Anybody ever heard of "Joe Bachelor"?

[bigskyblue]

When I was earning my undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley, I got a job working the desk in the university pool room.

One day a guy walked into the pool room and ask me to point out the best player in the room. When I did so, a game of straight pool began between this guy and the top student player.

The student broke the balls. The stranger came to the table and proceeded to run "168" balls. The game was set to "100" points. When this fellow reached "100" balls, the assembled crowed insisted that he continue to play.

When the guy reached "168" balls, he stopped shooting and said that he was getting tired. As he was putting the house cue he had used back into the rack, some one in the assembled crowd said, "What's your name"?
The guy said "Joe", "Joe Bachelor".

He said goodbye to the group and walked out the door. We were stunned and in disbelief. For my remaining two years at Cal he never came into the room again.

I remember that he held the cue with his thumb, middle and ring fingers only. He also used what I have come to learn is a "Slip Stroke".

Has anybody ever heard of "Joe Bachelor"? The man shoot like god.

 

[Ed Wiggins]

Google to the rescue

Google came up with this, which has comments about a lot of players besides Bachelor:
http://billiardsdigest.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-5619.html

EW

 

[book collector]

I was told he came to work at the poolroom early every day and tried to run 200 balls and that he did it many many times.
He did at least 1 exhibition because I have seen the poster, so there is more info on him, but this is about all I have.

 

[peterpau]

I knew Joe when he was a house player at Palace Billiards on Market Street in San Francisco in the 1970s. I played straight pool with him there many times. He made the game look easy. He would rack the balls without the rack with his hands. That alone was something to see. I'm from Rome, NY and learned how to play pool playing straight pool and other than Joe about the only one at the Palace that played it besides Joe. We'd play a game of 100 points very often and all the old timers would sit there and watch us. One time I actualy beat Joe and needed only one ball but Joe was very unhappy about this and was very verbal about it so I missed my game ball and let Joe back to the table. He got up and ran about 30 and out on me. I was just trying to learn by playing Joe not upset him. Anytme a new room would open in the area they'd have Joe put on a exhibition. He was also great at trick shots. I once asked Lou Butera if he knew Joe and he did and told me Joe was good to learn trick shots from. A few years after I knew Joe "Bud" Harris came back to the bay area. Bud was a National 3 cushion champion and him and Joe were always together. One day Bud went to Joe's Hotel to see him and Joe had passed away there. This was maybe in 1976 or slightly latter. Joe had a bad heart and he would tell me about it and I would tell him he should get a bypass which was pretty new at that time. Joe didn't want any part of that. Last tme I seen Joe was on the street and wanted me to come up and play pool with him and I hadn't been playing much at the time. The last thing I remember him sayng was that the game is hard to stay away from once you learn to draw your ball. Another thing Hal Mix learned much of what he knew from Joe B.. Hal was a famous billiard teacher in California and he told me that he'd have Joe come down to his place in San Jose and spend the weekends there teaching Hal things. What ever Hal knew he got from Joe. Latter after Joe passed away Hal traveled with none other than Nick Varner and even to the Philippines where Hal married his second wife. More about Bud Harris. After his Mother died in San Francisco he moved to San Jose, Ca. and played at the old California Billiards. He would win the weekly 9 ball tournament there at times. It was a race to 3 loser breaks frmat. One time Efren Reyes played Bud 3 cushions for big money there and Bud beat him with his own money. He wouldn't allow anyone to stake him. Latter Bud got sick with colon cancer and passed away I think in the late 1980s. Joe and Bud two of my favorite people.

 

[alphadog]

I knew Joe when he was a house player at Palace Billiards on Market Street in San Francisco in the 1970s. I played straight pool with him there many times. He made the game look easy. He would rack the balls without the rack with his hands. That alone was something to see. I'm from Rome, NY and learned how to play pool playing straight pool and other than Joe about the only one at the Palace that played it besides Joe. We'd play a game of 100 points very often and all the old timers would sit there and watch us. One time I actualy beat Joe and needed only one ball but Joe was very unhappy about this and was very verbal about it so I missed my game ball and let Joe back to the table. He got up and ran about 30 and out on me. I was just trying to learn by playing Joe not upset him. Anytme a new room would open in the area they'd have Joe put on a exhibition. He was also great at trick shots. I once asked Lou Butera if he knew Joe and he did and told me Joe was good to learn trick shots from. A few years after I knew Joe "Bud" Harris came back to the bay area. Bud was a National 3 cushion champion and him and Joe were always together. One day Bud went to Joe's Hotel to see him and Joe had passed away there. This was maybe in 1976 or slightly latter. Joe had a bad heart and he would tell me about it and I would tell him he should get a bypass which was pretty new at that time. Joe didn't want any part of that. Last tme I seen Joe was on the street and wanted me to come up and play pool with him and I hadn't been playing much at the time. The last thing I remember him sayng was that the game is hard to stay away from once you learn to draw your ball. Another thing Hal Mix learned much of what he knew from Joe B.. Hal was a famous billiard teacher in California and he told me that he'd have Joe come down to his place in San Jose and spend the weekends there teaching Hal things. What ever Hal knew he got from Joe. Latter after Joe passed away Hal traveled with none other than Nick Varner and even to the Philippines where Hal married his second wife. More about Bud Harris. After his Mother died in San Francisco he moved to San Jose, Ca. and played at the old California Billiards. He would win the weekly 9 ball tournament there at times. It was a race to 3 loser breaks frmat. One time Efren Reyes played Bud 3 cushions for big money there and Bud beat him with his own money. He wouldn't allow anyone to stake him. Latter Bud got sick with colon cancer and passed away I think in the late 1980s. Joe and Bud two of my favorite people.

Great post! You were fortunate to know these players,we are fortunate that you shared
a little history with us.

 

[book collector]

I happened to be looking through my Hal Mix book the other day and he said that his real name was Joe Bachel.
From his writings I would say he knew him pretty well.
He pretty much said the same thing I had heard elsewhere about Joe.
He could play great unless there was the pressure of a big bet or a tournament.
Not a knock , just an observation.
Not everyone likes battle.

 

[JoshStodola]

Joe Bachel

Came across this old Harvey Martin cue on the bay.
Searched the guys name and ended up here.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1920s-30s-H...341?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a36d7b79d

 

[Bob Jewett]

Joe "Bachelor" worked at the pool hall by Berkeley Bowl for a while. I think that was after the Blue Cue on Telegraph closed, so after 1967? And probably before the Berkeley Bowl room turned into "Max's" which I think was about 1972.

Bachelor was said to have run 100 within six months of taking up the game at age 16. His exhibition high run of about 240 was on a poster in the PH where he worked.

I don't think I ever heard of him playing at the Cal Student Union (which sadly no longer has pool tables), but I was elsewhere during 67-72. I also don't recall him being involved in any serious money games.

Wayne Boucher at the Broken Rack (Emeryville) might know the dates better.

 

[L.S. Dennis]

Joe "Bachelor" worked at the pool hall by Berkeley Bowl for a while. I think that was after the Blue Cue on Telegraph closed, so after 1967? And probably before the Berkeley Bowl room turned into "Max's" which I think was about 1972.

Bachelor was said to have run 100 within six months of taking up the game at age 16. His exhibition high run of about 240 was on a poster in the PH where he worked.

I don't think I ever heard of him playing at the Cal Student Union (which sadly no longer has pool tables), but I was elsewhere during 67-72. I also don't recall him being involved in any serious money games.

Wayne Boucher at the Broken Rack (Emeryville) might know the dates better.

I remember seeing Joe Bachelor at Palace Billiards a few times in 62’ or 63’ always loved watching him rack the balls using only his hands. I talked to Sax about him once and he mentioned this,, “Joe had great patterns”.