I posted this story for my father on RSB some years back. Somebody (I don't know who) archived it in this website:
http://www.cuemaster.com/RSB/lassiter.htm
enjoy,
dwhite
http://www.cuemaster.com/RSB/lassiter.htm
enjoy,
dwhite
A short Luther Lassiter Story
- Thread starter Dan White
- Start date
qstroker said:
Lassiter as we all know was one of the all time greats.
From the BCA HOF
Considered by many to be the finest 9-ball player ever, LUTHER LASSITER was born in Elizabeth City, NC. Lassiter earned his nickname "Wimpy," for all the hot dogs and Orange Crushes he could pack away as a youngster hanging around the local pool hall. By the time he was 17, "Wimpy" was packing away his share of opponents. Lassiter's biggest years in tournament play came in the 1960s. In the 11 years of the Jansco brothers' all-around championships in Johnston City, IL (1962-1972), Lassiter won the straight pool title five times, the nine-ball title four times and the one-pocket title once. On three occasions Lassiter went on to capture the All-Around title (1962, 1963, 1967). He also won the BCA U.S. Open in 1969 and the Stardust World All-Around championship in 1971.
BUT
I dont believe any human can make the 9 like that or any way 3 out of 10 times. I will certainly bet against it. If it could be done with that consistency, Corey would have it down too by now.
qstroker said:
It is not a question of is he as good as Lassiter, but if 3/10 could be made on a break than Corey would be using it as he is a master at lots of gimmick hustles.
While I was researching another pool-related topic, I ran into this little Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter article, entitled "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick," in the January 1975 edition of The New National Billiard News.
He speaks softly, in the tones of his native Elizabeth City, NC, with an occasional exaggeration or anecdote peppering his speech with the spice of his life-long home -- the corner pool hall.
He speaks with the wisom of nearly 56 years of day-to-day struggle, but make no mistake about it, he wouldn't trade what he has done for all the money in the world.
Lassiter is now a resident of the Beach and manager of Gibbs Billiard Supply and Services on Virginia Beach Boulevard. He'll be playing in tournaments and exhibitions throughout the nation under the sponsorship of his employer.
"Golf courses are worse than pool rooms. There's a lot more thievin' there." He'll also vehemently defend billiards reputation as a sport. "I don't know anything that's as tough," as shooting pool under pressure, he says, "unless it's bronco-riding."
"How small the pockets are, how long he's willing to play, and what he'll wager on his own. How much money of your own you'll put on the side, that's the true test of a pool player."
I love this guy!
Continuing: "The only thing that ever bugged me about pool," he added later, "was how long the other guy would play. There are a lot of hit-and-run experts." That problem -- hit-and-run experts -- is one of Lassiter's principal complaints. The longer a man plays, he says, the more he plays up to his ability. Over the long run, a good player will be consistently good. Over the short run, he may not."
Wimpy is right!
Continuing: On the other hand, a second-class player can win in the short run, but falter if asked to play several games. Alas, tournaments have been changed from round-robin competition to double-elimination play, making it easier for a player of Lassiter's caliber to be eliminated. The change, he says, was designed to encourage interest in the game. It hasn't been good for the game, however, he insists, because now anyone can win a tournament.
Even when a man wins, he doesn't win much according to Lassiter: "The first one I ever won, I got 25 percent of nothing. After you pay expenses, if you don't come in first or second, you don't get nothing. You can't make a living playing pool," he says. "Maybe if you won all of them," but otherwise it's a rough life.
Never have truer words been spoken, and it looks like 31 years later, things are still the same.
Continuing: His longest run was a very long one. He claims that it was 2-1/2 hours without missing. He didn't count how many balls that was. "It's more balls than anybody living has run," he claims. "One guy timed me once, and I ran a rack in 45 seconds."
Of course, this was straight pool!
Continuing: He was named "Wimpy" when he was in the sixth or seventh grade by an old high school janitor who noted that he consumed quite a few hot dogs at high school football games. It was shortly after the Popeye cartoons began to appear.
He's older now, but he's slimmer than he's been in years. He must not eat as many hot dogs. And now that he's settled in Virginia Beach, "I know Virginia Beach better than my hometown," he says. He feels he has met all of his goals, except one: "I'd like for the Lord to tell me I received a passport to heaven," he says. "I haven't heard that yet." Again, that whimsical smile.
What a shooter, what a guy!
JAM
He speaks softly, in the tones of his native Elizabeth City, NC, with an occasional exaggeration or anecdote peppering his speech with the spice of his life-long home -- the corner pool hall.
He speaks with the wisom of nearly 56 years of day-to-day struggle, but make no mistake about it, he wouldn't trade what he has done for all the money in the world.
Lassiter is now a resident of the Beach and manager of Gibbs Billiard Supply and Services on Virginia Beach Boulevard. He'll be playing in tournaments and exhibitions throughout the nation under the sponsorship of his employer.
"Golf courses are worse than pool rooms. There's a lot more thievin' there." He'll also vehemently defend billiards reputation as a sport. "I don't know anything that's as tough," as shooting pool under pressure, he says, "unless it's bronco-riding."
"How small the pockets are, how long he's willing to play, and what he'll wager on his own. How much money of your own you'll put on the side, that's the true test of a pool player."
I love this guy!
Continuing: "The only thing that ever bugged me about pool," he added later, "was how long the other guy would play. There are a lot of hit-and-run experts." That problem -- hit-and-run experts -- is one of Lassiter's principal complaints. The longer a man plays, he says, the more he plays up to his ability. Over the long run, a good player will be consistently good. Over the short run, he may not."
Wimpy is right!
Continuing: On the other hand, a second-class player can win in the short run, but falter if asked to play several games. Alas, tournaments have been changed from round-robin competition to double-elimination play, making it easier for a player of Lassiter's caliber to be eliminated. The change, he says, was designed to encourage interest in the game. It hasn't been good for the game, however, he insists, because now anyone can win a tournament.
Even when a man wins, he doesn't win much according to Lassiter: "The first one I ever won, I got 25 percent of nothing. After you pay expenses, if you don't come in first or second, you don't get nothing. You can't make a living playing pool," he says. "Maybe if you won all of them," but otherwise it's a rough life.
Never have truer words been spoken, and it looks like 31 years later, things are still the same.
Continuing: His longest run was a very long one. He claims that it was 2-1/2 hours without missing. He didn't count how many balls that was. "It's more balls than anybody living has run," he claims. "One guy timed me once, and I ran a rack in 45 seconds."
Of course, this was straight pool!
Continuing: He was named "Wimpy" when he was in the sixth or seventh grade by an old high school janitor who noted that he consumed quite a few hot dogs at high school football games. It was shortly after the Popeye cartoons began to appear.
He's older now, but he's slimmer than he's been in years. He must not eat as many hot dogs. And now that he's settled in Virginia Beach, "I know Virginia Beach better than my hometown," he says. He feels he has met all of his goals, except one: "I'd like for the Lord to tell me I received a passport to heaven," he says. "I haven't heard that yet." Again, that whimsical smile.
What a shooter, what a guy!
JAM
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jhendri2 said:Thanks for the stories!! I am a big Lassiter fan (if you couldn't tell
Please keep them coming!
Here's another Wimpy happening. When Keith was a teenager [subject to check] -- Keith thinks he was about 14 years old -- he was at the Elks Club in Los Angeles, California, in a World Straight Pool Championship. Straight pool, of course, was a big thing back then, with the likes of Irving Crane, Joe Balsis, Larry Lisciotti, Boston Shorty, Peter Margo, Steve Mizerak, Cowboy Jimmy Moore (one of Keith's favorites), Jimmy Caras, Willie Hoppe, just to name a few that come to Keith's mind.
At any rate, Keith was sweating the match between Joe Balsis and Wimpy Lassiter. Joe Balsis was running out, going to 150, he thinks. Anyway, Joe Balsis needed one ball for the almighty win and MISSED the break shot. The referee had to go over to Wimpy and tap him on the shoulder because he was snoozing like a log while Joe was running out. Wimpy got up from a dead sleep and ran 150 and out. Amazing, but true!
JAM
JAM said:
I can't even run a pot of coffe when I wake up! Wimpy was definitely a special type of player. That's a helluva line-up for a tourny.Keith really needs to get that book done! These are the type of anecdotes everyone wants to hear!
Thanks for relaying the story from Keith and thanks to him for sharing.
Jim
jhendri2 said:
Keith really needs to get that book done! These are the type of anecdotes everyone wants to hear!
Thanks for the kind words of encouragement!
Wimpy was one of Keith's favorite players too, and Wimpy apparently liked Keith. Every time Keith would play in a tournament at a young age, Wimpy would make it a point to come down and sit in the front row and sweat the match.
He told Keith that Keith was the next best thing to him, and that Keith reminded Wimpy of himself. They had a good rapport with each other, even though Keith was at the time an up-and-coming player.
The two of them used to love to sit down together and tell stories, cutting up and laughing. Keith really admired him. Wimpy used to tell stories to Keith about Greenleaf and all of the old-time legends. One expression that Wimpy liked to use was that he would "shoot everybody into a coma."
JAM
World Pocket Billiard Championship
looky what i found: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,898605-1,00.html
enjoy
looky what i found: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,898605-1,00.html
enjoy
Terry Erdman said:
I double checked with my father today about the story. This was a long time ago, remember, but he definitely said he could make it 3 out of 10 times. It was something like "when I'm shootin' em good, or when I'm warmed up..." something like that. Take as you will, but that's what happened.
dwhite
Excellent article. I tried to give you rep points for finding it, but it told me I need to spread them around more.
Anyway, it's funny that Wimpy was complaining about the exact same thing 40+ years ago that players complain about today. He also compared it to the PGA...sound familiar?
Jim
Anyway, it's funny that Wimpy was complaining about the exact same thing 40+ years ago that players complain about today. He also compared it to the PGA...sound familiar?
Jim
"Cuemaster" would be Jim Waugh, who used to contribute regularly to RSB back before "The Disease."qstroker said:
As for the specific claim of 3/10 on the break, I suspect rose-colored rear-view goggles.
Two of my own stories about Lassiter:
In 1969 I got to see my first major tournament, the US Open 14.1 in Las Vegas. I got there the night before play started, and there was a sparse crowd in the lobby/sales area and a couple of practice tables. On one table was a shabby-looking older guy trying to practice. He was always out of position, never satisfied with what he did, had to bank about a ball per rack at 14.1, and looked horrible at the table. When he shot left handed, he would just slide his grip hand up the cue, still with the whole fist encircling the shaft - a pure hick move. He didn't miss much, but I was about ready to ask him what he was doing on the table, or maybe to ask him to play some nine ball, but I just let him be. Of course, that was Lassiter practicing. He won that tournament. If he ran 80, there would be three banks in the run.
In the 1980's Terry Stonier had several major tournaments in Sacramento and many of the top players would show up. Lassiter was a regular, and Stonier had been bringing him in for exhibitions since the 70's. Anyway, I was watching a Lassiter match at one of the Senator Hotel tourneys -- first class, with a referee at each table -- and he was having a lot of trouble with his eyes. Evidently he had new, hard contact lenses in them. It got so uncomfortable for him that he had to get them out, but couldn't do it on his own. He handed his referee -- a young kid who looked a little nervous -- something that looked like a golf tee, and told him to just put the cupped end against the lens and lens would come right out. (This is actually a common implement for lens wearers, or was then.) Somehow the kid managed to get the lens out, but how would you like to be asked to poke a stick into Luther Lassiter's eyes?
A couple of short ones:
Lassiter did not like Irving Crane, and Crane held the high run record with 150. The rumor is that Lassiter would often take the 2-point foul on the opening break of a match just to give himself the chance to run 152-and-out.
Lassiter was constantly trying new things (such as the contact lenses). He had his ferrule painted red so he could see it more clearly. I think he may have won the 1969 open with a borrowed/new stick.
Lassiter did not like Irving Crane, and Crane held the high run record with 150. The rumor is that Lassiter would often take the 2-point foul on the opening break of a match just to give himself the chance to run 152-and-out.
Lassiter was constantly trying new things (such as the contact lenses). He had his ferrule painted red so he could see it more clearly. I think he may have won the 1969 open with a borrowed/new stick.[/QUOTE]
Bob
Any idea why Lassiter did not like Crane? Was it personal, or do you mean more like he didn't like him as an opponant?
Thanks
Lassiter was constantly trying new things (such as the contact lenses). He had his ferrule painted red so he could see it more clearly. I think he may have won the 1969 open with a borrowed/new stick.[/QUOTE]
Bob
Any idea why Lassiter did not like Crane? Was it personal, or do you mean more like he didn't like him as an opponant?
Thanks
I had the impression that it was personal. If I had to guess, it would be a matter of style and approach to the game. Lassiter had to do whatever it took to make a living at the game, and usually that was to play better than anyone else in the room, or at least better than anyone thought he could play. Crane had the cushion of well-paying job, and could live nicely without pool paydays, but he was also fiercely competitive. And as his nickname implies, he always looked as sharp as a church deacon.Terry Ardeno said:
Terry Ardeno said:
Crane was a straight shooter in Pool and life, and didn't care much for the hustlers. I never saw him hang around with anyone. If he talked to anyone it was either a fan or another 14.1 player.
For all we know, Lassiter may have asked him to play 9-Ball at some time, and I'm sure Crane would have found this very offensive. Although Irving could damn sure play 9-Ball and was no doubt a better Straight Pool player than Luther.
With Irving it was strictly tournaments. He would come in, practice very little if at all, play his match and leave. I never saw him gamble or knew him to gamble. And I NEVER saw him sit around the practice room and hang out with the players.
The image I have of Crane is of this tall well dressed man, standing off to the side with his cue, watching a match in progress with his match to follow. He didn't say much, just went about his business. I don't remember him having any problems with opponents during a match. Win or lose he would shake hands and head for the exit. A professional pool player and a darn good one at that.
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