Happy Halloween to the Members of AzBilliards Discussion Forum!

JAM

JAM

I am the storm
Silver Member
Happy Halloween to AzBilliards Discussion Forum! :)

Click my Halloween Card to you entitled "JAM and Earthquake."

It's pool-related and doesn't belong in NPR because there's a pool player in this e-card: JAM and Earthquake :wink:

JAM <--not the pool player :grin-square:
 
Today would have been Michael "Geese" Gerace's 59th birthday. He was born on Halloween. He passed away several years ago from cancer.

He is the pool player in the upper right-hand corner, standing next to the girl with the hair. :o

Of course, that's Mike Sigel in the upper left-hand corner, and that's "Teddy Bear" Wilson in the bottom right. "Cigar Tom" Vanover is in the lower left. The pictures were taken at the 1986 Maryland State Tournament, won by Sigel, Cigar Tom runner up, with Teddy Bear coming in third place.

RIP, Geese. You are missed. :(
 

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I know today is a festive day, but I am sad every Halloween when I think about my friend, Geese, passing away at such a young age. He was the same age as I am today. Again, today is Geese's brithday. :frown:

Looking at the pictures of those four players from the 1986 Maryland State Championship gives me pause when I think about what directions their lives have gone. All of them at that time in 1986 were stone-cold pool players. They lived and breathed pool 24/7.

Picture No. 1. Sigel today has accomplished a lot in the pool world. He is recognized and heralded as one of the great pool players of all time. When he left the tournament trail, he created a line of cue sticks. One thing about Sigel, when he sets his mind to do somthing, he accomplishes his goal. I think that is the mark of a champion. Even in the business world today, a successful businessman has to have the drive to rise to the top, like Sigel did in pool. It's what separates the lions from the lambs. :cool:

Picture No. 2. Geese is gone. He was an American road warrior. Geese was a horrible loser, a superstitious gambler, and a hot-tempered Italian, but when he was winning, he was charismatic and fun to be around. His claim to fame, so to speak, was that he came in third place at a Johnston City tournament. I can remember him boasting that he was THIRD in the world at that time. LOL Geese was an action player, a strong one-pocket man. Though most didn't know how strong his game really was, I personally witnessed his magic on a field of green.

How he got his nickname, he was living in Bladensburg, MD and entered a tournament at the Golden Cue as a teenager. Papa George (may he rest in peace) was putting the names up on the chart and left the "r" out of Geese's last name, which is "Gerace." When they called his name, the guy said "Geese? Geese?" Nobody replied. Finally, they realized that it was Michael Gerace who was up next. Everybody laughed at him being called "Geese"; thus, the nickname stuck with him forever.

I hope Papa George and Geese are playing one-hole in heaven right now.

Picture No. 3. Cigar Tom Vanover is one of Maryland's finest. He runs a pool room in Dundalk today and still gets in action by appointment. LOL He has a fan club in Maryland who will bet the house on Cigar Tom when he's gambling. On a bar box, he's tough still today. I remember the shaft of his cue was as thin as a pencil. He said he used to get more english with a thin shaft. He has a brother who lives in Texas who is also a great pool player. :)

I remember a funny story that I think Fat Wayne of Baltimore told me about Cigar Tom. He said he and Cigar Tom were going to go on the road. They had an appointment to get in action somewhere in Pennsylvania, I think. When he pulled up to Cigar Tom's house to pick him up early one morning, he saw these clothes flying out the second floor of his home, along with a pool case. Soon Cigar Tom comes running out the front door, picked up the pool case on the lawn, and jumped in Fat Wayne's car, saying, "Let's go." Apparently, Cigar Tom's wife did NOT want him to leave. :eek:

Picture No. 4. Teddy Bear Wilson used to be a well-known action man in the D.C. area. He used to travel to the various pool rooms and gamble. He was, in fact, a strong player. The gambling bug bit Teddy Bear hard, like so many other pool players. I don't see him in the pool rooms anymore. My last sightings of Teddy Bear in recent times has been at the horse racetrack. Last time I saw him, he tried to bite me. :grin-square:

Well, there you have it, the paths of four strong pool players from 23 years ago. I do wonder if each had to do it over again if they would choose the same path in life.
 
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Here's a picture of my boyfriend in his Halloween costume! :grin:

He's supposed to be a pool player. :smilewinkgrin:
 

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JAM said:
Today would have been Michael "Geese" Gerace's 59th birthday. He was born on Halloween. He passed away several years ago from cancer.

He is the pool player in the upper right-hand corner, standing next to the girl with the hair. :o

Of course, that's Mike Sigel in the upper left-hand corner, and that's "Teddy Bear" Wilson in the bottom right. "Cigar Tom" Vanover is in the lower left. The pictures were taken at the 1986 Maryland State Tournament, won by Sigel, Cigar Tom runner up, with Teddy Bear coming in third place.

RIP, Geese. You are missed. :(
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Jam,
Happy Halloween to you and Keith and my sympathies to you on this bittersweet date.

As you can see from my stats, I post only rarely but your mention of Michael "Geese" Gerace brought back some old memories. I remember watching him play in Greensboro North Carolina back in the late-70s. He was a tremendous player and an inimitable character. I still get a kick out of remembering how intensely he played that day and how, about every 30 minutes or so, he would shout across the room to his road partner (his brother perhaps), in a loud gravely voice, "Cauffee". He was destroying his opponent that day (Johnny Ross maybe) and was a lot of fun to be around when the match ended. It's sad that he died so young.

He played that day with a cue that I think was a George Balabushka with a very unusual butt sleeve which consisted of what I believe was the same material used in mood rings. As a cue collector, I sure wish I had that one now. Better yet, I wish that Geese still had it and was playing with the skill and finesse that characterized his game.

In a recent post, someone mentioned the curse of being talented at pool. In view of the current horrible situation in men's professional pool with few tournaments and skimpy prize money I would sadly probably recommend to any young player that he forget pool and "get a life", that is, unless he enjoys being broke. So here we are again, mired in the same old rut: no significant support from the industry except for a few glowing examples, no TV coverage other than the absurd mockery of speed pool and trick shots, no active governing organization to promote a viable men's tour, and no way for some of the greatest talents of our day to make a decent living. And as for the road, that party is over. It's nigh on impossible to make the nut these days and a lot of the sucker's need to gamble and lose has been siphoned off by the broad acceptance of casinos and state lotteries. Earl Strickland is a close friend of mine and he has commented many times that he wishes he had done something other than play pool for a living. I'm certain that many older players feel the same way.

Anyway, sorry for the melancholy tone of this post but somehow it seems appropriate. Once again, happy Halloween to you and Keith. I'll tip a couple for Geese tonight.
 
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Happy Halloween to you both, Jenny!! Remember that tonight the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. Geese will be glad you're thinking of him and remembering him.
 
Halloween wishes to you both. Cute stuff!
I'd a thought surely that was a neighbor boy you caught getting an early start on the candy run...
 
2v12 said:
Jam,
Happy Halloween to you and Keith and my sympathies to you on this bittersweet date.

As you can see from my stats, I post only rarely but your mention of Michael "Geese" Gerace brought back some old memories. I remember watching him play in Greensboro North Carolina back in the late-70s. He was a tremendous player and an inimitable character. I still get a kick out of remembering how intensely he played that day and how, about every 30 minutes or so, he would shout across the room to his road partner (his brother perhaps), in a loud gravely voice, "Cauffee". He was destroying his opponent that day (Johnny Ross maybe) and was a lot of fun to be around when the match ended. It's sad that he died so young.

He played that day with a cue that I think was a George Balabushka with a very unusual butt sleeve which consisted of what I believe was the same material used in mood rings. As a cue collector, I sure wish I had that one now. Better yet, I wish that Geese still had it and was playing with the skill and finesse that characterized his game.

In a recent post, someone mentioned the curse of being talented at pool. In view of the current horrible situation in men's professional pool with few tournaments and skimpy prize money I would sadly probably recommend to any young player that he forget pool and "get a life", that is, unless he enjoys being broke. So here we are again, mired in the same old rut: no significant support from the industry except for a few glowing examples, no TV coverage other than the absurd mockery of speed pool and trick shots, no active governing organization to promote a viable men's tour, and no way for some of the greatest talents of our day to make a decent living. And as for the road, that party is over. It's nigh on impossible to make the nut these days and a lot of the sucker's need to gamble and lose has been siphoned off by the broad acceptance of casinos and state lotteries. Earl Strickland is a close friend of mine and he has commented many times that he wishes he had done something other than play pool for a living. I'm certain that many older players feel the same way.

Anyway, sorry for the melancholy tone of this post but somehow it seems appropriate. Once again, happy Halloween to you and Keith. I'll tip a couple for Geese tonight.
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It is a shame for us that you post rarely:). Great post and thatnks for the window looking into the past.
 
Cuebuddy said:
It is a shame for us that you post rarely:). Great post and thatnks for the window looking into the past.
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Thank you for your kind words. I love the forum but I just don't have the time to be an active contributor.
 
I wasn't skeered but you made me laugh this morning . :wink:

Happy Halloween.

JoeyA
 
2v12 said:
...Anyway, sorry for the melancholy tone of this post but somehow it seems appropriate. Once again, happy Halloween to you and Keith. I'll tip a couple for Geese tonight.
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Wow, what a great read. Please do post when time allows. I really enjoyed it.

I went to Greensboro with Geese a few times myself to Baker's where they boasted about having the BEST hot dogs in North Carolina. LOL We met up with Seattle Sam there a few times, and he steered us to a few spots in Tennessee.

My favorite pool room of all times was in Winston-Salem during this era. They had an actual rack boy with an apron on who would rack the balls. When you walked in the joint, there was the front table that was the Challenge Table. Anybody could jump in the ring game on the Challenge Table, but you had to play their stakes. After the player would sink the money ball in, heds yell out, "RACK." Then the rack boy would come up, rack the balls, and the breaker would give him a quarter. It was so old-fashioned and cool.

Suzie's Diner in Kernersville with over 30 different FRESH vegetables, right smack between Greensboro and Winston-Salem, was one of my favorite stops.

Thanks for the memories! :)
 
Check out this link of Larry King Show shoot. Be sure to listen closely to the sound in the background.

Click here and brace yourself: Michael Jackson's ghost!

:yikes::yikes::yikes::shocked2::shocked2:
 
JAM said:
Wow, what a great read. Please do post when time allows. I really enjoyed it.

I went to Greensboro with Geese a few times myself to Baker's where they boasted about having the BEST hot dogs in North Carolina. LOL We met up with Seattle Sam there a few times, and he steered us to a few spots in Tennessee.

My favorite pool room of all times was in Winston-Salem during this era. They had an actual rack boy with an apron on who would rack the balls. When you walked in the joint, there was the front table that was the Challenge Table. Anybody could jump in the ring game on the Challenge Table, but you had to play their stakes. After the player would sink the money ball in, heds yell out, "RACK." Then the rack boy would come up, rack the balls, and the breaker would give him a quarter. It was so old-fashioned and cool.

Suzie's Diner in Kernersville with over 30 different FRESH vegetables, right smack between Greensboro and Winston-Salem, was one of my favorite stops.

Thanks for the memories! :)
Click to expand...

Well you know, Baker's may indeed have had the best hot dogs in North Carolina but after all, a hot dog is still just a hot dog. Baker's, of course, is now long gone.

The old-style pool room you mention was probably Recreation Billiards on fourth Street. It's still there and has been remodeled to try and attract a new, trendy crowd (good luck with that). No more rack boys I'm afraid. I wish they'd just left it alone.

There was also Trade Street Billiards next to the main Post Office. The late great Ervin "Bill" Lawson used to hang their looking for action. What a great stroke and what a great guy he was, even when he was on the "sauce". It got pretty seedy in there before it closed, perhaps 20 years ago.

The other possibility, although it is a remote one since it had probably closed by the time you got to Winston-Salem, was Forsyth Billiards on Fifth Street. This was my favorite of the three, my ultimate example of an old-style pool room; dark as a cavern, lit only by the table lights, great equipment including dead straight house cues with properly maintained tips, good if not constant action and super cold draft beer served in a thick glass goblet by a fat, jolly Greek houseman named Pete.

I also remember Suzie's Diner in Kernersville. In fact, it may still be open. You're absolutely correct, 30+ fresh vegetables. Just what the doctor ordered for the weary roadie after far too much (in my case at least) of the normal, less than healthy, road food. There was also a little game room nearby that offered the possibility of a medium-sized score courtesy of a local shortstop named David Hinshaw. Those were the days!
 
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