A couple of original Mosconi Photos: Intresting shots

PhilosopherKing

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I’m partial to the one of him holding his Balabushka… Nice capture.
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how good a golfer was he?
most champs are very good at almost everything
 
His Balabushka looks identical to my Palmer that I bought from Willie in 1965 -- literally right out of the stash in his car trunk of a dozen or so Palmers he carried around for side-sales when he was on the road. Mine's a Model 5 from that year. Willie was doing an exhibition at the time in Tiff Payne's North Hollywood room a half block off of Vineland.

Red Baker, a 1930s pro player and regionally great 14.1 competitor who managed and later bought the room from Tiff, was a lifelong friend of Willie (among a sparse field of such). Never beat him, but came mighty close a few times.

I had the Palmer Corp -- founded by cuemaker Gene Balmer (anglicized into Palmer) -- make me a second perfectly-matched backup shaft in 1993. Just in the nick of time as things turned out, because Palmer (governed by Balmer's son Peter) closed its doors a few months later, in 1994.

Arnaldo ~ Still hit a few with my cherished Palmer on rare occasions. I always feel vibes still on it from Willie's hands on it when he passed it to me for a closer look. I gave him cash on the spot for the Model 5 along with one of my 14.1 pool buddies who also couldn't possibly resist buying one for himself . . . from THE man. What a great memory from that evening -- besides Willie's effortless 100-ball exhibition run and follow up trick shots.
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His Balabushka looks identical to my Palmer that I bought from Willie in 1965 -- literally right out of the stash in his car trunk of a dozen or so Palmers he carried around for side-sales when he was on the road. Mine's a Model 5 from that year. Willie was doing an exhibition at the time in Tiff Payne's North Hollywood room a half block off of Vineland.

Red Baker, a 1930s pro player and regionally great 14.1 competitor who managed and later bought the room from Tiff, was a lifelong friend of Willie (among a sparse field of such). Never beat him, but came mighty close a few times.

I had the Palmer Corp -- founded by cuemaker Gene Balmer (anglicized into Palmer) -- make me a second perfectly-matched backup shaft in 1993. Just in the nick of time as things turned out, because Palmer (governed by Balmer's son Peter) closed its doors a few months later, in 1994.

Arnaldo ~ Still hit a few with my cherished Palmer on rare occasions. I always feel vibes still on it from Willie's hands on it when he passed it to me for a closer look. I gave him cash on the spot for the Model 5 along with one of my 14.1 pool buddies who also couldn't possibly resist buying one for himself . . . from THE man. What a great memory from that evening -- besides Willie's effortless 100-ball exhibition run and follow up trick shots.
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Red Baker I think was actually on the TV show To tell the truth.
 
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When you blow it up the point looks like a floating point with an inlay below it. That's my reason for saying it. Plus his age in the picture. The last time I saw him he was playing with an Adam's and no longer a Balabushka.

Not sure why one would think that is not one of his Balabushka cues. Though it is not the one he shot with most of the time (which is in the additional pictures). He used them off and on, even into an older age (along with a few other cues).

vWYTdFK.jpg


Balabushka on his far right
AmdXEik.jpg


f0cMltl.jpg


Cue in question
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Not sure why one would think that is not one of his Balabushka cues. Though it is not the one he shot with most of the time (which is in the additional pictures). He used them off and on, even into an older age (along with a few other cues).

vWYTdFK.jpg


Balabushka on his far right
AmdXEik.jpg


f0cMltl.jpg


Cue in question
YpmKxkv.jpg
The post I replied to he is not holding a Balabuskka for the reason I said.
 
The post I replied to he is not holding a Balabuskka for the reason I said.
The last picture I posted is the photo blown up. They are not floating points but rings installed above the wrap/below the points. I only see two photos and I am sure you was not speaking of the golf club… The other reason you stated was age. He had a Balabushka really late in life (past the time of the photo).
 
Ahhh the old days of pool. In 66 us kids would all hang out in front of the pool room which opened at 10 am on Saturday. There would be between 15 and 20 of us, we could not getting in fast enough. Cost was .60 cents an hour. I had a newspaper route so I would deliver all 96 papers to my customers and jump on my bike and head to the pool room for the day. Always had money and fun.

In those days Mosconi was the only pro I knew of and he was like a God to us kids. Straight pool and 8 ball was what I learned to play first.

Great pics of Mosconi! I like the one of him golfing..
 
his grip is textbook. as expected. bet he putted like Houdini.
Willies finish looks so much like the hall of fame golfer Lee Trevino up top. A Lee Trevino with real legs.

Trevino wasn’t a tall man and he had a few quirks but he was obviously one of the best to ever play eighteen holes. His record is proof.
 
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