jim rempe

12squared

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Jim lives in Lake Ariel, PA just outside of Scranton with Sally his wife of 40 years in a new home he had built about 3 years ago. He has a Connolly Ultimate table in what he calls his "Man Room" downstairs. I have taken 14.1 lessons twice with him at his home in the past 3 years. His back is fine. He threatens once in a while to come back and play at Turning Stone but he he won't until he feels he is playing well enough to win. Jim is concentrating more on giving lessons than playing right now. Jim and Pat Fleming are close friends and he did do some Accu-stats commentary at the US Open in 2009 and attended Johhny and Allison's Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.

Hope this helps

Wedge

This is great info, thanks.

Dave
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
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Jim stops in Cosmo's Billiards on Rt. 6 in Dickson City, PA from time to time. Saw him there and talked with him a few minutes back in... I believe it was February. He looks great, but said he hasn't been playing much.

Ron F

{smirk} Standard North Eastern pool players response:rolleyes:
 

book collector

AzB Silver Member
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The first time I ever backed someone was against Jim Rempe in about 1967 or thereabouts .
He gave my guy the 7 ball and soft broke and just annihilated him.
I lost my whole paycheck just to watch him play.
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
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The first time I ever backed someone was against Jim Rempe in about 1967 or thereabouts .
He gave my guy the 7 ball and soft broke and just annihilated him.
I lost my whole paycheck just to watch him play.

I've known Jim for years and years and seen him play a lot of 9 ball. I don't remember him ever soft breaking. I never saw anybody do it before Corey.
 

book collector

AzB Silver Member
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I've known Jim for years and years and seen him play a lot of 9 ball. I don't remember him ever soft breaking. I never saw anybody do it before Corey.

Safe breaking may be a better way of describing it. He didn't try to make any balls , just went across the headball and down to the bottom rail.
It was in Columbus Ohio when he was with Duane.
I 'm pretty sure he will remember.
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
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Safe breaking may be a better way of describing it. He didn't try to make any balls , just went across the headball and down to the bottom rail.
It was in Columbus Ohio when he was with Duane.
I 'm pretty sure he will remember.

Ok, entirely different, to my way of thinking. Makes sense, I guess, giving up the 7. I'd like to have seen it.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
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Jimmy may have had the best (and most solid) stance ever for a tall player. He was one of the last great All Around players, highly skilled at 9-Ball, One Pocket and Straight Pool. Always a fun guy to be around, and he never had a bad word for anyone. When I think of Jimmy I see him standing there with that great smile plastered on his face. I miss my old buddies, like Jimmy. None of them play anymore, except Buddy once in a while, and Sigel tried to make a comeback for a minute. Bob Hunter is one of the last of that generation of tournament players. Chris MacDonald too but he doesn't travel anymore.

By the way that 1988 tournament was held at the Santa Ana Elks Lodge. I think Nick beat Efren in the Finals. I hate to say it because I was the promoter and TD, but I can't remember for sure who won. I remember Morro making a full 180 degree masse shot on Sigel that was amazing! He jacked up and shot the cue ball forward and then straight back to make the object ball. Mike couldn't play after that and lost the match.

The little guy from Fantasy Island (Herve V.) was there one day and he really loved pool, and sat there and sweated it all day. It was a wonderful small auditorium seating maybe 4-500 people in elevated seats, five rows high. We packed the place almost every day. I had just bought a real cool pin striped GMC Jimmy and I had to take Jimmy outside to see "his" car. He got a kick out of that. I said, "How do you like your car?" He smiled and said, "Okay, but I need the keys now," and held his hand out. :grin:
 
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Wedge

WO Wedge Lock
Silver Member
Bobby Hunter

Jimmy may have had the best (and most solid) stance ever for a tall player. He was one of the last great All Around players, highly skilled at 9-Ball, One Pocket and Straight Pool. Always a fun guy to be around, and he never had a bad word for anyone. When I think of Jimmy I see him standing there with that great smile plastered on his face. I miss my old buddies, like Jimmy. None of them play anymore, except Buddy once in a while, and Sigel tried to make a comeback for a minute. Bob Hunter is one of the last of that generation of tournament players. Chris MacDonald too but he doesn't travel anymore.

By the way that 1988 tournament was held at the Santa Ana Elks Lodge. I think Nick beat Efren in the Finals. I hate to say it because I was the promoter and TD, but I can't remember for sure who won. I remember Morro making a full 180 degree masse shot on Sigel that was amazing! He jacked up and shot the cue ball forward and then straight back to make the object ball. Mike couldn't play after that and lost the match.

The little guy from Fantasy Island (Herve V.) was there one day and he really loved pool, and sat there and sweated it all day. It was a wonderful small auditorium seating maybe 4-500 people in elevated seats, five rows high. We packed the place almost every day.


Jay, Bobby Hunter is playing in the Maryland 14.1 Open this weekend. Always a pleasure to watch Bobby play...also a very positive guy with no negative comments about anyone. Parica, Archer, Schmidt and a lot of others are playing also.
 

Tommy-D

World's best B player...
Silver Member
I knew about him before I ever ran a rack. I remember seeing pictures of him at Starcher's in Akron in 85',and during the intro to the Varner/Garcia semi final from Resorts in '86,they showed a few cues and mentioned THE Crown Jewels. I never knew it was a Meucci until I got their catalog in '88.

My first exposure to him in person was in '89,at the only full field pro tournament ever held in Memphis. This was the place where he sold that cue to a collector,and watched it sold for 5 times that to another collector within 15 feet of him.

I was starting to get out and play,and found out he was doing an exhibition at The Rack. The place was packed,and you knew it as soon as he walked in,his presence was HUGE.

During the challenge matches,I got up and ran out on him,one of my first times running out an 8 ball rack on a 9 footer. Needless to say,he ran 3 to return the favor,but signed my JR-3 later on that night. He never once acted like he was a better PERSON,just a better player and made no effort to hide it. He answered all the questions I had,as well as anyone else.

Later on,I wound up with an Oldie 5 that was made for him,but he rejected. I believe he was holding that cue in a Meucci poster.

I am a believer in his all-time great status. In an Accu-Stats match where he completely dominates Efren at The Sands,Jay makes the point that he had won FAR more tournaments on American soil than Efren had (still has too!),and he was one of the few players left that had won titles in multiple games.

Glad to hear he's not still having back problems,Tommy D.
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
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...Glad to hear he's not still having back problems,Tommy D.

Jim told me that he never had back problems until they changed the height of the pool tables. He said that if they shortened the height by an inch of the pool table, they could fit a couple more pool tables in the delivery trucks. He told me this in all seriousness with a straight face, so I believed him. He said that when the shorter tables came forth, that is when he began to experience back problems.
 

Roadie

Banned
I've known Jim for years and years and seen him play a lot of 9 ball. I don't remember him ever soft breaking. I never saw anybody do it before Corey.

Soft breaking in 9-ball has been around longer than Corey Duell. Mr. Duell simply perfected it and subsequently popularized it. I was taught to soft break from an old houseman at Jamacia Joe's in Midwest City Oklahoma in 1985 when they still played two-foul pushout.

As for Mr. Rempe, his style and demeanor are what the textbooks were written about. A fine player to be sure.
 

One Pocket John

AzB Silver Member
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This makes me wonder what ever happened to Dean DeForest.

(sorry for the hijack)

Man, I dont know what happened to Dean. A great guy and a hell of a player. Havent seen Dean in over 10 years. I was out of pool for 10 years.

apologize for the slight hijack.

John
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Soft breaking in 9-ball has been around longer than Corey Duell. Mr. Duell simply perfected it and subsequently popularized it. I was taught to soft break from an old houseman at Jamacia Joe's in Midwest City Oklahoma in 1985 when they still played two-foul pushout.

As for Mr. Rempe, his style and demeanor are what the textbooks were written about. A fine player to be sure.

I've only seen Rempe play in tournaments so that may be the reason. By 1985 nobody played pushout 9 ball anymore where I was.
 

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Jim lives in Lake Ariel, PA just outside of Scranton with Sally his wife of 40 years in a new home he had built about 3 years ago. He has a Connolly Ultimate table in what he calls his "Man Room" downstairs. I have taken 14.1 lessons twice with him at his home in the past 3 years. His back is fine. He threatens once in a while to come back and play at Turning Stone but he he won't until he feels he is playing well enough to win. Jim is concentrating more on giving lessons than playing right now. Jim and Pat Fleming are close friends and he did do some Accu-stats commentary at the US Open in 2009 and attended Johhny and Allison's Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.

Hope this helps

Wedge

That's good news. Maybe Pat can talk him into playing in a challenge match on Thursday night. It would be great to see him again.
 

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I spoke with Jim a few weeks ago. We were talking about having him join Varner on a mini exhibition and pool clinic tour. May still happen but wasn't sure how many people remember him or know of him out there.

Are you kidding me? He doesn't know if people remember him? If he jointed a cue at a major tournament the crowd would flock to that table to see him play.
 
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