Jean Balukus Vs. Ewa

[pwd72s]

Old video..poor focus & sound. 1987. I wonder if Jay remembers working this one?
Glad I found it. I'd heard lots about Balukus, but never saw her play.

JEAN BALUKAS vs EWA MATAYA --- 87' Classic CUP --- WOMEN's FINAL - YouTube

 

[jay helfert]

Of course I remember it. I helped put this production together after meeting this sports reporter (Steve Anton) from Metro Vision TV in Chicago. They came to the tournament to do a sports report on day one and asked who was televising the final matches. I told him, "You are!"

I have to give credit to my buddy Harold Simonsen who was also instrumental in putting this broadcast together.

I have a copy of the original telecast on my website. It's a lot better quality, made from the 3/4" Master tape.

 

[pwd72s]

Jay, once Jean got rolling I realized she was every bit the player you said she was. 1/3 of a century ago...in some ways seems like yesterday.

 

[garczar]

Jay, once Jean got rolling I realized she was every bit the player you said she was. 1/3 of a century ago...in some ways seems like yesterday.

She was the only female back then that had a chance against male pros. Would loved to have seen her and Allison F. tee it up.

 

[Fay]

Old video..poor focus & sound. 1987. I wonder if Jay remembers working this one?
Glad I found it. I'd heard lots about Balukus, but never saw her play.

JEAN BALUKAS vs EWA MATAYA --- 87' Classic CUP --- WOMEN's FINAL - YouTube

I'M ALL FOR PROMOTING THE
GREAT FEMALE PLAYERS
BALUKAS
MATAYA
FISHER
L J J
XIAOTING
CORR
YOUNG
AND OF COURSE MY PERSONAL ROLE MODEL
JEANETTE LEE


LOVE THIS THREAD
♡​

 

[Cornerman]

She was the only female back then that had a chance against male pros. Would loved to have seen her and Allison F. tee it up.

I had the fortune of having Jean sit next to me during an event. Totally open and super friendly. Talked like we were old pals. One subject was about the possibility of playing Allison on a challenge match. This was when Allison was dominating the WPBA. I'll always remember two statements she made:

"It would be fun to have the crowd rooting for me" with a big smile.

and

"not winner take all." She said the last part in a whisper like she was really contemplating it.

 

[pwd72s]

That would have been a match for the ages...

 

[Nine ... corner]

I met Ewa at the Glass City Open (Toledo, Ohio) in May 1987. She wasn't playing but was there with her then husband Pretty Boy Floyd. Her personality matched her beauty and I've been a fan ever since.

 

[jay helfert]

I believe that Jean and Allison did spar a little at Jean's poolroom in Brooklyn several years back. SJM would know more about that than me. I do know that the two are friends though.

 

[Jimmorrison]

Interesting video to watch. Great example of old school, hours at the table, excellence. Jean stands kind of sideways and turns her head, but doesn't have the chicken wing. She also almost never gets her cue tip anywhere near the cue ball while stroking. The camera angles didn't really show their strokes very often. Jean definitely looked the child prodigy and Ewa looked straight out of a training academy.

 

[sjm]

I met Ewa at the Glass City Open (Toledo, Ohio) in May 1987. She wasn't playing but was there with her then husband Pretty Boy Floyd. Her personality matched her beauty and I've been a fan ever since.

I believe that Jean and Allison did spar a little at Jean's poolroom in Brooklyn several years back. SJM would know more about that than me. I do know that the two are friends though.

Right you are, Jay. They have been good friends since the late 1990s and there would never have been a "grudge" match between them, even though they are two of the most competitive people I've met in my life.

I am able to speak as somebody who has played nine ball against both of them, having played each of them many times. Jean had the better break and the more powerful stroke. Allison pocketed the balls a little better and played better safeties. Both were champions of the highest order, but my sense of things is that Allison was just a hair stronger than Jean at nine ball. Jean, of course, would have cleaned Allison's clock at straight pool. and rates the better all-around player of the two.

All that said, I always come back to the same point when it comes to comparing these two greats. If Jean had somebody to push her, she would have raised her level, but given her level of domination, there was never any real need for it. I'm not trying to make light of Jean's toughest competition back then. but Ewa Mataya, Loree Jon Jones, Belinda Bearden, and Robin Bell Dodson never pushed Jean the way players like Karen Corr, Jeanette Lee, Ga Young Kim and Gerda Hofstatter pushed Allison. In my heart of hearts, I'll always believe that Jean was more talented than Allison, but Allison played nine ball just a bit better.

At nine ball, I'd guess that Allison played to about a 730 Fargo while Jean would have been at about 715. Neither played as well as the two superstars of women's pro pool today, Han Yu and Siming Chen,, but, once again, Jean and Allison only did what it took to be dominant players in their respective primes.

Debate for the ages, and in the end, it's not so important to resolve it.

 

[Charlie Hustle]

Right you are, Jay. They have been good friends since the late 1990s and there would never have been a "grudge" match between them, even though they are two of the most competitive people I've met in my life.

I am able to speak as somebody who has played nine ball against both of them, having played each of them many times. Jean had the better break and the more powerful stroke. Allison pocketed the balls a little better and played better safeties. Both were champions of the highest order, but my sense of things is that Allison was just a hair stronger than Jean at nine ball. Jean, of course, would have cleaned Allison's clock at straight pool. and rates the better all-around player of the two.

All that said, I always come back to the same point when it comes to comparing these two greats. If Jean had somebody to push her, she would have raised her level, but given her level of domination, there was never any real need for it. I'm not trying to make light of Jean's toughest competition back then. but Ewa Mataya, Loree Jon Jones, Belinda Bearden, and Robin Bell Dodson never pushed Jean the way players like Karen Corr, Jeanette Lee, Ga Young Kim and Gerda Hofstatter pushed Allison. In my heart of hearts, I'll always believe that Jean was more talented than Allison, but Allison played nine ball just a bit better.

At nine ball, I'd guess that Allison played to about a 730 Fargo while Jean would have been at about 715. Neither played as well as the two superstars of women's pro pool today, Han Yu and Siming Chen,, but, once again, Jean and Allison only did what it took to be dominant players in their respective primes.

Debate for the ages, and in the end, it's not so important to resolve it.

Excellent post. A+

 

[jay helfert]

Right you are, Jay. They have been good friends since the late 1990s and there would never have been a "grudge" match between them, even though they are two of the most competitive people I've met in my life.

I am able to speak as somebody who has played nine ball against both of them, having played each of them many times. Jean had the better break and the more powerful stroke. Allison pocketed the balls a little better and played better safeties. Both were champions of the highest order, but my sense of things is that Allison was just a hair stronger than Jean at nine ball. Jean, of course, would have cleaned Allison's clock at straight pool. and rates the better all-around player of the two.

All that said, I always come back to the same point when it comes to comparing these two greats. If Jean had somebody to push her, she would have raised her level, but given her level of domination, there was never any real need for it. I'm not trying to make light of Jean's toughest competition back then. but Ewa Mataya, Loree Jon Jones, Belinda Bearden, and Robin Bell Dodson never pushed Jean the way players like Karen Corr, Jeanette Lee, Ga Young Kim and Gerda Hofstatter pushed Allison. In my heart of hearts, I'll always believe that Jean was more talented than Allison, but Allison played nine ball just a bit better.

At nine ball, I'd guess that Allison played to about a 730 Fargo while Jean would have been at about 715. Neither played as well as the two superstars of women's pro pool today, Han Yu and Siming Chen,, but, once again, Jean and Allison only did what it took to be dominant players in their respective primes.

Debate for the ages, and in the end, it's not so important to resolve it.

Thanks Stu. Maybe that's why Jean decided to compete against the men, much to their displeasure. As you know she won matches against many of the top players of that era, and finished in the money in several Open events. She appeared to be getting more comfortable and more competitive playing in the open tournaments, and many observers at that time felt that if she continued on this path she might eventually win a major tournament. Of course that was not to be. Jean retired at the young age of 29, never to come back again.

 

[9ball5032]

Great video, thanks for posting.

 

[sjm]

Thanks Stu. Maybe that's why Jean decided to compete against the men, much to their displeasure. As you know she won matches against many of the top players of that era, and finished in the money in several Open events. She appeared to be getting more comfortable and more competitive playing in the open tournaments, and many observers at that time felt that if she continued on this path she might eventually win a major tournament. Of course that was not to be. Jean retired at the young age of 29, never to come back again.

I don't think that's the reason, Jay. In my view, Jean stopped loving the game. In women's pool, there were no worlds left to conquer, and her rivals were very jealous of her and made her a bit uncomfortable. The WPBA incident with Robin Bell that led to a fine which Jean refused to pay was merely the tipping point and not, as some have suggested over the years, the reason Jean gave up women's pool. People forget that Jean was already doing pool exhibitions at the age of six and her career in pool was, therefore, not a short one. Also forgotten is that Jean was playing in the PPPA World Straight Pool Championships as early as, and this is only my best guess, 1981, so she'd been trying her hand against the top men for many years when she retired.

Because she had the big break, Jean had a greater chance to compete with the top men of her day at nine ball than any woman that ever played, but her defensive skills weren't nearly comparable to the top men. I recall sweating a match with Jean at a WPBA event and she commented that Karen Corr was the best defensive woman player she'd ever seen (best I've ever seen, too). If Jean would have been able to rise to Karen's level as a tactician, which would have taken a lot of work, perhaps she would have been good enough to win a men's tour event at some point, but she'd had enough and logically opted for retirement, a decision I've always respected.

 

[jay helfert]

I don't think that's the reason, Jay. In my view, Jean stopped loving the game. In women's pool, there were no worlds left to conquer, and her rivals were very jealous of her and made her a bit uncomfortable. The WPBA incident with Robin Bell that led to a fine which Jean refused to pay was merely the tipping point and not, as some have suggested over the years, the reason Jean gave up women's pool. People forget that Jean was already doing pool exhibitions at the age of six and her career in pool was, therefore, not a short one. Also forgotten is that Jean was playing in the PPPA World Straight Pool Championships as early as, and this is only my best guess, 1981, so she'd been trying her hand against the top men for many years when she retired.

Because she had the big break, Jean had a greater chance to compete with the top men of her day at nine ball than any woman that ever played, but her defensive skills weren't nearly comparable to the top men. I recall sweating a match with Jean at a WPBA event and she commented that Karen Corr was the best defensive woman player she'd ever seen (best I've ever seen, too). If Jean would have been able to rise to Karen's level as a tactician, which would have taken a lot of work, perhaps she would have been good enough to win a men's tour event at some point, but she'd had enough and logically opted for retirement, a decision I've always respected.

You are 100% correct. I asked Jean years later why she quit and her answer was that she was just burned out on pool, having played non stop since she was a child. First time I ever saw her play was in the 1970's at one of Fred Whalen's Straight Pool events. She was either nine or eleven years old (I forgot which) and entered in the women's division with Dorothy Wise and the other top women of that era. She came walking into the arena and her cue was bigger than she was. I was amazed, and she could already run a rack or two. I think she finished fifth or something like that.

 

[measureman]

Mid 80's or so I was at West End Billiards in Elizabeth N.J for their weekly tournament.
At that time all the best would hang out there.
Jimmy Fusco and Jean were matched up and I had seen and played Jimmy before I had never seen Jean.
I was really was amped to see this legend.
Well it must has been an off night for her she played awfull.
What a bummer.

 

[kkdanamatt]

Pat Fleming was Jean's coach when she was in training to compete with the men in pro tournaments.
This was in the late '80's or early '90's.
The trend away from 14.1 was in full force and Jean knew that 9-Ball was the game going forward.
But her entrance into men's tournaments was cut short when several male pros threatened to enter the women's events as retribution.

 

[sjm]

But her entrance into men's tournaments was cut short when several male pros threatened to enter the women's events as retribution.

On top of that, there were several male pros who objected strongly to Jean's participation in both the men's draw and women's draw of the same event. Invariably, the schedule got messed up, and sometimes a men's side match had to be held up for hours because Jean was busy playing a women's side match, which sometimes backed up the entire men's event. It was quite a touchy issue back in the day.