Who Doesnt Jay Know

jay helfert said:
Judex was a pretty well known shortstop in his day. Still plays pretty sporty for an old timer. He was at DCC a couple of times. Bucky Bell was probably the best around back then. And Stevie Oaks on the bar boxes.
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Can you tell me some more about Bucky Bell? I was going to ask about him in my new thread "Where are they now?". I had the pleasure (:frown:) of running into him in Atlanta one time. He was one heck of a player.
 
Jay, you mentioned Danny Jones in one of your post! Were you talking about "Handsome Danny Jones"? Is he alive today? He was always funny to talk too and listen to his stories.
 
Nature Boy said:
Can you tell me some more about Bucky Bell? I was going to ask about him in my new thread "Where are they now?". I had the pleasure (:frown:) of running into him in Atlanta one time. He was one heck of a player.
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Bucky was still playing as recently as a few years ago. It took a top speed player to beat him. He played on big tables and small, always for money. He did make it to a few tourneys, but he was usually looking for action. I only saw him play 9-Ball, or Eight Ball on a bar table, never One Pocket.
 
Papa Red said:
Jay, you mentioned Danny Jones in one of your post! Were you talking about "Handsome Danny Jones"? Is he alive today? He was always funny to talk too and listen to his stories.
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"Handsome" Danny's been gone a good fifteen years. He played all games well, and was one of the top players of his generation. He suffered a severe back injury when he was in his mid 40's and played hunched over from then on. He still played good, but lost a speed or two. Danny hustled pool to the end and I heard he died during a bar table game. He possibly made it to his early 60's.
 
jay helfert said:
Bad news guys. There's a lot of players I don't know or barely knew. I never saw Buster Merchant play, but we were at the same place a couple of times. He was in Clinton, Iowa for the big bar table bash many moons ago.
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I did see him play in 86 at Greenway he played good.
 
Bucky Bell lived in the action room 24/7 at the BCA Nationals in the 90's. Not many player took the challenge. Never seen him on a big table, but he had a hell of a bar table game. A well known bar table champion in the 90's asked me to back him against Bucky, but I said no. Good thing, he found a backer and they lost 4 sets at $500 a set to Bucky.
 
Anyone have a pic of Bucky Bell? Would like to know if that is the same guy I encountered once (rather doubt it though).
 
Jay, did you ever know Johnnie Edwards from Bowling Green, KY, a pretty good 9 ball player on a 4x8, Tom
 
jay helfert said:
Bad news guys. There's a lot of players I don't know or barely knew. I never saw Buster Merchant play, but we were at the same place a couple of times. He was in Clinton, Iowa for the big bar table bash many moons ago.

Several people have sent me PM's about players who I either didn't know or only knew by name. Truth be known, I really only knew the players who traveled around for the most part. The stay at home champions could stay under the radar sometimes.

Buttermilk is another guy who I never saw play. I was around him and didn't have any idea how good he was. Lucky me. But pretty much all the top name players of the last forty five years I have seen play. I will say that. From Earl Shriver, Hubert Cokes, UJ Puckett, Jimmy Moore, Irving Crane, Jimmy Caras and Marcel Camp on down. They were a few of the old time players when I was a kid. Their careers stretch back to the 40's and even earlier, so I would hear about Greenleaf back then. He was REVERED by the old time players. And the hustlers still talked a lot about White Rags who had only died a few years before. Clem was another name that came up in every discussion about One Pocket.

Others from the 60's I saw in action, included George Rood, Jr. Goff, Detroit Whitey, Tacoma Whitey, Harry Petros, Joey Spaeth, Sammy Blumenthal, Eufemia, Balsis, Cornbread, Lassiter, Boston Shorty, Danny Jones, Irish, Vern Elliott, Jersey Red, Ervolino, NY Blackie, Richie From The Bronx, Boston Joey, Ed Kelly, Ronnie, Richie, Omaha Fats, NY Fats, Harold Worst, Beenie, Taylor, Cannonball (white and black) and Danny D. There are many, many more who were around in those days as well.

Guys like Ronnie, Kelly and Richie were young men back then, in their prime as players. Truman was around too, even though he was a kid like me. He was already a known Bank Pool player around the Midwest. Buddy was just getting known back in the 60's. Mizerak was a straight shooting youngster, schooled by Mosconi. And Rempe was still called Jimmy Rippy in the Midwest. He was a kid hustler then. I never saw Cranfield play, but I heard all about him. Same with Youngblood Washington from Chicago. Another great player who I somehow missed. I did see Bugs play a couple of times. He and Taylor and Cannonball banked the balls better than anyone else. But Truman got all their respect. Remember he was just a kid back then.
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Wow your like a Jaycylopedia i love reading your post THANKS FOR SHARING! Did you ever hear of a guy from the midwest named kanasas city rifleman JOHN Presno? :smile:
 
poolandpokerman said:
Jay, did you ever know Johnnie Edwards from Bowling Green, KY, a pretty good 9 ball player on a 4x8, Tom
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Sure, he came to Johnston City every year. Traveled with Johnnie Taylor, a pretty good team. Edwards looked like a schoolteacher or an accountant. Very straight looking with glasses, but he was a serious player.
 
Any stories of Ed Nagle from Northern Cal?

Helped players like Annigoni, and maybe even Jimmy Wetch unless I'm mistaken.

Supposedly did well on the road but only saw him in his 60's past his prime.
 
donnie hale said:
Wow your like a Jaycylopedia i love reading your post THANKS FOR SHARING! Did you ever hear of a guy from the midwest named kanasas city rifleman JOHN Presno? :smile:
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The original "Rifleman" was Jim Relihan from Springfield, Mass. A very good 14.1 player and could play some good 9-Ball too. Then there was John Shuput from Omaha, who was one of the best bar table players for years. I don't think I remember John Presno, but maybe if I saw him I would. There were so many guys whose name I didn't know, but our paths crossed somewhere. I went to darn near every major tournament for 25-30 years.
 
bud green said:
Any stories of Ed Nagle from Northern Cal?

Helped players like Annigoni, and maybe even Jimmy Wetch unless I'm mistaken.

Supposedly did well on the road but only saw him in his 60's past his prime.
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Very well known out here. Was friends with Dee Hulse and Sax Del Porto, who would work out with him from time to time. He used to come to Terry Stonier's tourneys in Sacramento (The Jointed Cue - it's still there) in the 1980's. I don't think I ever played him there, but I might have.
 
Johnnie's glasses were 2inches thick....but he could play on the small table. I went to JC with him in 65, Harold Worst was the king back then as I remember....Tom
 
Fenwick said:
Did you happen to know a Willis Covention. Not sure on the spelling of his last name.
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I think his name was Willie or Willis Covington. If it's the same guy, he was a black player from Michigan originally. Would be in his late 60's to early 70's now. Liked to play One Pocket, and actually beat Jimmy Mataya at that game. But I think his name was Willie Covington. May not be the same guy. I think he had a sister in San Fran. or Oakland and did some hustling out here many years ago.
 
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Jay how about Don Sopher[sp?] from the upper midwest .My guess is was 70ish in about
1985. Was a figure like the Deacon.Played rather sporty.
 
How about Eldridge Tucker. I used to love to hear him tell stories. Sadly he seldom told them about himself and it's to late now. I would love to hear some Stories about Mr. Tucker!!!!!

Larry
 
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