Francisco Churruca
Francisco Maria Churruca Iriondo Azpiazu Alcorta (born 1 April 1936), also known as Patxi, was a Spanish jai alai player. A native of Mutriku, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country,[1][2] he is regarded as the game's greatest player[3][4] and has been called "the Babe Ruth of jai alai."[5] He retired in 1983, saying "I knew it was time to quit when my eyes were quicker than my legs."[3]
He was referenced in the television series ‘’Mad Men’’ (set in the world of 1960s American advertising), in a storyline involving a client's elaborate plan to promote jai alai as the "new national pastime" with Patxi as its figurehead.[6]
References
[edit]- ↑ Olsen, Jack (March 29, 1965). "Jai Alai: Fury At The Fronton". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Churruca Iriondo, Francisco, Eusko Ikaskuntza (in Basque)
- 1 2 Tierney, John (16 March 1993). "OUR TOWNS; A Fast-Paced Sport's Fast-Paced Demise". The New York Times. p. 1.
- ↑ Tributo Al "Sultan" (Patxi Churruca) [Tribute to the "Sultan" (Patxi Churruca)] (in Spanish), Zulaika's Jai-Alai Blog, 26 January 2010
- ↑ Calabria, Pat (April 17, 1992). "Larger Than Life : The World Hasn't Forgotten Babe Ruth. If Anything, the Fascination With the Bambino Has Increased". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
- ↑ Week 4: Will This Be the Funniest Season of Mad Men Yet?, Slate, September 6, 2009
  | This Basque biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
  | This biographical article related to Spanish sports is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |