Who should rightfully be remembered as "The Cincinnati Kid?

C

CrossSideLarry

Cross Side Larry
Silver Member
In a recent post, I stated, the only two pool players who earned the name, "The Cincinnati Kid" would have been the late great Joey Spaeth and Donnie Andersen.
Someone corrected me and said the real Cincinnati Kid would have been Don Willis, though he was actually from Canton, Ohio.
Born and raised in Cincinnati myself, and growing up playing pool in Jumbo's in Mount Healthy and Ernst's pool room in Cheviot, I played Andersen and Spaeth. Joey Spaeth's father was a world beater himself. He preferred action games rather than tournaments and played out of Mergard's Bowling Alley in Northside. He was better known as "Northside Eddie".
Anyone care to comment?

Cross Side Larry

"Learn from the best, and beat the rest"
 
Don Willis was the original Cincinnati Kid. The other two might have been called that, but they came later after Willis was long past his prime.
 
CrossSideLarry said:
In a recent post, I stated, the only two pool players who earned the name, "The Cincinnati Kid" would have been the late great Joey Spaeth and Donnie Andersen.
Someone corrected me and said the real Cincinnati Kid would have been Don Willis, though he was actually from Canton, Ohio.
Born and raised in Cincinnati myself, and growing up playing pool in Jumbo's in Mount Healthy and Ernst's pool room in Cheviot, I played Andersen and Spaeth. Joey Spaeth's father was a world beater himself. He preferred action games rather than tournaments and played out of Mergard's Bowling Alley in Northside. He was better known as "Northside Eddie".
Anyone care to comment?

Cross Side Larry

"Learn from the best, and beat the rest"
Click to expand...
DONNIE ANDERSON
 
CrossSideLarry said:
In a recent post, I stated, the only two pool players who earned the name, "The Cincinnati Kid" would have been the late great Joey Spaeth and Donnie Andersen.
Someone corrected me and said the real Cincinnati Kid would have been Don Willis, though he was actually from Canton, Ohio.
Born and raised in Cincinnati myself, and growing up playing pool in Jumbo's in Mount Healthy and Ernst's pool room in Cheviot, I played Andersen and Spaeth. Joey Spaeth's father was a world beater himself. He preferred action games rather than tournaments and played out of Mergard's Bowling Alley in Northside. He was better known as "Northside Eddie".
Anyone care to comment?

Cross Side Larry

"Learn from the best, and beat the rest"
Click to expand...

Hi cross side Larry,
After u gave that kind of Resume` about yourself who can dispute you? Not me.cheers:cool:
 
i have lived in cincy for 25 years and the rightful owner of the cincy kid would be joey spaeth hands down and you can ask anyone from cincy
 
http://www.gcaba.com/willis.htm IMO all three were great players and deserving of their own distinctive nicknames, but I think none of them would mind sharing a nickname with the others. Every pool player in Cincy should be proud of having 3 such distinguished players representing the city...there sure ain't no players named after Lubbock, Texas, unless I can invent one.
 
Thanks for finding it.

jnav447 said:
http://www.gcaba.com/willis.htm IMO all three were great players and deserving of their own distinctive nicknames, but I think none of them would mind sharing a nickname with the others. Every pool player in Cincy should be proud of having 3 such distinguished players representing the city...there sure ain't no players named after Lubbock, Texas, unless I can invent one.
Click to expand...


Thanks for finding the Willis article, jnav447. I was trying to find it too. If anyone who reads the article and still thinks anyone other than Don was the original "Kid" they have to be under 40 years old or an idiot. Joey Spaeth was an awesome player but not the original "Kid".
 
For those of you that do not know Don Willis was my grandfather. I remember him as anyone remembers their grandfather. Even when diabetes and other ailments slowed him in the late 70's and early 80's he still would treat the grandchildren like we were the world to him. I have many memories of grandpa, but one that sticks out was about 1981 or 82 he was teaching me to play pool on my cousins 8' table the equipment was new but at that time ball and cue quality was not what it is today. He no longer played for years. Grandpa would go to the pool room and sit with area legends Fred Martin, Rocco, Barry Hixon, Joe Kerr, etc. but he would not play at all. That one day he played with me all day even though his health was not the best and told me stories while running balls. Grandpa told me of his road days with Wimpy. Imagine that duo of road dogs. I really believe I seen him run around a hundred that day. He made an eight year old day and 25 yrs later I still have that memory. Sorry to ramble, but grandpa told me he was known as the Cincy kid during the depression.
 
Former World Champion, Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter, a life long friend and fellow road warrior is quoted as saying:

"If I ever had to have someone else shoot pool for my life, win or lose, live or die, the man that I'd have shooting for me is Don Willis."

He's the original.
 
huckster said:
Grandpa told me of his road days with Wimpy. Imagine that duo of road dogs. Sorry to ramble, but grandpa told me he was known as the Cincy kid during the depression.
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huckster...Jack White told me stories about two road trips he took with your grandfather (The Cincinnati Kid), Wimpy, and Minnesota Fats. Can you imagine this foursome coming into your town back then? LOL Talk about tough action! This was long before Fats started conning people that The Hustler was about him. Back in those days (very late 40's & early 50's), Jack was an unknown, and both Don and Wimpy would set up some games for him, and bet high on the side, knowing that he could play and win. Most of the time Jack preferred to set up his own games. Wimpy would play somebody 9-ball, and Don would be playing several people different things, all at the same time...pool, ping-pong, cards, dice...and he would be winning them all. Jack told me one time, no matter what, you NEVER, ever bet against Don... because he WAS gonna go home with the cheese, one way or another! LOL He learned a heck of a lot about gambling from Don and Luther! Fatty was usually relegated to playing cheap games he got on his own, or going out for sandwiches for the others.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
He sure did say that

bud green said:
Former World Champion, Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter, a life long friend and fellow road warrior is quoted as saying:

"If I ever had to have someone else shoot pool for my life, win or lose, live or die, the man that I'd have shooting for me is Don Willis."

He's the original.
Click to expand...

Bud, I don't know where you heard that, but it's 100% true. I have heard that exact statement come out of Wimpy's mouth in Johnston City.

the Beard

Bank on, brother!
 
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