Cincinnati "Clem" Metz passes.

cuesmith

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!
Silver Member
I don't have any details yet, I'll try to post more when I get thembut I just got a call from a good friend telling me that Cincinnati Eugene "Clem" Metz one of the undisputed best one pocket players of all times passed away. He strictly a "road agent", never playing in a pool tournament but often relieving the winners of their purse after the tournament was over. I once asked Marshall "Squirrel" Carpenter how he ranked Clem's game since they were of the same era, and Squirrel told me "You know, at one point I thought I could beat anyone in the world playing one pocket, EXCEPT Clem! That's about as high of praise as you can get when it comes to playing the game. Anyone have any Clem stories, post them here.

Sherm
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So sad. Thanks for letting the pool world know about the passing of a legend. RIP, Cincinnati Clem!
 

freddy the beard

Freddy Bentivegna
Silver Member
Jersey Red's Clem story

Eugene "Cincinnati Clem" Metz might have been the toughest safety player of them all. Jersey Red told the story of when Clem was playing "Connecticut Johnny" Vives (winner of the first Johnston City One-Pocket tournament). Clem and Vives had been playing for many hours. Vives had been on a starvation shot-diet, getting nothing good to shoot at during the whole session. Clem was squeezing him like a python.
Finally, Vives spots Clem looking up-table at a long bank shot. It looked like Clem was finally going to leave Vives far away, but at least leave a shot toward Johnny's pocket.
Vives nudged Jersey Red as if to say, "Lookie here, Clem is going to finally loosen up and give me a shot at my hole." Vives's hopes were soon dashed when Clem shot up-table at the long bank and drew the cue ball back into the stack!

Beard
 

richiebalto

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Eugene "Cincinnati Clem" Metz might have been the toughest safety player of them all. Jersey Red told the story of when Clem was playing "Connecticut Johnny" Vives (winner of the first Johnston City One-Pocket tournament). Clem and Vives had been playing for many hours. Vives had been on a starvation shot-diet, getting nothing good to shoot at during the whole session. Clem was squeezing him like a python.
Finally, Vives spots Clem looking up-table at a long bank shot. It looked like Clem was finally going to leave Vives far away, but at least leave a shot toward Johnny's pocket.
Vives nudged Jersey Red as if to say, "Lookie here, Clem is going to finally loosen up and give me a shot at my hole." Vives's hopes were soon dashed when Clem shot up-table at the long bank and drew the cue ball back into the stack!

Beard

You guys were the best back then!things(great players gambling against each other) just dont happen now like they did back then!
 

Tom In Cincy

AKA SactownTom
Silver Member
There are tons of other stories about Clem that will probably come out in someone's 'tales of the road' book, now that Clem has passed.

Clem was, indeed a great one pocket player, but also played other games (besides pool) very well. I am sure the details will surface soon enough. Clem was a very colorful Cincinnati native. If you knew anything about pool in Cincinnati, you knew the name CLEM METZ.
 

Mr441

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
They say he was particularly tough on a 5 x 10 table. He'd leave the cueball frozen to the other side of the pack so the opponent was always stretching to play a safety, the extra few inches on the 5 x 10 made it really tough.
 

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
Hmmmm. My last name is Metz and my dad was from western Pennsylvania (Rochester). I wonder if it's possible that I could be a distant relative of his?

Maniac
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hmmmm. My last name is Metz and my dad was from western Pennsylvania (Rochester). I wonder if it's possible that I could be a distant relative of his?

Maniac

You're not. I heard you think duck's a bird.:grin::wink::)
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
A little historical note. Rags (John Fitzpatrick) and Clem were considered the two best One Pocket players in the country in the 50's. After Rags died in 1960, Clem was numero uno until Ronnie emerged in the mid 60's as the new One Pocket king. Clem had his moment in the sun, when he was the top dog. To this day, he is considered one of the greatest proponents of One Pocket of all time. This is not from any record book, just from the lips of the players who knew him, and played him.
 

Ed Wiggins

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Story and picture

For a good story and pictures of Clem, check Tom Shaw's "Legends of the Road" in the October, 2008 issue of Pool & Billiards magazine.

EW
 

rossaroni

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
RIP to Clem.

I might have overlooked it, but Clem is not in the One Pocket Hall of Fame.:confused:
 

Bobby

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A little historical note. Rags (John Fitzpatrick) and Clem were considered the two best One Pocket players in the country in the 50's. After Rags died in 1960, Clem was numero uno until Ronnie emerged in the mid 60's as the new One Pocket king. Clem had his moment in the sun, when he was the top dog. To this day, he is considered one of the greatest proponents of One Pocket of all time. This is not from any record book, just from the lips of the players who knew him, and played him.

I've heard pretty much the same thing about Clem from more than one old-time pro. The only difference is that they say Hayden Lingo was the best followed by Clem and Rags tied for second and then Eddie Taylor just a shade under them. I got the feeling that they were talking about one pocket on the 10' table though, on the 9' tables it seems Ronnie Allen was king.
 

huckster

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
RIP Clem

Clem was a turned out hustler RIP. I have heard this of playing Clem "playing him would make your toes hurt because you spend the whole game jacked up in the stack"
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
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9BallPaul

Banned
You all might want to check the one-pocket board for more detailed stories. Especially one by Billy Incardona. Maybe he'll post it over here.
 

Tom In Cincy

AKA SactownTom
Silver Member
I keep trying to tell these guys that Clem should have been in this HOF from the very beginning. I guess no one believes me. Clem is rated over most of the guys who are already in there.

Jay, as you well know, there are 10-15 players nominated every year and only a few are chosen. Clem has been on the ballot for the last 5 years that I know of and has to compete with the popular and world champions and other backroom gamblers as well..

This year he had to compete with Allen Hopkins and Buddy Hall. Clem had a reputation as a great one pocket player, I wish I could say more. You know what I mean.

Now that he is deceased, I am sure the HOF committee will take him under consideration for induciton.
 

9BallPaul

Banned
bump

You all might want to check the one-pocket board for more detailed stories. Especially one by Billy Incardona. Maybe he'll post it over here.

What they hey, I'll do it myself. Hope I'm not violating protocol.

From Billy I:

I first met Clem when I was 19 years old, he came to Pittsburgh to meet the Jockey and do some hustling around Pittsburgh. The Jockey said to me that Clem was coming to town, I said who is Clem? Jockey said that Clem was the best one pocket player in the country, and played behind his back as good as anyone ever did.

Clem arrived a few days later, and when he met Jockey I was there to greet him. He was a good looking guy dressed to the max, Italian nit sweater, mohair slacks, alligator shoes, and a sleek jacket with it's own belt. I was in awe when I saw him, he was the picture that I envisioned of a true hustler.

Jockey said that there was a guy who owned a pool room in Little Washington, (a small town on the outskirts of Pittsburgh) that played 9 ball and liked to gamble. But first we would take a ride to Jockeys home town Union Town Pa. where Jockey said that there was a guy that would play for decent $. On the way to Union Town Clem broke out this bag of weed, rolled a joint and asked me if I wanted a hit. I had never smoked weed before and didn't want to look like a square so I said ok. He said that it was Chicago Green a brand of weed that was kick ass. We were about 10 minuted from Union Town when I started to smoke, I only smoked maybe 3 or 4 hits and when we arrived at the pool room Jockey got out and went inside. We waited about 10 minutes and Clem said to me, "go in and see what he's doing" I opened the back door of the car and stepped out and realozed that I couldn't walk straight. I tried to organize myself cause I didn't want to look like a square and managed to go inside the pool room. Once I got inside I leaned against the wall and couldn't speak, fortunately the Jockey was leaving and said to me "are you alright?" I didn't answer and turned around and left the pool room with him. I managed to get into the back seat of the car and remained silent.Clem continued to smoke with the Jockey and I passed. Clem at that point realized that I was a first time smoker and had a good laugh with the Jockey at my expense.

We then traveled to Little Washington where Clem played the guy that owned the pool room and I went down the street to play some cheap 9 ball with some other kids.Clem broke about even with the guy playing 9 ball and asked him to play one pocket, the guy said that he didn't know how to play one pocket and Clem explained how to play the game. They played a couple of games and the guy quit and said i've had enough. Clem than said that he would shoot all his shots behind his back and play him even. It was an offer he couldn't refuse. Clem beat him for around $300 and he quit.

They came down to the pool room that I was playing in and watched me play a few games before our game broke up. I was nervous that Clem was watching me play but I managed to run out the last game before they quit.
When we got into the car Clem asked me what I did, I said that I won $45 and gave him the money. We drove back to Pittsburgh where Clem dropped both me and the Jockey off at my house, and then he left. I said to the Jockey what about our end? The Jockey didn't have an answer and the next time I saw Clem was about 30 years later at a tournament, he didn't look like he was doing well. I asked him if he remembered me and he said yes, and I was very happy with his answer. I never did ask him about my end of the money won, I just continued doing what I do, playing pool.

Billy I.
 
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