Howdy. Intro and some musings.

[MBL]

Howdy all. My name is Tim, and I’m new to the forum, so I figured I’d introduce myself. Such is usually customary on many boards.

It’s been a loooong time since I’ve played a game of pool, but by most measures, I grew up in a pool hall. From about age 11 or 12, I was most often found at Baldwin Billiards in Baldwin NY. When I first visited, it was a room as you might expect to see in a movie about pool. A long bench across the front of the establishment where folks could sit and watch “important” games at the head table, and then there was the rest of the room ,vacant but for two vending machines selling stale Whatchamacallits. Of course, there were the tables, Brunswick Gold Crowns that had been there since the place opened, which I think was in 1962 or 64.

In the early years (prior to being 16) several of the mainstays would say they were my uncle so I could remain playing there without being kicked out by the cops. I remember there was Frank “the teacher” and Lester, that would do that for me. And so I learned to play decent enough to be known as someone that played a lot of pool, but certainly not good enough to be a threat to anyone that could actually play. And…that room had many great players.

Somewhere in about 1992 or 93, someone bought the pool hall and “improved” it. Ripped the soul from the room and tried to make it a family-friendly place. Almost all of the regulars disappeared from the golden era and dispearsed to other rooms closer to where they lived.

Myself, I moved to FLA for school and wound up staying. I returned a few times, stepped into the hall but couldn’t stay for more than about 2 minutes.

Well, I decided it has been too long since I grabbed my cue, and am going to start playing again. We’ll see how that goes.

I would, however, like to see if anyone might remember the old days of Baldwin Billiards…I’d like to see if anyone had pics of the place back then, for memories sake.
Tim
MBL

 

[cardiac kid]

Tim,

Welcome to the wonderful world of AZ Billiards Forums.

My story was similar to yours except in different decades. Our old pool room owner decided to allow music to be played in the room. Horror of horrors. Music!!! New room opened across town and all of us "pool players" went to a new home. Happily, both rooms are still open twenty eight years later. Yep, both rooms have music playing. Guess well just have to adjust .

Lyn

 

[Moet.1977]

New

Welcome to AZ. Never been to your old pool hall but I'm sure you'll end up run in
to some old friends, or at least I hope you do, plus meet some new ones.

 

[BasementDweller]

Welcome to AZ. Nice introduction. I miss those old rooms.

 

[Cornerman]

Howdy all. My name is Tim, and I’m new to the forum, so I figured I’d introduce myself. Such is usually customary on many boards.

It’s been a loooong time since I’ve played a game of pool, but by most measures, I grew up in a pool hall. From about age 11 or 12, I was most often found at Baldwin Billiards in Baldwin NY. When I first visited, it was a room as you might expect to see in a movie about pool. A long bench across the front of the establishment where folks could sit and watch “important” games at the head table, and then there was the rest of the room ,vacant but for two vending machines selling stale Whatchamacallits. Of course, there were the tables, Brunswick Gold Crowns that had been there since the place opened, which I think was in 1962 or 64.

In the early years (prior to being 16) several of the mainstays would say they were my uncle so I could remain playing there without being kicked out by the cops. I remember there was Frank “the teacher” and Lester, that would do that for me. And so I learned to play decent enough to be known as someone that played a lot of pool, but certainly not good enough to be a threat to anyone that could actually play. And…that room had many great players.

Somewhere in about 1992 or 93, someone bought the pool hall and “improved” it. Ripped the soul from the room and tried to make it a family-friendly place. Almost all of the regulars disappeared from the golden era and dispearsed to other rooms closer to where they lived.

Myself, I moved to FLA for school and wound up staying. I returned a few times, stepped into the hall but couldn’t stay for more than about 2 minutes.

Well, I decided it has been too long since I grabbed my cue, and am going to start playing again. We’ll see how that goes.

I would, however, like to see if anyone might remember the old days of Baldwin Billiards…I’d like to see if anyone had pics of the place back then, for memories sake.
Tim
MBL

Welcome Tim.

Not quite the same experience, but similar pool hall in my area, Springfield, MA's Smith's Billiards. At the time it was the oldest continuously run pool hall, but it did close and restart. The pool hall was down a side street and you had to climb steps to get to their front door. It was in what today would be a warehouse really. They had 10' pool and billiard tables that slowly went from several to one to none. Sad. The antique house cues numbered in the hundreds if not thousand. But, on restart, this place turned into more of a sports bar, and I've not been back since.

Today, I"m in the St. Pete area, as I see you're in the Tampa area. Where do you shoot? Strokers? or in Tampa?

Best,

Freddie <~~~ youngest old schooler (with apologies to SJM)

 

[MBL]

I actually have no place to call home base...regrettably. I like Gold Crowns...and I think those are harder to find down here. I remember stepping into Baker's years ago. Forgot what they had. I know some places had Gandy's...not a fan of those much. I'm gonna be looking for a convenient place to shoot.
Tim
MBL

 

[cardiac kid]

Welcome Tim.

Not quite the same experience, but similar pool hall in my area, Springfield, MA's Smith's Billiards. At the time it was the oldest continuously run pool hall, but it did close and restart. The pool hall was down a side street and you had to climb steps to get to their front door. It was in what today would be a warehouse really. They had 10' pool and billiard tables that slowly went from several to one to none. Sad. The antique house cues numbered in the hundreds if not thousand. But, on restart, this place turned into more of a sports bar, and I've not been back since.

Today, I"m in the St. Pete area, as I see you're in the Tampa area. Where do you shoot? Strokers? or in Tampa?

Best,

Freddie <~~~ youngest old schooler (with apologies to SJM)

Fred,

For a moment, I thought you were describing Hessenney's in Rochester. Same climb up the stairs. Ten foot table right around the corner from the entrance. One or two other ten footers scattered around the room. Went from several to one to none as well before it closed. Ah for the old days and real pool tables :sorry: .

Lyn

 

[Ralph Kramden]

I spent many of my young years in a long gone room. Those years were before the Gold Crown tables were manufactured.
When I returned home from the military in '64 the pool room had been demolished, and is the location of our local City Hall.
.

 

[Cuebuddy]

Fred,

For a moment, I thought you were describing Hessenney's in Rochester. Same climb up the stairs. Ten foot table right around the corner from the entrance. One or two other ten footers scattered around the room. Went from several to one to none as well before it closed. Ah for the old days and real pool tables :sorry: .

Lyn

Interesting... I bought a old Brunswick cue rack in southern Maine about 15 years ago.
On the back of this rack was a name of where it belonged, it was Rochester but that's all I can recall.

I may have to take it off the wall to see if there was any more info.

 

[I Got Lucky]

I played there casually in the mid 90's. I also played once in a while at Cafe Royal in Farmingdale. Usually as a foursome on a date.

 

[Busboy]

Welcome to AZ :thumbup:

 

[MBL]

Thanks for the welcomes. I think back before the mid-90s and perhaps earlier, many locals had places such as these...they were there for pool, which in a way was recreation, but much more a way of life. Only in a place such as that can someone experience the silence brought to its knees by the religious crack of the break. Where, the count wire was still being used for straight pool...not that there is anything wrong with other games.

Each place had their characters which gave a uniqueness to the room, and for a while, when you were there, you were part of the cast, of what most certainly seemed like a James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson film.

Some of those cats had "names" like Mike "the hat" or Bobby C. "The truck driver" or Skyking...others had names that stood on their own merit...like Joe Basil...or Joe Bev...or Georgie...Teddy B.

So the allure for certain kids like myself at least partly was the real-life "noir" to it all. And for me, this is actually the part that I think I miss most, but the game, well to be good enough at the game where the Joe Bev's of the world are proud to know ya...there was always that.

I know I won't find what once was, but maybe I'll find something of it...more likely I'll find a place that serves wings...and fake cheesesteaks.

Thanks again!
Tim
MBL

 

[Donny Lutz]

The '50s

Thanks for the welcomes. I think back before the mid-90s and perhaps earlier, many locals had places such as these...they were there for pool, which in a way was recreation, but much more a way of life. Only in a place such as that can someone experience the silence brought to its knees by the religious crack of the break. Where, the count wire was still being used for straight pool...not that there is anything wrong with other games.

Each place had their characters which gave a uniqueness to the room, and for a while, when you were there, you were part of the cast, of what most certainly seemed like a James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson film.

Some of those cats had "names" like Mike "the hat" or Bobby C. "The truck driver" or Skyking...others had names that stood on their own merit...like Joe Basil...or Joe Bev...or Georgie...Teddy B.

So the allure for certain kids like myself at least partly was the real-life "noir" to it all. And for me, this is actually the part that I think I miss most, but the game, well to be good enough at the game where the Joe Bev's of the world are proud to know ya...there was always that.

I know I won't find what once was, but maybe I'll find something of it...more likely I'll find a place that serves wings...and fake cheesesteaks.

Thanks again!
Tim
MBL

My mother dragged me from Cleveland (where I lived and loved the birth of Rock & Roll) to La Crosse, Wisconsin (pop. 50,000) in 1955, where I began to bowl and play pool, instead of listening to "Moondog House" on WHK.

In 1956 there were nine pool halls in La X (Sheldon's Cigar Store, Ed's, Babe's, George's, Mickey's and the A & B are the ones I remember best) ...in less than a decade they were all gone. There were two new rooms with 9-foot tables, but one of them closed after a year, too. I still miss sneaking into those places to play as a teenager. The sounds, smells, and characters (especially Lefty, the Russian, Jack Hoffman and "Romie" - who racked balls at Sheldon's) are as clear in my mind as if they were yesterday.

The main reason they closed was that by the late '60s, virtually all of the one hundred bars in town had at least one bar table. I missed the 9-footers, but it was not a major concern as I made thousands in the bars playing for 1 or 2 bucks a game.

I still regret not buying one of those tables made in the first years of that century, and of course at least one or two of those wall cues that I played with.

 

[stevekur1]

Howdy all. My name is Tim, and I’m new to the forum, so I figured I’d introduce myself. Such is usually customary on many boards.

It’s been a loooong time since I’ve played a game of pool, but by most measures, I grew up in a pool hall. From about age 11 or 12, I was most often found at Baldwin Billiards in Baldwin NY. When I first visited, it was a room as you might expect to see in a movie about pool. A long bench across the front of the establishment where folks could sit and watch “important” games at the head table, and then there was the rest of the room ,vacant but for two vending machines selling stale Whatchamacallits. Of course, there were the tables, Brunswick Gold Crowns that had been there since the place opened, which I think was in 1962 or 64.

In the early years (prior to being 16) several of the mainstays would say they were my uncle so I could remain playing there without being kicked out by the cops. I remember there was Frank “the teacher” and Lester, that would do that for me. And so I learned to play decent enough to be known as someone that played a lot of pool, but certainly not good enough to be a threat to anyone that could actually play. And…that room had many great players.

Somewhere in about 1992 or 93, someone bought the pool hall and “improved” it. Ripped the soul from the room and tried to make it a family-friendly place. Almost all of the regulars disappeared from the golden era and dispearsed to other rooms closer to where they lived.

Myself, I moved to FLA for school and wound up staying. I returned a few times, stepped into the hall but couldn’t stay for more than about 2 minutes.

Well, I decided it has been too long since I grabbed my cue, and am going to start playing again. We’ll see how that goes.

I would, however, like to see if anyone might remember the old days of Baldwin Billiards…I’d like to see if anyone had pics of the place back then, for memories sake.
Tim
MBL

I am a long time friend of the former owner of Baldwin Billiards, he goes by the name of Billy Baldwin.

He still plays a real good game of 3 Cushion, he comes down to Bayshore Billiards from time to time to shoot a few games.

Baldwin Billiards has been closed for quite some time !!!

Welcome Back, and Welcome Aboard !!!
-Steve

 

[MBL]

I remember Billy! He likely doesn't remember me, but I'm sure he remembers the oldies like Frank "the teacher" Lester...and the like. Its been a while, but I think I remember the place getting sold to a former cop named Frank. Then it got renovated. I always loved the way the history was kept while Billy was the owner. For some reason I also remember the front bench getting sliced up to become smaller and purchased to be in homes of some of the players. I wish I had the mind to be part of that. I'd love to have a part of that old place.

It was "the" place for the real deal players back then. Ugh. I miss it. Sad to know its totally gone now.
Tim
MBL

 

[ROB.M]

Post

Awesome, happy to see new members with real drive. Welcome to AZB, enjoy the perks of the gold membership- there is a history vault you get access to with that membership/ check it out.



Rob.M

 

[stevekur1]

I remember Billy! He likely doesn't remember me, but I'm sure he remembers the oldies like Frank "the teacher" Lester...and the like. Its been a while, but I think I remember the place getting sold to a former cop named Frank. Then it got renovated. I always loved the way the history was kept while Billy was the owner. For some reason I also remember the front bench getting sliced up to become smaller and purchased to be in homes of some of the players. I wish I had the mind to be part of that. I'd love to have a part of that old place.

It was "the" place for the real deal players back then. Ugh. I miss it. Sad to know its totally gone now.
Tim
MBL

Frank "the Teacher" may he rest in peace passed away a few years ago.

he was a very pleasent man, many fond memories of him.

-Steve

 

[MBL]

Sad to hear. Frank, yes, he was a special guy. Really took me under his wing back then. He almost never played. He like to watch what was going on. But the dude could play very well. I suspect that many of those guys had passed. They were up in years when I was there a long time ago. Oh and who could forget Charlie Gibel? My mom actually bought me lessons with Charlie. It seems that you may have known some of the same guys.

It would be neat to see if Billy has any pictures of the room, and any of those guys from back then. We didn't have the cell phone cameras like we do now, otherwise I would surely have pics of those guys.
Tim
MBL

 

[stevekur1]

Sad to hear. Frank, yes, he was a special guy. Really took me under his wing back then. He almost never played. He like to watch what was going on. But the dude could play very well. I suspect that many of those guys had passed. They were up in years when I was there a long time ago. Oh and who could forget Charlie Gibel? My mom actually bought me lessons with Charlie. It seems that you may have known some of the same guys.

It would be neat to see if Billy has any pictures of the room, and any of those guys from back then. We didn't have the cell phone cameras like we do now, otherwise I would surely have pics of those guys.
Tim
MBL

Charlie Gibel may he rest in peace passed around 10 years ago, Charlie was a great man. Taught me a bunch back in the day when I played at Liesure Time Billiards I. Levittown. I used to love when Charlie would pencil out a layout on a piece of paper and say "let's say this was the table" lol. I miss him a bunch.

I will talk to Billy when I see him to see if he has some photo's

You probably also rember Billy the Greek. Ran into him a few weeks ago at Lindenhurst Billiards. KC's old place. Looks like he hasn't aged a bit...but he's still fishin !!!

Steve

 

[MBL]

Oh my God! Billy the Greek! He was always covered in paint! I assume from work. I figured Charlie was gone too. I seem to remember him getting open heart surgery way back. His brother Ira was my health class teacher in Oceanside High School. Man do we know the same folks or what!

Teddy...was a monster in my day. I think he made his own 8 point cue as well. Wonder if he's still around?
Billy the Greek...hell yeah! Bringing back the memories!
Tim
MBL