I knew them when???????

[cueball1950]

just thought i would start a new post on something i don't remember seeing here before. tell us about a known player before they became known.

my story has to do with Jeanette Lee. Jeanette went to college in Buffalo where she met and hung around with a local kid named Adam Wheeler. Adam now plays out of Florida and was picked to play in the IPT. Anyway, now this is before she became famous by a couple of years, Adam brings her to our friendly Wednesday night handicapped tournament which she won in style. She then comes back a month or so later and don't she win it again a 2nd time. I guess the owner did not know how to rate her properly. But he learned his lesson.She was a great person to be around and meet. But she was also fiercly competitive as well. Well thats my short story. Tell us yours for all to read........................mike

 

[CaptainHook]

Bump.......

 

[breakup]

I went to college in Southern Illinois in the early 80s. A pool playing friend and I were drinking beer and BSing one night. He played pretty good pool but did not know any names or keep up with players, he just played pool. Anyway one night we were drinking beer and telling stories and he comes up with this one.

When he was much younger (he was about 30 at this time) he was playing at a bowling alley in his home town of Kankakee IL. He said this guy came in and wanted to play some for 50 cents a game 9 ball. This new guy breaks and runs five racks. He said he was so mad he stiffed the guy for the $2.50 and left. He said “I still remember this guys name after all these years ...it was BUDDY HALL” Even as he told me this he had never heard of Buddy Hall aside from that one encounter. I filled him in on who he stiffed out of two and a half bucks.

 

[Williebetmore]

In the early 70's I and my roommate at IU played in the ACU bridge tournaments; held several times a year at various colleges throughout the midwest. We were given meal money, a university car, and hotel room. On one occasion we had to take along the "IU pool team", which turned out to be a big, gregarious guy named Arch Campbell.

Arch was a great guy, gregarious, with tremendous stories about his days as a jig and fixture maker in the factories around Hammond/Gary (he quit to go back and get a college education). He was a great pool player (always took his shoes off and played in socks), and just stomped everybody at IU.

At the tournament we had time to watch Arch just crush several opponents (still straight pool to 100 at that time). In the semi-finals he was matched up against a skinny little guy with unruly hair, and gap-toothed smile. Arch opened up with 20 or 30 off the opening break, played safe, then sat and watched for about an hour and a half, the little guy ran out in 2 or 3 innings, and Arch never had anything more to shoot at.

We asked Arch if his opponent got lucky; he responded, "no, I was the one that got lucky, I've never scored more than 10 balls against that guy." Nick Varner of Purdue could REALLY play - he had no serious competition on the college level.

 

[StraightPoolIU]

Purdue should really be more proud of Nick Varner. They should have asked him to be on the basketball team so at least they had somebody who knew how to win.

 

[DangleShot]

just thought i would start a new post on something i don't remember seeing here before. tell us about a known player before they became known.

my story has to do with Jeanette Lee. Jeanette went to college in Buffalo where she met and hung around with a local kid named Adam Wheeler. Adam now plays out of Florida and was picked to play in the IPT. Anyway, now this is before she became famous by a couple of years, Adam brings her to our friendly Wednesday night handicapped tournament which she won in style. She then comes back a month or so later and don't she win it again a 2nd time. I guess the owner did not know how to rate her properly. But he learned his lesson.She was a great person to be around and meet. But she was also fiercly competitive as well. Well thats my short story. Tell us yours for all to read........................mike

I was at SUNY at Buffalo at the same time and played against Adam a few times. I didn't know Jeanette Lee went there also.
Sorry for the reply 15 years later if that's uncouth ;-)

 

[michael4]

I was at SUNY at Buffalo at the same time and played against Adam a few times. I didn't know Jeanette Lee went there also.
Sorry for the reply 15 years later if that's uncouth ;-)

well, since you mentioned it, its kinda rude if you dont respond to someone's post within ten years.....

 

[JAM]

well, since you mentioned it, its kinda rude if you dont respond to someone's post within ten years.....

Just so you all know, cueball1950's name is Mike Peabody, and he passed away a few years ago. He was a joy to be around and loved, loved, loved pool. He was the ultimate railbird, like me. Mike is depicted on the left with his arm around Keith McCready.

 

[pt109]

I knew Adam Wheeler from his student days...he was a good kid...and could play.
...pretty sure I talked to Mike Peabody around the old Empire State tour.
I can still hear his voice...kindness and enthusiasm.

 

[Black-Balled]

And I ~know adam from more recent FL days.

What happened?!

Lol. Good dude!

 

[Z-Nole]

I’ve got a weird Jeanette Lee story. I was flying back from god knows where on a Southwest flight. It was pretty empty so I moved to the back so I could stretch out and pop in a one pocket cd. As I was watching it the flight attendant keep coming by asking if I needed anything. After the third or so time she sat next to me and asked if I was a professional pool player. Wanting to impress her of course I said no, I’m a Doctor. She then pulled her laptop out and asked if I knew the girl who she just went to Hawaii with the week before. I told her I wasn’t sure and I should probably look at more photos of Jeanette in her bathing suit at the beach. Turns out this flight attendant grew up with Jeanette and had just gone to Hawaii with the entire Lee/Breedlove family. We sat for the rest of the flight and talked leaving everyone in the last twenty isles with no peanuts.

 

[cueman]

Back when Johnny Archer was a teenager another local player turned to me and said, "mark my words, Johnny Archer will be world champion one day." Neither one of us knew it would happen so soon afterwards. Johnny was the most confident sober player I had ever seen when he was a teenager.

 

[Cuaba]

About 15 years ago I finished 3rd in a Joss tour event and there had also been a junior event going on at the same time. One of the junior players came up to me and asked if I wanted to gamble. We ended up playing $20 races to 5 at 9 Ball and I won 2 sets & he quit. I could tell he was gonna be a good player, so I asked what his name was. It was Billy Thorpe.

 

[PoolFan101]

Does anyone have any stories with A Willie Mosconi or a Minnesota Fats encounter.

 

[Bob Jewett]

I knew Kim Davenport when he was 18 and played at Terry Stonier's tournaments in Sacramento. We played about even and he spotted me the call 8, which I managed to win at. Then he got better.

I first saw Cole Dickson when he was 16 or so. He came to the Blue Cue in Berkeley to play Bucktooth some nine ball. Cole won at that and 'Tooth wanted to change the game to one pocket, which Cole did not play yet so he declined. There was also some talk of one-handed, but Cole declined another of 'Tooth's specialties. They played many times after that.

 

[3kushn]

Does anyone have any stories with A Willie Mosconi or a Minnesota Fats encounter.

Island Drive is really your guy for Fats stories. But ...... Here's 2 I've mentioned before here.

1975 was the World 9Ball Championship in Burlington IA. Fats was scheduled to give an exhibition one night. Keep in mind, not only was players like Island Drive entered but Rempe (who won) Miz (2nd) but Lassiter, Balsis, Crane? I believe? Many Many others. Well Meucci gave Fats a cue to use for his show which always included several wing shots. Well Fats is having problems and the hoots, hollers and cat calls came from all around the arena. Fats puts the Muecci on the bridge rack, calls for bets, picks up his Rambow and then the crowd became silent for some reason.

Another time he's in the Student Center @ SIU in Carbondale, IL giving another exhibition. Right in the middle of it and over the PA system, the Counter Man blares out. "Does anyone here own a Cadillac that's parked on the sidewalk? If its not moved immediately Campus Police will have it towed!!" Fats stands straight up from his shot, hits the butt of his cue on the carpet, does his head twitch, looks at the Counter Man, another head twitch, and tells him to "Call the Mayor!!" Twitch. . Twitch "If he doesn't answer the phone, he'll be lucky if he's Dog Catcher by tomorrow morning." Couple more twitches, and a lonnnngg stare. Fats then resumes his routine without further interuption.

 

[chuckg]

I was in a bar in Lexington Ohio and saw Keith M wailing on one local after another for 5 a game.This was when a beer was 50 cents.I asked him quietly do these people know who you are? I drank a lot of free beer that night

 

[Z-Nole]

I use to work at the pool hall where Donny Mills started playing. I remember when if he had ball in hand on the seven he would roll the nine. I go off to college then took a job down in South Florida for a few years and come back and he's a world beater.

 

[PoolFan101]

They had a Big Tournament at the Continental Inn back in the 90’s. I was standing at the Desk waiting on a Friend of Mine when to my Right I noticed Jeanette Lee was standing right beside me checking in. I said to her “ Hey you are Jeannette Lee “ and she replied “ That’s Right “ then I said “ They call you the Bkack Widow “ and She smiled and said “ They Do “ and picked up her Luggage and winked at me and walked on. I also got to meet Earl Strickland, Nick Varner , Johnny Archer.

 

[maha]

so for fats. well he comes into this little town and is on the radio promoting this breakfast joint. how he got that on i dont know.
but i knew why he was in town. to beat the worlds biggest producer that has ever lived. this was before the pool world all found out about him. only a few did and won of course but not what they should. i was about burned out with the guy by then.
so go i find fats. as i did know him a little. and cut in. after we had breakfast as it was free there and he ate four of them original joe's omelets with all the fixings, he said why, and i said because you will only win four figures or a small five figures. i can guarantee a decent 6 as i know what to do. and get paid in full. as we had to play on the wire for most of it. he said lets go sonny.
fats followed the routine to a tee. and cut up a huge one and he made everything good and said thanks. never saw him again.