Anyone know of James Walden playing the baseball shot? Scott Frost was showing it, he couldn't do it but it is a really neat shot I never saw before.
How good was James Walden in his prime?
- Thread starter the Professor
- Start date
What is the baseball shot?
At the old Executive West Inn in Louisvile, the place where the Derby City Classic used to take over the entire joint, the DCC named a room after James Walden upstairs at each DCC. It is where they held mini tournaments and action matches.
I can't remember the story. It was before my time going to the DCCs, but the rumor has it that James played a high-stakes match with another, and it was so strong, the match was, that they named this room after him and the other player every year to signify action galore.
Somebody please share this story. :smile:
I can't remember the story. It was before my time going to the DCCs, but the rumor has it that James played a high-stakes match with another, and it was so strong, the match was, that they named this room after him and the other player every year to signify action galore.
Somebody please share this story. :smile:
If I recall correctly, it was James Walden against Jack Cooney. One hole like 8 or 10 ahead for 75k each. Took a couple of days, but Jack got the cash.
Jack Cooney
Didn't JW give Jack a lil weight?
According to Lou Figueroa in a 2006 post on this forum: It wasn't until the draw, when I heard the table assignments, that I understood: they had added about a dozen tournament tables upstairs in the Jack Cooney/James Walden room (named after their high rolling 8 ahead 1pocket match from the 2000 Derby.
Now that we know it was in the 2000 Derby, which is pre AzBilliards forum genesis, it would be interesting to locate a factual article about this happening. Word-of-mouth seems to be the only pool archives in American pool, sad to say. I do wonder if some of the pool print media captured some of this happening.
I am a professional researcher and can problem find all the nitty-gritty details when time allows. Right now, though, I'm on my J-O-B and have no business reading AzBilliards. LOL
9-8, 10-8. Iirc. Some of the best one pocket I have ever seen!
Thanks Jay. That is what I thought. I don't know the results of that match up but I did hear from Jack that on his last "Hurrah" trip he got to Walden for a nice hit. I watched Walden over a few days when he came to Hard Times.
Also watched Jack take down Toby @ HT in an 8 ahead match for 40 large. Jack was down 6 games the 1st night and I thought that he was dead in the water. On my way out I stopped and talked to "Little" Al who told me that Jack would come back. "Jack is a warhorse" said "Little" Al and sure enough a couple of days later Jack had the $.
Walden is fearless when playing for the money and tough as nails.
Miss those days when Mark was around and all of the "roadies" came through.
According to Lou Figueroa in a 2006 post on this forum: It wasn't until the draw, when I heard the table assignments, that I understood: they had added about a dozen tournament tables upstairs in the Jack Cooney/James Walden room (named after their high rolling 8 ahead 1pocket match from the 2000 Derby.
Now that we know it was in the 2000 Derby, which is pre AzBilliards forum genesis, it would be interesting to locate a factual article about this happening. Word-of-mouth seems to be the only pool archives in American pool, sad to say. I do wonder if some of the pool print media captured some of this happening.
I am a professional researcher and can problem find all the nitty-gritty details when time allows. Right now, though, I'm on my J-O-B and have no business reading AzBilliards. LOL
OK, so here's my DCC trip report from 2000. I'm not 100% positive but I seem to recall that one of the magazines also did some kind of write up on the JW/JC match.
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February 10, 2000
Wow.
What an event. I went to play in the 1pocket and got there Saturday afternoon. It was like the fall of Saigon.
180 something bank pool players, 156 one pocket players checking in, sweators and backers to the rafters in a huge room with two dozen tables, Accu-Stats taping matches, and vendors with dozens of wonderful cues in the hallway. The equipment was first rate: oak, cherry, and walnut Diamonds with matching lights (with a beautiful cocobolo table for the Accu-Stats matches), Simonis, nice new shiny Super Aramith balls. Scotty Smith in charge.
Heaven.
The talent was awesome. Though the Filipinos were reportedly absent for a tournament in their home country, Dalton, JJones, Cooney, Spaeth, Varner, Mathews, Vickery, Crane, Coltrain, Kucharo, Gay, Hoa, Santos, Townsend, Medina, Flaherty, Ellin, Deliberto, Icardona, and many others did show up.
In the "legends" bracket: Weenie Beanie, Cornbread, Dallas West, Cole Dickson.* And as an added bonus, Eddie Taylor and George Roode came into the room to a round of applause and stood around shaking hands, signing autographs, shooting a few trick shots, and telling stories. I believe Accu-Stats did a group interview with Taylor, Runde Staton, Mathews that may eventually be for sale.
It was non-stop action. $50 nine ball games and five ahead sets of 1pocket for $500 constituted the "cheap" action. Upstairs in the action room, with another half a dozen tables, Cooney and Waldon were at it, eight ahead one pocket for, reputedly, 100K -- with another $50K on the side. When I left Wednesday, they were on a break after a day and night of play, with Cooney up one game. They were already talking about what would happen if they were still playing when the tournament was over and decided they’d just buy the table and rent the room from the hotel. It was all like a three-ring circus. You quite literally didn't know where to look and what to watch there was so much going on. I cashed, finishing 18-24th out of 156 -- for me, a great tournament.
Overall I played real well, keeping the "dog" well leashed. And, if you ever get a chance to see the Accu-Stats Grady/Varner match, you may catch a glimpse of me playing Dallas West on an adjoining table. He beat me 3-2 (I had him 2-1) but provided me with what was probably the highlight of the tournament, for me personally. Now admittedly, he may say this to all the girls, but as we were shaking hands after the match he said, "I really like your game. I was lucky to beat you." For a guy that came up playing straight pool and idolizing the 14.1 gods, that meant a lot coming from a world champion, Hall of Fame type of guy, like Dallas.
It was also a pleasure to meet Fred Agnir and Frank Brent. Of course it was also a pleasure to see Sherm again. Sorry I didn't meet Barenada, Tom Simpson, or Mike Janis. Where were you guys?
Well, that's it. Not much sleep over the course of four days, but well worth it. The tournament is still going strong, albeit 9ball. If you're within firing range you must go.
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Lou Figueroa
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James and Jimmy Wetch played very close 9 Ball speeds. imho
James Waldon is a stand up guy and I great player. He came down and played Wade Crane some one pocket matches at my pool room and ended up winner.
James played the "Wild 8" under the champion level gamblers. I've offered him the game on a few occasions and may have been fortunate that he declined.
James and Jimmy Wetch played very close 9 Ball speeds. imho
James Waldon is a stand up guy and I great player. He came down and played Wade Crane some one pocket matches at my pool room and ended up winner.
James played the "Wild 8" under the champion level gamblers. I've offered him the game on a few occasions and may have been fortunate that he declined.
James and Jimmy Wetch played very close 9 Ball speeds. imho
You might already know this but in case you dont they did matched up 10 ahead 9 ball 12 hr sessions and the game lasted for 3 days. At the end James was exhausted.
I was a James Walden fan growing up and still am.
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James and Jimmy Wetch
Are you referring to James and Jimmy Wetch? I believe they played an almost identical speed from what I've seen and heard.
Are you referring to James and Jimmy Wetch? I believe they played an almost identical speed from what I've seen and heard.
yeah.
You were dead on.
identical speeds imo and the results of their game showed that as well.
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Thanks for sharing. Wish I had witnessed it. Wow!
My recollection is that it was the only table in the room and people had those hotel buffet style chairs pulled up all around several deep. I think Cooney's money guy was a big guy in a wind breaker and he had his chair pulled up real close. I think this because at one point while I was watching Jack badly missed a shot and he stood straight up, looked at the guy, palms up and a look of bewilderment on his face as if to say, "I don't know what happened on that shot."
I'm not sure but I think the rail eventually got up to $100K in addition to the original bet. But I could be wrong about that.
Lou Figueroa
Old Nine Baller
Banned
I don't know Wetch but if you think the top level gamblers could've given James the "wild 8" you are mistaken.
I watched Walden play Alex P. 9 Ball and they played for a very long time before Alex won. I don't remember the race but I think the bet was $5000. Alex would've been robbed if he had given James the "wild 8".
This was over 15-16 years ago though.
ONB
Correct.
All this mention of Matlock and Wetch and Walden...
I saw Matlock give Wetch the 8 on a 9foot for 8 ahead sets and beat him pretty good.
So if Wetch and Walden play even, then youd have to assume that all things considered, Matlock gets there.
But back from hypotheticals..
Id take Walden on any thing he wanted. If he was playing, he KNEW he was gonna get the cash. Like 80/20. Thats good enough for me.
The reality is that this is pretty much past tense as none of the 3 have it any more.
As for Fat Randy, I always thought the OTHER Randy played better.
And NOT Randy from Enid.
I find that info very real/telling having played both....one in the finals, thanks. I had a similar feeling about only one other player in my life, W. Coast Frank Almanza. On a tight GC I or II toss in some w. coast humidity and home court and the SOB, we always broke even, couldn't beat em.... I knew I had the worst of it, Frank always matched up double tough. Even more so than little Al Romero. Hendy was hangin 'out at the room allot back then.