How good was James Walden in his prime?

CJ Wiley said:
That seems accurate to me, Shannon (Shannon and I first played for money when he was 12 and I was 18) was a solid 8/7 better player and they all played rotation similarly. I also played Reid Pierce several times, he's another super solid "road player" that plays superb for "the cash".
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Its a shame that reid dropped out of the pool scene so early.. he was a fantastic player with huge heart!
 
Fast Lenny said:
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.
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I don't know but this reminds me of one time when we were talking real baseball and he offered me some action.. He said there was no way I could throw a baseball farther than he could but he said it like only he could. .. "Kid, you can't throw a ball farther than me." We went back and forth with the playful banter and it was fun but at the same time he had that confidence you could sense that let me know James could throw a ball if I really wanted to bet it. This is when I was in high school and he was probably in his 30's too.

They say he was quite a pitcher when he was younger.
 
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I dont take ANY throwing bets from anyone who is lanky with 7ft arms.

Thats a lesson for you. :)
 
King T said:
Yep, Fat Randy. I had a long talk with James and he said he thought Randy was the best out of all the Oklahoma boys.

Gabe wants non of JW action and never has. Gabe lives in Houston now and he not playing good anymore
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Gabe doesn't live anywhere close to houston....he lives in St. Louis


Also always heard that Matlock had a high run of 25-27 games B&R 9 ball on the BB back in the day, and that Fat Randy one hit someone for 20+ then missed a shot, and went on to run 20+ on the BB 9B again back to back.

James is a hell of a player and one of the coolest out there. We hung out quite a bit when i lived in Oklahoma while i stayed in OKC....few years back he moved to Louisiana for a while around the same time I had moved to Oregon....he's back in the midwest now far as I know but havent talked to him in a min....hopefully he comes to the White Diamonds tourney this weekend so i can chat with my buddy!
 
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I don't think those two things are mutually exclusive…… Look at a guy like Donnie Mills.. Top notch American player… has a real job.. plays events selectively….

it would have been nice (for fans, I'm sure he is extremely happy and doing great) to see Reid take a similar path.
 
Tommy-D said:
One other James incident I saw first hand was probably the strongest "woofing" episode I've ever seen.

James was always a soft-spoken type in the times I've seen him,but he also had a quality about him that let you know he meant business.

At the original Q-Masters in Norfolk,I was talking to Grady and a guy named Loren in the tournament room when James started trying to stir up a game with EFREN of all people. Efren didn't say a word,his buddy Rolando did all the talking as far as speaking English,but they spoke amongst themselves in Tagalog.

The game never took place,but the games James asked for went like this.

James offered to play a "cheap" set (5-10k I believe) dead even.

He said if Efren would give him the 8,he would make arrangements to post 100k.

Then,he said if Efren would give him the 7,he could bet 2 COMMAS. I asked Grady what he meant by that and it was explained to me that he meant if he was getting the 7,the bet would be 7 figures.

I don't know what the reason was,but Efren declined all 3 games. Tommy D.
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that would indeed be the strongest woofing i ever heard of

if a toddler offered me a 7 figure bet, I would pass all day every day, something just not right about that scenario
 
ribdoner said:
TITO was a young man whose game improved faster in a short time frame (year +-) than anyone i ever saw. Had the most powerfull rotation game break of anyone in this area.

He was on the road with several other young players when a gun accidentley discharged in a car, the bullet hit him in the head, tragically killng him. Another VERY good young player was also in the car and TITO'S death affected him to the point that he's now a recluse who rarely ventures out of his house.

Chris (RACKLEY) was there and he may expound on this.
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I remember when that happened and the guy that was in the car with him has never been the same. I played tito in a tournament once j was up 4-1 going to 7..played a weak safe and never shot again.
 
JAM said:
While they were playing, a stranger came up to me on the rail and said Keith and Harry have no shot at winning because of who the blond dude was. To this day, I still don't know who that was, but the stranger was correct.
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I'm wondering if the stranger was suggesting that the blond dude was alot better than all four of em or simply alot better than harry

also wondering who that blonde dude could have been
 
All were great

CJ Wiley said:
Jimmy was one of the best "action men" of the 90s and we played well over 100 hours of gambling matches......he never thought I played shape well enough to give him the "8", although he simply didn't recognize the "toi position style"....until it was too late.
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I witness the "toi" - you have the right to toot your horn on this forum CJ. CJ, Walden, Matlock, and Wetch all were champions. They were truly the top money players of the late 80's and 90's. I would not have been the player I am today had I not witness their skills on the table.
 
I have a feeling you remember the Mosconi Cup of 1996

Thanks, Danny, you have done incredible things on the pool table yourself!!! I have a feeling you remember the Mosconi Cup of 1996, seems like an eternity ago.

You're right about the group of gamblers you mentioned, we all played pretty much anyone that wanted to gamble. There were several others that also loved "Gunfighting" pool players for big money, like "Country Calvin," Mike Johnson, Bobby Stovall, "Omaha John," "Jr. Weldon" on and on and on.

Have you ran over 500 balls in straight pool yet, Danny, I still want to see you break Mosconi's record (but this time on a 9' table) once and for all, YOU can do it!

Play Well, and Happy Thanksgiving




Danny Harriman said:
I witness the "toi" - you have the right to toot your horn on this forum CJ. CJ, Walden, Matlock, and Wetch all were champions. They were truly the top money players of the late 80's and 90's. I would not have been the player I am today had I not witness their skills on the table.
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Danny Harriman said:
I witness the "toi" - you have the right to toot your horn on this forum CJ. CJ, Walden, Matlock, and Wetch all were champions. They were truly the top money players of the late 80's and 90's. I would not have been the player I am today had I not witness their skills on the table.
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Earlier in this thread I mentioned a pro tournament in Oklahoma in the mid-late 90s where J. Walden was woofing at Allen Hopkins. I don't remember the exact year or the venue, but I do remember that you played Buddy in the finals. You played pretty damn amazing that weekend.
 
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