Keith McCready Alive and Kickin'
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That was a great article! Keith was an amazing player back in the day. He was a top tier player from the time he was a teenager.
I appreciate the kind words about Keith. Most people who know him—I mean really, really know him—from the early days until today are well aware of the kind of heart he has as a man. Through all his ups and downs and all around, he's still a popular pool personality today, even though his cue stick will remain in its case. If you read the article, it explains why.
It’s worth mentioning that Michael Phillips Geffner wrote this Billiards Digest (BD) article and spent countless hours on the phone with both Keith and me over several weeks. He is meticulous when it comes to facts, constantly texting to confirm dates, names, and details, because he wants every piece he writes to be the best it can be as well as accurate.. That’s the kind of journalist he is.
His credentials speak for themselves: Recognized seven times in Best American Sports Writing, named Best Sports Writer by New York Press in 1990, awarded 1st place by SPJ (NJ) for magazine profile writing in 2000, and voted among the nation’s best sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2005. His poem “Everywhere” has also been published in two anthologies. Over the years, he has interviewed President Nixon (twice), and written long-form profiles on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dennis Hopper, Roger Clemens, Forest Whitaker, and many other iconic figures.
What some may not know is that Michael was a regular in the New York City pool scene back in the day. He wasn’t just an outsider looking in. He was in the mix, spending time around legends like CJ Wiley, Ginky, Frankie Hernandez, Gypsy, Spanish Pete, Mike Zuglan, Jeanette Lee, and many others. They even gave him a nickname: “The Sportswriter.” That tells you all you need to know.
He speaks the language, too. He understands the rhythm, the jargon, the culture. Talking to him about pool was fun. Real fun. The kind of conversation where you know you’re talking to someone who’s actually lived it, not just covered it. He’s shared some incredible stories from those days, stories that stick with you.
Personally, given his longstanding contributions to print pool media—including his recent articles in BD about Mika Immonen and California Congresswoman Laura Friedman, along with many others over the years—I believe he would be an excellent candidate for the BCA Hall of Fame.
And now, he’s taken that same creative energy in a different direction, working in music on Broadway. Just goes to show, the man knows how to evolve without ever losing who he is.
This is Michael Phillips Geffner today.
It’s worth mentioning that Michael Phillips Geffner wrote this Billiards Digest (BD) article and spent countless hours on the phone with both Keith and me over several weeks. He is meticulous when it comes to facts, constantly texting to confirm dates, names, and details, because he wants every piece he writes to be the best it can be as well as accurate.. That’s the kind of journalist he is.
His credentials speak for themselves: Recognized seven times in Best American Sports Writing, named Best Sports Writer by New York Press in 1990, awarded 1st place by SPJ (NJ) for magazine profile writing in 2000, and voted among the nation’s best sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2005. His poem “Everywhere” has also been published in two anthologies. Over the years, he has interviewed President Nixon (twice), and written long-form profiles on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dennis Hopper, Roger Clemens, Forest Whitaker, and many other iconic figures.
What some may not know is that Michael was a regular in the New York City pool scene back in the day. He wasn’t just an outsider looking in. He was in the mix, spending time around legends like CJ Wiley, Ginky, Frankie Hernandez, Gypsy, Spanish Pete, Mike Zuglan, Jeanette Lee, and many others. They even gave him a nickname: “The Sportswriter.” That tells you all you need to know.
He speaks the language, too. He understands the rhythm, the jargon, the culture. Talking to him about pool was fun. Real fun. The kind of conversation where you know you’re talking to someone who’s actually lived it, not just covered it. He’s shared some incredible stories from those days, stories that stick with you.
Personally, given his longstanding contributions to print pool media—including his recent articles in BD about Mika Immonen and California Congresswoman Laura Friedman, along with many others over the years—I believe he would be an excellent candidate for the BCA Hall of Fame.
And now, he’s taken that same creative energy in a different direction, working in music on Broadway. Just goes to show, the man knows how to evolve without ever losing who he is.
This is Michael Phillips Geffner today.
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When BD Publisher Michael Panozzo first came to me about this article, I was timid. My first instinct was to protect Keith, to keep certain things private, because once you open that door, you don’t get to control what walks through it. But the truth is, there’s a lot to Keith. And only the people who truly know him—I mean really know him—understand the kind of man he is off the table. He has a huge heart that some may have never seen. Some only remember the “Stu Ungar of pool” and not the man I’ve come to know. He's lived a rough, complicated life long before he ever met me. I had to step back and realize this isn’t about protecting an image. It’s about telling the truth, about him, and about the journey that shaped his life.
I give a lot of credit to Michael Panozzo. He didn’t shy away from any of it. He let the story be told the way it needed to be told by hiring Michael Phillips Geffner to write the article, and he gave Keith something that doesn’t come easy in this game. Real recognition. For an old-school player who paid his dues the hard way, that means everything. It’s an honor.
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised to see it make the cover of Billiards Digest, the feature article, to boot. Wow! I had no idea until it was published that it was the cover story. I only got my copy a few days ago in the mail.
But wait, there's more. The From the Publisher article in this March edition of Billiards Digest, Michael Panozzo shared his thoughts entitled "March: Overdue but Worth the Wait": https://www.billiardsdigest.com/showblogentry.php?id=638
I give a lot of credit to Michael Panozzo. He didn’t shy away from any of it. He let the story be told the way it needed to be told by hiring Michael Phillips Geffner to write the article, and he gave Keith something that doesn’t come easy in this game. Real recognition. For an old-school player who paid his dues the hard way, that means everything. It’s an honor.
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised to see it make the cover of Billiards Digest, the feature article, to boot. Wow! I had no idea until it was published that it was the cover story. I only got my copy a few days ago in the mail.
But wait, there's more. The From the Publisher article in this March edition of Billiards Digest, Michael Panozzo shared his thoughts entitled "March: Overdue but Worth the Wait": https://www.billiardsdigest.com/showblogentry.php?id=638
Rusty in Montana
Well-known member
You also have a quality for writing a good story Jam ! I like many others enjoy it a great deal even if I for one may not always say it I mean to ha ha .
As there's so many great stories out there waiting to be shared with those who are willing to take the time really listen and let them sink in to be repeated over and over again .
I've always felt that stories like that make up the rich past help expand the future of the sport to a wider audience .
Case in point NASCAR basically got its start because of illegal booze and a thirsty public ha ha yes I know its quite a reach for pool to reach that level but one can dream .
As there's so many great stories out there waiting to be shared with those who are willing to take the time really listen and let them sink in to be repeated over and over again .
I've always felt that stories like that make up the rich past help expand the future of the sport to a wider audience .
Case in point NASCAR basically got its start because of illegal booze and a thirsty public ha ha yes I know its quite a reach for pool to reach that level but one can dream .
Listening to the podcasts posted above, 4 part interview. Great stuff!
JAM,
I wouldn't worry too much about any perceived negativity. The folks who look back at Keith's heyday, and see nothing but the blind side, are generally cursed with an incurable case of "presentism."
Yes Keith had his "vices." That being said, I doubt he was sitting alone in light traffic. In my opinion Keith will always be the epitome of "the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts."
I still find myself watching old matches between Keith and Buddy, Keith and Efren, Keith and Earl, etc. Those battles will stand the test of time. Long after we leave this rock, and without question, "The Earthquake" will be remembered.
Much love.
j2
Thanks to everyone for the kind words about Keith. It truly means a lot. Recognition like this for an old-school player is worth more than gold.
When Billiards Digest sent a photographer to our home, I had no idea it would be someone so accomplished, someone who’s covered major events and even flown on Air Force One with the press pool. It turned out to be Pete Marovich, who just happens to be a player himself. Here is his website: Pete Marovich Images.
The other day, my daughter and I were driving to Costco when she told me something and asked me not to tell Keith. And here I am, sharing it anyway on the biggest pool forum in the world. Pete took Keith to Larry Steele's Quball 1 Billiards for part of the shoot. It’s a real pool room with serious players, no distractions. I stayed home with our dog, Ducky. She said Keith got a little emotional on the phone with her and said it hit him at that day on the photo shoot in the pool room just how much his macular degeneration has progressed. He missed shots he used to make with his eyes closed. He never told me that, and when she shared it with me, it broke my heart.
What Michael Phillips Geffner captured in the article is exactly where Keith is today, doing everything he can to stay healthy and make the most of this chapter. Pool will always be in his heart. But these days, life looks a little different. He jokes that Whole Foods is about as far as we travel, and he’s not wrong. Through the challenges and letting go of some of the things that once made him jolly, he’s found a new high, a quieter kind of happiness. Keith McCready played the game at the highest level. Now he’s playing a different one and still finding a way to win. Different table now, same heart.
When Billiards Digest sent a photographer to our home, I had no idea it would be someone so accomplished, someone who’s covered major events and even flown on Air Force One with the press pool. It turned out to be Pete Marovich, who just happens to be a player himself. Here is his website: Pete Marovich Images.
The other day, my daughter and I were driving to Costco when she told me something and asked me not to tell Keith. And here I am, sharing it anyway on the biggest pool forum in the world. Pete took Keith to Larry Steele's Quball 1 Billiards for part of the shoot. It’s a real pool room with serious players, no distractions. I stayed home with our dog, Ducky. She said Keith got a little emotional on the phone with her and said it hit him at that day on the photo shoot in the pool room just how much his macular degeneration has progressed. He missed shots he used to make with his eyes closed. He never told me that, and when she shared it with me, it broke my heart.
What Michael Phillips Geffner captured in the article is exactly where Keith is today, doing everything he can to stay healthy and make the most of this chapter. Pool will always be in his heart. But these days, life looks a little different. He jokes that Whole Foods is about as far as we travel, and he’s not wrong. Through the challenges and letting go of some of the things that once made him jolly, he’s found a new high, a quieter kind of happiness. Keith McCready played the game at the highest level. Now he’s playing a different one and still finding a way to win. Different table now, same heart.
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Rusty in Montana
Well-known member
Thank you Jam for the additional footnote to the story ! As we all work our way towards the " Golden Years " it's sad that different aspects of our lives are affected differently and how it can make what once was simple now is more difficult .
The bottom line is to fallow one of my favorite military sayings which is to " Adapt and Overcome " if I may offer a suggestion what about Keith doing color commentary for one of the broadcast companies as he still has a lifetime worth of knowledge and then some of the game if that would be of interest ?
I for one would tune in to listen to what he had to say as I'm certain many others would as well ! Its just a thought from a rambling fella from Montana who loves the game of pool and its color full past and hopefully bright future which I think Keith could continue to be a part of if he so desired to go after .
The bottom line is to fallow one of my favorite military sayings which is to " Adapt and Overcome " if I may offer a suggestion what about Keith doing color commentary for one of the broadcast companies as he still has a lifetime worth of knowledge and then some of the game if that would be of interest ?
I for one would tune in to listen to what he had to say as I'm certain many others would as well ! Its just a thought from a rambling fella from Montana who loves the game of pool and its color full past and hopefully bright future which I think Keith could continue to be a part of if he so desired to go after .
no way did einstein say that. that's another thing attributed to him he never could have said.
he believed the universe was static not infinite.
JAM,
I could even see Keith joining Scott Frost’s podcast remotely once a month for
“Stories from the Earthquake”.
By the way, Keith’s article followed by your wonderful recaps here have been the best read
in a long, long time. I’m in my late 70’s now, and can deeply appreciate the journey.
Thanks to both of you.
Will Prout
I could even see Keith joining Scott Frost’s podcast remotely once a month for
“Stories from the Earthquake”.
By the way, Keith’s article followed by your wonderful recaps here have been the best read
in a long, long time. I’m in my late 70’s now, and can deeply appreciate the journey.
Thanks to both of you.
Will Prout
I think it was the magnitude of his ups and downs that made his story so important to tell. Everybody knows that he was a legendary talent at the pooltable and everybody knows that he had many demons to overcome, the kind some never manage to overcome. For many like me, learning that he has managed to find such a stable and tranquil life is inspirational, and the role you played in making that happen is a story well told.
Study history and learn. Quit being silly, or trying to be funny.
I sure enjoyed reading that article and it brought back a lot of adventurous memories. I had heard long ago Keith had found a good partner in Jennie and had embraced a healthy lifestyle on the East Coast. I was out of pool from mid 1985 until mid 2001 as I needed to build a sober life foundation. Since I attend most years since, I thought I would run into Keith at SBE but never did. 1983 to early 1985 I hung around Bob's Billiards and the Orange County Sports Arena (Ronnie Allen was the house pro) with Keith, Dickie Renk, Billy Trask and Jeff "Little Man" Patterson. One day a call came into Bob's that there was an action game at the Orange County Sports Arena. A group of us including Keith went over there to see what was going on. We brieflly sweated Little Sergio playing what I thought was another Mexican dude playing one handed jacked up 9 ball. Turned out to be Efren. Lol. I had a lot of fun but I'm grateful to have survived those wild times--including almost drowing in the American River on a trip up to Great American Billiards (Now Hardtimes) in Sacramento with the Bob's Billiard's crew. It's heartwarming to hear Keith and Jennie are doing so well these days! Martin
That is a cool story. Efren in the house! California was rocking and rolling in pool during this time.
Back in that era, there was a player known as "Charlie the Ape," a name that still echoes around old pool circles. He was a presence, one of those pool characters people remembered. When Keith was just a young gun, out on the road in the Midwest, Ronnie Allen set a game up between Keith and Minnesota Fats. Fats was curious how the young gun shot. Charlie the Ape was also in the house and shared a room with Keith and Ronnie. Fats and Keith played for a nickel a game, and Keith won eight dimes’ worth. It was a fun exhibition, though. The entire house was rooting for Fats, and Keith said he's be rooting for Fats too if he wasn't in action. Keith said he was laughing just as much as the railbirds, watching Fats put on a show. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Fats paid him off in $500 bills, but not just any bills. He signed every single one of them as he handed them over and not a stamped signature either. He knew exactly what that meant to a young player like Keith. Those bills weren’t just money; they were history. Priceless. And then they were gone. When Keith and Ronnie woke up the next morning, Charlie the Ape and Keith’s winnings were missing, and those signed bills were never seen again.
Fast forward years later, Keith and I are living in D.C., and out of nowhere, we get a call from a police department in California. They’re working a cold case and want to fly out to question Keith. Now I am thinking if they’re spending that kind of money to come across the country, this can’t be small. A week later, two detectives show up at our door. I checked their credentials before letting them in. Turns out, they were investigating the murder of Charlie the Ape. He had been found shot to death in a car years earlier, and the case had gone cold.
The court reporter in me, I recorded the whole conversation, with their permission, which lasted about an hour in my living room. I was wondering if there was something in Keith's past that I was not aware of, like murder. They asked Keith why they called him "Charlie the Ape.” Without missing a beat, Keith stands up and starts walking around the room like an ape, demonstrating exactly how the nickname came about. One detective put his hand over his mouth, as he couldn't control his laughter at Keith's demonstration. The other one chuckled. The rest of the conversation from there on in was more lax after that exhibition.
They left, and we never heard from them again. Later, I learned they had been reaching out to other pool players in California from that era, trying to piece things together. If memory serves me right, Mary Kenniston told me she was questioned too. Life on the road back then, it wasn’t just about the game. It was stories like this, some funny, some unbelievable, and some that never quite find their ending.
Keith still talks to Jeff Patterson every single day, who lives out in the Palm Springs area. He’s lucky to still have pool buddies from days gone by. A lot of the old crew is gone now. But the stories? They’re still very much alive
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