Best Black Players Of All Time

[JAM]

Thanks Jay. This is what a few people aren't getting. The black players may not have been able to play in some events however this was because they were considered socially inferior by some, not inferior players. They carved their way into pool society by their own merits and did play the other greats of their time, white and black, that is how we are able to measure their greatness.

As I said in an earlier post, black pool players with plenty of skill and gamble were in the "white" pool halls long before segregation ended. I also made a few forays into "black" pool halls in the deep south back in the day when segregation was real. There were a few rumbles when I first came through the door but it quickly changed to "dayumn, that white boy can play pool!" This was actually during the ugliest days of racial tension when integration was first taking hold.

It didn't hurt things any that having been born in a small rural community the first juke boxes I ever saw had Hank and Lefty on them . . . and Otis and Marvin. Black and white, we all hung out together in the little country stores twenty years before integration was ever officially attempted.

Hu

It's interesting how race is perceived in America, and it's also uncomfortable for me to post about "race" after getting slammed on this forum and being labeled a "racist."

Growing up, I experienced the 1968 Martin Luther King riots in D.C., and it wasn't pretty. I was in junior high school at the time. However, we didn't seem to have race problems when I was in school. The only time you heard about it was reading it in the media or seeing on TV.

In the pool rooms in D.C. area, when a player walked in the front door, nobody looked at him and saw black or white. Rather, it was how strong of a player they were. Strawberry was probably the best African-American player in D.C. Very few would tangle with him, but if you got him in action, he was in for the long haul, and if you were lucky enough to beat him, then you made a good score because Strawberry liked to bet it up.

Bus Driver Ronnie, Reggie, Sterling, John Henry, Patcheye, Left-handed Kevin, Marvelous Marv, Buck, Nate and Jake are just a few names that come to mind of prominent African-American players in my area, but nobody looked at them in racial terms. They were players, just like the other local hotshots, i.e., Fat Mike, Geese, Cigar Tom, Fat Wayne, Korean Lee, Larry Neudecker, Elevator Larry, Cab Driver Pete, Scrimmer, Danny Green, Tom-Tom, Bobby Hawk, and Quick Vick, just to name a few. I worked in the pool room on the graveyard shift and seen all the great ones in my area battling it out on a field of green day after day and night after night. The only color that was looked at was the color of their money, not the color of their skin!

Out of all of the above-referenced players, Strawberry leads the pack. He was then and still today will be remembered as was one of D.C.'s finest pool players. May he rest in peace.

JAM

 

[Fatboy]

personally i dont care what race/color a person is. i like most everyone i meet, but it is interesting to break players down by race and see how many champions there for all races, just for fun to see the numbers. i dont believe the question "who is the best black player of all time" is NOT a racest question unless it was asked with racest intentions, but the question it self isnt racest. "Who is the best white player?" is the same question.


to answere the question , i dont know. there is alot of talented balck players out there, one of my best friends in the pool hall was a black guy, we would call each other names all the time out loud, people who didnt know us would get scared like some one was going to pull out a gun or there would be a fight, it was out gig together to mess with people. all the $$ i beat him for playing pool I lost back throwing quarters to the wall, man he was good, we paid double on a leaner and he could do that often. man we had fun,

 

[Cornerman]

Fred........that's a very strange reference. Out of curiosity, what makes you imply that Scandinavian countries have had the highest proprtion of white ping pong Champions? The number of World Champions to date from all the Scandinavian countries added together is dwarfed by the number from non-Scandinavian countries with white populations. Hungary alone has had more Champions than Scandinavian countries.

Don't be too confused. I don't want to know about Scandinavian white champions since I already know of them. You've now told me that Hungary has more champions than the Scandinavian countries. So, I get to learn something.

Fred <~~~ now... where's that list?

 

[bbhistorian]

Hey JAM-- I agree that in DC nobody sees color...just player...

For the record, I haven't seen any one mention Jackie Robinson. IMHO, he should be counted!

 

[JoeyA]

James Evans

New York Blackie spent MANY YEARS here in New Orleans and I lost many barrels to NYB and while he didn't tell me this particular story, he told it to another player here in new ORleans. For those of you who don't know New York Blackie; he was not Black.

Here's a story that was told by New York Blackie to a friend of mine:

James Evans was one of the BEST pool players on the planet. He was supposedly rather bold in matching up. He did not hustle like many other players slaughtering lambs as a main course for consumption.

James grew up in an era when black players weren't invited to compete in pool tournaments but he would often show up at pool tournaments and after the tournament he would walk up to the WINNER of the tournament and ask him to gamble at high stakes. He wasn't afraid to bet it all and he almost always won. James didn't start at the bottom of the ladder and work his way up, he went straight after the winner of the pool tournament.

---------------
This information was passed on to me by another player who heard Blackie tell the story of James Evans and Blackie reportedly said that James Evans may have been the best player on the planet. The interesting thing about some players' perspective is that for gamblers like Blackie, he may have been alluding to the perspective that James Evans could gamble at pool better than practically any other player that he came across.

Anyway, I thought this was an interesting story to add to the many in this thread. Hope you enjoyed it.

I'm trying to order a copy of the Billiard Digest 2003 article about James Evans to read and to share with my black friends and other players from New Orleans. (Thanks to my friend, Terry Ardeno)

 

[KMRUNOUT]

I don't understand the difference between a great white player and a great black player. Why a seperate list? Just curious.

BVal

Um...I think the main difference is that black players are black, and white players are white. That seems fairly obvious. It would be the same as talking about women players, players from Michigan, left-handed players, etc.

There's nothing wrong with discussing a particular group, is there?

KMRUNOUT

 

[Voodoo Daddy]

New York Blackie spent MANY YEARS here in New Orleans and I lost many barrels to NYB and while he didn't tell me this particular story, he told it to another player here in new ORleans. For those of you who don't know New York Blackie; he was not Black.

Here's a story that was told by New York Blackie to a friend of mine:

James Evans was one of the BEST pool players on the planet. He was supposedly rather bold in matching up. He did not hustle like many other players slaughtering lambs as a main course for consumption.

James grew up in an era when black players weren't invited to compete in pool tournaments but he would often show up at pool tournaments and after the tournament he would walk up to the WINNER of the tournament and ask him to gamble at high stakes. He wasn't afraid to bet it all and he almost always won. James didn't start at the bottom of the ladder and work his way up, he went straight after the winner of the pool tournament.

---------------
This information was passed on to me by another player who heard Blackie tell the story of James Evans and Blackie reportedly said that James Evans may have been the best player on the planet. The interesting thing about some players' perspective is that for gamblers like Blackie, he may have been alluding to the perspective that James Evans could gamble at pool better than practically any other player that he came across.

Anyway, I thought this was an interesting story to add to the many in this thread. Hope you enjoyed it.

I'm trying to order a copy of the Billiard Digest 2003 article about James Evans to read and to share with my black friends and other players from New Orleans. (Thanks to my friend, Terry Ardeno)

Blackie was right Joey...Johnny Ervolino told me he took a couple pf bus's and walked a distance to learn from Evans. James taught Johnny and Cisero around the same time at small pool room in Harlem.

 

[the rock]

All time greatest black players.

Lucky Charms, also known as Sizzle Adams. He's been cuttin' up some of the best one-pocket players for more than a decade. I think he's been running around Toronto and Windsor/Detroit for awhile now. I last seen him about 6 or 7 years ago at Amsterdam Billiards in NYC. He killed Gabe, 8 ahead for 4500. Then demolished another dude who was with Gabe, I think it was Wheldon? spotting him the break and 10-8. Just ran over these two, schooling them in one hole. I never saw Bugs Rucker play, but this guy was dominating and incredibly talented.

 

[Paul Schofield]

Many years ago, I was told by an informed elderly black player that Lassiter was black. He had known Lassiter his entire life. When he told me, he whispered it to me as though it was a secret. I have always wondered if Lassiter was trying to avoid the same treatment that C Murphy had to endure in his early years. If Lassiter was black, he makes the list.

In my teens in the 70s, George Hairston (Rotation Slim) lived in Erie, PA. I played Slim many many times.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAIBAJ&pg=5962,1585363&dq=rotation+slim&hl=en

I played Lassiter in 75 and when we were done I asked him about Slim. Lassiter replied: "In his day, you could count the players on one hand that could play with him." That was the ultimate compliment considering the source.

 

[bstroud]

When I was hustling pool I probably spent more time in the black pool rooms than most pool players. Why? They were more fun and the black rooms had more gamble.

The first black player I played was Cannonball. He tried to give me 9 to 7. Bad mistake. Later I played Youngblood, Marvin, Strawberry, Patcheye, Munson, Buffalo Jerry and many others.

One black player I played a lot was Blueshirt. He always carried his cue in a wrapped up newspaper. I played him a lot. I gave him 9 to 7 and when I was playing my best had my hands full. He was more fun to play than all the rest. I have never seen anyone try so hard.

Met Rotation in "Mack's" poolroom in Baltimore. Great room.

Bill Stroud

 

[JoeyA]

Billiards Digest Back issue on James Evans...

I ordered the back issue with the article about James Evans a couple of days ago and they said if I didn't hear from them it would be on the way. I haven't heard so......
:smile:

 

[Mr441]

Many years ago, I was told by an informed elderly black player that Lassiter was black. He had known Lassiter his entire life. When he told me, he whispered it to me as though it was a secret. I have always wondered if Lassiter was trying to avoid the same treatment that C Murphy had to endure in his early years. If Lassiter was black, he makes the list.

In my teens in the 70s, George Hairston (Rotation Slim) lived in Erie, PA. I played Slim many many times.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAIBAJ&pg=5962,1585363&dq=rotation+slim&hl=en

I played Lassiter in 75 and when we were done I asked him about Slim. Lassiter replied: "In his day, you could count the players on one hand that could play with him." That was the ultimate compliment considering the source.

If Lassiter was black, he must've been something like 1/64th black. That gut was pale and blonde (later gray/white) LOL!

 

[Poolplayer29]

I did not know Mark but everyone who did says he is Afro American, Cliff shoots out of the same spot as I do and he is Afro American ! My Uncle Cisero is the only person as far as I know to remains the only player in the history of pocket billiards competition to win a world title on his first attempt. He either won or placed near the top in straight pool events throughout the 1960s and, had a winning record in the 1983 BCA U.S. Open 14.1 Championship.! Cis also has in the record books a 250 Ball straight pool run!

 

[Poolplayer29]

Mr. Lucky,

Hit me up at Vincent Paul Bramwell on Facebook, I would like to talk to you about Cicero when you have the time


Paul

 

[jackpot]

I saw a movie with Whoopi Goldberg and she was real good, don't know if she was
a pro but if it weren't for being such a great actress and political activist I'm sure
she could have been. Also heard for this real old guy that Al Jolson played very well.
jack

 

[jackpot]

Jolson was a white guy who performed in black face.

are you sure ?
jack

 

[Cornerman]

are you sure ?
jack

I think he was a European caucasian .

 

[Bigkat]

Josh Roberts

 

[Bigkat]

John "MONSTER" Rouse (out of Florida) was a well respected and regarded man on the table..RIP

 

[jackpot]

Jolson was a white guy who performed in black face.

So kind of like Rachel Dolezal, now I get it.
jack