Ok, Emphy and Tiger...I hope that I won't bore you to death, but
here are some other "classics"...don't forget, the 2
G's and I LOVE this game more than life itself!!
We will begin with Bridgeport in 1995:
Castro (FC player...a superb player, holds the title of Most Wins
in Bridgeport Jai Alai history) vs. Goixarri (FC...currently playing
in Basque Country...last year playing in the States was in Milford..finest
catcher I'd ever seen): Castro could not walk, run, skip, nor
crawl, but was always at the right place on the cancha at the
right time. As an aside, he was a great catcher like Goixarri.
It was incredibly fascinating to me to see an old veteran like
Castro (middle 40's) completely manipulate the mental processes
of Goixarri's game. Goixarri was never himself playing against
Castro. We saw Castro do things with the pelota with such nonchalance
and ease, it would cause Goixarri to fumble the simplest of plays!
Now, Newport Jai Alai in the 1990's:
Oscar (FC, Retired, Mexican, claimed that he was 48 yrs. old
when he retired when fans said that he was 58 yrs...the oldest
ever...perhaps we'll never know...gave 200% ALWAYS to the game)
vs. Arturo (FC, Retired, another Mexican that gave everything
he had to every performance.): I'll be short: Every time that
they would play against each other, without fail...Oscar would
throw the pelota to the "rebote" ("Rebote"
is when the ball hits the back wall and the other player has to
return the pelota to the front wall...for the readers) and Arturo,
for some inconceivable reason, could never throw the ball in a
position where it would be impossible for Oscar to reach it!!
For example, Arturo would attempt to kill the point too early,
sending the back-hand carem to the wood. He would also try to
place the pelota on the corner of the front wall, in order for
the pelota to spin towards the left wall...difficult to catch.
Instead, inevitably, the ball would hit the left wall first, then
bounce to the middle of the court...a freebie for Oscar!! Oscar's
legendary "dejada" was the end to Arturo's agonizing
torture!! In addition to Arturo, Oscar was also Hoey's worst nightmare
in a Singles game. I always observed the finer techniques of various
players, but in Oscar's case, I have never witnessed a Jai Alai
player with a more awkward style catching and throwing the ball...but
he managed to play well and win frequently!!
Newport again in the 1990's:
Miguel (BC, Mexican...currently playing in Dania...quick-footed
and crawled all over the walls) vs. Barri (BC, Retired...strong
arm and beautiful style...although we have to say that he didn't
use his head at times): Miguel was so fast that he was able to
catch Barri's crushing right-hand two walls without batting an
eyelash...child's play for Miguel!! This alone would be the sole
reason for Barri's defeat. Barri would try to be just a little
too perfect and he would end up hurling the ball to the wood.
Like I said before...overthinking the strategy...deadly mistake!
The sad part was, against Miguel, he would continue in that vein
for the majority of the season...a shame...Barri could have been
unstoppable if he was mentally prepared more often.
Well, hope this has been entertaining.
Best Regards as usual and God Bless Laca!
Tony and the Crew
