How good was Keith McCready?

upstateAL said:
...But not first i heard about Keith.
He did this on a regular bases such a natural player and would love to travel with him and jenny again.

upstateAL. :grin:
Click to expand...

I'd really like to go to Turning Stone again. However, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods are pretty cool places to hang. I kind of like Turning Stone the best, though, because there is no OTB. :wink:

We're going to party once again, UpstateAl. Man, did we ever have a blast that weekend! I'll always remember it.
 
Keith

A couple of books, and the posts on this thread, document Keith's great ability.

I can only add this:

Keith is the only player that could keep me up all night, just to watch.

;)

Take care KM, and JAM also !

RL
 
I hope I get to see Keith play just once more...(at least). He really doesnt have a clue how many people would love to see it too (and thats a shame).

JAM-I consider you a friend, but if you cant get the book done please consider getting some help from some of the excellent writers that are as passionate about pool as we nutcases here at AZ are. Seriously, it is just too important not to happen.

One of the big misses lately was Keith not coming to DCC and playing with his old running buddy Cole Dickson.

Like many things in life, opportunities are fleeting and once missed may never come around again.

As always, I wish you both the best. :smile:

Ken
 
I would like to see Keith and Jenny make the trip to DERBY CITY!!!

9 days of non stop action and you never know with Billy Incardona around he may have to hop in the box for some DIPPY DAVE action!

Dippy would get a stiffy just thinking about playing the Keither!!!!

When he finishes off his dippy dots he will give us one of his classic "Its like a nightmare qoutes"

And ride off into the sunset!!!

Kid Dynomite
 
Keith McCready said:
The people that I gambled with knew how good I was. I don't like to brag about myself, but I'm sure the players that I gambled with may be able to explain it better than me. The Mexicans used to call me "El Diablo."

I used to take the worst of it in games just to get 'em up there. Sometimes I would out-run it, and sometimes I wouldn't. I was winners a lot more than I was losers, trying to take those shots. Usually when I would take those shots, I'd be firing a toothpick at a lumber yard, unless I got staked. People always wanted to put me in the box, whether I had a tough game or not. Sometimes it would work out. :wink:
Click to expand...

Keith,
Thank you for your posting it brings back a lot of memories. I was introduced to you at hardtimes bellflower many moons ago. Bobby west, Artie Martines, and Bud Litton were rail birds with myself watching the action. You hit a gear that was insane one night. That night on that table you were untouchable. It was an absolute pleasure just to be on the rail.

Thanks for reading everyone. I will never pass up a chance to speak of a true master of the game.
 
I got to play Keith about 12 years ago. he spotted me the 5 and the breaks for $40 a game. then let me get 10 games up on him, asked if I wanted to play for $100 a game. I said no, with a feeling that I was being hustled and after that he brought out the real stuff. slow long spin shots that had the cueball dancing like I had never seen. he weaved through racks and just about every rack had a shot I didn't even think was possible. what an amazing champion. the most memorable moment was after he said "this kids got a hell of a break," feeling cocky I put a little more into my break, the cueball flew off the side of the one and nailed him in the groin. now that I think of it, that was about the time he started playing perfect.

let me take this moment to apologize to one of my heroes, i'm sorry!
 
  • Like
Reactions: JAM
How good did Keith play? Good enough that NO ONE wanted to draw him in a tournament, and I mean no one! If he caught his gear, Mizerak, Sigel, Buddy and Earl were all vulnerable. Keith feared no one and took pleasure in beating up the big guns of his era. When it came to gambling (especially at 9-Ball), they pretty much all left him alone (except Louie Roberts, who he had several memorable battles with). Even Buddy and Wade Crane were not looking for games with Keith. Keith ducked nobody!

It wasn't until Efren and Parica came over here that anyone went looking for Keith. He was already a little past his prime by then. Keith's killer years were when he was in his 20's and early 30's. He won the BC Open when he was about 28 or 29. He went through a murderer's row of champions to do it too (Rempe, Hopkins and Sigel among them). Keith never had a close match!

Keith was the closest thing to a pool playing savant I've ever seen. He had a genius for the game that I can't really say I've seen before or since.
 
Last edited:
Players went lookin' for a SPOT from kieth, they never went Looking for keith, King Kong got knocked off the vine many times on the bar box.
 
I have not read this whole thread so this might have been posted earlier.

when Keith was 13 he got kicked out of school for having too much money. He was in gym and did not want to leave his roll in the locker. He told the gym teacher and the teacher was thinking how much money is he worried about he had a knot with thousands (I am not sure of the number) how did young Keith get that kind of cash, he had just busted the $40 dallar payball game on the 6x12 playing with the champions of the day at Hard Times. He snapped them off and that was at 13.
 
Milwaukee

I have heard from several people about when McCready was on the road and in Milwaukee. I do not know the exact year but supposedly he was in his prime and played a young kid named Kevin Stanelle on a barbox. My understanding is that Stanelle beat him soundly. Kevin is still a strong player but supposedly not at the level he once was. Wonder if that matchup is still in memory as supposedly it was a shocker to McCready and is still a "legendary" tale in the area up there.
 
Patrick53212 said:
I have heard from several people about when McCready was on the road and in Milwaukee. I do not know the exact year but supposedly he was in his prime and played a young kid named Kevin Stanelle on a barbox. My understanding is that Stanelle beat him soundly. Kevin is still a strong player but supposedly not at the level he once was. Wonder if that matchup is still in memory as supposedly it was a shocker to McCready and is still a "legendary" tale in the area up there.
Click to expand...

keith if ur out there please address this,has to b a great story behind this.
 
Patrick53212 said:
I have heard from several people about when McCready was on the road and in Milwaukee. I do not know the exact year but supposedly he was in his prime and played a young kid named Kevin Stanelle on a barbox. My understanding is that Stanelle beat him soundly. Kevin is still a strong player but supposedly not at the level he once was. Wonder if that matchup is still in memory as supposedly it was a shocker to McCready and is still a "legendary" tale in the area up there.
Click to expand...

Kevin was a very strong player once upon a time and as for Keith, he had his "off" days like anyone else. I don't think Kevin would have liked a steady diet of "McCready" day after day, especially if they moved to the big table. Bar Tables have a way of leveling the playing field.
 
jay helfert said:
Kevin was a very strong player once upon a time and as for Keith, he had his "off" days like anyone else. I don't think Kevin would have liked a steady diet of "McCready" day after day, especially if they moved to the big table. Bar Tables have a way of leveling the playing field.
Click to expand...

off topic for a secound ,jay a man by the name mike katsaras or pittsburgh mike he had won the big barbox tournament in vegas in the late 70s all the best players attended.do u know of this man like to hear if u do ,he is ur age.
 
Keith in his prime playing rollout 9 ball was the best player I have ever seen. He was the best shotmaker I have ever seen. He would roll out to a very low percentage shots and make it like it was in front of the pocket. I know most of you thing I am exaggerating but I'm not. His high gear was unbeatable by anybody. When rollout was played you had to be a shotmaker and he was the best shotmaker in the world bar none. Its hard to explain how good he played. His confidence was also unbeatable in his high gear.

One example was in a tournament playing at the Sports Arena in Anaheim Hills, CA. He was playing Jay "Swanee" Swanson on TIGHT 9' Rebco tables. It was a race to 7 and Jay had Keith 6-1. Swanee broke the balls and came up dry when Keith jumped up out of his chair and told the Swanee that just cost him the set (in front of at least 75 people). Keith proceeded to run 6 and out to win the set.

I'm sure Keith has had more 10 pacs than anybody else has ever had. If he made a serious effort to play again I hope some pros would play him some roll out 9 ball. All I can say is DON'T BET AGAINST HIM!
 
I watched a match at the hardtimes where Keith was playing Mark Tadd. I had a sweat bet on Mark for I hadn't seen Keith shoot for a couple of years - since the LA Open.

Keith broke and ran a few racks, then he got out of line and raked the balls and racked for Mark. Mark ran a few racks and got out of line and did the same thing - raked the balls and racked for Keith. I never saw that done before...pure excitement for the sweaters.:smile:
 
TWOFORPOOL said:
Keith in his prime playing rollout 9 ball was the best player I have ever seen. He was the best shotmaker I have ever seen. He would roll out to a very low percentage shots and make it like it was in front of the pocket. I know most of you thing I am exaggerating but I'm not. His high gear was unbeatable by anybody. When rollout was played you had to be a shotmaker and he was the best shotmaker in the world bar none. Its hard to explain how good he played. His confidence was also unbeatable in his high gear.

One example was in a tournament playing at the Sports Arena in Anaheim Hills, CA. He was playing Jay "Swanee" Swanson on TIGHT 9' Rebco tables. It was a race to 7 and Jay had Keith 6-1. Swanee broke the balls and came up dry when Keith jumped up out of his chair and told the Swanee that just cost him the set (in front of at least 75 people). Keith proceeded to run 6 and out to win the set.

I'm sure Keith has had more 10 pacs than anybody else has ever had. If he made a serious effort to play again I hope some pros would play him some roll out 9 ball. All I can say is DON'T BET AGAINST HIM!
Click to expand...


I completely agree that no player has had more 10 packs than Keith has...and 7,8, and 9 packs! And he ran them quickly, he'd be down 4-2 and then about 10 minutes later he'd be up 7-4! He was unreal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top