Greatest 9 Ball Player Dead/alive

blud said:
We all had a blast you keith and Louie play years ago. Seems the last we saw you and louie play was in memphis, many years ago.
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Glad to hear from you, Leonard and Janice. Those were the good old days, weren't they? We sure had fun back then, whatever we did. I hope you and Janice are doing well. I have been picking up some missing pieces lately. Hope I can keep it up.

I saw Buddy at the U.S. Open, and he looks like he's doing well, too.

Your friend, Keith
 
Joseph Cues said:
I heard Buddy Hall and Bakersfield Bobby were great barbox shooters too.
Did you tangle with them too Keith besides the time written on Buddy's book?
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When Bobby was over there in Bakersfield and in California, he was known as one of the better bar table players around at that time, until he met me. I ended up spotting him the 7-ball and shot him down, more than a few times. Me and Buddy never got a chance to play on the bar table. Plus, at that time, I had a lot of respect for his game. He was really one of my mentors, one of the very few guys that I looked up to at my young age.
 
Thanks Keith.
Your brother Audy opened up a nice billiard shop in Riverside by the way.
I hope you can come down here to Shooters next Labor Day weekend and play one-pocket Richard, Efren, Schmidt or Santos.
It'll be fun to watch.
I hope your auto-bio book comes out soon.
 
instroke said:
Keith, everyone hears about David Matlock being the best big ball bartable player. Did you two ever lock horns and if so who came out on top?
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We played a couple of times, and it went back and forth, but David never got to play me at my best. And when David was in his prime, he was definitely a bar table specialist. But David is like me and you can easily get beaten up playing pool, and it takes a toll on you. Hope David is doing well.
 
Those sure were the "good old days". These guys of today, just don't know what they missed, on, do they?

We were all on the road together. 45 pool players traveling the roads together, for a couple of years none stop........ All of us hittin ever spot in and on the road. One guy broke down, we were all broke down.

I remember when me you Janice and louies old ladie were eating at the waffle house[awfull house] and we were betting on how many pancakes we could polish off within a given time. I don't think the bet ever came down.

Man, ole man, what a blast we had back then. From Tenn, to Cal, texas back to n.C. and south c. floidia, and them some.

Remember janice's first road trip, we were going to be gone for 10 days to, two weeks, hell, we didn't get back home for 14 -1/2 month's on that trip. Had many others road trip as you most likly remember.. Good old days, yes sir.

Wish Louie was still with us.

Hope to see you soon. Beers on me.

Janice says she buying us dinner. [hell she never did like us drinkin, O-WELL.......

We been together for 43 years now keith. Recon, she got a gold metal comin.

Good girl, she is.... we now got 20 grandchildren.
see ya pal.
da-blud
 
You are sooooooo telling the truth Blud. Those were the days.

Keith, did you ever get down with an old favorite of Blud's and mine, Greg "Freight Train" Stevens?.......$Bill
 
Thanks for your time and info Keith as well as all others. I had the pleasure of watching Keith play a couple of times at JOB Billiards in Madison, TN a couple of years ago. The tournament was being held on the bar tables and as I watched Keith play one of his matches I recall saying to one of my friends that if he could see the ball he made the ball. His play was quite impressive. I also watched Keith beat Cliff Joyner a set of one pocket on the 9 foot Diamond. I'm not a great one pocket fan because nobody plays where I live but I was very impressed with their play.

One other thing is that Keith is ALWAYS entertaining to watch!

BKKPOOL
 
Keith McCready said:
King Cueball, in the late '70s or early '80s, when Efren came to the states, the first time I laid eyes on him, he walked into Bob's Billiards in California looking for me. I think I was in my early twenties, and he already had a line on me and wouldn't play me 9-ball on the bar table with the big cue-ball. If he was going to play me anything, it would have been on the big table, where my game wasn't as strong.

Efren and I always matched up playing one-pocket, and still do today. You got to play him games to where you can slow him down in order to beat him. Not saying I couldn't beat him playing 9-ball, but I can find easier games. Every dog has his day sometimes.
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Hey Keith,
I think Bob's is where I first met you in late '91 or sometime in '92. I walked in and you were playing gin. I think a few days later we went to the Huebler Cup together at the Hacienda in Vegas? If I remember correctly, you played Efren in the finals. I cannot remember if you won or not?
As for matching up with him at one-satchel, I watched many of the matches between you two, and others (Billy Incardona) at Hard Times! Some of the best one-pocket I have ever seen! You are an awesome player!!!:cool:
 
Greatest 9-ball player in 2003 (IMO), Alex the Lion.

Greatest 9-ball player of the past (IMO), Boston Shorty. Irving Crane, and Luther Lassiter.

Greatest 9-ball players still living (IMO), Buddy Hall, Earl Strickland, Mike Sigel, Johnny Archer, and Wade Crane.

Greatest female 9-ball pool player (IMO), Jean Balukas.


ManlyShot
 
For the cash, Luther Lassiter...Billy Johnson(aka wade crane)
... Keith McCready
Best tournament nine ball player, without a doubt "Earl"
Best all-around at present..."Efren"

Just a note**Weenie Beenie" had a Hustlers tourney back at his place in the 70's...nine ball and one pocket...all the road hustlers and champions were there...Irving Crane won the one pocket and Joe Balsis won the nine ball!
 
I am surprised that no one has mentioned
Mark Tadd or Greg Stevens. I have personally seen MT
over a row of champions the last two and then the
eight and no one got up. I watched him play several times
and he never lost. He rarely missed or made a mistake.
Greg Stevens is a guy that I have never witnessed but
have heard horror stories about. He died at an early age I believe. Guys I respect have told me that even up no one had to beat him and that he was the greatest offensive 9 ball player
ever.
I would have to say Tadd, Earl, Buddy, Luther were the greatest.
Its hard to compare different eras and the best player in any sport usually changes every few years so its hard to compare
even within a decade.
I would have loved to see Tadd and Stevens play more and of
course the older champions as well.
 
manlyshot said:
Greatest female 9-ball pool player (IMO), Jean Balukas.
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Gremlin, you are disappointing me. I thought for sure we'd get a nice picture of Jean Balukas.

ManlyShot
 
Thanks for the nice picture of Jean Balukas, Bill.

She is definitely the best woman pool player ever. Where is she these days? I saw her playing in New York a long, long time ago, and I have never seen a woman play with as high a caliber as Jean. I think I remember reading somewhere that she played in a lot of men's tournaments, but, of course, back then, women did not have very many tournaments going on. That has all changed now for the better.

The only three female players in the Hall of Fame are Dorothy Wise, Jean Balukas, and Loree Jon Jones.

ManlyShot
 
Manlyshot, Jean is only 44yrs old now. She could still be in dead stroke and surprise some young ladies if she would forgive and forget. I for one would love to see her on tour again. (Whacha think Green Guy?)
 
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Bill, where in the world is Jean Balukas? Only 44 years old? She is definitely still in her prime.

I'll bet Gremlin has a line on her whereabouts. Come on, Gremlin, where is Jean Balukas?

ManlyShot
 
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