Boston Shorty

[jay helfert]

Jay, I only know a small, small fraction of what you know regarding pool, but I do know that Bob Ingersoll was not the same player as Bob "the Destroyer". Bob Ingersoll's nicknames were "soldier" and "Ingie". He was from Boston and he died in 1995 at the age of 79. Bob "the Destroyer's" last name was Myers. He was from Manhattan and played probably about about a ball under Jack Breit when Red still lived in NYC (what I've been told by old-timers in the City). Both Myers and Ingersoll played pro-level one pocket. And from what I've heard, they actually might have played around the same speed. I've heard that Shorty might have been about a ball over Ingersoll as well.

Thanks for that. I did get them confused. I think Ingersol played about a ball under Shorty, so that would have made them close to the same speed. Shorty and Red played even up. No weight either way.

 

[jay helfert]

Keith played Shorty lots of times. He was a "gritty little player" known more for his straight pool, but he could play all games, to include banks, one-pocket, and 9-ball. Keith thinks his best game was one-pocket.

He used to come down to the Elks Club in Los Angeles when Keith was about 15 or 16 years old. Back then, Keith used to watch Shorty hours on end playing straight pool with the likes of Irving Crane, Joe Balsis, Luther Lassiter, Peter Margo, Larry Lisciotti, just to name a few.

Every time Keith played Shorty, though, they had a good time. They'd cut up as they were hitting the balls in. Every time Shorty made a good shot, Keith would go rub his bald head for good luck.

Shorty played better than Keith as a teenager, but when Keith turned 18, he couldn't beat Keith playing 9-ball, but that was the only game Keith excelled at against the American legendary player named Boston Shorty.

JAM

Nobody else could beat Keith either at 9-Ball when he was 18, this side of Buddy Hall. A few like Rempe, Mizerak, and Hopkins may have played as well, but Keith was such a dangerous gambler they all feared him. I think only Allen was willing to gamble with Keith. You ask him.

 

[Hidy Ho]

Nice memory, Bob!!!! Doesn't anything empty out of head from time to time??? . Thanks for the corrected info...let's not let the facts get in the way of a good story . Hope you are well.

Dave

Bob is the living molecular DNA computer

 

[1pocket]

Thanks for that. I did get them confused. I think Ingersol played about a ball under Shorty, so that would have made them close to the same speed. Shorty and Red played even up. No weight either way.

Bob Ingersol was a few years older than Shorty, and Shorty himself credits 'Ingie' with helping him learn One Pocket. I was fortunate to also learn a good bit from 'Ingie', when I played him in his later years. 'Ingie' remained sharp about the game, but of course his eyes deteriorated. By the time I played him he layed off the long shots, but he sure gathered the balls around his pocket!!

By the way, that photo was taken on the occasion of the induction into the New England Pool & Billiards HOF, for all four of those players!

 

[tom mcgonagle]

The late great Boston Shorty.

We were seated at a bar in Connecticut, believe it or not, with a large group of players. On the television was an amazing body contortionist the audience was awestruck watching this man perform, and so were many of us watching. Larry had a way with words. He looked up at the screen and said, "Look at this sucker. I bet he can't run four ba-ba-ba-lls. He's a joke!"

 

[JoseV]

(L-R) Bob Ingersol, 'Boston Shorty', Herb Lehman and Norm Webber were inducted into the New England Pool and Billiards Hall of Fame in 1994.

Go to http://onepocket.org/NormWebberInterview.htm .

I think Accu Billards In New Bedford Ma, held that I think thats were that picture was taken if im not mistaken.

 

[macguy]

I grew up in New England. I saw Shorty play on a few occasions in the 80's. Does anyone have any stories about him? He was quite the character.

I split a room with him once. Except for when he had a match all he did for a week was watch TV and smoke cigars. He didn't seem to like the attention from fans and shied away from them. He preferred the company of players.

 

[Scott Lee]

JAM...Shorty also excelled at 3-C billiards, in addition to the pocket games.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Keith played Shorty lots of times. He was a "gritty little player" known more for his straight pool, but he could play all games, to include banks, one-pocket, and 9-ball. Keith thinks his best game was one-pocket.

JAM

 

[downtown]

I grew up in somerville where shorty is from, we played pool and 3c in davis square, he was pretty much a loner except for a few friends. He hung out thier every night up until he went in the hospital and died. shorty was old school, would play for whatever you wanted to, even the time, but didnt give out much advise. I was also thier when he got inducted into the HOF in Vegas, he was very proud of that and had a hell of a time that night.

 

[Island Drive]

I grew up in somerville where shorty is from, we played pool and 3c in davis square, he was pretty much a loner except for a few friends. He hung out thier every night up until he went in the hospital and died. shorty was old school, would play for whatever you wanted to, even the time, but didnt give out much advise. I was also thier when he got inducted into the HOF in Vegas, he was very proud of that and had a hell of a time that night.

I saw him for 4-5 yrs in a row @ Johnston City & that's my only impression of the man other than here'say. He was game, you got action if he liked the situation, he was almost cocky, yet you could tell he'd been beaten' up a few times in his era (Ronnie Allen) he was living as he was and gave all comers a tough game in 'all' games or U lost.

 

[jus4funbilliard]

I was lucky enough to meet him a few times in mid 90's at T'Js in Maine would always stop and talk and had his dog with him all the time was still good player even then.

 

[freddy the beard]

Shorty and Harry Pietros

I had the good fortune to spend time with Shorty when he lived in Chicago and hung out at Bensingers for about a year. I think it was the late 70s or early 80s. The best Shorty story is the one Brooklyn Pancho told about when Shorty was sent in to Allingers in Philly to trap Harry Pietros. The hustlers had already sent in a legion of players to beat Harry and he had become very paranoid. While Harry didn't know what Shorty looked like, they knew if he opened his mouth with that thick Boston accent, Harry would figure out who it was. So they came up with plan of passing Shorty off as a deaf mute. Shorty's guys had to keep running into the bathroom because they couldn't keep from laughing. It went off perfectly until Harry pushed out on a shot and absentmindedly asked Shorty if he wanted to take the shot or leave it to him. Shorty, not thinking either said, "Naw, you go ahead and shoot it." Harry looked up to heaven and started talking to his dead mother, "Ma, they're doing it to me again, Ma!" Uproar ensued immediately thereafter because Harry was a mobbed up guy, but that's another story.


The Beard

Have you ordered the Beard's Old School Pool shirt yet?

 

[Fatboy]

This is a great thread. Shorty was one the old school guys I sadly didnt get to see in person, I have seen him on video alot, he reminds me o a guy at the pool room in Stockton years ago I knew-cept' shorty plays about 5 speeds stronger, but they had the same style-hat, cigar, gambler, loner, etc. I like that.

This thread is a reminder of what AZB can be.... a pool forum(what it was the best at), think about that. Where did those days go???