Jimmy Mataya

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kkdanamatt

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At the tender age of 16, fifty years ago.
 

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Jimmy Mataya....he brought to the game what Fatty did....charisma, and lots of it.

Jimmy was entered into a tournament, but got there late...halfway through the calcutta.
...the auctioneer was making last call for Jimmy...he was going for $500....
Jimmy says "Five hundred?...that's an insult...make it two thousand!"

I wis Jimmy had've won the tournament...would've made a nicer story...:)
 
Lemme tell ya sumthin... this right here is how ya hustle. A REAL hustler knows how ta hustle, understand? Im tellin ya...:::rolls a pack of luckies into his t-shirt sleeve and adjusts his pinky ring:::

I love Jimmy. Much the same way I love a "Caution: Alligators" sign

:)

Lesh
 
Came rolling into our room in East Detroit several times around 1970-1971 with Tom Armstrong looking for action. Always fun and entertaining. No red ass hustle. Tom sort of looked like lion from Wizard of Oz. One time came in wearing a buckskin jacket with fringes on the sleeves and a purse or sachel of cash. Before I knew better I Played Jimmy a few games $5 9-ball (equal to $20-25 a game today). Only took four barrels to learn that I had no chance whatsoever! At that time I could barely run a rack and probably needed the 6 out for a gamble.

Back then, BTW, you had to practice spot shots because they came up frequently.
 
jazznpool said:
Came rolling into our room in East Detroit several times around 1970-1971 with Tom Armstrong looking for action. Always fun and entertaining. No red ass hustle. Tom sort of looked like lion from Wizard of Oz. One time came in wearing a buckskin jacket with fringes on the sleeves and a purse or sachel of cash. Before I knew better I Played Jimmy a few games $5 9-ball (equal to $20-25 a game today). Only took four barrels to learn that I had no chance whatsoever! At that time I could barely run a rack and probably needed the 6 out for a gamble.

Back then, BTW, you had to practice spot shots because they came up frequently.
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He spent some time in the CHI area at about the same time, or shortly thereafter, and i don't recall him booking a loser when he wasn't layin it down
 
How good

I have seen some videos and I wasnt impressed.

To be fair, I may have just got some poor examples of his speed, was he ever a top pro level player?

He seemed to be a shortstop level when I have seen him.

Ken
 
Ken_4fun said:
I have seen some videos and I wasnt impressed.

To be fair, I may have just got some poor examples of his speed, was he ever a top pro level player?

He seemed to be a shortstop level when I have seen him.

Ken
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Jim Mataya was born in 1949....so it's kind of pertinent exactly when one saw him play.
I first saw him play when he was 28...he was one of the top players (top 30?)....
...and he was a lot of fun to have at a pool hall.

He hasn't won a spot in the BCA Hall of Fame...but is good enough to have been nominated.
Jim won two world titles back to back (71-72)...and has 30 titles to his credit.
....'course the game wasn't as organized back then....some titles would not be BCA legal.
 
Only time I saw him live was at the Glass City Open in Toledo, Ohio in I think '87. The thing I remember most clearly was his young wife ... the very beautiful Eva. :grin:
 
Ken_4fun said:
I have seen some videos and I wasnt impressed.

To be fair, I may have just got some poor examples of his speed, was he ever a top pro level player?

He seemed to be a shortstop level when I have seen him.

Ken
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Couldn't consistently beat Buddy, Keith (beginning in 74+-), Searcy, etc, but would rate him as a top 10-15 player in the early 70's.

i'd defer to jay's opinion
 
pt109 said:
Jim Mataya was born in 1949.

Jim won two world titles back to back (71-72)...and has 30 titles to his credit.

He hasn't won a spot in the BCA Hall of Fame...but is good enough to have been nominated.

.
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I'd love to see Mataya in the BCA Hall of Fame, but he's got a tough road. At his age, he now would only be able to get in through the Veteran's category, which is done every other year.

He's definitely one of the reasons I play this game.

Freddie
 
Cornerman said:
I'd love to see Mataya in the BCA Hall of Fame, but he's got a tough road. At his age, he now would only be able to get in through the Veteran's category, which is done every other year.

He's definitely one of the reasons I play this game.

Freddie
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I'm glad you feel like that, Freddy....you have a good track record for me with the HOF.
People that have seen him in the last 20 years have no idea what he was like when his
game could back up his conversation.
When he would show up at the Rack in Detroit in the 70s....he would make that place, full
of all the wise guys, stop and watch....and that was just for the game-making.
I can still hear him say "I'm a bad man!!!!!
 
pt109 said:
I'm glad you feel like that, Freddy....you have a good track record for me with the HOF.
People that have seen him in the last 20 years have no idea what he was like when his
game could back up his conversation.
When he would show up at the Rack in Detroit in the 70s....he would make that place, full
of all the wise guys, stop and watch....and that was just for the game-making.
I can still hear him say "I'm a bad man!!!!!
Click to expand...

I just seen him play for the 1st time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aCoMzfMiTk

He had a very unique way of getting down on the shot (he would always tilt his head, a little sideways), while aiming. Very unique player. I see that Grady Mathews played very well too (pretty amazing I think, for how old he looked). Grady must have been a really great player back in his prime.
 
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ribdoner said:
Couldn't consistently beat Buddy, Keith (beginning in 74+-), Searcy, etc, but would rate him as a top 10-15 player in the early 70's.

i'd defer to jay's opinion
Click to expand...

I really wish there were some videos (to be seen online, or available for purchase) of all of those greats, from the early 70's.
 
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