wow, i didn't know the author of that book was a forum regular. i borrowed that book, a fascinating life story from vaudeville to world championships! thanks for your contribution to pool literature.
Ralph Greenleaf
- Thread starter measureman
- Start date
wow, i didn't know the author of that book was a forum regular. i borrowed that book, a fascinating life story from vaudeville to world championships! thanks for your contribution to pool literature.
4-6 hours was common for a Taberski match to 125. It was a disaster for the room owners who put on exhibitions as spectators often demanded a refund before the match ended. And also for Brunswick who arranged many of these exhibitions.
Who invented One Pocket is one of the central questions that will be covered in depth in the article. You're right that Lingo is generally credited with inventing One Pocket but I've found a lot of exciting new material in my research of the game's early days. All I can say is, the whole story is more complicated (and interesting) than that.
I'll post a link to the article here once it's published on OnePocket.org. I hope everybody who's interested will check it out.
What @measureman posted is the most reliable history that's been available up to now. Steve Booth who operates the OnePocket.org site compiled that information through extensive interviews with Hall of Famers over many years. I'm working with Steve on publishing the article on his site. There are definitely some new revelations that expand on any information we've had before about the game's history.
Last edited:
phreaticus
Well-known member
Ditto to that
@kling&allen - I just purchased a copy off Amazon, via your signature link. Any chance on getting you to sign it for me?
Cheers & Thx
Often heard expression: The only guy who beat Greenleaf sober was Greenleaf himself, the only guy who beat him when he was drunk was Mosconi.
Great respect for the play of Greenleaf- he would have been a top player in any era- superb talent for the game!
Great respect for the play of Greenleaf- he would have been a top player in any era- superb talent for the game!
I think the secret to playing drunk is practicing drunk. When you have a problem it is a problem.
Also you have to appreciate what road life is like in that era. It’s not like you have the resources available then that we have now to help with addictions, mental health, coping, or support systems. It’s like a rock star lifestyle without the option for rehab.
I had a roommate in college that always said as long as he takes the test high he can get high while studying. Seemed to work for him.
Thanks for the link. It can be purchased for 99 cents right now (digital version).
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It’s been said that while Greenleaf and Mosconi were touring the nation competing in head to head exhibition matches,
over dinner one evening, Willie and Ralph were discussing what it took to be a winner, a real champion. When Willie got
around to asking him how he approached a match, Ralph told him that you have to be ruthless. When you stab a man in the heart, always make sure you always twist the blade before taking it out. Willie never asked him again and just adopted it.
over dinner one evening, Willie and Ralph were discussing what it took to be a winner, a real champion. When Willie got
around to asking him how he approached a match, Ralph told him that you have to be ruthless. When you stab a man in the heart, always make sure you always twist the blade before taking it out. Willie never asked him again and just adopted it.
Willie says in his autobiography that Ralph played every game of pool like it was the world championship--there was no such thing as a "friendly" game that didn't matter.
psychologists call that state dependent memory- it is easier to recall information if your state of consciousness matches the state of encoding
According to the story, it was just on one ball. At the end of 20 minutes of deliberation, Taberski shot the obvious safety. The crowd was not pleased.
I'm sure he didn't take more than two or three minutes per ball on most shots.
Jayson Shaw, on the other hand, ran a rack in his record run in under two minutes, including racking.
I should practice and play drunk because doing it straight isn't working.
Mosconi certainly took that to heart. What's that quote where he said that if he played his own mother and was way ahead and she was in the negative, he'd try to win by more?
Yes I think that is in his autobiography. Here is a link if anyone is looking for more holiday reading:
After you shoot, stab, behead your opponet, give them a good kick in the ass as you walk away
and remain calm through it all, a winning formula.
My friend use to say,,,What size coffin should I order for this guy.
You're either ruthless or you're not.
and remain calm through it all, a winning formula.
My friend use to say,,,What size coffin should I order for this guy.
You're either ruthless or you're not.
In case someone buys that copy, here are a bunch of other copies starting at under $7:
AddALL used book and out of print book finder
One-click to search and compare book price among thousands of booksellers by using AddALL.com
www.addall.com