A video tribute to deceased pool player Clyde Childress

[ironman]

I knew Al Hogue also. When did he die? Was it about ten years ago? He wouldn't have been that old, maybe 60 or so. He was a pretty good tournament player, usually finishing up in the cash. And he gambled well for moderate stakes. At One Pocket and 9-Ball. I think he could even play 14.1.

Am I right on him? He was well over 6' tall. I saw Al in lots of places. He got around good.

Al died in 92. My best friend for about 100 years or so. good tournament player but never played real well for the big dough. Always struggled with it.
He got 3rd in the all around in Johnston City, but I can't remember what year.

He won the college 14.1 one year. Was down against Nick {I think} 99-1 and Nick missed his safety and Al ran 100 and out on him. I heard about that 1437 times if memory serves. That was back when they played the race to 100.

Al was grey haired from about 30 on and about 6ft 1 and went around 230. Very clean cut guy. He held degrees from DU, Cu, CSU, and Utah. He referred to himself as As "The Amazing AL".

He was like a brother to me and I miss the guy dearly. He was though, as you may have guessed , just a bit on the arrogant side. I forgave hime for that a million times.

 

[freddy the beard]

In 74-75 Clyde probably was a shortstop

Freddie,

Funny how subjective pool can be. I "practiced" One Pocket with Clyde in Dayton in 1974 or 75. We played for 20 a game and I broke even with him. That's why I made him a strong shortstop.

I never considered myself any better than that. Of course Clyde was pretty young then, he may have gotten better. And he may have been stalling for a bigger bet.

I think in truth, we were both working on things, trying to get our games sharp for the tournament ahead.

Clyde got serious about 1pkt kinda later in his career.
That's why it was such a big surprise that he did so well in Detroit. Being such a strong banker he just needed to start liking it in order to play well.

the Beard

 

[jay helfert]

Al died in 92. My best friend for about 100 years or so. good tournament player but never played real well for the big dough. Always struggled with it.
He got 3rd in the all around in Johnston City, but I can't remember what year.

He won the college 14.1 one year. Was down against Nick {I think} 99-1 and Nick missed his safety and Al ran 100 and out on him. I heard about that 1437 times if memory serves. That was back when they played the race to 100.

Al was grey haired from about 30 on and about 6ft 1 and went around 230. Very clean cut guy. He held degrees from DU, Cu, CSU, and Utah. He referred to himself as As "The Amazing AL".

He was like a brother to me and I miss the guy dearly. He was though, as you may have guessed , just a bit on the arrogant side. I forgave hime for that a million times.

I didn't know he was that well educated. He came off as a little cocky but in a friendly way. I always got along with Al. I felt like he over rated his game a little, especially against top players. He would like you to think he was just as good as them, yet I never saw him match up with the champs. I don't think he wanted to bet too high (kinda like me that way). How old was he when he passed away? Was he over 60? I don't think so.

 

[ironman]

I didn't know he was that well educated. He came off as a little cocky but in a friendly way. I always got along with Al. I felt like he over rated his game a little, especially against top players. He would like you to think he was just as good as them, yet I never saw him match up with the champs. I don't think he wanted to bet too high (kinda like me that way). How old was he when he passed away? Was he over 60? I don't think so.

I think Al was 48. He died two day before he was supposed to be married. She was just drop dead gorgeous.

The last time I remember Al matching up was against Ronnie in Denver. They played golf and broke even after about 15 hours. Played jack-up golf and broke even after many hours. Played 1-pocket Al getting 9-7 and Al won 2 games after an eternity. Played jack-up 1-pocket with Al getting 9-8 and Al won a couple of games. They then played 1 game of straight pool even, jacked up and Al won that.

They were having a ball and then Ronnie talked him into playing one hole 9-8 and I went for it too and Ronnie got it all back,,,,,quickly. They had a ball and I enjoyed it as well. Right, I was staking Al.

Dam, I miss that guy.

Please keep in mind I'm going off memory from many years past and could be corrected some, but not much.

 

[JG-in-KY]

I think Clyde was on his way to becoming a top notch player.
Here is a picture of Clyde after winning the Midwest Bar Table Open. That is Steve Oaks on his right and Frank Fisher on his left. This is from 1981.

 

[ironman]

I think Clyde was on his way to becoming a top notch player.
Here is a picture of Clyde after winning the Midwest Bar Table Open. That is Steve Oaks on his right and Frank Fisher on his left. This is from 1981.

That Steve Oaks could dabb it a little himeself. What happenedd with him?

 

[ironman]

I think Clyde was on his way to becoming a top notch player.
Here is a picture of Clyde after winning the Midwest Bar Table Open. That is Steve Oaks on his right and Frank Fisher on his left. This is from 1981.

That Steve Oaks could dabb it a little himeself. What happenedd with him?

 

[JAM]

I was there Jam. It was on St Patty's day. The next year I was also there when Keith rushed his shot and missed an easy 7 in the corner to lose the next championship. I'm sure he remembers the shot. The 8 and 9 were hanging in the other pockets. We were all betting on him.

Clyde was 35. Shortly before he was killed, Clyde came to North Shore Billiards from Detroit where he had won a bushel of money playing 1pkt. Clyde beat Artie Bodendorfer the first day they played out of 5k playing even! Clyde was definitely not just a short-stop playing 1pkt. However, the next day Artie crushed him. As a matter of fact, Clyde and I played on sight, and while we played both games, banks and 1pkt, Clyde would usually detour the banks and want to play 1pkt. (my reputation back then probably far exceeded my ability)
He was a great competitor to play with and was usually a straight ticket (the really great players were all straight-tickets)
--if you could beat him you could break him-- although he amazingly quit Artie with money in his pocket.

the Beard

Jam ask Keither if he also remembers our bank match at the Maverick Club in 1985 at that tournament.

He said he does recall you and him playing, Freddy. I wanted him to post about it, but the forum is down and up and up and down. It is so slow right now that I am having trouble posting. Anybody who does not have high-speed is probably not posting today, until the forum gets fixed.

Keith said he had been up for three nights in a row when you and he played. Then he played another all-nighter with you, a match in which you won. I will let him post about this when the forum is working right.

The 7-ball he missed in the tournament, as you knew, he remembers it just like it happened yesterday. He said the shot he made before the 7-ball was phenomenal, and then he misses the 7.

I don't see how y'all can remember shots and patterns 20 years later, but you pool players sure do have a good memory!

JAM

 

[ironman]

He said he does recall you and him playing, Freddy. I wanted him to post about it, but the forum is down and up and up and down. It is so slow right now that I am having trouble posting. Anybody who does not have high-speed is probably not posting today, until the forum gets fixed.

Keith said he had been up for three nights in a row when you and he played. Then he played another all-nighter with you, a match in which you won. I will let him post about this when the forum is working right.

The 7-ball he missed in the tournament, as you knew, he remembers it just like it happened yesterday. He said the shot he made before the 7-ball was phenomenal, and then he misses the 7.

I don't see how y'all can remember shots and patterns 20 years later, but you pool players sure do have a good memory!

JAM

In my time I have missed 12,644 shots which were harder to miss than to make. I remember every dam one too just like it was yesterday.

 

[freddy the beard]

Now that you mention it...

He said he does recall you and him playing, Freddy. I wanted him to post about it, but the forum is down and up and up and down. It is so slow right now that I am having trouble posting. Anybody who does not have high-speed is probably not posting today, until the forum gets fixed.

Keith said he had been up for three nights in a row when you and he played. Then he played another all-nighter with you, a match in which you won. I will let him post about this when the forum is working right.

The 7-ball he missed in the tournament, as you knew, he remembers it just like it happened yesterday. He said the shot he made before the 7-ball was phenomenal, and then he misses the 7.

I don't see how y'all can remember shots and patterns 20 years later, but you pool players sure do have a good memory!

JAM

Now that you mention it, I had forgotten the complete story. I had forgotten that Keith had to make a humdinger on the six before he missed the seven. That's what makes the story so ironic. Most of us were pulling for him, so that's why we were so disappointed. Keith doesn't have to talk about our match because as you may have noted, I only bring up matches where I came out ahead. I have purged the nine million beatings from my brain.

the Beard
I now have a "What's New" page on my site that indicates the lastest posts and products on my large site. www.whatsnewlatestpostsproducts.blogspot.com/

 

[deerhunter]

JG-in-KY, who is the guy on the far left as you look at picture? Who is the guy between Clyde and Fisher? I was there, great tourney. Oak's brother in-law, Mac Ashby was trying to get bets on the final match. I had my wife bet on Clyde, in a race to 7 loser break Oak's jumped to a 6-0 lead. Clyde won the next 7 games to win.

 

[freddy the beard]

Dick Weaver

JG-in-KY, who is the guy on the far left as you look at picture? Who is the guy between Clyde and Fisher? I was there, great tourney. Oak's brother in-law, Mac Ashby was trying to get bets on the final match. I had my wife bet on Clyde, in a race to 7 loser break Oak's jumped to a 6-0 lead. Clyde won the next 7 games to win.

Far left is Dick Weaver, originally from South Chicago, now living on his own farm in Indiana.

the Beard

 

[JG-in-KY]

JG-in-KY, who is the guy on the far left as you look at picture? Who is the guy between Clyde and Fisher? I was there, great tourney. Oak's brother in-law, Mac Ashby was trying to get bets on the final match. I had my wife bet on Clyde, in a race to 7 loser break Oak's jumped to a 6-0 lead. Clyde won the next 7 games to win.

I think maybe it was local favorite Danny Hiner who finished 3rd. Here's a quote from the National Billiard News article: "The match between Oaks and Childress proved to be (as expected) the most exciting match of the entire tournament. Both players are considered to be the finest bar table players in the country, and the match was increasing with intensity all Saturday; and now was the time.....Clyde, with what many say has a "heart of stone" crept back to pull to 7 to 6, then 7-7. Oaks then made 4 balls on the break and scratched! Clyde ran out for the win.

Clyde also came in second to Larry Hubbard in Akron and finished 4th in the 1981 US Open behind Hopkins, Sigel, and Bollman.