Chronology of he 1968 Blackballs to Florida Dan and others. Posted on July 27, 2023 at 08:20:36 AM by Sin Firma II
1º- This is a summary of Jose Ramon Eizaguirre Pagoaga. Said and written.
CHRONOLOGY:::::The 1968 strike was not a strike, any fronton was closed, the players rejected to signed the new contracts for the 1968-69 season, because they did not agree with its content (the main obstacle was the money, and social improvements inside of the fronton).
2º-The contracts were not broken or breached in the Jai Alai of Daytona in the 1968 (season June-September), as it was said in the Basque newspapers, (Aitona, a journalist for a newspaper of that time, (LIED) in her statements and writings, and this journalist's was a gaffe, who seems not to be a supporter of the movement of the Jai Alai players demands. It was published on the front page, in the Euzkadi newspapers.
3º- Montepio's delegate in Daytona and W.P.B., Jose Ramon Eizaguirre Pagoaga, and other pelotaris, had a meeting in Miami with the Daytona company, at the Dupont Hotel, but no agreement was reached. (1968).
4º- The companies (frontons) that joined were, Miami-Dania-Tampa and Orlando. The Jai Alai fronton of W.P.B. was left alone, and reached an agreement in Sept.1968 with the players for the 1968-69 season, in a meeting in Markina, (explanation later).
5º- There were companies that the contracts had options, that way you could not ask for salary increases in the options contracts. And if the player don´t have a good season,the Company don´t offert you a contract whit these options signeg.
6º-The representative of W.P.B. Jai Alai (Tom Willians), travels to Spain (Markina), and meets with the board of directors of (MEPCP) Montepio Español de Pelotaris de Cesta Punta, Jose Maria Arriola Aulestiarte, “Ondarres” President, Jose Mª. Laca Bereziartua, Secretary, and Jose Ramon Eizaguirre Pagoaga, delegate of (MEPCP) in W.P.B. only three people in that meeting, and agreement was signed, and the players who played the 1967-68 season in W.P.B. they return to play in Florida, without any problems in the 1968-69 season. They following the instructions of “Enrique Sarasola”.
7º- Mr.Berenson traveled to Madrid and wanted the Spanish Federation of Pelota Vasca, to legalize the Miami contracts, of the new players that they had already signed with him, but the Federation rejected that request from Mr.Berenson.
8º-Several players from Miami Jai Alai that were in Spain, meet in the City of Bilbao, with Spainish Federatives in the office of Federation Bizkaine, and they have several telephone conversations with Mr.Berenson, but after many hours on the telephone conversations, and several days of these meetings, they do not reach any agreement.
9º- The Orlando Jai Alai players they have several meetings in "Urberuaga" a small town, close to the town of Markina, with a representative of the Orlando Jai alai fronton, but they do not reach any agreement.
10º- A meeting is held in Markina with representatives of Dania's company, with the players of Dania, but they not offer anything to mention.
11º- Enrique Sarasola, a businessman (who had business with North America and South America), helped the M.E.P.C.P. in the calculations and requests, that the players union made to the frontons.
12º- In 1968 the players of the Miami and Dania, made a trick on him, (Sarasola) and filed a petition, that they asked, more than a 500% salary increase. Jose Ramon Eizaguirre and Sarasola opinion, was: “The requests of the Miami and Dania players, are exorbitant and excessive”, and the requests of Tampa-Daytona-Orlando were more moderate, but these companies join Miami and Dania.
13º- In Madrid between August and September 1968, a meal-meeting is held between three Dania players, representing the rest of the players, with Enrique Sarasola and Jose Ramon Eizaguirre, delegate of the (M.E.P.C.P.), while talking, one of the Dania's players "says", that a lawyer has told him, that there is a possibility of reaching a agreement ”, to which Enrique Sarasola responds, (There is no lawyer in the world to solve this problem, because the owners of the frontons are Jews, and in the Jewish business mentality, it is customary to negotiate between 15% and 20% salary increase, and in the requests of Miami and Dania players, it has been request more than 500%) of salary increase.
14º- Question, ¿are the Jai Alai frontons are going to close, or are they going to take other players?. The last thing happened, the players from Miami and Dania ignored him,(Enrique Sarasola), and did not play more in Florida, instead W.P.B. players following his instructions they played all the 1968-69 season.
15º- Only some players who played in the 1967-68 season, (the youngest), played in the frontons of the W.J.A. years later. There were some who did not support this "stand" and continued to play in the 1968-69 season in Florida.
