Best Players In Baltimore

Michael Andros said:
In 1977, I bought a cue from the owner of Krazy Cue Billiards in Pinellas Park Florida. His name was Bob ( he later sold the room and opened another a few miles north called Bob's Billairds ) and he was from Baltimore. He told me the cue was made specifically for Rich Riggi in 1948 by a cuemaker named "Matty" ( or, perhaps Mattie ). Bob said Riggi hit a few balls with it, didn't like it, and sold it on the spot to Bob ( who was in his early 20s at the time ). The shaft joint ring was broken ( I had a good cuemaker fix it right away ) and Bob had gotten another cue. I've had it since. I've owned many cues, a Rambow, a Tillis, a few Palmers, among others, but this cue hits them better than any other cue I've ever played with. The shaft is original and is straight as an arrow. The shaft is also amazingly flexible, so much so that when I showed different players just *how* flexible, they eyes have gone wide ( with apologies to the modern "no deflect" shafts ).

My question is this, if anyone has ANY info: I have googled "Matty" ( Mattie ) cues for years, hoping something would come up and have found nothing. I can't believe a cue of this quality was one of a kind. There *must* be other Matty cues out there somewhere. Has anyone from the Baltimore ( or anywhere else ) area ever ehard of Matty cues? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
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Thanks forfr bringing theis wonderful thread back to life. There are so many good ones on AZB, I hd forgotten about it.

I have no direct answer to your question, but there must be many makers from Baltimore that have been forgotten about. It was/ is a very industrial town, and when you host Scruggs/ Lambros/ Joss/ Black Boar/ Phillippi, sheeeeat! Bound to be a hundred others nobody ever heard of.

That said, there is no better place to ask than here at AZB. Pics would be necessary to get the true experts to comment.
 
Matty cues

Black-balled -

As far as bringing the thread back, I'm not sure I deserve a thanks, but that having been said, you're very welcome.

Yeah, I went by Bob's newer room, but it's closed. he's in his 80's now ( if he's still alive ) so not surprising the room is gone.

I don't have photos of it, but I'm sure I can post some before long. The cue is extremely simplistic, no inlay, plain ( original ) linen wrap ( I doubt it's Irish linen, as Balabushka originated that and he didn't start making cues till the late 50's ), but it does have ( unusual for late 40s cues ) an "impact" ( that's what Bob told me it was called when I bought it, never ehards anyone esle use that term ) joint, which is ( he said ) the same thing cue calls were made from back then ( post-ivory ). At any rate, the joint is white ( actually, yellowed with age ). The butt-cap is solid black with wood ring above it and matching wood rings above/below the joint. The but is stained,semi-rough wood. No inlay of any kind, which is one of the reasons I bought it ( besides the fact, of course, that I found out within a few minutes of hitting balls with iot, that it's a "magic" cue... but I'm still trying to figure out how to turn it on ).

Thanks for the reply.

M.A.


P.S. Geese used to come down to our room in Clearwater ( Family Billiards ) every winter for years... we used to call him the "Demon Rat" because his eyes were alwyas blood red! Probably from being up for a week or more at a time... incidentally, one of the best players I ever saw was a kid named Steve Gumphries, from Baltimore. Died far too young. What a player... poetry in motion.
 
Sg

Steve Gumphries.

We have a story from our room that's a room legend now. Around the late 70's, a kid comes in, obviously a good player, and beat one of the local players out of a G or so, pretty tidy score for back then. The room owner at the time, called the best player in the area ( possibly the entire state of Florida, along with Mike Carella ) who was, by that time, pretty much semi-retired at 27 or so [ long story ] named Randy Brown. Randy had made a name for himself in the late 60s / early 70s traveling around the country with Wade Crane ( Billy Johnson ). Wade told me years later Randy made more money for him than anyone he ever travelled with. A description of Randy at the time he was with Crane: he was 17-18-19 but looked 12 at about 5'1" and chubby. Horribly nearsighted, he wore coke-bottle-lens glasses, had acne and greased his hair straight back. He looked like a cartoon character. Never missed a ball. EVER. Like a machine. Anyway, this was almost 10 years later and he didn't play every day anymore but still played 3 balls better than anyone in the area, bar none. So, the room owner called him and said come down, there's a kid here I'm staking you against. Randy shows up a bit later and he and Gumphries flip for the break. Gumphries puts 6 from the snap on him... not too happy about that, Randy finally gets a shot when Gumphries breaks dry the 7th rack. Randy runs out ( effortlessly, of course ), then proceeds to MISS THE NINE **STRAIGHT IN** the side. I'm sitting at the counter, 5 feet from the table, and as the 9ball jawed, Randy takes that poor, totally innocent *nice* Viking cue and makes his best Babe Ruth swing against the corner pocket. We were picking up pieces of that cue all over the room, literally. At least 20 pieces. One swing... The owner ( a notorious tightwad who would bar anyone for anything he thought might cost him money ) just stared with his mouth open. Randy never said a word... just turned and stomped out the door.


Yeah, Gumhpries was one HELL of a player.
 
Michael Andros said:
P.S. Geese used to come down to our room in Clearwater ( Family Billiards ) every winter for years... we used to call him the "Demon Rat" because his eyes were alwyas blood red! Probably from being up for a week or more at a time... incidentally, one of the best players I ever saw was a kid named Steve Gumphries, from Baltimore. Died far too young. What a player... poetry in motion.
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I don't think Geese's eyes were red from sleep deprivation. ;)

Did you know that Steve Gumphrey's brother passed away a few years later from the same form of cancer? It was awful.

Geese will always have a soft spot in my heart! May he rest in peace! :smile:
 

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Michael Andros said:
Black-balled -...) an "impact" ( that's what Bob told me it was called when I bought it, never ehards anyone esle use that term ) joint, which is ( he said ) the same thing cue calls were made from back then ( post-ivory ). At any rate, the joint is white ( actually, yellowed with age ).

it's a "magic" cue... but I'm still trying to figure out how to turn it on ).

Thanks for the reply....
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Hahah...damn magic!

I believe the joint would be 'implex'.
 
Implex and Demon Rat

Black-balled -

Implex it is! Still don't recall anyone using that term, but...


Jam - Yeah... I was being polite / politically-correct! back in the day, most road-runners ( and a hell of a lot of locals ) constantly used, well... shall we say, "pharmaceutical helpers". Between that and "other things" that turn your eyes red... I'm sure Geese was no stranger to any of it.
 
pt109 said:
I am curious about Jerry Slivka also.
He had the talent and bearing of a world champion.
..but I hear he gambles big at other things.
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I have heard that Gerry could be making vastly better life choices. I do not believe he is playing pool these days.

Too bad...he was one of those guys that could hold down a job and play jam-up pool too.
 
I really do hope someone will reply about Matty cues... I don't *need* the info, of course, but I really am very curious about the cue I've had for going on 40 years.
 
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Yeas ago I was at a place in Arnold, back in an small industrial area, and some guy tried to hustle me. The only name I remember was Hawk. We played the first two games then he suggest putting a few bucks on the next game... good thing my pockets were empty! I sat back and watch him run 9 balls 3 times on me then I casually walked out the door :-)
 
YOLO said:
Yeas ago I was at a place in Arnold, back in an small industrial area, and some guy tried to hustle me. The only name I remember was Hawk. We played the first two games then he suggest putting a few bucks on the next game... good thing my pockets were empty! I sat back and watch him run 9 balls 3 times on me then I casually walked out the door :-)
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Mr. Bobby Hawk. Love that guy! :grin-square:
 
YOLO said:
Bobby! Thanks, It was killing not remembering his first name, just about as much as getting smoked. He was very nice to me, btw.
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He's a nice guy. I've known him for many, many years -- since he was a pup. He's got heart. Even when the odds are against him, he'll step up to the plate and bet. He's not afraid of any player on the face of the earth because he knows all games. He knows how to match up as well as handicap his own game, and he can adjust to any equipment out there. He's really a good kid. I hope he's doing well. :cool:

It's not that he's a top-notch player. It's that he knows how much to bet to get a game.

I have a picture of him, but knowing Bobby likes to fly under the radar, he wouldn't want it published. ;)
 
JAM said:
I've actually never played Slivka before, Black-Balled. Sweated a few action matches between him and my horse, though! ;)
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I do recall in 05, laurel champions, they played some full rack banks and we were disappointed about the brevity...I don't recall who won or why it ended, just that it was short.
How did Keith an Gerry match up, 1p and 9b. I would thing the sliv would have the 1p edge and ether the 9b one.
Funny thing about the 2 of em throwing down, I'd imagine...each would want to bet so hi, they'd prob end up playing a 2/3 for the whole pile!
 
Black-Balled said:
I do recall in 05, laurel champions, they played some full rack banks and we were disappointed about the brevity...I don't recall who won or why it ended, just that it was short.
How did Keith an Gerry match up, 1p and 9b. I would thing the sliv would have the 1p edge and ether the 9b one.
Funny thing about the 2 of em throwing down, I'd imagine...each would want to bet so hi, they'd prob end up playing a 2/3 for the whole pile!
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They played several times, and Keith won. They played at Champions in Laurel, and they also played at First Break in Sterling, VA.

I didn't like the game. I knew Gerry's strength, seeing him over the years, but Keith hung with him and beat him. Gerry has stamina and endurance, which is tough going up against, but Keith makes those 1:100 shots more often than not.

Gerry was like a bull when it came to giving up. He would never give up. He'd play all night long or until the money ran out, and so did Keith. Those all-nighters are rough. There's nothing worse than driving home in the daylight hours after being up all night, with scratchy eyes. :o

I don't think they played any 9-ball. It was always one-pocket. Gerry is a really good man to gamble with. Win or lose, he never complains and no hard feelings. I still consider him a good friend. I have a few Gerry stories, but I'll save 'em. :grin:

ETA: I was just interrupted by my other half as he was reading this post over my shoulder. He said he gave Gerry 9 to 8 playing one-pocket. :o

In bumps, they started out playing even, and then Keith spotted him 9 to 8.

I can't stand it when he reads over my shoulder. :angry:

Keith said Gerry is a very dangerous man. He said, "He's sort of like me. When he catches a gear, it sort of doesn't matter who he plays." I have no idea what this means. Keith say, "A gear man is very dangerous."
 
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JAM said:
They played several times, and Keith won. They played at Champions in Laurel, and they also played at First Break in Sterling, VA.

I didn't like the game. I knew Gerry's strength, seeing him over the years, but Keith hung with him and beat him. Gerry has stamina and endurance, which is tough going up against, but Keith makes those 1:100 shots more often than not.

Gerry was like a bull when it came to giving up. He would never give up. He'd play all night long or until the money ran out, and so did Keith. Those all-nighters are rough. There's nothing worse than driving home in the daylight hours after being up all night, with scratchy eyes. :o

I don't think they played any 9-ball. It was always one-pocket. Gerry is a really good man to gamble with. Win or lose, he never complains and no hard feelings. I still consider him a good friend. I have a few Gerry stories, but I'll save 'em. :grin:

ETA: I was just interrupted by my other half as he was reading this post over my shoulder. He said he gave Gerry 9 to 8 playing one-pocket. :o

In bumps, they started out playing even, and then Keith spotted him 9 to 8.

I can't stand it when he reads over my shoulder. :angry:

Keith said Gerry is a very dangerous man. He said, "He's sort of like me. When he catches a gear, it sort of doesn't matter who he plays." I have no idea what this means. Keith say, "A gear man is very dangerous."
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Well, neither of those 2 ever needed a gear to clobber me, but I certainly have seen players of their caliber not miss balls for hours, coupled with a couple rolls and aggressive betting: danger danger!

Keith giving my (ex)hero 9-8...Gerry is hereby supplanted,

Thanks to you both. Hope to see you again someday... Really, we should drag billy s out for a party. After i get a new job.
 
Bobby Hawk is a very good player and a really good friend...i have set him up in many a 9-ball game and not once did i see him lose...He play's one-pocket just as well..like all of us he is getting older like all the great players in Baltimore..He was just one of many.
 
dockiv said:
Bobby Hawk is a very good player and a really good friend...i have set him up in many a 9-ball game and not once did i see him lose...He play's one-pocket just as well..like all of us he is getting older like all the great players in Baltimore..He was just one of many.
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i knew it!

told me he didnt play 9b, we had to play 1p...aww shucks, i thought he might coulda been joshin me. who'da thunk it?!:rolleyes:
 
richiebalto said:
Tony long is a solid player in all games and bets as high as anyone, Black Henry plays dam good also, there not much left here in baltimore anymore, At one time you had Cigar Tom Vanover, Buddy Dennis, Mike GEESE Gerace, little Nicky, Loud mouth Tony, Jarbo, Richard Riggi, Larry Safia, Bobby Legg, slivka, Fat Wayne, Bo Newport, Carl punky Jones, Pittsburge Mike Katsaris, Jeff Adams, Sigel was never around very long, thats to name a few!
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For years I would travel from Arbutus Cue with Charlie Jarbo down on a fri night to Glenn Bernie. I would sit all weekend and watch him play. Always loved it when he played "cry baby Tony" . Saw lots of cash move. These guys were great. Banks, one pocket, 9 ball. Great memories.
 
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