Cool Pool Read about Wimpy

[JAM]

As told by a dear friend, “Once a pool player finds a good piece of wood, it doesn’t matter if it’s a $2 stick or $2,000,” Jim Todd said. “If he likes the way it feels, he’ll shoot with it.”

Lassiter’s transportation of choice in Elizabeth City, almost as much a staple as holding a pool stick, was a light blue and white bicycle.

“And he’d be eating an ice cream cone,” said Carl Brinkley, an Old Trap native who works at Museum of the Albemarle and helped bring to the facility one of Lassiter’s tables for display. “After all of these years it’s time for him to get recognition.”

In the early hours of today — 27 years to the day he died on October 25, 1988 — the first-ever Great Dismal Swamp 9 Ball Classic was wrapping up at Colonial Cues, complete with 17 of the world’s best players.

A very nice read ---> EC pool champion Lassiter: Simple man

[Thank you, Dana, for sharing.]

Jim Todd, who was a close friend of Elizabeth City native and the late six-time world pool champion Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter, remembered him as a simple man who was in love with the game.

 

[flyrv9]

As one always interested in learning more of the history of the game - thanks for posting this JAM. Cool read indeed.

 

[PoolBum]

Cool read. Lassiter let the kids at the Boys Club beat him when he played them. If Mosconi had played his own mother he wouldn't have let her win.

 

[Tooler]

That was awesome...... thanks for sharing. :clapping::clapping:

 

[alstl]

It is interesting Cicero Murphy was the only champion to show for his funeral.

Curt Flood whose career was ruined when he challenged the reserve clause in baseball - no active ballplayers attended his funeral. The man who sacrificed so they could make their big money - none of them showed up to honor him.

 

[jayburger]

Many of the old timers here in greensboro speak as highly of wimpy as you can. When i ask them who they like (to win) between earl( who lived here in greensboro for most of his professional life) and wimpy in 9 ball, they pretty much all agree it was dead close , no favorite. I guess wimpy could play a little lol.

 

[foxcues]

I was traveling with Buddy Hall and I ask him who was the best player he had ever seen or played and he said by far Wimpy was the best.

 

[david(tx)]

As told by a dear friend, “Once a pool player finds a good piece of wood, it doesn’t matter if it’s a $2 stick or $2,000,” Jim Todd said. “If he likes the way it feels, he’ll shoot with it.”

Lassiter’s transportation of choice in Elizabeth City, almost as much a staple as holding a pool stick, was a light blue and white bicycle.

“And he’d be eating an ice cream cone,” said Carl Brinkley, an Old Trap native who works at Museum of the Albemarle and helped bring to the facility one of Lassiter’s tables for display. “After all of these years it’s time for him to get recognition.”

In the early hours of today — 27 years to the day he died on October 25, 1988 — the first-ever Great Dismal Swamp 9 Ball Classic was wrapping up at Colonial Cues, complete with 17 of the world’s best players.

A very nice read ---> EC pool champion Lassiter: Simple man

[Thank you, Dana, for sharing.]


As told by a dear friend, “Once a pool player finds a good piece of wood, it doesn’t matter if it’s a $2 stick or $2,000,” Jim Todd said. “If he likes the way it feels, he’ll shoot with it.”

Very subtle , veerry subtle .

 

[WildWing]

Here's to Luther, one of the greatest ever:

 

[Island Drive]

That was a nice read. I first saw him @ Johnston City IL/Janscos event in 1969 while going to SIU. I remember his grey suits, him sitting with his legs crossed appearing to be sleeping, while not in play, but he was in the middle of the room/action. I remember his short ferule and it being red, probably to eliminate glare. I also clearly remember him say to another while in the main tournament pit room. "I'll play ya that way, but once it gets to 16 hours, I'll need to go get my rest. We can then continue tomorrow. Very Quiet, probably because he was a ''good listener'' come to think of it. Fat's would do something similar in NY city back in the early 1900's. He stop the car, listen for the sounds of pool balls, and ''go there''.

 

[franko]

Thanks

Thanks Jam for posting this, AZ is always more interesting when you are posting on here.

 

[Busboy]

Great to see u back posting Jam

 

[Maxx]

Thanks for posting the story.

He did an exhibition at our pool hall/bowling alley when I was in high school. He was way past his prime, but you could still see that he had it.

 

[Tobermory]

I may be the only pool fan from his era who saw Lassiter play many times but only straight pool, never nine ball, for all my watching him was at tournaments.

He was, as far as I could see, exactly as advertised in these descriptions by those who knew him well, both in skill and personality.

On the subject of his sleeping in the chair during matches, let me make a suggestion I have not seen anyone else make. When you watch your opponent play, it is difficult to suppress an evil little voice in your mind that keeps urging him to mess up. This can clutter your mind with negative images. Then, when you yourself come to the table, your mind has to struggle to overcome those negative images in order to replace them with positive ones. Perhaps the dozing, real or not, was a way of avoiding that.

Back in the days of the NYC and Chicago straight pool tournaments, in which Lassiter was the star, there were usually four matches going on simultaneously. It was not at all uncommon to see a player who was in his chair turn his attention away completely from the table his opponent was shooting on to a match on a completely different table in which a player was putting together a run. I think competitors did this to keep positive images in their mind without having to root subconsciously against themselves. Of course, the matches were carefully refereed, so a player who was "on leave" from the table usually didn't have to worry about any funny business by his own opponent.

 

[JAM]

I may be the only pool fan from his era who saw Lassiter play many times but only straight pool, never nine ball, for all my watching him was at tournaments.

He was, as far as I could see, exactly as advertised in these descriptions by those who knew him well, both in skill and personality.

On the subject of his sleeping in the chair during matches, let me make a suggestion I have not seen anyone else make. When you watch your opponent play, it is difficult to suppress an evil little voice in your mind that keeps urging him to mess up. This can clutter your mind with negative images. Then, when you yourself come to the table, your mind has to struggle to overcome those negative images in order to replace them with positive ones. Perhaps the dozing, real or not, was a way of avoiding that.

Back in the days of the NYC and Chicago straight pool tournaments, in which Lassiter was the star, there were usually four matches going on simultaneously. It was not at all uncommon to see a player who was in his chair turn his attention away completely from the table his opponent was shooting on to a match on a completely different table in which a player was putting together a run. I think competitors did this to keep positive images in their mind without having to root subconsciously against themselves. Of course, the matches were carefully refereed so a player who was "on leave" from the table usually didn't have to worry about any funny business by his own opponent.

Great contribution to this thread about Wimpy. He must have been poetry in motion on a field of green.

 

[JAM]

It is interesting Cicero Murphy was the only champion to show for his funeral.

Curt Flood whose career was ruined when he challenged the reserve clause in baseball - no active ballplayers attended his funeral. The man who sacrificed so they could make their big money - none of them showed up to honor him.

That is awful about no other player showing up for his funeral.

 

[Ken_4fun]

It is interesting Cicero Murphy was the only champion to show for his funeral.

Curt Flood whose career was ruined when he challenged the reserve clause in baseball - no active ballplayers attended his funeral. The man who sacrificed so they could make their big money - none of them showed up to honor him.

Wow thanks for sharing.

I didnt know about either.

Ken

 

[Ken_4fun]

I was traveling with Buddy Hall and I ask him who was the best player he had ever seen or played and he said by far Wimpy was the best.

He told me the same thing.

Ken

 

[Island Drive]

One more thought(s). I was 19-21 yr old the THREE... 3 three week periods I saw him in my life till it got raided.... I watched him only at Janscos. He'd take 3 scratches ''all day long'' before he'd allow you access to a shot in 14.1 and he could mumble/and get over it quickly on a nonsensical error. Also, when I watched him play 9 ball one shot I was intrigued about. Often in 9 ball you'll roll up almost frozen to your next shot, or 1/4'' or so. He made those tough off angle pinch/squeeze cuts coming anywhere from 3-7 rails and back in line every time.....

 

[alstl]

Here's to Luther, one of the greatest ever:

The picture at the bottom where is shooting left handed - interesting bridge.