Best player that worked full time

For me, three great champions come to mind.

1) Irving Crane had his car dealership in Rochester, New York.

2) Steve Mizerak was a junior high school English teacher while he was winning four straight US Op[en straight pool titles from 1970-73.

3) Tom Jennings was a professor of Mathematics at Middlesex County College while he was winning back to back US Open 14.1 championships in the mid to late 1970's.
 
Lou Butera was a full time business owner and/or operator for most of his working life. He would have to be mentioned in this thread.
 
I know Melissa Herndon has maintained a full time job through her pro career as well.
 
Bob Jewett referred to him in his post, but I believe more attention must be paid to Arthur "Babe" Cranfield. This BCA Hall of Famer holds the distinction of being the only person to win the National Junior Championship, the National Amateur Championship, and the Professional World Championship. And he worked for the Muzak company for over 30 years!
 
Jack Colavita

Let's not forget, Jack worked a fulltime job before retiring and raised a family while he was at it. When he was still alive, not too many people wanted to play him even. I heard too many stories about him running 100+ balls without too much effort.
 
Onepocket73 said:
A local here in Chicago and friend of mine,Mike Bandy,played pretty dang sporty in his day.He is a full time father of 5 I believe and still plays jam up,but I am sure he isn't at the speed he was back in the 80's and 90's.He works full time as an electrician.
Another one that I would pick is Jamie Farrell.Now lives in Jackson,MS I believe.When he lived around here,I would practice with him in his basement.The pockets on his gold crown had so many chims that it looked and played just like a snooker table.Dead serious.I am telling you that he never missed a ball when I played him.
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Great choices, Onepocket73. I was going to mention Mike. Jamie moved to New Orleans where he owns a pool room named, you will recognize this name, The Corner Pocket. Sound familiar? Mike Bandy, in 95-96 won 5 out of the first 7 McDermott tour events. Not living there any more I was wondering how his twin boys are playing nowadays. You got any idea?
 
gregoryg said:
Let's not forget, Jack worked a fulltime job before retiring and raised a family while he was at it. When he was still alive, not too many people wanted to play him even. I heard too many stories about him running 100+ balls without too much effort.
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Jack is a good choice too, gregoryg. Jack starred in a pool movie with Minnesota Fats filmed in Baton Rouge called The Player, released on a limited basis in 1971. Donovan and myself have been trying to find a copy of the movie for ages. Do you have any contact with Jack's family to see if he had a copy or any info on the movie? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
watchez said:
I heard Dennis once ran 16 racks of 8 ball on a bar table. Not sure it is true but I played him in Vegas & he has game.

Mike Bandy (Chicago) & Greg Fix (Minnesota & I believe he was some kind of engineer) are the two best working pool players I know here in the midwest. Gene Albretch plays pretty sporty and I think Mark Jarvis owns a construction company now. Not sure when Mark was playing at his top if he was working or not. If Mark did work & play like he did 20 years ago, he would be the best I know of.
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It was 18 racks on an 8' bar box in a tournament and is documented with several witnesses. Also broke and ran 4 racks of 15 ball in a row playing Chicago with John Foster, Steve Mizerak, and Paul Johnson at Kiss Shot in Jupiter, Florida on a double shimmed Diamond.
 
oceanweb said:
Dennis makes a great cue, but never seen him play. Notice you're playing with a blackcreek. How do you like it? Oh...and what are custom fitted "OBs"?
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The cue plays very nice. Not as nice as Dennis Searing's cues but it gets the job done. OB-1 shafts are low deflection shafts. I tried an OB owned by Hunter Lombardo and was sold. The hit is unbelievable.:D
 
Tommy Sanders

Wasn't he a working man too? I think that I remember hearing stories about him walking in from work, taking his tie off and flipping the coin.
 
> I met Mike once briefly through a friend,and he told me his electrician job wasn't an independent thing,he worked for Commonwealth Edison. He played pretty sporty indeed. Greg Fix was a computer engineer for IBM. In fact,back in the 80's,before the big computer boom,he took a 1 year leave of absence to go out on the road and secure his MPBA Touring Pro card. I never did hear if he actually went back or not. If he did,he's probably sitting FAT,if he didn't I'd bet my lungs he wishes he had. Tommy D.
 
Talking about today Germany's Martin Poguntke comes to my mind.
He plays german premier league for 1. PBC Fulda and works as an account manager for Volkswagen according to his profile on the Fulda website

Not only he has a full time job Wolfsburg-Fulda is quite a distance
 
watchez said:
I heard Dennis once ran 16 racks of 8 ball on a bar table. Not sure it is true but I played him in Vegas & he has game.

Mike Bandy (Chicago) & Greg Fix (Minnesota & I believe he was some kind of engineer) are the two best working pool players I know here in the midwest. Gene Albretch plays pretty sporty and I think Mark Jarvis owns a construction company now. Not sure when Mark was playing at his top if he was working or not. If Mark did work & play like he did 20 years ago, he would be the best I know of.
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Mark Jarvis always seemed to be doing drywall or construction work in the 80's what a great talented player. Mike Bandy was also a monster. Philw
 
hemicudas said:
Great choices, Onepocket73. I was going to mention Mike. Jamie moved to New Orleans where he owns a pool room named, you will recognize this name, The Corner Pocket. Sound familiar? Mike Bandy, in 95-96 won 5 out of the first 7 McDermott tour events. Not living there any more I was wondering how his twin boys are playing nowadays. You got any idea?
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I had no idea his twin boys played pool Bill.I was sure they were being taught golf though?
 
student4ever said:
Just curious who the best player that could compete with the non-working full time playing pro's is/was?? Just to be clear I am not asking about the local guy who hit xxxxx with a 7 pack but someone who actually played and won in pro events?? Then only to return to work. I know the "deacon" was up there, anyone else?
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I just remembered the player who has a lock on this category. Alfredo de Oro. He won more world championships than all the others combined, and I think he worked for the Spanish/Cuban State Department. He also won championships at both pocket and 3-cushion. See:

http://www.bca-pool.com/industry/hof/ind66-68.shtml
 
Out of the Bay Area, Billy Palmer has got to be one of the top players that works full time. He can still play world class one-pocket and pro-speed nine ball. He just won 2 big 9ball tounaments on the west coast with the likes of Tang, Frost, JJ, Ernesto, Morro and others.
 
Oliver Ortmann works full time in the pool room he owns. George Breedlove I think would be the current candidate.

Also Kim Shaw on the women's side holds down a 40 hour a week job and manages to play world class on the weekend.

I'd even go so far as to say that Jeanette Lee puts in well more than 40 hours a week with her appearance schedule.
 
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