Jimmy Caras Anecdote

Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Originally posted by my father awhile ago, but he recently updated it. Hope you like it:

CARAS RUNS 100

It was a bitter cold, windy night in Ithaca, New York in the fall of 1948. At the Student Union in Cornell University a crowd of about 60 students and a few faculty had gathered in a large room containing a dozen pool tables to see an exhibition by Jimmy Caras. A freezing Canadian winter wind was hurtling down Lake Cayuga and across the campus as Jimmy arrived with his “manager,” both wearing heavy coats, scarfs, gloves, hats – the works.
The manager made the following startling announcement in a loud voice: “Mr. Caras will now run 100 balls.” You could hear a distinct murmur spread across the room. Meanwhile Jimmy has removed his coat and is screwing his cue together, still not saying a word. I figured that he just didn’t speak English which is why the manager had made that announcement. A hush then descended on the crowd.
I don’t think the whole thing took more than 15 minutes. He never took a practice shot – just broke the balls and started running. The manager counted off the score and announced the next ball to be pocketed, as they used to do in tournaments. When Caras hit 100 the whole place burst into wild applause. He bowed to the crowd, unscrewed the cue, put it into its case and disappeared into the night, again without saying a word. A really amazing moment for all of us neophytes who had never seen anything like it.

John White
 
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MCP

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JC 100 and out

Those guys back then were at a level I don't think will ever see again in 14.1 ---
Nice Post -- old school stuff
MCP
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
My father has posted this short story before, but updated it recently. Hope you like it:

CARAS RUNS 100

It was a bitter cold, windy night in Ithaca, New York in the fall of 1948. At the Student Union in Cornell University a crowd of about 60 students and a few faculty had gathered in a large room containing a dozen pool tables to see an exhibition by Jimmy Caras. A freezing Canadian winter wind was hurtling down Lake Cayuga and across the campus as Jimmy arrived with his “manager,” both wearing heavy coats, scarfs, gloves, hats – the works.
The manager made the following startling announcement in a loud voice: “Mr. Caras will now run 100 balls.” You could hear a distinct murmur spread across the room. Meanwhile Jimmy has removed his coat and is screwing his cue together, still not saying a word. I figured that he just didn’t speak English which is why the manager had made that announcement. A hush then descended on the crowd.
I don’t think the whole thing took more than 15 minutes. He never took a practice shot – just broke the balls and started running. The manager counted off the score and announced the next ball to be pocketed, as they used to do in tournaments. When Caras hit 100 the whole place burst into wild applause. He bowed to the crowd, unscrewed the cue, put it into its case and disappeared into the night, again without saying a word. A really amazing moment for all of us neophytes who had never seen anything like it.

John White

Both he and Mosconi were amazing that way. They never failed to run 100 or more in any exhibition! These were the masters of 14.1, along with Crane and Cranfield at that time. I saw Jimmy in 1963 at Oklahoma U. He had been retired from tournament pool about ten years but vowed to come back and play again, saying these new guys weren't that good. A year or so later (at age 57) he entered the U.S. Open Straight Pool and won! You can look it up.
 

MVPCues

AzB Silver Member
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Both he and Mosconi were amazing that way. They never failed to run 100 or more in any exhibition! These were the masters of 14.1, along with Crane and Cranfield at that time. I saw Jimmy in 1963 at Oklahoma U. He had been retired from tournament pool about ten years but vowed to come back and play again, saying these new guys weren't that good. A year or so later (at age 57) he entered the U.S. Open Straight Pool and won! You can look it up.

Jay, you give anyone the breaks and last 4 (and run over them) when it comes to billiard lore and knowledge of noteworthy players.

Thanks to the OP for a neat post. I can image the whole scence from the description.
 

Bob Jewett

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Those guys back then were at a level I don't think will ever see again in 14.1 --- Nice Post -- old school stuff MCP
Well, maybe. At this last BCA Trade Show in Louisville, John Schmidt was in the Championship Cloth booth trying some straight pool on cloth that had a US Marines motif printed on it. I got to rack for him. 179 on his third try. The previous time I racked for John at a trade show, he had a 182 and I think it was his first try.

I think we will see a lot less of 14.1 unless a miracle happens and it becomes a major championship game again.

A Caras story.... In 1998 I was in Jacksonville for a week and I had heard that Jimmy Caras was living there with his daughter. I called him up and he agreed to meet me at the pool hall and give me a lesson. He was 90 at the time. He mentioned that he had managed a run of 37 recently. The lesson was largely about ball order, but what I mostly remember is the amazing action he got on the cue ball on the standard side-of-the-rack break shots. And the lessons were $20/hour and he apologized for charging that much.
 

14-1StraightMan

High Run 127
Silver Member
I heard many stories about Jimmy Caras from my mentor Leroy Kinman..... He, Jimmy, Mosconi & the wives were all good friends. From the Old School stories that were told to me, Jimmy Caras was a beautiful person when playing the game and in Life.
 

Nostroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I heard he taught Corey quite a bit when they both lived in Philly.

So Corey will likely be the last great pool player to have a real connection to the 'Mosconi Era' players maybe
 
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Bob Jewett

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Caras published a trick shot booklet in 1948 that was in print in several editions through 1980. Here are some scans from the 1948 version:

Front cover:
Caras 001.jpg

Back cover with Mosconi and Charlie Peterson:
Caras 002.jpg

Bio:
Caras 004.jpg
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've never heard anything but good about Jimmy Caras! I met Mosconi more than once but never got to meet Caras.
 

measureman

AzB Silver Member
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If Mosconi and Crane did not exist would we be talking about Jimmy as the best of his era?
Heres a story I got second hand.
Jimmy was selling billiards supplies at one time for i think Blatt out of NYC.
He stops in at a pool room in Belmar NJ and gets into a bit of an argument with the house loud mouth.The loud mouth says something like "You are just an old man what do you know about pool?"Loud mouth does not know it's Jimmy Caras.This was decades before the internet.Maybe the late 50's or early 60's. not sure.
So of course they match up and the loud mouth is soon busted.
Like I said its a second hand story told to me years ago and that's the best I can remember but you get the drift.
 

DavidMNienow

Glamour Dave
Silver Member
I had the honor of meeting Mr. Caras a couple of times while attending BCA trade shows in the 90's. He could be found at the Brunswick booth. And each time I met him he presented himself as a wonderful gracious gentleman. I got autographed pics from him and was very kind to answering any questions asked. Those will always be fond memories for me. :)
 

G&M

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bob Maidhoff was a close personal friend of Jimmy Caras for many years. Bob has many great stories about Mr. Caras, and Bob's room -- Drexeline Billiards in Drexel Hill, PA -- has fantastic Jimmy Caras memorabilia on display.

Larry Moy
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Those guys back then were at a level I don't think will ever see again in 14.1 ---
Nice Post -- old school stuff
MCP


We've already seen it in Mizerak and Sigel. Both could run then 100 on command any time they cared to, and did so on a very regular basis in competition, in exhibitions and in practice.

Still, who knows whether you are right? There are some 14.1 giants out there right now. There are also emerging giants in 14.1. Just a week ago at Steinway Billiards, Darren Appleton won the race to 200 final at the by running 70 and 131.

Today's players shoot straighter than those of yesteryear, so there's no reason to rule out that they could, one day, surpass the level if the old masters.

We shall see what the future brings.
 
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poolmouse

AzB Silver Member
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I heard many stories about Jimmy Caras from my mentor Leroy Kinman..... He, Jimmy, Mosconi & the wives were all good friends. From the Old School stories that were told to me, Jimmy Caras was a beautiful person when playing the game and in Life.

Out of curiosity I searched for that name and found a post that never got a response:

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=11661

Drexeline Billiards has the sign from Jimmy Caras' old room, hanging by all kinds of other memorabilia. :)
 

14-1StraightMan

High Run 127
Silver Member
Out of curiosity I searched for that name and found a post that never got a response:

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=11661

Drexeline Billiards has the sign from Jimmy Caras' old room, hanging by all kinds of other memorabilia. :)

I got in touch with that guy and he e-mailed photos of the cue. I told Leroy the whole story & showed him the photos...... Leroy stated that it was not one of his cues. I am thinking that the guy had a reproduction but I am not sure, it's been some time ago.
 

Rich93

A Small Time Charlie
Silver Member
I'm way behind on my AZB and just saw this thread, so I thought I'd contribute my own modest Jimmy Caras story.

It was 1963 or 1964 and a new small room opened at 104th and Western on Chicago's south side. Jimmy Caras gave an exhibition shortly after it opened and I was there. The crowd was pretty small so I was able to stand close to the action and not have some giant blocking the view of short little me. Like Mosconi's exhibitions of those years, first there was a 125 point game with a local sacrificial lamb and then trick shots. I forget who broke but on Jimmy's first opportunity with an open shot he ran 125 and out. He played fast, never in doubt as to what to do. Jimmy then gave his opponent an opportunity to shoot and the poor guy made a ball or two and then missed.

I believe one of Jimmy's trick shots was to shoot a short shot into a corner pocket, drawing the ball three rails and knocking in a ball hanging in the opposite corner pocket. It's hard to believe that shot can be made but I believe he made it. New cloth, polished balls and all, but still ....

From Jimmy's demeanor during the exhibition it was easy to believe that he was a real nice guy.
 

rodcar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cara Carisma!

Just came across these stories and thought I would tell mine. Mr. Caras arrived at a local bowling alley in Oshkosh, Wi. around 1964 for an exhibition. Myself and about a dozen others stood around the table, no chairs. When Jimmy arrived he broke the balls one handed and went on to run 45 balls using only one hand. He then quite and said, we will now start the exhibition. I'll never forget what a gentleman he was with skills to match. Saw Mosconi a couple times, but Jimmy will always be my favorite.
 
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