How Good Did Keith McCready Really Play?

hemicudas

hemicudas

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Big tournament in Baton Rouge, 1976. Everybody was there. Mike Segal had just won 6 or 7 tournaments in a row. No one wanted to match up with him. Keith asks Mike, "What you want to do?". Mike tells him, "Play some 9 ball." Keith walks over to the bar table and says, "Flip a coin." Mike says, "Don't you want to play even?" Meaning, Mike wouldn't play Keith even on the bar table. Mike flips a coin on the big table he was standing in front of and tells Keith, "Call it." Keith, knowing he had the worst of it on the big table says, "Heads." Keith wins the flip and the race to 11 for $2K.

For those of you that think this man has no heart and never played with the "Big Names",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,You Are Nuts.

No player on earth would play Keith McCready even on the bar table for many years and no one you can think of "Had" to beat him on the big table.

Next Keith story,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,$Bill
 
Hemi,
Thanks for the story.You always have the good ones.You headed to the Open?.

Tony
(got a new name, so the misses could post too)
 
hemicudas said:
Big tournament in Baton Rouge, 1976. Everybody was there. Mike Segal had just won 6 or 7 tournaments in a row. No one wanted to match up with him. Keith asks Mike, "What you want to do?". Mike tells him, "Play some 9 ball." Keith walks over to the bar table and says, "Flip a coin." Mike says, "Don't you want to play even?" Meaning, Mike wouldn't play Keith even on the bar table. Mike flips a coin on the big table he was standing in front of and tells Keith, "Call it." Keith, knowing he had the worst of it on the big table says, "Heads." Keith wins the flip and the race to 11 for $2K.

For those of you that think this man has no heart and never played with the "Big Names",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,You Are Nuts.

No player on earth would play Keith McCready even on the bar table for many years and no one you can think of "Had" to beat him on the big table.

Next Keith story,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,$Bill
Click to expand...

Same location, Baton Rouge, the year was 1977. I watched a very young and fearless Keith play in a $100.00 nine ball ring game with the likes of Buddy Hall, Flyboy, Larry Hubbart, Grady Mathews and others. He played fast and loose and won a bunch of cabbage before he was called for his match. Keith didn't back down from anyone during that tournament including the "big names". One regret I have is that I never got to see him on a bar table. Everytime I watched him it was on 9-footers. I would have loved to see him and Dan Louie match up on a bar table in the late 70's. If there was anyone who could keep up with Keith on the barbox it would have been Dan. To your knowledge did they ever match up? I am going to see Dan later this month and I will ask him. Great thread.

Lunchmoney
 
sweatinNbettin said:
Hemi,
Thanks for the story.You always have the good ones.You headed to the Open?.

Tony
(got a new name, so the misses could post too)
Click to expand...

Thanks, Tony. I don't think so. Would love to be there but the ole back just wont let me walk around like I use too.
 
First, congratulations on the wedding, Tony. I've been married to the same sainted lady for 35 years, so it can work, even if you are a pool freak, lol.

Lunchmoney, I never saw Keith and Dan Louie play but I ask Keith about it and he said Dan either wanted the 8 ball or he played him giving him the 8 ball. I can't remember which. Getting old. I'll ask again or better yet, Keith could post and answer himself.
 
hemicudas said:
First, congratulations on the wedding, Tony. I've been married to the same sainted lady for 35 years, so it can work, even if you are a pool freak, lol.

Lunchmoney, I never saw Keith and Dan Louie play but I ask Keith about it and he said Dan either wanted the 8 ball or he played him giving him the 8 ball. I can't remember which. Getting old. I'll ask again or better yet, Keith could post and answer himself.
Click to expand...

Thanks $Bill. it would be great to hear it from Keith. I am going to see Dan at the Washington State 8-Ball championships Sept 18 & 19 and I will ask him. Wish I could play in the tourney but family obligations forbid it. I will be able to go down for a bit on Saturday and sweat some matches though.

Did you ever hear anything about Shorty from Greenway? Or Jimmy Sanders? I seem to remember him coming in the Greenway from time to time.

Lunchmoney
 
lunchmoney said:
Thanks $Bill. it would be great to hear it from Keith. I am going to see Dan at the Washington State 8-Ball championships Sept 18 & 19 and I will ask him. Wish I could play in the tourney but family obligations forbid it. I will be able to go down for a bit on Saturday and sweat some matches though.

Did you ever hear anything about Shorty from Greenway? Or Jimmy Sanders? I seem to remember him coming in the Greenway from time to time.

Lunchmoney
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Lunchmoney, I can't find anyone who knows what Shorty is doing now. Jimmy Sanders is suppose to be in E. Texas running a room.

Keith just got a new cue and is at this moment out practicing with it for the US Open. He said he would post here as soon as he got back.
 
lunchmoney said:
Same location, Baton Rouge, the year was 1977. I watched a very young and fearless Keith play in a $100.00 nine ball ring game with the likes of Buddy Hall, Flyboy, Larry Hubbart, Grady Mathews and others. He played fast and loose and won a bunch of cabbage before he was called for his match. Keith didn't back down from anyone during that tournament including the "big names". One regret I have is that I never got to see him on a bar table. Everytime I watched him it was on 9-footers. I would have loved to see him and Dan Louie match up on a bar table in the late 70's. If there was anyone who could keep up with Keith on the barbox it would have been Dan. To your knowledge did they ever match up? I am going to see Dan later this month and I will ask him. Great thread.

Lunchmoney
Click to expand...

In a 1980 Billiard digest article I beleive it talked about how Dan louie beating Keith in the 70's when they were ages 17 or 18. In California....I have seen Keith play great...
 
We know she has to be a saint to put up with you LOL
hemicudas said:
First, congratulations on the wedding, Tony. I've been married to the same sainted lady for 35 years, so it can work, even if you are a pool freak, lol.

Lunchmoney, I never saw Keith and Dan Louie play but I ask Keith about it and he said Dan either wanted the 8 ball or he played him giving him the 8 ball. I can't remember which. Getting old. I'll ask again or better yet, Keith could post and answer himself.
Click to expand...
 
About ten years back, when I was working in Santa Ana, there was a Mexican bar down that way, that was known for it's action, that Keith would frequent fairly regularly....I went down there one night after the store closed, and watched Keith play for about 3 hours....I think he was playing races to 9 for $100, with anyone that would pick up a cue....

He didn't miss the entire time I was there. And when I say he didn't miss, I mean he didn't even shoot a safety...HE DIDN"T MISS FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS!

The guy I was there with, who stayed after I left, said that Keith didn't miss for the rest of the night....That would have been 5 hours straight of not missing a ball......
 
hemicudas said:
Keith just got a new cue and is at this moment out practicing with it for the US Open. He said he would post here as soon as he got back.
Click to expand...

Bill, I gotta tell ya', when I read the title of this thread, I had to pinch myself to make sure I was still alive. [ha-ha]

I've got a lot of fond memories from my days in Baton Rouge. I was running around the pool room like a chicken with my head cut off and had to settle for Mike Sigel. It could have been a little softer, but he was the only customer at that time. ;)

I played pretty good on him that day in Baton Rouge, but not as good as I was when I was playing in California. He only got to see my A game once, and that was in California. Him and Larry Hubbert were on the road, and I ended up giving Mike Sigel the last two on a bar table and Larry Hubbert the 8. I beat 'em like sand going through an hourglass. It didn't take long. Then, after that, Larry Hubbert went to Oklahoma City, won the pool tournament, and busted Dave Matlock playing even. As you all know, Mike Sigel back then was very hard to beat, especially in pool tournaments. I always figured I'd have to high-roll him to where he would dog it because, if you let him shake loose and get loose, you were a dead duck. :eek:

As far as Danny goes, during this same era and time, Danny would never play me unless he would get the 8 and 9, but tournaments was a different story. Dan Louie always played excellent in tournaments. My track record against him in tournaments was close. I know one thing, I could have found a lot easier draw than him back then. And Dan Louie today still plays strong, if anybody doesn't know it. :cool:

Last time I saw Danny, I believe it was in Vegas. He had been very sick for a while, and it sure was good to see him back in the saddle again. If you talk to Danny, tell him I might be able to make it out to Seattle before too long. Maybe me, him, and Harry can play some scotch doubles one-pocket some way. :)

I'm been trying to work with my new cue that this one special guy made for me. You know how new cues are to get used to, and hopefully, by the Open, I will have it on automatic pilot. :D
 
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I just recently heard a story about Keith, related by Danny Diliberto on the Accustats DVD of the Reyes/Palmer match at the 2004 DCC.

Danny said he was at Hard Times and a 13 year old Keith was steadily beating the PayBall ring game on the 6x12 snooker table with road players and the best players in California. Danny noticed that Keith didn't go to school and asked him about it. Keith said he tried to go but they kicked him out for having too much money. Danny asked him to elaborate. Keith said he was afraid to leave his bankroll in his locker so he asked his gym coach to hold it and the gym coach asked him how much he had and Keith said $12,000.

Maybe Keith could confirm this? Anyway I don't think that you will find many of the great players who will say that Keith ducked them. Jay Helfert has a hundred stories about how Keith busted this or that champion. He is definitely a top notcher.

John
 
care to share

So Keith....who made the cue???? Best of Luck in the Open by the way
 
onepocketchump said:
I just recently heard a story about Keith, related by Danny Diliberto on the Accustats DVD of the Reyes/Palmer match at the 2004 DCC ...

Keith said he tried to go but they kicked him out for having too much money. Danny asked him to elaborate. Keith said he was afraid to leave his bankroll in his locker so he asked his gym coach to hold it and the gym coach asked him how much he had and Keith said $12,000.

Maybe Keith could confirm this? Anyway I don't think that you will find many of the great players who will say that Keith ducked them. Jay Helfert has a hundred stories about how Keith busted this or that champion. He is definitely a top notcher.
Click to expand...

There was lots of times I had 12,000 on me, but at this certain incident, it was 36,000. I got lucky at the track, and that's what I had. It was at Trident Junior High in Anaheim, California, and the PE coach marched me to the principal's office.

Jay Helfert has always been a real close friend of mine. He has always put me in any tournament that I've ever wanted to play in. Jay has got a good heart. When times are tough, you really know who your friends are, and there is not one time that he has not helped me out when I was struggling.

In this business, it is important for people to believe in you, and Jay happened to be one of them who gave me many opportunities. I have to say, if it wasn't for him, I might not be quite the player I am today.
 
Keith McCready said:
Jay has got a good heart.

In this business, it is important for people to believe in you
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I agree 100% Keith, on both accounts. Nice to have you back on here, btw. I watched a tape of your match with Parica in last years open and that was not the Keith I remember. I'll see ya this weekend, but I'll be late for the players meeting. Peace.
 
As far as Danny goes, during this same era and time, Danny would never play me unless he would get the 8 and 9, but tournaments was a different story. Dan Louie always played excellent in tournaments. My track record against him in tournaments was close. I know one thing, I could have found a lot easier draw than him back then. And Dan Louie today still plays strong, if anybody doesn't know it. :cool:

Last time I saw Danny, I believe it was in Vegas. He had been very sick for a while, and it sure was good to see him back in the saddle again. If you talk to Danny, tell him I might be able to make it out to Seattle before too long. Maybe me, him, and Harry can play some scotch doubles one-pocket some way. :)


Keith,

I am going to see Danny soon and will give him a heads up, Harry too if he's around. You are right, Dan can still play. He has his health back and looks great.

Lunchmoney
 
Several yrs ago when Keith wasn't at the top of his game and kinda down on his luck I watched him at a Sun HT tournament walk up to Efren and put a grand on the table and say "Let's play!" They both dropped out of the winners side of the tourney and they played. Don't listen to anybody who says that Keith didn't have heart!!! In 1P he didn't know how to spell duck much less play it.
 
Keith McCready said:
Bill, I gotta tell ya', when I read the title of this thread, I had to pinch myself to make sure I was still alive. [ha-ha]


Good point, Keith. Maybe I should have titled it, "Keith plays great but how good did he play at one time?"

Sorry, I didn't mean to be writing you obituary, lol. Just wanted everyone to know what a pleasure it was to watch you work in the 70s. I related this on another post but have got to iterate it here. I ask Buddy Hall in the mid 70s if anyone on the planet was the favorite to beat you on the bar table. Buddy says, "No body but me. You wanna stake it?" I had to take a pass.
Click to expand...
 
lunchmoney said:
Same location, Baton Rouge, the year was 1977. I watched a very young and fearless Keith play in a $100.00 nine ball ring game with the likes of Buddy Hall, Flyboy, Larry Hubbart, Grady Mathews and others. He played fast and loose and won a bunch of cabbage before he was called for his match. Keith didn't back down from anyone during that tournament including the "big names". One regret I have is that I never got to see him on a bar table. Everytime I watched him it was on 9-footers. I would have loved to see him and Dan Louie match up on a bar table in the late 70's. If there was anyone who could keep up with Keith on the barbox it would have been Dan. To your knowledge did they ever match up? I am going to see Dan later this month and I will ask him. Great thread.

Lunchmoney
Click to expand...

Was Dan Louie even around back in the 70's!? I saw a picture of him, he looks like he is 25. He is the same Dan Louie I'm thinking of, a young looking asian guy right?
 
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