Someone was asking about Kling tables the other day and i found this picture. Now THIS is a poolroom: http://www.chicagobilliardmuseum.org/images/50_Klings.jpg Johnny Kling was a catcher for the Cubs and in the off-season he was a champion player and room owner. If you want to play on one go to RaytownRec in KC. They've got a 5x10 pool version that came out of Kling-Allens.
Kling's in its heyday..................
- Thread starter garczar
- Start date
A really well appointed poolroom like this would still do well today. People will always enjoy socializing and playing pool together.
It was simply a ball basket for convenience. For toting balls to and from the tables and even making the racking go quicker.
Before the Cubs won this last World Series, they had not won it since 1908.
Some have argued that they might have won it again in 1909 (and maybe more) had it not been for Kling "leaving baseball" to play pool..
from wiki:
Although he once again told Cubs' management he was considering giving up baseball for pool before the 1907 season,[13] he once again returned to play for the Cubs, who won the World Series in both 1907 & 1908. Then, in early 1909, after several solid years with Chicago, he engaged in another dispute with the management over salary and this time decided to spend some time away from the club.[14] During that time he continued to compete in pool, winning the world billiards championship, and played semi-pro baseball with a Kansas City team. He sat out the entire 1909 season, and in early October competed against Charles "Cowboy" Weston and won the world's championship of pool.[15] When he decided to come back to baseball in early 1910 and asked to be reinstated, a debate ensued as to whether he should be permitted to return since he had not honored his contract during the 1909 season. National League President Thomas J. Lynch wanted him fined or possibly traded; in the end, he was fined $700 and allowed to return.[16] His love for both pool and billiards led him to not only play competitively, but to organize a league which was called the National Amateur Three-Cushion League. It had teams from eight cities, Kansas City, Chicago and St. Louis among them.[17] He told reporters that when his baseball career was over, he would devote himself to pool and billiards full-time.[18] And despite his often-divided loyalties, baseball writers agreed that Kling was among the best players of his era; in fact, his obituary described him as "one of the greatest catchers the Chicago Cubs ever had".
Some have argued that they might have won it again in 1909 (and maybe more) had it not been for Kling "leaving baseball" to play pool..
from wiki:
Although he once again told Cubs' management he was considering giving up baseball for pool before the 1907 season,[13] he once again returned to play for the Cubs, who won the World Series in both 1907 & 1908. Then, in early 1909, after several solid years with Chicago, he engaged in another dispute with the management over salary and this time decided to spend some time away from the club.[14] During that time he continued to compete in pool, winning the world billiards championship, and played semi-pro baseball with a Kansas City team. He sat out the entire 1909 season, and in early October competed against Charles "Cowboy" Weston and won the world's championship of pool.[15] When he decided to come back to baseball in early 1910 and asked to be reinstated, a debate ensued as to whether he should be permitted to return since he had not honored his contract during the 1909 season. National League President Thomas J. Lynch wanted him fined or possibly traded; in the end, he was fined $700 and allowed to return.[16] His love for both pool and billiards led him to not only play competitively, but to organize a league which was called the National Amateur Three-Cushion League. It had teams from eight cities, Kansas City, Chicago and St. Louis among them.[17] He told reporters that when his baseball career was over, he would devote himself to pool and billiards full-time.[18] And despite his often-divided loyalties, baseball writers agreed that Kling was among the best players of his era; in fact, his obituary described him as "one of the greatest catchers the Chicago Cubs ever had".
You gotta know what you're doing baby! Take a look at The Ice House that Scott Frost just opened, very large and very clean. Full bar and good food is a must. I would go even further, create a nice eating area by each table and their own rack of cues. Good table, good spacing and good food goes a long way to making people happy. A good sound system is also a must.
My vision would include soft lighting and maybe some soft jazz music in the background. A place for people to chill out and relax and have fun. A club for well mannered ADULTS!
That is not what this discussion is concerned with, as you very well know.
When you find a hotel in a major city that will allow you to put a pool room on an entire floor (like in this picture from the dark ages)........then you can write about "gotta know what you're doing, baby".
Since you brought it up, as of today, the Ice House is still an unknown entity when it comes to the P&L.
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Whats the "P&L"? Profit-n-Loss? BTW, Jay never said anything about the room he described as being in a hotel. He said a well appointed room "like" this would do well. My intent as the OP was merely to show what Kling's looked like back in the day. Did you have a room go bust on you? Seem awfully negative on this topic. If i'm misreading you i apologize.
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I don't think Low, mentioned anything about, Jay saying anything about a hotel :grin:.
IMO he was just referencing how immensely popular, pool was then.
If someone pulled this off in say New York, at the Waldorph, next yr, it would make the ice house look like a redneck dive. It would be fair to say, it would be next to impossible to pull something like this off.
I mean the guy was quitting professional baseball to play pool
I never said it had to be in a hotel. It could be built in a warehouse in an industrial district and be successful if done right.
I don't think Low, mentioned anything about, Jay saying anything about a hotel :grin:.
IMO he was just referencing how immensely popular, pool was then.
If someone pulled this off in say New York, at the Waldorph, next yr, it would make the ice house look like a redneck dive. It would be fair to say, it would be next to impossible to pull something like this off.
I mean the guy was quitting professional baseball to play pool
By the way, there are some beautiful large rooms in New York (Steinway, Amsterdam) that seem to be doing okay, in spite of extremely high rents. They must be doing something right.
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Yeah sure, if you don't mind paying $16-$20 an hour for one person.
I see, so what we need are beautiful rooms with brand new equipment, super cheap table time and in convenient locations. Oh yeah, and all-day happy hour and no greens fees for leagues. I'll take a massage while we're at it.
Clearly people value playing pool at whatever price Steinway charges because the room is doing well. Perhaps you don't and that's fine.
I'm not complaining about the price, just pointing it out to others that may not know.
Los Angeles Lease rates, liability insurance, California taxes plus paying $15/hour for workers is killing pool rooms left and right here.
Which is why pool is really killing it in the rest of the country... oh wait
On one of the chats someone was indignantly posting about how much it costs to play at Family Billiards in SF. We should be happy that there are at least a few pool halls left that get people to pay actual money for table time.
Wow. That is epic :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: