
there were state gaming rules that required just that. In order
to protect the integrity of the game, this rule was in force so
that players could not come into contact with the public while
wagering was still going on during that performance. This rule
was changed in later years, but it was not a fronton rule, but
a state law.
This is very interesting, and your input is appreciated.
