Straight pool specialists

[Positively Ralf]

For clarification, when I used the word "open" for the old Scruggs tour, it was to mean there were zero handicaps, and it was open to any man, women, child under the sun, whether banger or Efren.

Open the way you are saying it is skill level. Yes, players like Joey Korsiak, Eddie Abraham, Josh Brothers, etc, would be Open under the old system of Banger, D, C, B, A, Open, Pro. Now with the fargo ratings, I think that terminology is fading. Those players are all in the 700-740 range in the Fargo system. Above that I think a lot would consider "pro".

No need for clarifications as I knew exactly what you meant. I just mentioned amateurs only as those were the main group of players I targeted when I did my no handicap 14.1 tournaments a couple of years ago. I can't even recall seeing or hearing of any tours here in the northeast doing no-handicap amateur tournaments.

 

[Wayne Crimi]

I would think cutoffs in some tournaments are not just about trying to keep the tournament competitive, they might also be about the population and distribution of players that just happen to play in that area. If there are a ton 500-650 players in an area, there's no need to invite 650+ or 700+ players in because the tournament will fill without them. That would allow you hold 651 and above separately.

 

[gerard soriano]

Not a well known player outside of the N.J./Philly/N.Y. was Neptune Joe Frady that played Mizerak even 14.1.
When he was right 100 ball runs were not uncommon.
Dont forget Joe Russo from Trenton.
Ervilino could play a little 14.1

Yes /fact. I played Joe a couple times in rotation tournaments, simple fact you miss you lose.
Joe ran 100s with great frequency

 

[BayGene]

I Have played in quite a few Pro Events....How ya doin buddy ?

The Commish played in the World's 14.1 in 2010 at Breaker in Clifton, and 2011 at the Hilton in New Brunswick.

 

[BayGene]

I hope everyone is keeping José Garcia in mind. I suppose he might be covered by SJM's blanket statement "retired before 1985."

 

[BayGene]

I also thought about calling this thread "Beautiful Losers." We may have been privileged to see Irving Crane or Willie Mosconi once or twice, but most straight pool addicts are more likely to talk about the Gene Nagys, Jack Colavitas, Onofrio Lauris, and Johnny Ervolinos of this world, the Local Legends.
The 14.1 HOF should probably be restricted to the former, but we also have to recall those players who win all the trophies.
I'd like to lead off with the greatest ghost of them all, "Ziggy" Eufemia.

George Fels on Mike Eufemia:
THE LATE Mike Eufemia’s name came up not long ago. Whenever that happens, it will undoubtedly be in one of two contexts, and the two frequently follow one another as the night the day: 1) how the man was undoubtedly one of the greatest practice-pool players who ever assembled a cue, and 2) how schizoid that ability seemed in contrast to his tournament play, which was generally not only bad but spectacularly so.

Regarding the first, Eufemia was the first known player to claim to have topped the immortal Willie Mosconi’s record of 526 consecutive balls pocketed (although Mosconi himself stated that he once ran 700-plus on his home table, and who wouldn’t believe him?). His long-run claim of 625 was generally considered credible in and around New York, where Queens’ Golden Cue, his home turf, offered a nightly standing bet that Eufemia would run 200 balls before the place closed for the night. Skeptics noted that there was no single witness, save Eufemia himself, who saw the run from start to finish (Mosconi’s feat was achieved in front of an adoring audience in Springfield, Ohio), adding that he might have simply selected Mosconi’s number backwards. But it was the no-witnesses aspect of that accomplishment which has kept it out of the record books. The man’s legend has apparently grown to the point of a rumored 1,100-ball run.
Eddie Taylor On Mike Eufemia:
ET: I was talking to Onofrio Lauri and he said, 'He's an amazing guy when he's practicing - he runs 300, 400, 350, but when he plays in a World's Tournament, he don't do no good at all.' In Las Vegas in 1967 he beat Joe Balsis twice to win the Straight Pool [The Straight Pool division of the Stardust tournament]. I lost my fanny betting on Joe Balsis both times in that.
*
Then I had to play him in the playoffs after he just got through running 350 balls in the practice room. Danny Jones won the 9-ball , I won the One Pocket and Mike Eufamia won the Straight Pool . So we had to play each other One Pocket, 9-Ball and Straight Pool .
There was a guy named Joe Bernstein who was a high roller and he always bet on me. When I won, he'd always stick a hundred dollar bill in my vest pocket and say, 'Have a drink, Eddie, on me.' So Mike just got through running three hundred balls, and Joe knew I didn't play Straight Pool, because it was a bad game to hustle. I could have played it if I played it. Anyway, he saw Mike run those 350 balls, so he had to get some odds. Then when I played him I think his high run was probably 18 or 20, and I beat him something like 125 to 32 or something like that. It was a joke! That's when Onofrio Lauri told me that story.
*
Once, Mike asked me if I wanted to practice with him, when I was getting ready to play my tournament match. I racked the balls about seven or eight times until I said, 'I don't believe I want to practice any more, Mike.'

Michael's records, per Charles Ursitti:
National Championship Tournament
February 27-March 4, 1948
Navy Pier Chicago, Illinois
Placed 7 in a field of 12 with a 5-6 record; Andrew Ponzi won.

Unofficial World Title
March 15-26, 1954
Allinger’s Billiard Academy
1307 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Placed 4th in a field of 7 with 1 6-6 record; Luther Lassiter won.

World Championship Tournament
April 2-17, 1956
Sportsman’s Billiard Room, Kingston, NY
Placed 6th in a field of 8; Willie Mosconi won.

United States Pocket Billiard Tournament
October 27-November 18, 1956
Judice’s Pocket Billiard Academy, Brooklyn, NY
Placed 2nd in a field of 9 with an 11-5 record; Luther Lassiter won.
During the tournament, on November 16th, Michael Eufemia’s place of business burned down.

World Championship Tournament
April 8-14, 1963
Windsor Ball Room
Hotel Commodore
42nd Street, NYC
Placed 5th in a field of 12 with a 7-4 record; Luther Lassiter won.

World Championship Tournament
March 2-8, 1964
Windsor Ball Room
Hotel Commodore
42nd Street, NYC
Placed 8th in a field of 14 with a 6-7 record; Luther Lassiter won.

World Championship Tournament
January 29-March 6, 1965
American Billiard Parlor
Burbank, California
Placed 12th in a field of 21 with a 9-11 record; Cisero Murphy won.

World Championship Tournament
March 21-28, 1965
Windsor Ball Room
Hotel Commodore
42nd Street, NYC
Placed 14th in a field of 15 with a 3-11 record; Joe Balsis won.

World Championship Tournament
April 1-24, 1966
House of Champions
Burbank, California
Placed 14th in a field of 18 with a 5-12 record; Joe Balsis won.

World Invitational Pocket Billiard Championship
January 31-February 22, 1969
Elk’s Club
Los Angeles, California
Placed 12th in a field of 15 with a 5-9 record; Ed Kelly won.

Pictured: A (Saul) Rich cue with a Michael Eufemia "signature."

Attached Images

 

[Wayne Crimi]

Many years back, my father told me similar stories about Mike Eufemia. He said he was the best player at the time but struggled in the major tournaments.

 

[measureman]

Many years back, my father told me similar stories about Mike Eufemia. He said he was the best player at the time but struggled in the major tournaments.

He was a well known dog.
It happens.

 

[sjm]

He was a well known dog.
It happens.

Yes, both Nagy and Eufemia played their best pool in the practice room rather than on the field of battle. Each had the skills to be a world champion, but neither had the mettle.

 

[Wayne Crimi]

Yes, both Nagy and Eufemia played their best pool in the practice room rather than on the field of battle. Each had the skills to be a world champion, but neither had the mettle.

Eufemia was before my time, but I knew Gene well. I don't think Gene's issue was an inability to play under pressure. I think he just flat out hated to compete, feel pressure, be judged, be criticized by people that knew way less than him, etc... He sort of reminded of Bobby Fisher in chess. To get Fisher over the chess board to compete you practically had to drag him kicking and screaming. He eventually just dropped out just like Gene did. Both obviously loved and were great at their respective games, but some guys yearn to compete and others don't. On some level I think it's a personal fear of failure. But it's not an inability to perform once you get them on the table or board. .

 

[sjm]

Eufemia was before my time, but I knew Gene well. I don't think Gene's issue was an inability to play under pressure. I think he just flat out hated to compete, feel pressure, be judged, be criticized by people that knew way less than him, etc... He sort of reminded of Bobby Fisher in chess. To get Fisher to over the chess board to compete you practically had to drag him kicking and screaming. He eventually just dropped out as Gene did. Both obviously loved and were great at their respective games, but some guys yearn to compete and other don't. They did not at all. On some level I think it's a personal fear of failure. But it's not an inability to perform once you get them on the table or board. .

I will defer to your opinion. You obviously knew Gene better than I did.

 

[xradarx]

Close scrutiny reveals the underlying truth.
They all tend to fudge a little bit, here and there.