Joe Salazar
- Thread starter billf59
- Start date
Stroke
I grew up in Upland CA - he played at my home room (Shooters) back in the 80s. He and Frank Almanza were the 2 best players in that room. Joe was amazing. His stroke was like melted butter. Just great fundamentals and was crazy good on the bar box - I mean CRAZY good. He took down world beaters there. IMO at one time he was the best 8 ball bar table player on the planet. His nickname is Tracy Joe (coming from N. Cal). If you read Freddy's book it talks about Joe a little. Really nice guy too - strong Christian now.
I grew up in Upland CA - he played at my home room (Shooters) back in the 80s. He and Frank Almanza were the 2 best players in that room. Joe was amazing. His stroke was like melted butter. Just great fundamentals and was crazy good on the bar box - I mean CRAZY good. He took down world beaters there. IMO at one time he was the best 8 ball bar table player on the planet. His nickname is Tracy Joe (coming from N. Cal). If you read Freddy's book it talks about Joe a little. Really nice guy too - strong Christian now.
Here is a reprint of a post I made about Joe Salazar (Tracy Joe) and Keith McCready:
Tracy Joe was quite the player on the bar box.
Here's a cute story about the two of them. A young Keith made an appointment to play the legendary Tracy Joe at a pool room that was off the beaten path.
Keith and a couple of his buddies drove out to the joint at the designated time. When they walked in, there was Tracy Joe waiting for him. The place was packed with curious onlookers wanting to sweat the match. Tracy Joe had his own fan club there in full force, too.
Before the first game, it was agreed that the post monies would be placed on top of the overhead light, a nickel each totalling a thousand bucks. It wasn't 10 crisp C-notes, though. Rather, it was a bunch of tens and twenties. I'm sure both players must have been playing on committee monies.
Tracy Joe and Keith wasted no time and began to battle. It was like one of those neck-and-neck horse races. When one of them got close to the finish line, the other one would catch up. They were tight races. Back and forth they went until the wee hours of the morning, and then Keith caught one of those infamous gears and put it in turbocharge, defeating Tracy Joe several races.
Keith and his entourage were the strangers in town and wanted to get out of there as quick as they could with the cheese. So after the last set, they didn't want to hang around and mingle. They immediately exited the premises.
The night sky was pitch black in the parking lot. Keith and his buddies piled in their car to begin their journey back home. Within minutes it seemed, the driver of Keith's car saw headlights behind him, coming towards their car at an extremely fast pace. The driver of Keith's car figured they were going to get robbed and started to step on it, hitting speeds of close to 100 MPH. Keith said he was frightened.
Soon the car behind them made a move on this two-lane highway and pulled up right next to their car on the left. Keith and his buddies looked in horror when they saw this car full of the bar's patrons and wondered how they were going to get out of this trap.
The driver's side window of the other car was rolled down, and there was Tracy Joe. He had a bunch of greenbacks in one hand, pointing at it with his other hand, and screamed, "Keith, you forgot the post monies on the light."
Keith's driver pulled over to the shoulder of the road. Tracy Joe walked up to Keith's car and handed him the cash. Keith's driver was relieved, as were the rest of the occupants. On the way home, they all enjoyed a good chuckle. They were so intent on leaving, thinking they could get robbed, that they forget to grab the post on top of the light, and the would-be robbers turned out to be the good guys, only wanting to do the right thing.
Tracy Joe was quite the player on the bar box.
Here's a cute story about the two of them. A young Keith made an appointment to play the legendary Tracy Joe at a pool room that was off the beaten path.
Keith and a couple of his buddies drove out to the joint at the designated time. When they walked in, there was Tracy Joe waiting for him. The place was packed with curious onlookers wanting to sweat the match. Tracy Joe had his own fan club there in full force, too.
Before the first game, it was agreed that the post monies would be placed on top of the overhead light, a nickel each totalling a thousand bucks. It wasn't 10 crisp C-notes, though. Rather, it was a bunch of tens and twenties. I'm sure both players must have been playing on committee monies.
Tracy Joe and Keith wasted no time and began to battle. It was like one of those neck-and-neck horse races. When one of them got close to the finish line, the other one would catch up. They were tight races. Back and forth they went until the wee hours of the morning, and then Keith caught one of those infamous gears and put it in turbocharge, defeating Tracy Joe several races.
Keith and his entourage were the strangers in town and wanted to get out of there as quick as they could with the cheese. So after the last set, they didn't want to hang around and mingle. They immediately exited the premises.
The night sky was pitch black in the parking lot. Keith and his buddies piled in their car to begin their journey back home. Within minutes it seemed, the driver of Keith's car saw headlights behind him, coming towards their car at an extremely fast pace. The driver of Keith's car figured they were going to get robbed and started to step on it, hitting speeds of close to 100 MPH. Keith said he was frightened.
Soon the car behind them made a move on this two-lane highway and pulled up right next to their car on the left. Keith and his buddies looked in horror when they saw this car full of the bar's patrons and wondered how they were going to get out of this trap.
The driver's side window of the other car was rolled down, and there was Tracy Joe. He had a bunch of greenbacks in one hand, pointing at it with his other hand, and screamed, "Keith, you forgot the post monies on the light."
Keith's driver pulled over to the shoulder of the road. Tracy Joe walked up to Keith's car and handed him the cash. Keith's driver was relieved, as were the rest of the occupants. On the way home, they all enjoyed a good chuckle. They were so intent on leaving, thinking they could get robbed, that they forget to grab the post on top of the light, and the would-be robbers turned out to be the good guys, only wanting to do the right thing.
I met Joe a few years ago at J O B in Nashville then found out later he married a neighbor of mine from here in Ala spent some time with him at his booth in tunica the two years they had the southern classic there a very nice guy to talk to talk to just want to learn more on his playing days
Like a lot of players there is a moment in time when they are the best there is. I would say this was also the case with Joe. His domain was the bar table and he was the best at one time.
Players always have a reputation that precedes them but few live up to it. Joe was everything we had heard and better. He was in town for several months (early 70's) and it was magic, he played great every time he went to the table.
I played him a race to 7 getting the 5 & 7 giving the break. I never shot he ran out the set. While he was around I saw him do the same thing at least a dozen times once he won a game and had the break, he may just run out the set.
Because players live in different era's it is hard to say if he was the best bar table players ever and these conversations can be endless with no real answer, but it is hard to see how anyone could have played better then I saw him play for several months.
He seemed to really like pool. He would be in the pool room and would sit and watch two players play who didn't have to be great players and seemed to completely enjoy it. Seemed like a very happy person who had nothing bad to say about anything.
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I don't know why, but when I knew him he was called "Seattle Joe".
I guess days like that are a thing of the past
JAM...What a great story about Joe and Keith. Joe can be seen today at many big pool events around the country (especially in Vegas), in his booth selling high-end used cues! :thumbup:
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Olathe, KS
I heard this from an old time player about ten years ago. He told me that Joe was the only player to ever win the one pocket and 9-ball tournament in the same week at Shooters. I have also heard that Joe played the hole like a ghost.
Trent
I heard this from an old time player about ten years ago. He told me that Joe was the only player to ever win the one pocket and 9-ball tournament in the same week at Shooters. I have also heard that Joe played the hole like a ghost.
Trent
i saw Joe play Louie Roberts in Dallas at the old Time Square pool hall
they had a tight match but in the end Joe got a bad roll and lost the set
he snapped his cue in half lol they hung it on the wall with a sign that said mexican Joes
stick he is great player but st louie louie was better
Joe was a great player and and 1 of the good guys in pool
that was on a 8ft table Louie would not play Joe on the barbox
they had a tight match but in the end Joe got a bad roll and lost the set
he snapped his cue in half lol they hung it on the wall with a sign that said mexican Joes
stick he is great player but st louie louie was better
Joe was a great player and and 1 of the good guys in pool
that was on a 8ft table Louie would not play Joe on the barbox
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Oh man, those were the days. As Keith was coming up the ranks Joe shows up on the scene in Southern California. Joe actually had the best of it for a good stretch, picking up 25,000 bucks off Keith's backers. After that, it was all Keith.
back in 1973 I owned a real estate brokerage in Dallas
One night the phone rang,Dean this is Joe Salazar,you don't know me
but I am a good pool player from California and just went broke to a guy that should never have beat me
and I need to borrow $500 (an amount worth say $3000 or more today)
So I said come on over and thus began a friendship.
At this writing I expect to see Joe on Tuesday so he can return a beautiful cue and case that failed to sell in Las Vegas
Joe sells pool cues these days and is not playing much if any pool,but if you call him ,he can provide
you with a great cue
Best wishes to Joe,he also taught me how to play one pocket and had to give up when ,as he said,
"You are better off working"
One night the phone rang,Dean this is Joe Salazar,you don't know me
but I am a good pool player from California and just went broke to a guy that should never have beat me
and I need to borrow $500 (an amount worth say $3000 or more today)
So I said come on over and thus began a friendship.
At this writing I expect to see Joe on Tuesday so he can return a beautiful cue and case that failed to sell in Las Vegas
Joe sells pool cues these days and is not playing much if any pool,but if you call him ,he can provide
you with a great cue
Best wishes to Joe,he also taught me how to play one pocket and had to give up when ,as he said,
"You are better off working"
:thumbup:
When Joe was in "his Prime"
He beat everybody on the bar box...
Buddy Hall, Matlock, Keith ,
I believe ALL The Big names of that era"
break and run out the sets,
great 6-7 packs"
consistently :wink:
When Joe was in "his Prime"
He beat everybody on the bar box...
Buddy Hall, Matlock, Keith ,
I believe ALL The Big names of that era"
break and run out the sets,
great 6-7 packs"
consistently :wink:
Jam, do you know if Keith or Joe ever squared off with Billy Steele ?? Been many years ago, but Billy was tough on a bar table.
Trent,
I watched Joe that weekend when he won both the one-pocket and 9-ball tournaments at Shooters-Olathe. He was in his mid 50s at the time, and played great. Shooters regularly gets 150 players in the 9-ball and 60+ in the one hole, with a LOT of players who can win. Several players have won both since then, but not very often for a tournament that occurs 3 times a year. Always $5000-added so it draws real players from a dozen or more states always.
I have bought or traded about 20 cues with Joe. What a gem of a person. Soft spoken, even humble and with highest integrity. He really works hard with the cue business.
Will Prout
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Joe
I have known Joe since 1996, I made my first cash and trade cue deal with him at the SBE, many deals followed that over the years at the US Open and also Derby City. I miss seeing Joe he was always friendly and very honest to deal with. I hope he is still doing well.
I have known Joe since 1996, I made my first cash and trade cue deal with him at the SBE, many deals followed that over the years at the US Open and also Derby City. I miss seeing Joe he was always friendly and very honest to deal with. I hope he is still doing well.
I talked with Joe and he said that first guy that really beat him was Keith.
I have to laugh at JAMS story compared to Joe. Joe lead me to believe that Keith just beat him and it wasn't as close as JAMs story. Maybe he was being modest, but Joe said that he beat everyone he played until that time. I remember Joe saying he was quite a bit (whatever that means) older than Keith and he was just a kid, (whatever that means but I am guessing less than 21 probably closer to 18).
What sucks is not having any video like we do today. Now we have terrible matches on video, instead of some of these epic matches.
I would love to see this and all the matches with Keith and Dave Matlock. I bet those would be dandies. Both of them beat the other, so it wasn't like Dave or Keith won all the time. Apparently it was a dog fight each time, but no hard feelings afterward. :thumbup:
Ken
I have to laugh at JAMS story compared to Joe. Joe lead me to believe that Keith just beat him and it wasn't as close as JAMs story. Maybe he was being modest, but Joe said that he beat everyone he played until that time. I remember Joe saying he was quite a bit (whatever that means) older than Keith and he was just a kid, (whatever that means but I am guessing less than 21 probably closer to 18).
What sucks is not having any video like we do today. Now we have terrible matches on video, instead of some of these epic matches.
I would love to see this and all the matches with Keith and Dave Matlock. I bet those would be dandies. Both of them beat the other, so it wasn't like Dave or Keith won all the time. Apparently it was a dog fight each time, but no hard feelings afterward. :thumbup:
Ken