floridaboy24
Registered
I have heard a bit about Toby but was wondering if anyone could tell some stories about Tobys speed.
How good was Toby Sweet and does anyone have stories.
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Voodoo Daddy
One Pocket 101
I sweated Toby from 1982 until he quit several yrs ago...which wasnt when his top speed was but lets put it this way. He lost one set in the countless $$$ sets I watched to Wade Crane and that was wire/wire. He wouldnt play for months on end, a player would contact him for a game and he would say "gimme a week and I'll play" and it wouldnt matter who. Some notable <what I can remember> matches won for the chedder were against CJ Wiley, Santos Sambojan <sp>, Super Mario Cruz and Mark Gregory.
Voodoo~~~been friends with Toby for 25+ yrs and still believes he was one of the best cash players living or dead
I only saw Toby one time, at one of the NYS 9 Ball Championship tournaments in Binghamton, NY. Joe Kerr was there, with a guy called JR or "The Indian". JR was a hell of a player and tried to make a game with Toby getting weight. All Toby would give was the safe 8. JR wouldn't take it so they didn't play.
I always heard Toby was a monster money player.
I always heard Toby was a monster money player.
Voodoo Daddy
One Pocket 101
Liel "JR" Gay from Ohio...great player, especially 14.1
I think that's who Jay said it was, also. Looked almost like he was Filipino.
I was having one of my (very) late night chats with Margie at Hollywood and she was telling about going on the road with Toby. She could tell you some stories! She told me she learned more from him than anyone. She spoke of how incredible his cue ball was. His angles/ position play. She compared it to a professional ballet dancer!
Toby was a money player, plain and simple. He would play anybody for the cash back in the 70's and 80's, with few exceptions. Maybe a Hall or Sigel he would leave alone. Or Keith. That's about it.
Toby was a "down on the table, gritty little MF", who had NO quit in him. He would play till you cried Uncle! And he could play like a machine, running out day and night. Toby could beat all the top tournament players with a couple of exceptions noted. When Miz was in Florida he would not gamble with Toby, except maybe at Straight Pool. Of course Steve was never much of a money player.
I rarely, if ever, heard of anyone beating Toby. It was always Toby beat so and so for X amount. He was the first player I heard about going over to Europe (Germany) and robbing everyone there. He won some serious money back in the 80's playing overseas. Jimmy Reid was the next guy to head that way and make a score. Toby probably sent him since they were friends.
Toby was a "down on the table, gritty little MF", who had NO quit in him. He would play till you cried Uncle! And he could play like a machine, running out day and night. Toby could beat all the top tournament players with a couple of exceptions noted. When Miz was in Florida he would not gamble with Toby, except maybe at Straight Pool. Of course Steve was never much of a money player.
I rarely, if ever, heard of anyone beating Toby. It was always Toby beat so and so for X amount. He was the first player I heard about going over to Europe (Germany) and robbing everyone there. He won some serious money back in the 80's playing overseas. Jimmy Reid was the next guy to head that way and make a score. Toby probably sent him since they were friends.
Toby cured the Europeans of thinking they could play when he came through looking like a bum and straight up ROBBED every "Champion" he played. He made them scared of American passports.
Since then of course European players have gained a huge amount of experience and can hang with anyone but back then Toby was showing them that world champion caliber players come in the unlikeliest packages.
Since then of course European players have gained a huge amount of experience and can hang with anyone but back then Toby was showing them that world champion caliber players come in the unlikeliest packages.
I have known Toby since 1975. His game is perfect. Here is what I mean, very few moving parts. He does nothing extra. His stroke is so simple there is nothing to go wrong with it, his game works every time because of it's simplicity. You could wake him up in the middle of the night, put a cue in his hand and he can play top pool. So many, even top players have quirks tic's and funky habits they need to work for their game to come together, Toby doesn't. If you were going to design a perfect pool player, maybe even in stature, it would look like Toby. He effortlessly bends over the table and knocks the balls in. He is the essence of minimalism when it comes to pool. His game is art.
I have to make another addition to my post. There was no BS with Toby. He doesn't wave his arms pump a fist, come up with clever remarks to say, mug to the crowd, nothing, he just plays. You can't tell if he is up ten grand or down ten grand. He will go for hours and never say a word. A player like him should be studied by young players as examples of the way the game should be played. We have such a generation now of half whack jobs passing as pool players, young players are hard pressed for anyone to really look at as roll model of how a player should act. I remember once someone saying the first thing you need to do to become a good player is to learn how to act like one. Class is a rare commodity anymore be it music, business, sports what ever.
Now as on that note, Toby "is" an artist, he paints. His work is beautiful but he never shows it. Much is pool related. He knows nothing about the internet or websites and makes no attempt to sell his work. I would highly suggest many of you pool collectors contact him about getting some of his art. You will have something unique from one of the really great players.
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Good thread with nice replies. Having never seen Toby play, but having heard of him, I was under the impression that Toby was a pretty good player that could and would outbet his opponents. Based on the above replies, it seems this assessment is a little lacking in giving credit to a talented pool player.
I remember seeing him pass through Carbondale IL back in the mid/late 60's during the Johnson City days, and beat everyone he played. He dressed nicely, didn't miss a ball, had a huge wade of cash and was not flashy as I remember. He was a petite man with dirty blonde hair, he wore a dbl breasted sport coat of some type, kinda like Sgt Peppers Lonley Heart Club Band photos and had somewhat of a hippie look too him. Very pleasant unassuming guy, just the opposite of Cole Dixon & David Sizemore.
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Pretty good assessment here. Another "minimalist" player that comes to mind was Don Watson. He could play a little too.
Please say hi to Toby for me. I always liked him. He was a class act all the way. Never loud, no bragging, just come to the table and play for days and nights.
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Went to Toby's poolroom in Hollywood when I lived in south Florida 83-88. His poolroom was all business (like Ames) all Gold Crowns, no videos, TV or juke box. Macguy hit it right on the head about his style of play. He and Buddy had the smoothest strokes I have ever seen.
*** He was fearless and played anyone who walked through the door. Fired at Kim Davenport when he first hit his prime. Saw him give a road player the eight and beat him easily. Then gave the guy some spots to try and win some money. He was from the old school. He was quite an interesting dresser. He never stopped wearing bell bottoms!
***We talked once about him coming to KY/Tenn to try and match up with a player in Tenn and his high rolling backer but before we could get something going the backer was shot and killed by his wife. He's one player I would drive 100 miles to see play, anytime.
*** He was fearless and played anyone who walked through the door. Fired at Kim Davenport when he first hit his prime. Saw him give a road player the eight and beat him easily. Then gave the guy some spots to try and win some money. He was from the old school. He was quite an interesting dresser. He never stopped wearing bell bottoms!
***We talked once about him coming to KY/Tenn to try and match up with a player in Tenn and his high rolling backer but before we could get something going the backer was shot and killed by his wife. He's one player I would drive 100 miles to see play, anytime.
floridaboy24
Registered
First of all i appreciate all the responses you guys have been giving me as im new to posting and am learning as i go. Could someone please point me in the right direction of where to find some videos or clips of Toby playing. Jay im sure you could help me out with that and thank you for your stories and replies.
A great match between Toby and Steve Mizerak at the 1996 Taco Bell Sr. Championships. You should be able to find it at www.Accu-stats.com
floridaboy24
Registered
Thanks for the heads up guys.
Toby had a awesome cueball control. he would play almost anyone roll out 9ball rules.
The only guy he said he ever feared was Buddy Hall
The only guy he said he ever feared was Buddy Hall