1970s-1980s Keith McCready vs SVB

[freddy the beard]

Trophies vs the cash

There were only 2 guys that I was sure of that didn't care about winning a tournament, Bugs and Cornbread Red. However, late in life Red finally won a 1pkt tournament and I was amazed to discover he was happier than a punk in a navy brig. Personal pride and ego, are intrinsic requirements to become a pool champion. No one can any longer tell me official acknowledgement has no meaning, even to the hard-hearted. If you could have seen the kick the old-time hustler, Marshall Squirrel Carpenter got out of being voted into the OnePocket HOF at the honors dinner in Derby City, you would know what I mean.
One final pontification: JAM, IMHO, if you would have been with Keith in the early days he would have won a couple bushels of tournaments -- whether he wanted to or not.

the Beard

 

[ShootingArts]

"Beat Avenger M"

Don didn't really say much. I remember a full color two page ad about a horse going to stud. The whole ad was that the horse had beaten another young superhorse, Avenger M. What the ad didn't say is that they had met nine times and Avenger M had beaten the stud in the ad whose name I have long forgotten eight times.

Hu

Right, but at the end of the tournament there was Keith ready to play any champion for the dough they just won plus some. They could keep the trophy.

It reminds me of the Don Willis story where a promoter was running around asking all the players to list their accomplishments. Don, of course, did not want to do any such thing but the promoter harrangued him until he relented.

Don looked over the stack, chose the guy who listed the most accomplishments and wrote on the page "I beat him".

Also I think the proper designation is that Keith hasn't done either YET. He is still playing, remember the third place at the open a few years ago? I don't think anyone likes to face Keither in a tournament.

 

[ironman]

YOUNG was forever when we lived it and nothing more than a blink once it's in the rear view mirror

You state it well.

 

[ironman]

There was a time when Billy was considered the best 9ball player on the planet. He wasn't insulting Keith, he was paying him a compliment and just telling it like it is.

There was a day that many considered Bill the best player on the planet, period. His resume' i quite impressive.

 

[bondsman]

You are correct. Tracy Joe was quite the player on the bar box.

Here's a cute story about the two of them. A young Keith made an appointment to play the legendary Tracy Joe at a pool room that was off the beaten path.

Keith and a couple of his buddies drove out to the joint at the designated time. When they walked in, there was Tracy Joe waiting for him. The place was packed with curious onlookers wanting to sweat the match. Tracy Joe had his own fan club there in full force, too.

Before the first game, it was agreed that the post monies would be placed on top of the overhead light, a nickel each totalling a thousand bucks. It wasn't 10 crisp C-notes, though. Rather, it was a bunch of tens and twenties. I'm sure both players must have been playing on committee monies.

Tracy Joe and Keith wasted no time and began to battle. It was like one of those neck-and-neck horse races. When one of them got close to the finish line, the other one would catch up. They were tight races. Back and forth they went until the wee hours of the morning, and then Keith caught one of those infamous gears and put it in turbocharge, defeating Tracy Joe several races.

Keith and his entourage were the strangers in town and wanted to get out of there as quick as they could with the cheese. So after the last set, they didn't want to hang around and mingle. They immediately exited the premises.

The night sky was pitch black in the parking lot. Keith and his buddies piled in their car to begin their journey back home. Within minutes it seemed, the driver of Keith's car saw headlights behind him, coming towards their car at an extremely fast pace. The driver of Keith's car figured they were going to get robbed and started to step on it, hitting speeds of close to 100 MPH. Keith said he was frightened.

Soon the car behind them made a move on this two-lane highway and pulled up right next to their car on the left. Keith and his buddies looked in horror when they saw this car full of the bar's patrons and wondered how they were going to get out of this trap.

The driver's side window of the other car was rolled down, and there was Tracy Joe. He had a bunch of greenbacks in one hand, pointing at it with his other hand, and screamed, "Keith, you forgot the post monies on the light."

Keith's driver pulled over to the shoulder of the road. Tracy Joe walked up to Keith's car and handed him the cash. Keith's driver was relieved, as were the rest of the occupants. On the way home, they all enjoyed a good chuckle. They were so intent on leaving, thinking they could get robbed, that they forget to grab the post on top of the light, and the would-be robbers turned out to be the good guys, only wanting to do the right thing.

JAM

I was in that car that night. I rode with them to pick up Keith that night. I am the one that originally reminded Tracey Joe about the incident. Joe was a great player back then and a far better human being. As far as I can tell from speaking to him he is still tops as a human being.

 

[JAM]

I was in that car that night. I rode with them to pick up Keith that night. I am the one that originally reminded Tracey Joe about the incident. Joe was a great player back then and a far better human being. As far as I can tell from speaking to him he is still tops as a human being.

Hey, Bondsman, are you the gentleman I met at the Carolinas Open in Goldsboro, North Carolina, several years ago with Keith, who had just returned from a very enjoyable trip to the Philippines?

JAM

 

[Bigjohn]

How would you match up Keith McCready in his prime against SVB now? Based on stories my father told me about back in the day, Keith almost never missed when he was playing well and basically torched everyone. Could one give the other any weight on a bar box or full sized table?

Which SVB are we talkin about ?... The regular one ?... Or... The one that's playin Mosconi Cup ?

 

[hemicudas]

Which SVB are we talkin about ?... The regular one ?... Or... The one that's playin Mosconi Cup ?

Now ya gotta admit,,,,,,,,,,,that is a legit question. But, I still like Keith playin for the cash though not by much.

 

[lunchmoney]

.

It didn't matter back then what number ball somebody got because they couldn't fade the 6's, the 7's, the 8's, the 10's, and the 12's. And I guarantee you that I'd run more packages than any living human back then.

I can personally attest to the validity of this statement. I was watching a $100.00 a stick ring game in 1979 at Greenway Billiards in Baton Rouge, LA. during the Southern Open. There were a lot of different players taking a stab at the cash at one time or another. People like Grady Mathews, Buddy Hall, Flyboy, Larry Hubbart and others. I watched Keith hit one of his gears and he put a five pack on the other four players. It took about 15 minutes total, a quick $2,000.00. It was amazing, the balls were flying. I think that Keith was 18 or 19 at the time, JAM can confirm. Then they called his name for a match and he had to leave with the run uncompleted. Keith ended up getting second in the tournament. Jerry Brock won it and Dan Louie was third. I talked with Grady about the ring game earlier this year when he was up here in Washington State and he remembered it with a big smile on his face. He said that the game went on for days non stop. When someone got busted there was always someone ready to jump in. This game took place on a 9 footer and I've never had the opportunity to watch Keith play on a bar table. This was about the same timeframe that Dan Louie was in his prime. He had recently drilled Buddy Hall on a bar table using a huge cue ball. A time when Buddy was considered, according to W. W. Woody's book, the best bar table player in the country. I would have bet that there wasn't a living human that could beat Dan with that monster cue ball. It turns out that Dan wanted the 8 if he was going to play Keith - unbelievable. (they never did play on a bar table when they were both in their prime). On a bar table, Keith was from another planet. Back then, if a question popped up on who was the best bar table player people would be trying to figure out who was second best as everyone knew who was the best. Kind of like Efren and One Pocket.

Lunchmoney

 

[turbo billards]

well.......

KM and SVB are great but right now i have to give it to shane in 8 ball on the box and 9/10 ball on the big table hes playing great....... he is on cloud 9 right now and hes got more stroke than john holmes.....and lunch did we forget about Dave Matlock he was the best on the box for years and nobody would come near him with a nickle

 

[hemicudas]

KM and SVB are great but right now i have to give it to shane in 8 ball on the box and 9/10 ball on the big table hes playing great....... he is on cloud 9 right now and hes got more stroke than john holmes.....and lunch did we forget about Dave Matlock he was the best on the box for years and nobody would come near him with a nickle

You could easily be right, today, turbo. But,,,,,,,,,about 1975 I was running around Jackson, MS with Buddy Hall. I had never seen Keith play at that time but had heard from all the road agents that he was unbeatable on the bar box. I just came out and asked Buddy if anyone on earth was the favorite to beat Keith on the bar table? Buddy's reply was, "No body but me. You want to stake it?" and he grinned. That, in Buddy speak, was admiting that no one could beat Keith on the bar table. I was lucky enough to later sweat Keith in action on the bar table and I watched in awe. Man, could he ginn-it.

 

[huckster]

There was a day that many considered Bill the best player on the planet, period. His resume' i quite impressive.

9ball Billy was truely one of the greatest players in the world during the early 70's but grandpa's old road partner was avoided by all even past his prime Wimpy Lassiter could dab'em like no other. When it came to roll out 9ball during the 50's and early 70's no one wanted to tangle at roll out 9ball with Mr. Lassiter, after Mr Harold Worst took ill and passed. Luther was like Efren is to onepocket today. There is Efren then everybody else. Grandpa said that not many used to handicap matches like they do today, but Wimpy had to give money odds, or games to get played.