WITH YOU BEING A FORMER PRO,WHO IN YOUR OPINION WOULD BE THE TOP
5 EVER TO PLAY AGAINST?
The top five that I have played against every day for months/years
would be in the Front: Galla(Hartford), Zulaica(Hartford), Danny(Hartford), Jabi
(Tampa),Zinkunegi(Tampa)
Back: Lasa(Hartford), Larrea(Hartford), James(Hartford), Iriondo (Tampa,Fort), Carea(Ocala,Fort)
WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY AGAINST?
Wish I could of played against Remen on the pelota court. I got
to play with him on court 2 at Milford AJ and at Jai alai Heaven.
DO PLAYERS LOOK AT THE SCORE BOARD WHEN THEY ARE ON DECK, AND IF
THEY HAVE ENOUGH POINTS TO BE IN THE MONEY AND ARE UP AGAINST
A TEAM WITH POSSIBLE GAME POINT, DO THEY NOT PLAY INTO THE KILL?
I FIGURE THAT IF I WAS A PLAYER AND MY PAYCHECK WAS DETERMINED
ON WINS, PLACES, SHOWS, I WOULD TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION AND
CLINCH THE MONEY WHEN I COULD (BEING IF I ONLY PLAYED AN AVERAGE
OF 40 GAMES PER WEEK)
Players look at the board when they are on the bench all the time. You
have to know if you will be in a playoff and the only way to do
that is to watch the board to see if you have or are tied for
the most points. I have seen players finned for not being ready
for a playoff(Hartford).
Lock and feed /take the money and run/lay down for the cash.I
have heard them all and said them all.
Jai alai players are humans, if you take any group of people there
will be some bad apples.
On every roster I played on there were 1 or 2 players who had
the reputation for taking the money. You could never prove it and
no player has come right out and said they take the money. The
Players Manager is the main person who can do something about
lock and feed. Players managers who run a tight ship (Arregui) have
very few if any lock and feeders. They pay attention to what is
going on the court and could pull a player aside and say something. and
believe it or not a lot of them were kept in check by peer pressure. If
you were fighting for most wins for the 2 weeks or season or any
bonus(money) and they lock and feed and keep you from getting
up the shit hits the fan. I have seen many a yelling match and
1 fight over lock and feed. Most of the players suspected of doing
it were good at making it look legit. I would say that 95% of the
players I played with would never take lock and feed and even
prided themselves on taking out the team with game point. To the
average gambler the points that look like someone took lock and
feed usually are not. They are just bad plays.
WHAT IS THE PAY-SCALE OF THE WIN-PLACE-SHOW PURSES?
W/P/S/4TH
Hartford was something like 75/50/42/0 when I started in 1992
Tampa at the end was something like 40/29/18/10
Ft pierce was 48/32/20/14
DO THEY CHANGE IN SINGLES?
You don't have to split the prize money with you partner
DOES THE PURSES CHANGE AS THE GAMES GO UP IN NUMBER?
Some frontons have higher prize money for late games
WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AS STRONG A PLAYER OR STRONGER AGAINST
SOME OF THE PLAYERS THAT PLAYED IN THE LAST STRIKE?
That's for others to decide.
IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE PLAYERS THAT DID COME IN THE GAME BECAUSE
OF THE STRIKE, WAS IT FAIR OF PEOPLE TO JUDGE YOUR TALENTS THE
1ST YEAR? 3RD YEAR? 5TH YEAR? 10TH YEAR?
Started after strike
WHEN YOU WERE A ROOKIE, DID YOU HAVE TO START IN 1 OR 2 GAMES PER
NIGHT? OR DID YOU GET MOVED INTO THE MIDDLE OR LATE GAMES INSIDE
OF 1 YEAR?
I have a program from August 30 1992 Hartford 19 days after I
started and I played games 1,2,3,4,5,9,11,. At hartford it wasn't
unusual for me or Hoey, Decarlo II, Desi,and many more to play games
1,2,3,4,5,9,11,13,15.
ARE THERE ANY BONUSES FOR FINISHING WITH TOP PLACES IN THE FRONTON?
Yes and Tampa and Miami use to have bonuses for the top 2 finishers(front
and back)in group A(late/mid games)and group b (early/mid) EVERY
2 WEEKS.
JUST A FEW I ALWAYS WONDER ABOUT,AND SINCE THERE IS A LETHARGIC
WAY ABOUT THE STYLE OF PLAYERS AND THEIR ABILITIES TODAY, DO YOU
AGREE NOW THAT AS A FAN THAT PLAYERS SHOULD SHOW A LITTLE HUSTLE
EVERY TIME THEY WALK ON THE COURT?
6 days a week LEEDS TO NAGGING INJURIES AND LACK OF MOTIVATION
FOR SOME.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A PRIVILEGE TO PLAY
AND PLAYERS WOULD ALWAYS GIVE THEIR BEST HUSTLE, EVEN IF THEY
ARE OUTPLAYED.
Some players have a very lazy style but they still play good enough
to be on the roster. Some players are playing hurt and you assume
that they are being lazy and some just get lazy sometimes.
DO PLAYERS EVEN TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION? OR DOES THE ATTITUDE
THEY HAVE AS IF THE WORLD OWES THEM ALWAYS SEEM TO PENETRATE THEIR
EVERY EXISTENCE?
Cant say that I played with to many players like that. A few for
sure but most are really good people inside the screen and out.
DO PLAYERS EVEN KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A FAN BASE?
When a lot of players had one they did. Now there are very few
players that have a fan base.
I have truthfully and honestly answered your questions (It wasn't
hard and didn't hurt a bit).But I an sure you will keep thinking
the same way you do now.
