I Generally Agree Posted on September 3, 2025 at 09:43:07 PM by Stu Neiman
Thanks for putting thought into this John (I do know others have positive thoughts on this as well). I do generally agree with your assessment.
With respect to other players:
CRB - No prior Jai-Alai experience or exposure prior to 2019. Consistent improvement over 7 years. Ironically when he plays back he makes fewer mistakes.
El Barba: Dennis is an original 2018 player but started about 2 months later than the other 1st year players (this is of some consequence as no one had more than 6 months experience when we began on 7/1/18). The other thing he had / has going against him is the age at which he started. No one with any knowledge of Jai-Alai will argue with the fact that the older you are when start the more difficult it is. But consistently, our players with experience recognize that Barba’s positioning and form are more traditional than other 1st year players and I agree. Old football injuries and age have not helped.
Douglas: So Matt is quick to point out, accurately, that he began in the N.C. batting cage after our 1st year players began at North Miami (by a few months). Yes his father had a full professional career but Matt never saw his father play and had no substantive Jai-Alai exposure prior to 2018. It’s a fact that few people believe but which is absolutely true. He’s a natural and as I’ve said ad nauseam in our broadcasts he’s the first natural player I “personally” have seen since Adam back in 1989-90. Douglas has all upside as long as he can avoid injury.
Benny: could lightening strike twice? Same backstory except Benny was born a full 4-5 years after his father retired but there is something about that batting cage in N.C. Unlike Matt, when we committed to Benny he spent time at CT Amateur which without question helped, but his only professional experience is Magic City. Steady improvement and all upside.
You mentioned Bradley who has come into his own the past 10 months. I can’t tell you what “clicked” but after seeming to plateau he got better.
One last observation - what percentage of kids who are traditionally trained in Jai-Alai progress to professional? I’ll speak from personal experience.
I started in the Miami Jai-Alai school at North Miami in 1983 but started taking it more seriously in 1984. Of the 20 or so kids that started with or around me 6 became professional (pre-strike). Of the remaining 14, 10 quit at some point and 3 of us continued in the school / continued to play amateur. For those interested “my generation included “Lance” who went to Dania, “Dr.Robbins” who played Ft. Pierce Miami before completing medical school and becoming an anesthesiologist (R.I.P.), Thomas who played Ft. Pierce & Miami and I am blanking on the other 2.
My general point being that there was no formula for what we did at Magic City in 2018. By history it generally takes a minimum of 3 to 7 years of amateur training and competition before a player would have been considered for a contract (pre-strike / 1988). Replies:
Tiger's Jai-Alai Chalk Talk
