i forgot about BOBBY LEGG,he came to baltimore around 20years ago and never left,thats the only guy in the area that could hang with vanover,they had many matchs,back and forth,id bet neither one is up more than one set and they played alot of them!leggs could do so so much with that qball,he was amazing,i think it was billy i that said if he had to pick 1 pool player to play 3rail position he would pick bobby legg to do it !rest in peace bobby, u sure made a lot of friends here in old baltimore. richie
best pool player in your pool room.
- Thread starter richiebalto
- Start date
best player
I'm getting old , I forgot we have a guy named Dee Adkins who plays pretty good.
Dee is another top player who works somewhere besides a pool room.
Another strong player especially on an 8 footer was Danny Tater. He won the weekly 9 ball tournament 90% of the time with a lot of good players in it.
Many times young guys trying the road came through Columbus and got beat by Kenny Howard Dee or Chris and for a while Cory Duell and then on Sunday they would get in the tournament to try to recoup some of their losses.
Lots of times they didn't come in the money, it wasn't as strong as Airway Billiards tournament in Dayton where 3 real world champions played nearly every week but it was tougher than most.
I'm getting old , I forgot we have a guy named Dee Adkins who plays pretty good.
Dee is another top player who works somewhere besides a pool room.
Another strong player especially on an 8 footer was Danny Tater. He won the weekly 9 ball tournament 90% of the time with a lot of good players in it.
Many times young guys trying the road came through Columbus and got beat by Kenny Howard Dee or Chris and for a while Cory Duell and then on Sunday they would get in the tournament to try to recoup some of their losses.
Lots of times they didn't come in the money, it wasn't as strong as Airway Billiards tournament in Dayton where 3 real world champions played nearly every week but it was tougher than most.
If it was a good BB player at the Silent Woman it was most likely Danny Tater. He has a brother named Tommy but he doesn't play anything like Danny....
Who are you? Feel free to PM me if you don't want your name out here.
I'm too young to have watched Hitch play much but even at the end he still had a helluva stroke. Chester isn't around much either he's pretty much sold all of his interest in any rooms in OKC. Herman is still around and although he doesn't play like he used to he still has plenty of gamble.
Two funny Hitch stories I've heard from some of the old timers.
Right at the end Hitchcock is playing one of the young up and comers at the time. They're playing pretty even for a while. Hitch misses a shot and says I'll be right back. Goes to his car and comes back with the biggest set of eye glasses ever, puts them on and sits down in his chair. His opponent proceeds to stare and Hitch and can't make a ball. Someone asked him what was wrong and his reply was "There aren't any lenses in his effing glasses!".
Another was Hitch was playing a guy one day that he didn't know. This guy obviously knew Hitch. So he asks Hitch for a spot. Hitch tells him "Well son I've never seen you play so how can I offer you a fair spot?". This makes sense to the guy and they play a race to 9. Hitch breaks and runs out the entire set. The guy then says well can I have a spot now? Hitch replies, "Well son, I've never seen you play so how can I offer you a fair spot?"
Two funny Hitch stories I've heard from some of the old timers.
Right at the end Hitchcock is playing one of the young up and comers at the time. They're playing pretty even for a while. Hitch misses a shot and says I'll be right back. Goes to his car and comes back with the biggest set of eye glasses ever, puts them on and sits down in his chair. His opponent proceeds to stare and Hitch and can't make a ball. Someone asked him what was wrong and his reply was "There aren't any lenses in his effing glasses!".
Another was Hitch was playing a guy one day that he didn't know. This guy obviously knew Hitch. So he asks Hitch for a spot. Hitch tells him "Well son I've never seen you play so how can I offer you a fair spot?". This makes sense to the guy and they play a race to 9. Hitch breaks and runs out the entire set. The guy then says well can I have a spot now? Hitch replies, "Well son, I've never seen you play so how can I offer you a fair spot?"
You know..i think it very well could have been Danny..did they call
him the Truck Driver..my name is Randy Urban and played all over
Columbus back in the early 70s thru the late 70s..SA
When I used to have a pool room to hang in, it was Danny Wolford, Geese, Steve Gumphreys, and Tom-Tom.
We used to have a lot of good action shooters back in the day who would step up to the plate against anybody, as long as they matched up well: Mamoo, Ralph, Shifletts, Freddie and Scottie Boggs, Left-Handed Ronnie, West Virginia Frank, Cab Driver Pete, Korean Lee, Max, Danny Green, Jimmy Mack, Reggie, Snake, Billy Stephens, Bus Drive Ronnie, Fat Mike, Sterling, Elevator Larry, Quick Vick, Bobby Hawk, just to name a few.
Today, well, there ain't any *real* pool rooms anymore in my area, so I've lost track of the local greats.
We used to have a lot of good action shooters back in the day who would step up to the plate against anybody, as long as they matched up well: Mamoo, Ralph, Shifletts, Freddie and Scottie Boggs, Left-Handed Ronnie, West Virginia Frank, Cab Driver Pete, Korean Lee, Max, Danny Green, Jimmy Mack, Reggie, Snake, Billy Stephens, Bus Drive Ronnie, Fat Mike, Sterling, Elevator Larry, Quick Vick, Bobby Hawk, just to name a few.
Today, well, there ain't any *real* pool rooms anymore in my area, so I've lost track of the local greats.
In the Charlotte area, don't believe there's ever been anyone as good as Denny Searcy for the cash.
A few others have been good though, Jaybird, Lil Tony Watson, Mike Davis, Mark Tadd, Jeff Abernathy, Chuck Abernathy was quite a player 30 years ago, lil Stevie Moore, spent a bit of time here.
Honestly could not say who the best for the cash is in the Charlotte area right now. Anyone know?
We also seem to be a hotbed for some of the best women players in the world, Allison, Ewa, Kelly Fisher and Gerda all have at one time called Charlotte home sweet home.
Steve H.
A few others have been good though, Jaybird, Lil Tony Watson, Mike Davis, Mark Tadd, Jeff Abernathy, Chuck Abernathy was quite a player 30 years ago, lil Stevie Moore, spent a bit of time here.
Honestly could not say who the best for the cash is in the Charlotte area right now. Anyone know?
We also seem to be a hotbed for some of the best women players in the world, Allison, Ewa, Kelly Fisher and Gerda all have at one time called Charlotte home sweet home.
Steve H.
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I owned a couple of pool rooms in Cincinnati. They were always the action places of the time. We had a slew of great players, but the best were Gary Spaeth, Joey Spaeth, Clem Metz, Donnie Anderson, Billy and Ricky Carrelli, Butch Baker, Jim Borshelt, Bucky Bell, Joe Lawrence, Rick Garrison, Mountain Man, and a few more. There were some "road agents" who came through but for the most part they looked for easier pickings. The word was out that if you tried hustling in my place, you were in the hands of the Philistines.
[QUOTE=OUSooner;2714746
Right at the end Hitchcock is playing one of the young up and comers at the time. They're playing pretty even for a while. Hitch misses a shot and says I'll be right back. Goes to his car and comes back with the biggest set of eye glasses ever, puts them on and sits down in his chair. His opponent proceeds to stare and Hitch and can't make a ball. Someone asked him what was wrong and his reply was "There aren't any lenses in his effing glasses!".
Great story.
Not the first time a pool player got 'framed'.
I remember playing Norman when I was a kid.Truelove's was crowded
that day,people came to watch the action.
...the half time show was a guy standing up (been drinkin'...a lot)
and sayin'..."A girl called me today and told me I got her pregnant...
and I said..WELL,EXCUUUUUSE ME!"
c'mon...send some more
Right at the end Hitchcock is playing one of the young up and comers at the time. They're playing pretty even for a while. Hitch misses a shot and says I'll be right back. Goes to his car and comes back with the biggest set of eye glasses ever, puts them on and sits down in his chair. His opponent proceeds to stare and Hitch and can't make a ball. Someone asked him what was wrong and his reply was "There aren't any lenses in his effing glasses!".
Great story.
Not the first time a pool player got 'framed'.
I remember playing Norman when I was a kid.Truelove's was crowded
that day,people came to watch the action.
...the half time show was a guy standing up (been drinkin'...a lot)
and sayin'..."A girl called me today and told me I got her pregnant...
and I said..WELL,EXCUUUUUSE ME!"
c'mon...send some more
When I used to have a pool room to hang in, it was Danny Wolford, Geese, Steve Gumphreys, and Tom-Tom.
We used to have a lot of good action shooters back in the day who would step up to the plate against anybody, as long as they matched up well: Mamoo, Ralph, Shifletts, Freddie and Scottie Boggs, Left-Handed Ronnie, West Virginia Frank, Cab Driver Pete, Korean Lee, Max, Danny Green, Jimmy Mack, Reggie, Snake, Billy Stephens, Bus Drive Ronnie, Fat Mike, Sterling, Elevator Larry, Quick Vick, Bobby Hawk, just to name a few.
Today, well, there ain't any *real* pool rooms anymore in my area, so I've lost track of the local greats.
I can't believe I forgot about Geese. I know he was a regular in Glen Burnie but he would come up to Pikesville where I was at least a few times a year if not more.
RIP, Michael "Geese" Gerace. He passed away at 53 years of age in Florida. His mom moved to Florida after his dad died, and Geese really did miss Maryland and all his friends. He got cancer.
Here a shot of Geese in the upper right. I know you must recognize Cigar Tom on the bottom left, and bottom right is Teddy Wilson. I still see Teddy at the horse track sometimes. Mike Sigel won that tournament in 1986, depicted on the upper left.
Geese was *the* best one-handed player I've ever seen. They say Ronnie Allen was good, but I would have put my dough on Geese in a match-up. He loved that one-pocket game so much, too. When he was bearing down on a shot, Geese actually did have "killer instinct" in his eyes.
Geese is another one that will never be recognized in the pool world, an unsung hero, if you will, but he sure did put on a show when he was hitting 'em for all the railbirds.
And, of course, everything was funny when Geese was winning that big money. If he was on the losing end, however, those that knew him well, to include me, ran for the hills. :grin-square:
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RIP, Michael "Geese" Gerace. He passed away at 53 years of age in Florida. His mom moved to Florida after his dad died, and Geese really did miss Maryland and all his friends. He got cancer.
Here a shot of Geese in the upper right. I know you must recognize Cigar Tom on the bottom left, and bottom right is Teddy Wilson. I still see Teddy at the horse track sometimes. Mike Sigel won that tournament in 1986, depicted on the upper left.
Geese was *the* best one-handed player I've ever seen. They say Ronnie Allen was good, but I would have put my dough on Geese in a match-up. He loved that one-pocket game so much, too. When he was bearing down on a shot, Geese actually did have "killer instinct" in his eyes.
Geese is another one that will never be recognized in the pool world, an unsung hero, if you will, but he sure did put on a show when he was hitting 'em for all the railbirds.
And, of course, everything was funny when Geese was winning that big money. If he was on the losing end, however, those that knew him well, to include me, ran for the hills. :grin-square:
Nice picture of him but who's that beautiful lady next to him? I think I saw her on the TV program "The Bold and the Beautiful".
P.S. Keith was the best in the rooms that I went to. "El Diablo"
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I've got a couple great "El Diablo" pool tales about Keith. He had quite a few monikers over the years. When we first started on the road trips, he was gambling with The Russian in Chelmsford, MA, spotting him and beating him. It was thrilling for me as a railbird. Way in the back of the room sat Earl Strickland all alone, away from the crowd. Every time Keith would win a game, Earl would yell out in a low spooky kind of tone, Eeeeeeether, Eeeeeeether.
I don't know about "beautiful," but the lady was a young me. Geese and I was pretty good friends, I guess you could say. My first road trip was with Geese. We went all over the South, met some interesting characters. Rocky Creek, Groundhog, Crabtree, names I don't hear much about today.
I don't have a lot of pics of me younger. There were no digital cameras back then, but a girlfriend of mine digitized some of her negatives and sent me a couple. I still cannot get over how thick and healthy my hair was. I'd climb a mountain to have that hair back again. LOL :grin-square:
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I've got a couple great "El Diablo" pool tales about Keith. He had quite a few monikers over the years. When we first started on the road trips, he was gambling with The Russian in Chelmsford, MA, spotting him and beating him. It was thrilling for me as a railbird. Way in the back of the room sat Earl Strickland all alone, away from the crowd. Every time Keith would win a game, Earl would yell out in a low spooky kind of tone, Eeeeeeether, Eeeeeeether.
I don't know about "beautiful," but the lady was a young me. Geese and I was pretty good friends, I guess you could say. My first road trip was with Geese. We went all over the South, met some interesting characters. Rocky Creek, Groundhog, Crabtree, names I don't hear much about today.
I don't have a lot of pics of me younger. There were no digital cameras back then, but a girlfriend of mine digitized some of her negatives and sent me a couple. I still cannot get over how thick and healthy my hair was. I'd climb a mountain to have that hair back again. LOL :grin-square:
I would swim the ocean for my hair back..but i would never look as
preety as you in this pic..this was me some 35 years ago..SA
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Norman was one of the guys I used to love to watch - his seemingly effortless cueball control never ceased to amaze me. Guys like the Driller and Walden had all the big shots, but Norman could play their speed (or close) until he was quite old and hardly ever hit a ball hard or draw one more than a few inches.
Buddy Hall had a similar touch too (but I didn't get to see him nearly as often) - rarely out of shape, and could get back without any apparent effort almost all the time...
Buddy Hall had a similar touch too (but I didn't get to see him nearly as often) - rarely out of shape, and could get back without any apparent effort almost all the time...
Wow! Strokerace, I think you and I would have gotten along just fine! We both had that long hair thing going. :smilewinkgrin:
Reminds me of that song:
Give me head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there hair
Shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there mama, everywhere daddy daddy
Hair -- hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Grow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair
HAHAHA, I've been avoiding that song and well the whole "Hair" album for 40 years. When I was in the Navy, stationed at NAS Millington, just outside of Memphis and earning a whopping $88 a month, one of my room mates in the barracks bought an 8-track player for the room. After he purchased the player he only had enough money to buy one 8-track tape..."Hair". For about 2 months he played that tape constantly! I could probably still recite, word for word, every song on that album! Needless to say, I got a little burned out on it! lol
Chicago IL
Early 60's in the suburbs never saw em because of growing up 25 miles away out in the suburbs but, always heard about Mexican Johnny, John Abruzzo, and Artie B., I'm sure Freddy could give us a Long hit list of the usual suspects during that time.
Early 60's in the suburbs never saw em because of growing up 25 miles away out in the suburbs but, always heard about Mexican Johnny, John Abruzzo, and Artie B., I'm sure Freddy could give us a Long hit list of the usual suspects during that time.
No, McCoy was the only truck driver. Danny was/still is a bar table specialist.
RIP, Michael "Geese" Gerace. He passed away at 53 years of age in Florida. His mom moved to Florida after his dad died, and Geese really did miss Maryland and all his friends. He got cancer.
Here a shot of Geese in the upper right. I know you must recognize Cigar Tom on the bottom left, and bottom right is Teddy Wilson. I still see Teddy at the horse track sometimes. Mike Sigel won that tournament in 1986, depicted on the upper left.
Geese was *the* best one-handed player I've ever seen. They say Ronnie Allen was good, but I would have put my dough on Geese in a match-up. He loved that one-pocket game so much, too. When he was bearing down on a shot, Geese actually did have "killer instinct" in his eyes.
Geese is another one that will never be recognized in the pool world, an unsung hero, if you will, but he sure did put on a show when he was hitting 'em for all the railbirds.
And, of course, everything was funny when Geese was winning that big money. If he was on the losing end, however, those that knew him well, to include me, ran for the hills. :grin-square:
Those are great pictures. The pool scene in Maryland is surely not what it used to be, so many characters of the past are not around anymore and it's ashame. By the way one of the last times I saw Geese play was in the early 90's. He was playing one-handed jacked up race to 9 for 300 and he won on the hill.