Chris,
Thanks for the response...I appreciate it. When I start thinking
about the "blasts from the past", my mind goes into
overdrive like a Mercedes! Let me elaborate a bit about Michael
and Ibar (Newport):
Michael and Ibar, in my estimation, should have shut out Mark
and Badiola with a score of 12-0 rather than 12-5, and I'll explain
why....
Mark played like he had cement in his shoes that evening...everything
he did had negative consequences for him and Badiola...he was
off-center that night and Badiola didn't play much better! Michael
underserved two serves in a row, and the referees made a couple
of mistakes on calls that should have gone against Mark and Badiola...they
were really lousy and farfetched; I wondered at the time if the
CEO of Milford Jai Alai (Mr. Meyers) made a back-door deal with
the refs!! One thing was for sure, though...Diane Hurley (Newport
CEO) wouldn't have opened her Fort Knox pocketbook to oblige them!!
(lol)
Michael Morrisey was an outstanding American player...he was an
all-star athlete at Middletown High School in RI. He made it to
"the show" to play with the big boys in WPB and Newport
during the 80's and 90's because he had unadulterated talent,
period!! He was a natural at the sport...good positioning on the
cancha, flawless backhand throw and catch, and an excellent serve.
The tragic ending to Michael's career culminated with a severe
bicep tear in the right arm in 1995, at at the same time, he underwent
major surgery on his knee...what a shame!! Not only was he a superb
athlete, he was a gentleman on the court...The 2 G's and I hated
to see him retire in that manner! We give him 3 high cestas!!
Now, Ibar: Believe it or not, in his adolescent years, he developed
myopia in his eyes, but it truly didn't affect his game! He managed
to win ALL the amateur titles in his age group in Spain, and his
partner was Mayo (Played in WPB and Newport in the 80's). Ibar
was a fabulous catcher...didn't possess a lot of power, but his
throwing techniques were as smooth as silk!! BTW, not too many
people know this, but a fan (Maybe a friend of his?) told me years
ago that Ibar was fired from WPB in 1985 because he sustained
an injury to his right wrist...he was only 17 years old!! THAT'S
THE WAY THE MULTI-MILLIONAIRE JAI ALAI COMPANIES TREATED THEIR
PLAYERS...LIKE DISPOSABLE INCOME!! Nothing has changed since then.
In a more positive vein, Ibar was contracted back to WPB in 1987,
snubbed his nose at the lot of the management, and for years played
tremendous Jai Alai. He finally retired after playing in Milford.
Hope this wasn't too boring...I know that fans like you and Emphyrio
enjoy delving into some of the "nitty-gritty" of the
talent and the lives of the athletes who played this phenomenal
sport!! As usual, God Bless Laca!!
Best Regards,
Tony and the Crew
