It was like the good old days. Last Sunday at Puryear Park we had a nice group play and some visitors to watch.
Making his first appearance at the St. Pete Cancha was Perry Brown, a great aficionado of jai-alai that many of you know up north and has done some great announcing at Matt’s tournaments over the years. Joining him was Mark K making a rare appearance in his hometown. He’s the famed owner of the world’s largest collection of programs, currently up for sell.
Also at the court was the Orlando Man himself, the Great Elorri. The former player who played in every game the first year Orlando Jai-alai opened and last player manager till the fronton was shut down and turned into a church. He has made a few visits over the past 3 years and is always a treat to hear him and the great stories he has to share.
Renegades seize their third championship title at 2025 Winter Season Finals
MIAMI, May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Renegades cemented their place in the World Jai-Alai League record books Friday night, claiming their third championship title with a hard-fought win over the upstart Fireballs at the Magic City Fronton. Owned by three-time NBA champion Udonis Haslem, the Renegades are now the only team to capture three titles since the league’s Battle Court format started in 2022. The Renegades’ powerhouse team (known by their courtside names) includes team captain Goixerri, Urbieta, Goenaga, Ben, Stan and Flores.
Renegades team wins Battle Court Jai-Alai Winter 2025 season title
The night also spotlighted the league’s community outreach programming. A check presentation at center court capped off the event, with the Renegades earning a $40,000 donation for their charity partner, the UD Foundation. The Fireballs’ selected nonprofit, the SLAM Foundation, received $10,000, part of the World Jai-Alai League’s ongoing initiative to support local organizations. Since 2022, the league has contributed more than $350,000 to South Florida-based charities.
“This was a championship worthy of the world’s fastest ball sport,” said Scott Savin, chief operating officer of the World Jai-Alai League. “The Renegades showed why they’re in a class of their own—relentless, fearless, and thrilling to watch. And full credit to the Fireballs for proving they’re a team to watch in the seasons ahead.”
The championship win was a worthy conclusion for one of the league’s veteran athletes, Urbieta, who is retiring after this season. With the win, the Renegades solidify their legacy as the league’s most successful team since the Battle Court format was introduced in 2022. The 14-week season delivered on its promise of intense matchups, elite talent, and community connection—all packaged for modern audiences.
The Battle Court format continues to modernize jai-alai for today’s fans with team-based play, ownership by high-profile figures, and broad accessibility. Matches are streamed on ESPN3 and are available for legal wagering in Florida via the Hard Rock Bet app, as well as nationally through DraftKings, FanDuel and ESPN Bet.
As jai-alai celebrates more than 100 years of play in South Florida, the World Jai-Alai League continues to lead its evolution—fast, fierce, and more accessible than ever. The Fall Battle Court season kicks off Sept. 2025.
About World Jai-Alai League The World Jai-Alai League (WJAL) is dedicated to revitalizing the world’s fastest ball sport by modernizing gameplay, capitalizing on the international sports wagering market, and delivering the sport through social media to a new generation of fans across the globe. The WJAL plays at the Magic City Fronton in Miami, located at 450 N.W. 37th Ave.
SOURCE World Jai-Alai League / Official Press Release
May 12, 2025: Last April 1st, I posted news on Tigers jai-alai site about that the Puryear Park Jai-alai court was getting shut down by the City of St. Petersburg, so they could build some more much needed parking spots. Tiger himself was fooled along with several members that play on our court. Some were practically crying. But then a couple of people caught on – one on Tigers site and one in the text group, reminding people that it was April Fools Day. I purposely waited until the late evening to post it, hoping people would forget that date and the fact that my posting had mentioned a city council meeting vote that was taken that evening.
The story was a total bluff, but I did confirm that the city had thought about tearing the court down multiple times in the past. Tom “Corky” DeMint (who worked with Paul Kubala in getting the court approved by the city) had told me people were lobbying to get more parking for the overcrowded park and wanted to jai-alai and racquetball courts demolished to make room for it.
The huge park features two lighted soccer fields, 3 lighted multipurpose fields , 6 lighted tennis courts, several racquetball courts, a multipurpose training facility, restrooms, a concession stand, covered bleachers, a playground and of course the jai-alai cancha. Parking can be a bitch as anyone who has showed up there on Saturday’s or during any soccer tournament where hundreds of people show up.
Well, the problem has been solved. The house directly adjacent behind the cancha has been bought out by the city. The owners had turned down offers in the past to sell, but now with devalued properties from the hurricanes in the area last Fall that resulted in massive flooding, they accepted an offer that was much lower than before. Properties that were flooded lost considerable value and that included most of the houses in the area. In fact, any house that sustained more than 50% of its value. must raise it a full story high, or tear down and rebuild completely – one story above the ground – while making the ground level a parking garage.
After all the proper zoning and land testing is completed, the house will be torn down and the lot will become a parking lot for an undetermined number of cars, easing the parking issues that have plagued the park for the past two decades.
Oh, Tiger, I’m still waiting for my disciplinary action! You can issue it to me while I’m participating in the Magic City Tournament this September – if they approve a 70-year-old to play in it.
In last nights “Chopped Liver League” performance at Puryear Park in St. Petersburg, one of our players noticed the formation of a “Smiley Face” on the Matt Ball being used.
Seminole King was about to serve the ball just before game 5 of the Tuesday evening group when he noticed a face-like appearance on the pelota.
Sure enough, the white electrical tape that is wrapped around the ball for aerodynamic purposes, had come off in exact areas forming a “smiley face-like” look. The balls usually need recovering after about 5-6 games of outside playing. The white tape around the ball also allows the ball to be more visible coming off the green walls of the cancha. Matt’s court and Puryear Park are the only two cancha’s that use that ball.
The ball has been used at the St. Pete cancha for the past 13 years and the entire 15 years at Matt’s in Berlin, Connecticut. Various formulations of the ball have been used, some lighter and some heavier than others. Density of the balls is another factor in the various types that have been used. Right now, Puryear Park uses a sample of new 151-gram ball, by far the faster ball ever produced in the 10 revisions or so that have been made over the years. Usually. several hundred balls are made per batch.
Matt himself won’t use this ball at his court because it is too fast. The smaller Puryear Park does not have the smooth walls and flooring that Matt has due to the nature of the St. Pete court being outdoors.
There is a new YouTube video up on the History of the Tampa Jai-alai Fronton. The 10 ½ minute video was produced by “Rex” of the Hilsborean, Historian.
Lots of interesting newspaper articles and ticket stubs of various artists who performed there from The Bee Gees to Bruce Springfield. I remember going there in October 1974 to watch a closed-circuit theater TV broadcast of the Ali-Frazier fight aka The Rumble in the Jungle. They didn’t even take down the screen if I recall correctly.
Special thanks to Alan Antinori for sharing this with us.
Berlin, Conn: April 24, 2025: This weekend, America’s best amateur cancha is hosting another tournament – this one to celebrate their 15th anniversary.
As most of you know by know by now, the great Francisco “Patxi” Churruca passed away this week. He attended Matt’s Grand Opening Celebration 15 years ago. Without a doubt was one of the greatest players of all time. A real treat to watch him play at Bridgeport in 1976.
Friday night, Matt DiDomizio will be hosting Singles games and on Saturday will be hosting Doubles matches.
Here are the exclusive program pages for both performances.
If you are among the few that still go to Derby Lane to place bets on jai-alai (yes, you Crab!), we have some breaking news to share with you. Multiple sources have confirmed to the Pelota Press that the huge 144-acre Derby Lane property has been sold and will become a huge Destination Venue with a huge casino operating (at least) slot machines and poker, a hotel with parking lot, retail, and restaurants.
Located in St. Petersburg Florida, Derby Lane was once the oldest and largest continuously open dog racing track in the world until a voters from a statewide amendment voted to shut down dog racing. They last ran racing on December 27, 2020. Crowds of over 10,000 a night were common as people flocked to the huge facility for nearly 100 years. A tuxedo dressed band would play the march before every race and male patrons were required to wear a jacket in the huge multilevel restaurant overlooking the finish line.
On Tuesday, April 15th, the property was reportedly sold to an investor with close connections to the Seminole Tribe. Today, the track still operates a huge and very successful poker room with various casino games such as 3 card poker and parimutuel wagering. The parking lot is rented by Amazon with hundreds of trucks seen in the lot at any time.
The plan is to open a huge casino with slot machines. While all this sounds hunky-dory, I question about the legality of it. Casinos with slot machines in the state of Florida must be on Indian land unless they were a parimutuel operating in Broward or Dade County where voters approved it many years ago. Those include Pompano, Magic City, Gulfstream, Dania, Calder, and a few others. The Hard Rock in Tampa operates the highest grossing casino in the United States, while Hollywood’s multiple Hard Rock casinos including the Guitar Hotel & Casino offer a Vegas-like atmosphere. The Hard Rock is the only company that can operate casinos in Florida (outside of the ones already in operation in those two countries mentioned) for the next 30 years.
This buyer does have a connection or a relationship with the Hard Rock, but not much else is known about him. I’m pretty sure that the Hard Rock would have to be involved and legally turn that 144 acre (of which only 100 acres can be built on because of low water levels, mangroves, tec.).
The selling price was reportedly for $60 million dollars. The entire building, which opened on January 3, 1925, would be torn down and replaced with the casino, retail, hotel with garage. Would be nice seeing something there instead of the Amazon Parking lot that hogs it up now.
Hopefully, our jai-alai betters will be able to continue to bet our great sport there if parimutuel wagering is offered.
Could Derby Lane be designated tribal land? According to our buddy Joe Cannella, all they need is the Department of the Interior to approve it.
If you recall when sports betting was approved, the DOI is solidly on the Tribe’s side. Not sure if Tampa Bay Downs or the old Tampa Dog track, which operate poker rooms, would appreciate that.
Hometown Team Wins Cancun Tournament (See some video taken at bottom of this post)
Team MexicoTeam SpainTeam USA (Including our own members Garby, Rastock, RG3, and Alex)
Cancun, Mexico: March 17, 2025: A big International Tournament has been completed at the Fronton Salas in Cancun this past weekend. Players from Spain, Mexico, and the USA all competed with the Mexican team of Marco and Aluz defeating Cesar and Fer in the finals.
There were a couple girl players that were very good and several kids from Loren’s group in Tijuana were all very good and participated.
Highlights from some of the matches at Cancun’s tournament in 100 feet amateur court.
There is another tournament coming up – and this one is soon. This one is being held at in Cancun, Mexico at Fronton Salas in Quintana Roo.
The dates are set for the weekend of March 14-16th. It will be an international-friendly tournament.
Registration is by couples with a competition system set according to those registered. Once registration is closed, a system will be determined and will be communicated in advance.
According to their press release, there will be a First and Second “force”. Each couple will suggest in which strength they want to participate. According to the registered players, the acceptance of the suggested force will evaluated as well as the possibility of opening an extra force following the main objective of coexistence and fair play.
Partido’s will start at 10am with prior registration of pelotaris per day at 9am.
The deadline to register is February 24th. The host of the tournament is Fernando Gonzalez.
There are two registration fee packages:
Package A (all inclusive)
Includes participation in the tournament, use of facilities, pelota’s, two T-shirts per participant, first and second place trophies and taquiza on the last day. In case you didn’t know, that is a Taco buffet!
Fee $85 USD
Package B
Incluides participation in the tournament, use of facilities, pelota’s, and trophies.
Fee $60 USD
Guests
One T-shirt and taquiza on last day.
Fee $35 USD
From the United States, we do know Rastock, RG3 and Belota are likely going and George San Juan from Miami and others likely going. I have been supplying the pelota’s they use for the past several years at this new court and their previous one and glad to donate the trophy tops of the jai-alai figurine to my good friends out there, the Salas family.
